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Comment by fragmede | Hacker News Reader

Credit score. As a foreigner, you won't have one. And can't rent an apartment, buy a car, or get a mortgage. Many companies run a credit check as part of the pre-hire background check.

If you are able to befriend a local with good credit and get them to trust you so they're willing to cosign, you can work around this, but it's a barrier that is not to be unaware of. Immigrant communities are built on people that do this for others creating community.

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To help build up a credit score you can register for a credit-card and try to use it as much as possible (paying it off in full each month). Once you build up a paper-trail it gets easier, but can be tricky to start.

> Credit score. As a foreigner, you won't have one. And can't rent an apartment, buy a car, or get a mortgage. Many companies run a credit check as part of the pre-hire background check.

I'm curious. Isn't enough to show your latest payroll? Or, if it's is your very first month, your contract stating how much you'll earn. In Europe there are credit rating companies, but relying on payrolls are a thing as well.

It is perfectly possible to get by without buying into the credit scam. You just have to do things the way they were done 50 years ago: present a recent paycheck, present a current bank statement showing that you have enough in the bank, get an endorsement or cosigner from someone with the monetary means.

Some combinatiom of the above will do and make sure that you are able to speak to a human. Of course, this means that its cpnsoderably more difficult to live outside of your means. It is almost as if systems were set up to encourage people living outside of their means..

When I lived in the States 10 years ago, my employer had to to get me an international bank account (with credit card) and a cell phone. I had to wait six months to do anything.

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