Getting a housewife credit

[joshandgigi 8]

Anyone else have problems with this. I was informed by USCIS that we needed to have things in our name together to show we are in a relationship but I cannot for the life of me get anything in her name because she has no credit here LMAO. I don't know how in 2 years I should have major loans in our name. If I apply and put her name on anything its rejected. She has great credit in Thailand but like I said none here.

I am just worried I guess we can just get the couple credit cards together?

Josh

[apple21 953]

You can add her name into your bank account (joint account) and you can make her an authorized user in your credit card. That's what we did.

You can also add her name into your house lease/rental agreement.

[joshandgigi 8]

I own my house. Its 10 years into a 30 year mortgage. I just don't want to start it over

I have her on credit card and I have her on the bank. Don't know what else to do .

[apple21 953]

You can add her name on the utility bills.

[joshandgigi 8]

Yeah I can do that Im just trying to plan for removal of conditions. in two years.

[apple21 953]

Yup. We're doing the same thing as early as now.

[long_ 3]

When you apply for a loan you have to be the primary applicant and have her added as a secondary on the loan. This is what I had to do for my wife and when you add her to your bank and credit card she will piggy back off your credit score. As far as adding her to your mortgage I had no problems with this and didn't have to refi or anything that changed the payment.

[Caryh 5,206]

Add her to health insurance. Make her the beneficiary to life insurance and retirement accounts.

Get her a secured credit card in her own name.

[Caryh 5,206]

When you apply for a loan you have to be the primary applicant and have her added as a secondary on the loan. This is what I had to do for my wife and when you add her to your bank and credit card she will piggy back off your credit score. As far as adding her to your mortgage I had no problems with this and didn't have to refi or anything that changed the payment.

When we bought a car, one loan firm refused to put her on the loan because she was a new immigrant. This was through my insurance company, who I promptly dropped afterwards. They said I could get the loan by myself, but not if I added her. They didn't beat the rate through the dealer anyway, so it was no great loss.

I did a home refi, and the interest rate would have been higher had she been on it. But we did get her on the house deed, so that was good. Lowered my rate to, so it worked out.

[khwaidee1 196]

When I bought my wife her first car to add her to the title would have given us a terrible interest rate. She was invited at the store to apply for a Kohl's card but rejected due to lack of credit history. About a year ago I added her as an authorized user to my Amex account and she got her own card. Lately she's been getting a lot of applications to apply for credit cards. We just sent one in so we'll see what happens. We opened up joint checking/savings account the first week she was here, got her on my health insurance straight away, beneficiary of 401K, all utility/phone/water/cable bills in both names, beneficiary of life insurance. We're about 3.5 months away from ROC so this has been on my mind a lot too.

Edited June 24, 2014 by khwaidee1

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

For the 2-year removal I sent in: Life insurance beneficiary, 2 bank accounts showing she was added, health insurance, and three credit card accounts where she was an authorized charger (pics of the cards with the number blurred), and of course copies of tax returns. This along with a timeline listing vacations and holidays each with a picture (showing family members when possible) was enough.

[Andy and Pui 16]

Get your wife a secured credit card from your bank. Charge gas or groceries one a month and pay it back in full when the bill comes. Or get a joint secured credit card with both of your names.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

My husband doesn't have credit either, but we have lots of things in both of our names. You don't need debt to prove a valid relationship to USCIS.

[watdog 8]

Adding someone as an authorized user doesn't build them credit. They can charge to the card but if you don't pay they have no legal responsibility to the account. Most CC will tell you this if you ask will you report this card to her credit. It's called piggybacking as described above and because so many people did it to build credit and then the economy collapsed they don't report it anymore as it's inaccurate to the consumers spending. You could have anyone piggyback years ago and never had met the person. Adding her name to utility bills won't build credit either as your not borrowing money and then paying it back.

I'm in the same boat and she got a secured credit card on her own to build credit.

As for proving relationship:

Joint accounts (we don't have any) but you can use them

Adding name to house (not really sure what's the point for you) I'm in the same situation

Name on car title (my car is paid off and she can't drive) again pointless, as I'd have to insure her as a driver without a drivers license

Insurance (rental apartment is on both our names, house in other state is under only mine) I'll bring this document in

Healthcare, both our names are on the health plan with my work I'll bring this to the interview

Life Insurance, she is listed as my beneficiary, I'll bring this to the interview

Joint filing taxes, I haven't filed 2013 as I'm still waiting for overseas documents. Even if I filed now it wouldn't be joint as we got married 3 months ago. I don't understand this one as sometimes it's beneficial to both to be married filing separately.

Are you concerned about building credit for the Mrs. or concerned about proving the relationship?

[Karee 4,189]

When I bought my wife her first car to add her to the title would have given us a terrible interest rate. She was invited at the store to apply for a Kohl's card but rejected due to lack of credit history. About a year ago I added her as an authorized user to my Amex account and she got her own card. Lately she's been getting a lot of applications to apply for credit cards. We just sent one in so we'll see what happens. We opened up joint checking/savings account the first week she was here, got her on my health insurance straight away, beneficiary of 401K, all utility/phone/water/cable bills in both names, beneficiary of life insurance. We're about 3.5 months away from ROC so this has been on my mind a lot too.

This happened with my wife and a Target credit card. She was denied so I applied with BoA (our bank) to get her a secured card with $500 limit ($99 security deposit). After about 4 months using that card and paying it off, Capitol One gave her an unsecured card with a $1000 limit out of the blue. I then went back to BoA and said we want the card unsecured and the $99 back. They said she has to pay on it for 6 months. I said just cancel it then. She put me on hold and came back and said they're making it unsecured, refunding the $99 and raising the credit limit to $1000. This started about a year ago. She now has multiple unsecured credit cards, and her credit score is actually better than mine (mid 700s)

ETA: Did you ever get that green card mess straightened out?

Edited June 24, 2014 by Karee