Your Social Security number and US credit score: starting from zero in New York

In the US, your nine-digit Social Security number is the key to almost everything, and your UK credit history doesn't come with you.

The short version

• Most Brits who can work in the US get a Social Security number (SSN) free from the Social Security Administration (SSA), often without visiting an office [1].
• If you're not allowed to work, you usually can't get an SSN; for tax you'd use an ITIN from the IRS instead [1].
• Your UK credit file doesn't transfer. US lenders start you from scratch, although a few, including American Express, can look at your UK history when you apply [3].
• A secured credit card, paid off in full every month, is the classic way to build a US score [2].
• You can check your reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion free, once a week, at AnnualCreditReport.com [4].

What the SSN is and why it matters

Think of the SSN as your National Insurance number, credit reference and ID number rolled into one. Your employer needs it to pay you. Banks ask for it, mobile phone networks ask for it, landlords run credit checks with it, and the utility company may want a deposit if you don't have one. Without it, New York life is a bit of a minefield.

Guard it closely. In the UK you'd hand your NI number to an employer and think nothing of it; in the US, someone with your SSN and date of birth can open credit in your name. Don't carry the card in your wallet, and only give the number when there's a real need.

Getting your Social Security number

Who can get one depends on whether you can work [1]:

• Green card holders and immigrant visa holders can usually tick a box on their immigrant visa application and have the card posted to them after arrival, without visiting an office. If you're getting your green card from inside the US, you can request the SSN on Form I-485 [1].
• Work visa holders (H-1B, L-1, E-2, O-1 and so on) apply to the SSA after arrival.
• Spouses on L-2 and E-2 status are now treated as able to work through their status, so they can usually apply too, using the annotated I-94 as evidence.
• People who can't work (most visitors and some dependants) generally can't get an SSN, except for specific benefits reasons [1].

Step by step for work visa holders

1. Wait about 10 days after you land. The SSA suggests this so your arrival record is in the Department of Homeland Security system and your documents can be checked online [1].
2. Start the application online at ssa.gov if you can, then visit a Social Security office or Card Center within 45 days. If you can't start online, fill in Form SS-5 and call 1-800-772-1213 for an appointment [1]. The SSA's office locator on ssa.gov shows which office or Card Center covers your address.
3. Bring originals. Your unexpired British passport, your US immigration documents (I-94, visa, I-797 approval or EAD), and proof of age, usually your birth certificate. Photocopies and notarised copies aren't accepted [1].
4. Wait for the post. The card arrives once the SSA has checked your documents with the issuing agencies. There's no fixed timescale [1]. It's free: anyone charging you for an SSN is not the government.

No work rights? The ITIN

If you can't get an SSN, perhaps because you're a non-working spouse on some visas, you may still need a tax number to file a joint return. That's the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), applied for on IRS Form W-7, usually with a tax return [1]. Some banks and card issuers accept an ITIN instead of an SSN [3].

Why your UK credit history counts for nothing

US credit scores are built only from US credit reports held by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. They're different companies from their UK namesakes and don't share data across the Atlantic. So the day you arrive you're "credit invisible", however long you've had a Nationwide mortgage.

Keep your UK file alive anyway, because you'll want it if you move back. Our guide to your UK credit file while you're away explains how.

The UK shortcut that does exist

American Express works with a company called Nova Credit, whose Credit Passport lets Amex look at your credit history from a list of countries that includes the United Kingdom when you apply for a US personal card. You need an SSN or ITIN and a US home address [3]. Amex is clear that this doesn't move your UK history onto your US file; it just helps you get approved. Once you have the card, using it well starts your US record. If you already hold an Amex card in the UK, ask about moving across before you leave.

Building a US score from scratch

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's advice boils down to five habits [2]:

1. Get a first card. If ordinary cards turn you down, a secured credit card is the usual starter. You put down a deposit, often a few hundred dollars, which becomes your limit. Many banks offer one to current account customers. Credit builder loans are another option [2].
2. Pay on time, every time. Payment history is the biggest factor in most scores. Set up autopay for at least the minimum, and ideally pay the full statement balance so you don't pay interest [2].
3. Keep balances low. Experts suggest using less than 30% of your limit, and the best scores often use under 10% [2]. On a US$1,000 (about £740) limit, that means keeping the reported balance under about US$300 (£220), or under US$100 (£75) if you can. Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = USD 1.3476).
4. Don't apply for lots at once. Several applications close together look like money trouble [2]. Add a second card after six months to a year, not in your first week.
5. Check your reports. Pull them from AnnualCreditReport.com, look for mistakes and anything you don't recognise, and dispute errors [4].

Most people find a usable score appears after roughly six months of activity, and a good one takes a year or two. Your bank account won't build credit on its own, because current account history isn't normally reported.

Getting by in the meantime

• Renting: landlords and management companies may ask for a bigger deposit, a guarantor or an employer letter. Our guide to renting in New York covers the options.
• Mobile: prepaid plans don't need credit, or the networks may take a deposit.
• Banking: you can open a current account without a US credit history, though some banks want an SSN or ITIN. See our guide to banking in the US.
• Your employer: a relocation package may include help with a guarantor or temporary housing.

Protect your number and your new score

Once you've got a score, look after it. Freeze your credit with all three bureaus unless you're applying for something; it stops anyone opening accounts in your name. Shred post with your SSN on it, be wary of calls claiming to be from the SSA or IRS, and never give your number to someone who rang you. The SSA doesn't threaten arrests or ask for gift cards. If you'd like to swap tips on which banks and cards worked for other newcomers, our community group for Brits in the US is a good place to ask.

Sources

1. SSA: Social Security numbers for noncitizens (publication 05-10096, February 2026)
2. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: How do I get and keep a good credit score?
3. American Express: Newcomers to the US
4. Federal Trade Commission: Free credit reports

Keep reading

• Banking in the US as a Brit
• Renting in New York
• Moving to New York as a Brit: visa and residence routes
• Your UK credit file while you're away