I am an international student with a F1 visa in the US. I have lived in the US for two and half years, have paid rent, and utility bills and have a regular checking account and draw a regular salary and pay taxes. Yet when I applied to Discover for a credit card it was turned down on ground that I am a temporary resident. I will have to stay in the US for another four years at least and need credit. Does any one have ideas on where I should look ?
You only need a SS# and and a US address. Apply for a student card first or a secured card. You don´t need to talk about you status. Then apply for a retail card like mobil, burdines, target or whatever. Pay your bills on time and that is!. Also you could ask someone with good credit to add you as an autorized user on his/her account. Give him your SS# in order to get the account reported to your own credit file. Good luck!
Most cards say you must be a resident of the US to apply. Are you considered a resident under F1, since there is a specific time period, and you must return to your home country, or apply for a change of status to remain?
There are many cards you can get with F1 status. Just look for a credit card application that doesn't ask for status in the US. Discover is one of the few cards that require the applicant to be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident. Most others do not. Good luck. Mark