[angott]

In addition to dealing with the absurd amount of immigration paperwork mentioned in the other comments: the fact that the US doesn’t recognize foreign records for most matters, even when it would be very easy to do so.

Foreign driver’s license? In most states there is no way to exchange it directly for a local one like most other countries do, you’ll have to sit the driving test again. This even applies to licenses issued by jurisdictions like Canada or Europe, which have similar driving customs and laws.

Foreign driving record? Unless you were driving in neighbouring Canada, with most insurers it won’t count for insurance purposes. You’ll be starting with crazy high premiums like a new driver, as if you never drove a car before.

Foreign credit score? Nope, you’ll have to start from scratch and pay high interest rates on car payments, and deal with a very low credit limit on your credit card. It won’t no matter what limit your previous cards abroad trusted you with. Also you won’t be able to get a phone on a contract, you’ll have to get a prepaid or BYOD because of your low credit score.

[gregjor]

This works the same in other directions. Try getting a visa, work permit, job, bank account, credit as a foreigner immigrating to anywhere in Europe, or Japan, or almost anywhere else.

[cr1895]

I don’t think it’s helpful to paint with as broad a brush as you are.

The processes of immigrating to the Netherlands for example are vastly less Kafkaesque and not subject to luck or some bureaucrat’s mood at the time. Everywhere else is not necessarily as difficult as America.

[arp242]

A lot of countries don't have the high dependence on credit scores as in the US AFAIK, indeed, in quite a few (most, if not all?) European countries "credit cards" are rather uncommon.

[gregjor]

Small sample of my own immigrant wife and some immigrant friends. Establishing credit in the US is ridiculously easy. Immigrants with jobs are targeted with credit offers (presumably based on data showing they pay their debts at least as reliably as native-born citizens.) Less than a year after arriving in America my wife had credit cards and a good FICO score, good enough to buy a car at a competitive rate. I didn’t have to co-sign.

[arp242]

Alrighty!

Personally I think getting credit for the sake of it is rather silly though. It offends all sorts of sensibilities I have about credit and financial responsibility.

[gregjor]

That’s a personal decision. I was addressing the claim that getting credit, or not having credit history, is a challenge for immigrants to the US. It’s a challenge for young American citizens too. I’m sure it’s a challenge but I think it’s a small one. The biggest challenge for immigrants I’ve seen first-hand is getting fluent in English.

[refurb]

This is highly state dependent. Plenty of US states will swap out a foreign license (Canada or Europe) for a US license.