Yes—it forks: as a noncitizen you can use qualifying passport or alien‑ID information with an accepting issuer, while an SSN‑eligible person should use an SSN rather than seek an ITIN for credit.

(a)(2)(i)(A)(4)

Identification number, which shall be: (i) For a U.S. person, a taxpayer identification number; (ii) For a non-U.S. person, one or more of the following: A taxpayer identification number; passport number and country of issuance; alien identification card number; or number and country of issuance of any other government-issued document evidencing nationality or residence and bearing a photograph or similar safeguard.

(iii)

U.S. person. (1) A United States citizen; or (2) A person other than an individual (such as a corporation, partnership or trust), that is established or organized under the laws of a State or the United States. Non-U.S. person means a person that is not a U.S. person.

page 8

FinCEN and the Agencies reiterate that if an alternative collection method is used, the bank must still obtain the full TIN from a third-party source prior to opening an account, and the TIN is one piece of customer identifying information among others that the bank must obtain and use to verify the customer's identity.

What an ITIN is

An ITIN is a 9-digit number the IRS issues if you need a U.S. taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes, but you aren’t eligible for a Social Security number (SSN).

page 1

An IRS individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) is for U.S. federal tax purposes only. Don’t submit this form if you have, or are eligible to get, a U.S. social security number (SSN).

Secured credit card – You put in an amount of cash, for example $500. Then, you can spend up to that amount on your credit card. When you pay the secured credit card bill, you restore your spending amount back to the amount you put in. Credit builder loans – You build credit and savings at the same time, through a loan from your bank or credit union. The money is not yours for spending—instead, it is held for you, it is held for you as savings. You pay the loan in small payments, usually over six to 24 months. At the end of that time, you receive the full amount you paid. Prepaid card. Unlike a secured credit card, when you use a prepaid card, you can spend only the money you deposited beforehand. While they can help you avoid debt that you cannot pay off, prepaid cards do not help you establish your credit history.

Pay your loans on time, every time. Experts advise keeping your use of credit at no more than 30 percent of your total credit limit. Paying off the balance in full each month helps get you the best scores and keeps your interest costs as low as possible. You don’t need to carry a balance on credit cards to get a good score.

You must enter your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to receive a free credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com.

If you do not have an SSN, you can submit your request for a free credit report in writing with: One copy of a government-issued identification card, such as a driver's license, state ID card or similar displaying your current address. One copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, insurance statement or similar. Include the following identification information: Your full name including middle initial (and generation - Jr., II, III). Date of birth. Complete addresses for the past two years. Experian, P.O. Box 9701, Allen, TX 75013.

Hard inquiries: These are often inquiries by lenders after you apply for credit to help them decide whether they will approve your loan or credit. These inquiries will impact your credit score because most credit scoring models look at how recently and how frequently you apply for credit.

They will need to provide some basic information to confirm your identity, as well as your name, Social Security Number, date of birth and contact information. However, becoming an authorized user can actually hurt your credit score if you're added on an account that is not in good standing.

If you've just arrived in the U.S. and don't have an SSN or ITIN, you can apply with your passport. With Firstcard, your responsible credit use is reported to all three major credit bureaus (Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion®) which helps users with no SSN build credit.

Firstcard is available to anyone without an SSN as long as you have the following requirements: Be at least 18 years old; Have a legal U.S. residential address; A valid government-issued ID; If you don’t have an SSN, you’ll need to submit 1) a passport 2) a Visa or an ITIN.

At Firstcard you can start building credit with a secured credit card for just $4.99/month. Firstcard does not have any additional fees other than the subscription cost.