i-944 How to get evidence of (no) Credit Report/Score for I-944?

[DJAger19 1]

Hey everyone,

 

Hope everyone is safe and well. So I recently moved to the USA on a K1 visa a month ago, and I am currently sorting out paper work for the AOS, so in other words the i-485, i-944 and other required forms to submit. For part 3 of the I-944, it asks:

 

11. Do you have a U.S. credit report?

12. Do you have a U.S. credit score?

 

I've gone online and called Annual Credit Score, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (over 2 hours on hold!) to try to receive a credit score/report, but they require a Social Security Number (SSN).

 

Unfortunately, I don't have a SSN and the SSA offices closed the day after I arrived - so I am unable to obtain one. I do have a credit card here as an authorized user of my wife's account, so I will start to build up a credit history, though it may be too recent to show up anyway.

 

TDLR; Basically, does anyone have any suggestions on how to display evidence for the I-944 of not being able to obtain a credit report?

 

I saw a similar post to this (click here), and feel we aren't the only ones in this situation. The best we've been able to think of is screenshots of websites of errors on credit reporters when applying, and the closure of SSA offices - and/or providing a notarized affidavit explaining the situation (but this may be tricky, given the need for witnesses and evidence).

 

I even asked the credit reporters about being to provide a letter on their behalf, to state that I am unable to get a credit report. The best I got was a 'shaky maybe' from Equifax, if I write to them with evidence of identification - but this won't come for approximately 30 working days. Ideally though, we want to be sending the AOS forms off ASAP, and want to make this application 'watertight'. 

 

Any thoughts and help would be much appreciated - thanks!

 

 

 

[Bjh 39]

8 hours ago, DJAger19 said:

Hey everyone,

 

Hope everyone is safe and well. So I recently moved to the USA on a K1 visa a month ago, and I am currently sorting out paper work for the AOS, so in other words the i-485, i-944 and other required forms to submit. For part 3 of the I-944, it asks:

 

11. Do you have a U.S. credit report?

12. Do you have a U.S. credit score?

 

I've gone online and called Annual Credit Score, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (over 2 hours on hold!) to try to receive a credit score/report, but they require a Social Security Number (SSN).

 

Unfortunately, I don't have a SSN and the SSA offices closed the day after I arrived - so I am unable to obtain one. I do have a credit card here as an authorized user of my wife's account, so I will start to build up a credit history, though it may be too recent to show up anyway.

 

TDLR; Basically, does anyone have any suggestions on how to display evidence for the I-944 of not being able to obtain a credit report?

 

I saw a similar post to this (click here), and feel we aren't the only ones in this situation. The best we've been able to think of is screenshots of websites of errors on credit reporters when applying, and the closure of SSA offices - and/or providing a notarized affidavit explaining the situation (but this may be tricky, given the need for witnesses and evidence).

 

I even asked the credit reporters about being to provide a letter on their behalf, to state that I am unable to get a credit report. The best I got was a 'shaky maybe' from Equifax, if I write to them with evidence of identification - but this won't come for approximately 30 working days. Ideally though, we want to be sending the AOS forms off ASAP, and want to make this application 'watertight'. 

 

Any thoughts and help would be much appreciated - thanks!

 

 

 

Transunion should be able to provide a letter saying that you have no credit score or report, this is what they offered for my wife (until they found she actually did have a credit report and score). They should not require a SSN for such a letter.

[Flowerfame 55]

9 hours ago, DJAger19 said:

Hey everyone,

 

Hope everyone is safe and well. So I recently moved to the USA on a K1 visa a month ago, and I am currently sorting out paper work for the AOS, so in other words the i-485, i-944 and other required forms to submit. For part 3 of the I-944, it asks:

 

11. Do you have a U.S. credit report?

12. Do you have a U.S. credit score?

 

I've gone online and called Annual Credit Score, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (over 2 hours on hold!) to try to receive a credit score/report, but they require a Social Security Number (SSN).

 

Unfortunately, I don't have a SSN and the SSA offices closed the day after I arrived - so I am unable to obtain one. I do have a credit card here as an authorized user of my wife's account, so I will start to build up a credit history, though it may be too recent to show up anyway.

 

TDLR; Basically, does anyone have any suggestions on how to display evidence for the I-944 of not being able to obtain a credit report?

 

I saw a similar post to this (click here), and feel we aren't the only ones in this situation. The best we've been able to think of is screenshots of websites of errors on credit reporters when applying, and the closure of SSA offices - and/or providing a notarized affidavit explaining the situation (but this may be tricky, given the need for witnesses and evidence).

 

I even asked the credit reporters about being to provide a letter on their behalf, to state that I am unable to get a credit report. The best I got was a 'shaky maybe' from Equifax, if I write to them with evidence of identification - but this won't come for approximately 30 working days. Ideally though, we want to be sending the AOS forms off ASAP, and want to make this application 'watertight'. 

 

Any thoughts and help would be much appreciated - thanks!

 

 

 

I was an authorized user of my husband’s credit card for a couple of weeks and when we called Experian to request a credit report, I already had a credit history. I received their letter in 5 business days (you should try to see if you can request both your report and score at the same time).

 

To get in touch with someone in the first place, we used my husband’s SSN and then explained the situation. Btw, the first agent we talked to said “no.” We tried again and that’s when they said they found the report and they would send it. Some people don’t want to be helpful, some do. Hope this helps!

[DJAger19 1]

On 4/25/2020 at 12:53 AM, Flowerfame said:

I was an authorized user of my husband’s credit card for a couple of weeks and when we called Experian to request a credit report, I already had a credit history. I received their letter in 5 business days (you should try to see if you can request both your report and score at the same time).

 

To get in touch with someone in the first place, we used my husband’s SSN and then explained the situation. Btw, the first agent we talked to said “no.” We tried again and that’s when they said they found the report and they would send it. Some people don’t want to be helpful, some do. Hope this helps!

 

On 4/24/2020 at 11:25 PM, Bjh said:

Transunion should be able to provide a letter saying that you have no credit score or report, this is what they offered for my wife (until they found she actually did have a credit report and score). They should not require a SSN for such a letter.

Thanks for your replies! It's very interesting, it seems to be luck of the draw as to getting someone who is actually willing to help.

 

TransUnion was particularly frustrating as I spent 1 hour and they said they couldn't help but would transfer the call, and after another hour or so I spoke to an agent who again flat out denied they were able to issue such a letter, despite telling them that others had got such a letter from TransUnion.

 

It may be worth trying Experian using my wife's SSN, just to get through to someone, though I do doubt that I have had my credit card for long enough to have a credit score yet.

[BirdSong 39]

My husband did these steps, and got an reply within a week. He also doesn't have a SSN. 

 

1.Fill out the Equifax credit request form. If you Google it, you see the PDF as the first link. Leave the SSN blank of course.

 

2. Write/type out an explanation of your situation and briefly explain the i-944 from. 

 

3. Mail it to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

[JKLSemicolon 327]

On 4/24/2020 at 10:53 PM, Flowerfame said:

I was an authorized user of my husband’s credit card for a couple of weeks and when we called Experian to request a credit report, I already had a credit history. I received their letter in 5 business days (you should try to see if you can request both your report and score at the same time).

 

To get in touch with someone in the first place, we used my husband’s SSN and then explained the situation. Btw, the first agent we talked to said “no.” We tried again and that’s when they said they found the report and they would send it. Some people don’t want to be helpful, some do. Hope this helps!

I also want to go the Authorized User route to get a credit history and report. I'm thinking about whether it makes sense to add my fiancée now or wait until we get married (or at least until she arrives on the K-1).

 

Were you added after your marriage? It sounds like you did not have an SSN at the time?

 

Thanks.

[Flowerfame 55]

7 minutes ago, JKLSemicolon said:

I also want to go the Authorized User route to get a credit history and report. I'm thinking about whether it makes sense to add my fiancée now or wait until we get married (or at least until she arrives on the K-1).

 

Were you added after your marriage? It sounds like you did not have an SSN at the time?

 

Thanks.

I think you actually can do this! I don’t have an SSN and I was added before we got married (but I was already here In the US... I don’t think this matters though). My husband wasn’t even asked to provide anything other than my name to add me. And it would help a lot because then you’ll have more time to request the credit score and report. That’s a great idea. We would have done the same thing if this form hadn’t come out so recently when I came to the US. 
 

Good luck! Hope that helps!!

[JKLSemicolon 327]

On 7/13/2020 at 5:23 PM, Flowerfame said:

I think you actually can do this! I don’t have an SSN and I was added before we got married (but I was already here In the US... I don’t think this matters though). My husband wasn’t even asked to provide anything other than my name to add me. And it would help a lot because then you’ll have more time to request the credit score and report. That’s a great idea. We would have done the same thing if this form hadn’t come out so recently when I came to the US. 
 

Good luck! Hope that helps!!

Thanks!

 

I did add my fiancée as an Authorized User to two of my credit cards ahead of time.

 

For anyone else reading, note that the card issuers vary in what information they need to add an authorized user. One company wouldn't do it without a SSN.

 

I ended up adding her on cards from Barclays, which can be done online and only requires name, DOB, and relationship ("other" for now until we get married).

 

My understanding is that the cards must also have a balance as of the statement closing date to be reported to the agencies. Since these were cards I rarely use, I made sure to put a charge of a few dollars on each and will continue to do that each month.

 

If I have any updates I will try to post them here.

Edited July 16, 2020 by JKLSemicolon

[RCable 75]

We just explained that he is adjusting status after entering on a tourist visa. He has never lived in the US and therefore does not have an SSN nor a credit report. We don’t have the GC yet but our application was accepted with no RFEs.
 

I don’t know if this will work for everyone (or even us at point of interview) but since it’s a generic form covering multiple application types, they should have just given other options for this question.