You've just moved to the US. You have a passport and a new bank account. Then a credit card application asks for your Social Security number, and you don't have one. A friend says to get an ITIN instead. An online ad offers to sell you a nine-digit number. Before you pick one, check what the rules say.
A US credit file starts with one account in your name that reports to the credit bureaus; if the lender asks for a number, give your own SSN or ITIN.
Which number do I use, and how long can an ITIN take?
Which number you use depends on IRS rules, not on how soon you want a card:
- If you have a Social Security number (SSN), or you're eligible for one, the IRS says not to file Form W-7, the ITIN application. The same goes while an SSN application is pending. To find out if you're eligible, the IRS points you to SSA.gov (IRS instructions for Form W-7, revised December 2024).
- An ITIN is for people who need a US taxpayer ID for federal taxes and aren't eligible for an SSN. Form W-7 normally goes in with your federal tax return (IRS ITIN page, updated October 28, 2025).
Immigration questions? Check uscis.gov, or ask an immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative: this course covers credit, not immigration law.
Example: Sofia has applied for an SSN. Mei can't get one and has to file a federal tax return.
- Sofia doesn't file Form W-7. She waits for her SSN and uses it on her first application.
- Mei mails Form W-7 with her return on March 2. The IRS ITIN page (updated October 28, 2025) says to allow 7 weeks to hear back, or 9–11 weeks for applications sent from January 15 to April 30 or from abroad. So she plans to hear back by May 4–18 (March 2 plus 9 or 11 weeks). Had she mailed it from the US on September 2, the IRS estimate would be 7 weeks: October 21.
Can an account opened with an ITIN build my credit?
It can, once the issuer reports it to the credit bureaus. FICO says your FICO Score is calculated only from the information in your credit report. FICO names one exception: the UltraFICO Score, which considers bank account data you choose to share. Some banks and credit unions accept an ITIN, so ask first whether yours does and whether its card reports to all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Building Credit as a Newcomer compares a secured card and a credit-builder loan.
Lenders look at more than your score, though. Since mid-2026, federal guidance lets banks and credit unions treat an ITIN used instead of an SSN as a reason for extra checks (Executive Order 14406, May 19, 2026; FinCEN advisory FIN-2026-A002, issued with the FDIC, OCC and NCUA, June 5, 2026). If you apply with an ITIN, expect more questions or requests for documents.
What won't start a US credit file?
- Your history from home. Experian says credit histories don't follow you to the US. Building Credit as a Newcomer covers one exception. A US file still needs a US account.
- A card that doesn't report. The CFPB says debit and prepaid card payments typically aren't reported to the credit bureaus. Ask a card issuer about reporting.
- A bought "credit privacy number" (CPN), like the one in that ad. If you apply for credit with a number other than your own, the FTC says, you won't get it, and you could face fines or prison.
What can I do today?
- If you have an SSN or an ITIN: ask your bank or credit union which of its cards report to all three bureaus and accept your number.
- If you have neither: read "Who needs an ITIN" on the IRS ITIN page. If you need one, some VITA sites with ITIN services (IRS page updated July 22, 2026) help with Form W-7 for free. If you don't, ask a bank or credit union which ID it accepts for a card that reports.
Don't share your number with us.
Which move fits a pending SSN?
Your SSN application is pending, and you want to start building US credit. Which move is right?
- A. File Form W-7 now, so you can apply with an ITIN sooner
- B. Wait for your SSN, then apply for one account that reports to the bureaus ✅
- C. Buy a "credit privacy number" to use until your SSN arrives
Why: the IRS says not to file Form W-7 while an SSN application is pending, and applying with a number that isn't yours can bring fines or prison.
Where do these facts come from?
- IRS — "Individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN)" (page last reviewed or updated October 28, 2025), https://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin; "Instructions for Form W-7" (Rev. December 2024; page last reviewed or updated August 24, 2026), https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw7; "Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites with ITIN services" (page last reviewed or updated July 22, 2026), https://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/volunteer-income-tax-assistance-vita-sites-with-itin-services · Verified 2026-10-17
- Federal guidance — Executive Order 14406, "Restoring Integrity to America's Financial System" (signed May 19, 2026; Federal Register, May 22, 2026), https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/22/2026-10400/restoring-integrity-to-americas-financial-system; FinCEN, with the FDIC, OCC and NCUA, Advisory FIN-2026-A002 (June 5, 2026), https://www.fincen.gov/resources/advisories/fincen-advisory-fin-2026-a002 · Verified 2026-10-17
- CFPB — "What are some ways to start or rebuild a good credit history?" (last reviewed September 13, 2024), https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-are-some-ways-to-start-or-rebuild-a-good-credit-history-en-2155/; "What is a credit report?" (last reviewed January 29, 2024), https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-credit-report-en-309/ · Verified 2026-10-17
- FTC — "Fixing Your Credit FAQs" (November 2023). https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/fixing-your-credit-faqs · Verified 2026-10-17
- myFICO (FICO) — "What's in your credit score?" (updated October 2026). https://www.myfico.com/credit-education/whats-in-your-credit-score · Verified 2026-10-17
- Experian — "Canadian Credit History Will Not Transfer to United States" (July 15, 2016). https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/canadian-credit-history-will-not-transfer-to-u-s/ · Verified 2026-10-17
- Banks' and credit unions' own pages — Capital One, "How to get a credit card with an ITIN" (April 30, 2026), https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/what-is-an-itin/; Latino Community Credit Union, "Become A Member" (no date on page), https://latinoccu.org/become-a-member-2/ · Verified 2026-10-17