Hard Inquiry on No Credit History

[Anonymous]

Hi I am new to US and my social security is pending and I will get it in around 6-8 weeks. When I landed friend suggested to get a secured credit card on my ITIN (which I have for a year) to start building credit history asap and then have it transferred to SSN when I get the SSN. 

I got a bank of america travel secured card of $2000 limit with $2k deposit. By the time I got hold of the information about the graduation on this forum, I realized I might need the cash so I went to decrease the limit to $300 to which bank officer made me reapply a new card with lower limit and close the card I got with $2k limit. That application got denied so he made another one. Now upon reading I found out the concept of hard inquiry.

My questions are:
1. Does hard inquiry show up on person's file with no credit history since 3 secured card applications have been made from the same bank? 

2. If above is true, Should I not get credit card from bank of america and do not update my SSN with them for a while since I am not actively banking with them?

3. If I do not request credit unions to shift my credit history and just update my SSN eventually in the running card does the running score start to reflect on the SSN based file or does it bring all the previous data with it or Do I have to request manual update with credit bueraus in any case?

Looking for help and guidance on this matter. 

[SouthJamaica]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hi I am new to US and my social security is pending and I will get it in around 6-8 weeks. When I landed friend suggested to get a secured credit card on my ITIN (which I have for a year) to start building credit history asap and then have it transferred to SSN when I get the SSN. 

I got a bank of america travel secured card of $2000 limit with $2k deposit. By the time I got hold of the information about the graduation on this forum, I realized I might need the cash so I went to decrease the limit to $300 to which bank officer made me reapply a new card with lower limit and close the card I got with $2k limit. That application got denied so he made another one. Now upon reading I found out the concept of hard inquiry.

My questions are:
1. Does hard inquiry show up on person's file with no credit history since 3 secured card applications have been made from the same bank? 

I believe so

2. If above is true, Should I not get credit card from bank of america and do not update my SSN with them for a while since I am not actively banking with them?

You've already applied, so either you'll get the card or you won't.  Either way, stop filing applications with them.

3. If I do not request credit unions

I think you mean credit bureaus, not credit unions

to shift my credit history and just update my SSN eventually in the running card does the running score start to reflect on the SSN based file or does it bring all the previous data with it or Do I have to request manual update with credit bueraus in any case?

I don't think you can make any of these requests.  I think you'll just have to see what happens.

Looking for help and guidance on this matter. 

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[Anonymous]

Thank you for guidance on this issue of mine. Make sense with all the answers. I didn't fill out the applications and will close my accounts and never update my SSN with them. Disappointed in them misguiding me. 

[GatorGuy]

Not sure if that last application was put through. But from the one approved and one closed that you have two HPs on your report and one closed account. If you did the third then it would be 3 HPs. If approved you would have two accounts (one open, one closed). If denied, still just the one closed account.

If I was you I would stop doing applications.

[SouthJamaica]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thank you for guidance on this issue of mine. Make sense with all the answers. I didn't fill out the applications and will close my accounts and never update my SSN with them. Disappointed in them misguiding me. 

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I don't think you should close any accounts at this juncture. That's not going to help you.

[Anonymous]

So as described in initial query I ended up closing the card upon bankers instruction and my subsequent card request (third) was to be approved based on recon line. But due to misguidance by banker I ended upon requesting cancellation of that request. Since no statement was generated on my card that got approved I assume no score/hard check was reported. The card was applied on ITIN and I haven't provided SSN to Bank of America. 

I was talking about closing the checking account with them so I don't have to update my SSN with them or any other information, and eventually getting those hard inquiried reported on my new SSN based history. 

[Credit4Growth]

Do not hold me 100% to this as I have only heard of it happening 1 time three weeks ago but I did not read nor see it for myself.
My buddy who was born in a state from Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos), he, his wife and oldest daughter (2 of those 3) went through that using their ITIN. While traveling they completed credit application in Texas and Louisiana.

Yes the hard inquiry for the application using the profile of the ITIN is present and other institutions will be able to view it.


This seems to be a little confusing but why not just move forward with building in your ITIN thwn updating to creditors with your SSN if/when required?

If your already decided that you prefer to use the SSN after receiving the card, Stop applying and wait for it.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for getting back on this and sharing your friend's experience. Yes, my reports started to show up, where TU and EQ show the reported closed card (which I closed on banker's instruction without realizing what it would cost me). I am now just using my SSN and not applying at all. Thankfully the hard checks for rest 2 applications somehow didn't show up. 

[Credit4Growth]

That is a positive the inquiries did not show up... also I just read you were pre-approved then approved for a Chase Slate!  👌 (Banker recommended)

[Anonymous]

Yes, this approval happened the day I entered my SSN into the bank system.