amberlynn

Wow - no offense but to the OP - have you read other folks credit problems in this and other forums? Before you give free advice, please be aware that it isn't as simple as you've made it out to be.

There is no hard and fast rule - some folks get credit easily through a former Cdn AMEX or RBC account, some through their husband or spouse, some were turned down (I am one of those). Some folks easily got department store cards without being asked for anything, others of us earn practically 6 figures and we were turned down because we have no credit history in the US.

You are very lucky that it worked out easily for you, but please don't misguide folks.

/rant over

I have a secured CC through Bank of America in my own name now and that is how I am building my credit to start

It is the last thing I wanna do, beleive me.

I was not about luck for me, But being with RBC made everything very simple.

I look through many different possible way and to join a credit union was the second option...though it would'have taken longuer to establish credit It was an alternative to consider.

All this post is, is to give options to people in my situation, share what I had to go through to get to this. I no way I mean to give hope to the ones struggling to get to that point.

Please be advise that a REQUEST FOR A CC that is refused, automaticaly start your CREDIT. As it will be reported to all 3 agencies as a no hit, but will give you an actual file to look at.

I'm sorry if I missled anyone with this post as it was not my intentions.

Sorry.

Laurent

I have an RBC account in Canada but they don't have any branches in PA, so they said I couldn't really open a US account....

I was rejected for a Target CC but approved for a Capital One CC with a small limit, so I've been using that to hopefully start building some credit

I do not have a branch in MD either, my account is base in Jacksonville, FL.

They should open one for you without a problem

I was recently told that to be approved for a CC, you have to have a job for at least a year to show income. Is that true? I've been a nanny for about 9 months.. getting paid cash so there is no proof of income. Are my chances of getting approved for a CC slim?

Thanks

Slim to none...

My advise to you is to join a Credit Union... no other way

Hi to all who might need help with this.

Here a trick for you to build credit in 6 months.

The first advise I can you if your bank is RBC or HSBC(in canada) is that you will have no problem getting a US credit card (of course unless your credit score in Canada is bad) wich is the easiest way to start. I'm a member of RBC Royal bank and when I moved to the US I had already establish a checking account with RBC Centura (USA). I called to ask if there was any way to get a US credit card from them. They simply mirrored my Canadian credit with RBC Royal bank and within 5 min I was approved for GOLD Visa Card. After 6 month my credit was established with all 3 agencies (Trans-union, Equifax & Experian) with a score of 720+.

Of course your Canadian bank as to have a branch in the US. RBC being one of them made it very easy. I was very surprised.

The next best advise is to join ASAP any credit union in you r living area. Most only require to open a checking account with Direct deposit.

I hope this will help.

Truly yours

Larry

Congrats! Glad it went well

Congrats!!

congrats!

I'm going tonight at 7 pm... I so can't wait

Congrats! Glad to hear your drive went well

I am now the not-so-proud owner of the oldest CR1/IR1 case at CSC (VJ members).

#######?!?!?!?

I am so sorry

Congrats and good luck!

I got a June 13th interview!!!! yay me!!!!!!

YAY! Wonderful news! Good Luck!

congratulations!!! and HOORAY for not having to do the long distance thing anymore

Many many congrats! It's over!

It's so nice to be able to tell people, "it's over" instead of,

"your guess is as good as mine"

"i'll let you know when I know something"

"yep, we have really been apart over a year"

"i know, it's crazy"

"nope, you are not automatically a citizen because you marry an American"

"still haven't heard anything"

"just waiting for an interview"

"yes, we should write a book"

"yes, he really does exist" <---- usually ticks me off the most even though I know people are joking

"I don't know how I do it either..must be love"

I HAD so mean rote responses (I'm sure you and everyone else who goes through this process does too), I'm soooooooo glad to finally say IT'S OVER!!!!!!! No more avoiding people in the mall, walmart, church, etc. for fear they are going to ask about immigration.

It's nice..enjoy it.

Hahaha, I know! I am so sick of explaining to everyone the whole process we had to go through.

It would also annoy me when my friends/sister would say that they missed their husbands/boyfriends if they were away from them for a day. I would say/think "yeah, imagine only being able to see them once in a while for only a few days at a time, then see how much you miss them".

I don't even know how I manged to stay sane through this whole process... well, most of the time

On Thursday 4/24 we had our interview. We arrived at the consulate around 6:45 a.m. We found a place to park and decided to go stand near the door around 7:15. A few minutes later some more people showed up and around 7:30 they turned on the lights and the security guard let us in. I also noticed that they had a sign on the door about opening at 8:30 but that obviously wasn't true. The guard let my husband and I in along with another woman after we showed him our appointment letters. We had to empty our pockets and place everything in a bin and go through the metal detector. After we were done with that he told us to go downstairs and wait for him.

We found a place to sit and more people joined us in the waiting room. After about 10-15 minutes the guard came down and said for people with letters A, B, C, and D who were there for immigrant visas to follow him over to the elevator. We went straight to the back of the elevator because I had remembered reading that the door on the other side would open. When we got off of the elevator that guard told us to wait in the chairs facing 3 windows until our Letter was called. We were letter A so we were called first. The lady was nice and she asked for our appointment letter and for my husbands interview letter. Then she told us to sit in the waiting room.

Some time passed (I'm not sure how long because I was anxious/nervous/excited) and then she called my husband back to her window. She asked to him to look over the DS-230 and verify that everything was correct. She also asked for the xpresspost mailer at that time too. After he handed her the envelope she told us to go back to the waiting room. Some more time passed and my husband was called to the window again and this time she took his fingerprints and then we were told to go back to the waiting room.

After maybe 15-20 minutes more of waiting we were called to interview room 8. There was a guy waiting on the other side of the glass and he was very nice. He told us to take off our jackets if we liked and then asked my husband to put his left (or maybe it was the right, I don't remember) middle finger on the scanner. He then asked us both to raise our right hands and swear that everything we had submitted was true. After we did this he asked me about what I did for work, how we met, and what my husband planned on doing for work. He made some small talk with us and then quickly looked through all of the paperwork he had and said everything looked fine and that he was going to approve my husbands visa. He then explained to my husband that he should receive his passport back early the following week since he lives in Quebec and that there was going to be some other things in the envelope that he would have to give customs when he crossed the border. He then wished us luck and left the room.

The actual interview part lasted maybe 5-10 minutes and it seemed like it all happened so fast. After the guy left the room I was kind of standing there thinking "That was it? We waited almost a year and did all of that paperwork for that?" I'm glad it all went well and was pretty quick (we were out of there by a little before 9 a.m.).

It still really hasn't hit me that my husband can now move here once he gets his passport back and that we don't have to do long distance anymore. It's just good to know that the next time I see him will be in 3 weeks when he moves down to live with me .

Looking at your avatar, how could you not be approved? Congrats to you and Laurent!!!!

Hahaha! Thanks!

On Thursday 4/24 we had our interview. We arrived at the consulate around 6:45 a.m. We found a place to park and decided to go stand near the door around 7:15. A few minutes later some more people showed up and around 7:30 they turned on the lights and the security guard let us in. I also noticed that they had a sign on the door about opening at 8:30 but that obviously wasn't true. The guard let my husband and I in along with another woman after we showed him our appointment letters. We had to empty our pockets and place everything in a bin and go through the metal detector. After we were done with that he told us to go downstairs and wait for him.

We found a place to sit and more people joined us in the waiting room. After about 10-15 minutes the guard came down and said for people with letters A, B, C, and D who were there for immigrant visas to follow him over to the elevator. We went straight to the back of the elevator because I had remembered reading that the door on the other side would open. When we got off of the elevator that guard told us to wait in the chairs facing 3 windows until our Letter was called. We were letter A so we were called first. The lady was nice and she asked for our appointment letter and for my husbands interview letter. Then she told us to sit in the waiting room.

Some time passed (I'm not sure how long because I was anxious/nervous/excited) and then she called my husband back to her window. She asked to him to look over the DS-230 and verify that everything was correct. She also asked for the xpresspost mailer at that time too. After he handed her the envelope she told us to go back to the waiting room. Some more time passed and my husband was called to the window again and this time she took his fingerprints and then we were told to go back to the waiting room.

After maybe 15-20 minutes more of waiting we were called to interview room 8. There was a guy waiting on the other side of the glass and he was very nice. He told us to take off our jackets if we liked and then asked my husband to put his left (or maybe it was the right, I don't remember) middle finger on the scanner. He then asked us both to raise our right hands and swear that everything we had submitted was true. After we did this he asked me about what I did for work, how we met, and what my husband planned on doing for work. He made some small talk with us and then quickly looked through all of the paperwork he had and said everything looked fine and that he was going to approve my husbands visa. He then explained to my husband that he should receive his passport back early the following week since he lives in Quebec and that there was going to be some other things in the envelope that he would have to give customs when he crossed the border. He then wished us luck and left the room.

The actual interview part lasted maybe 5-10 minutes and it seemed like it all happened so fast. After the guy left the room I was kind of standing there thinking "That was it? We waited almost a year and did all of that paperwork for that?" I'm glad it all went well and was pretty quick (we were out of there by a little before 9 a.m.).

It still really hasn't hit me that my husband can now move here once he gets his passport back and that we don't have to do long distance anymore. It's just good to know that the next time I see him will be in 3 weeks when he moves down to live with me .

Congrats amberlynnglad you guys are approved, best of luck with the next part of the journey, and of course the move

CONGRATS!! Surreal feeling, huh?

I still don't think it has set in for me. I'm thinking that they are going to go back and say.. NOPE we messed up.. I hope that has never happened and never will!

Yes, very surreal. It all happened so fast. After we left it took me a little while to process everything. I don't think it will really set in until my husband moves.

Thanks everyone!

Thanks! We were approved I will post a review later Hope you were approved too Parinita!!

Congratulations!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

I forgot to add that I will also be bringing a recent pay stub as well.

Hi Parnita,

Not sure if this will help, but I am the sponsor and I will be bringing an updated I-864 as well as a copy of my W2 and tax return for 2007 to my husbands interview. Since the interview is occuring after April 15th tax deadline, I don't want to take the chance of them requesting this info and my husband not having it.

Amber

Congratulations!!

Nope...

Importing a leased car from Canada into the US would break the terms of the lease. Sorry... they will not give you permission to do it. You're either going to have to get rid of the car by having someone take over the lease or basically smuggle it over, drive it with Canadian plates until your lease expires and then drive it back to Canada to turn it back in. But somehow, I think CBP is going to catch onto that plan and won't let you import the car. Try leasebusters.com to see what you can do...

You're going to have to take some kind of a hit on this... and there is no easy way out. My wife had a leased car and we had to pay someone a significant amount of cash to take over the lease.

Yeah, I didn't think it would be allowed but he wanted to make sure. He only has like 18 months left or something on the lease so he is going to see what kind of plan he can work out with the dealership to get out of the lease.

Thank you for your help

Goodluck!!!

Congrats!