"I'm sorry sir, You don't have sufficient credit history or credit score".....I tell you, if I had a buck for everytime I heard that I would have no need for credit in the first place.  It's one of the most frustrating things I found after moving over here. You obviously have a fairly well paying job or else you wouldn't have moved in the first place and now you want to do stuff like rent an apartment or buy a car. Failry common things and should be easy right? Think again...

The good news - there are easy ways to start establishing a credit history and even if you haven't made the full transition to the states, you can still do some of these while on holiday. The more time you have them , the better. So:

1) Open a bank account - All you need is an address in the states so if you have friends/relatives...Use theirs. Maintain it well and it'll start the ball rolling.

2) If you are offered, consider a store card - This is how many teenagers establish their credit. Good stores to consider are Target, Sears, Wallmart etc. You'll need to make sure that they report to the credit bureaus because if they don't, It wont do you any good. If you are approved, it will be for a small amount but use it to buy stuff and each month, pay it off in full.

3) If you happen to find a place to live with roommates, and you trust them, offer to put the utilities (electricity, phone, TV, gas) in your name.

4) Secured Credit Card - This is a good one and one that I used. Many banks offer these and you pay them a certain amount of money ($300) and they give you a credit card with a $300 limit.  The bank will use the $300 as security should you fail to make payments. This works well!!!!!!!

5) Check with your employer if they are linked with a credit union. Often, this is the best way to get a real "big persons" credit card.

All of these steps will help you start your credit score but this is only the start. It won't happen overnight and there are no real shortcuts. Equally as important is maintaining a good credit score because it'll save you hundreds in interest rates. If anyone else has some good advice...Please add!

Cheers...Stoafer