Student card
A real U.S. credit score before you graduate.
A Visa credit card approved on your I-20 and funding, before your first semester ends. Graduate with a score, not a blank.
What counts as evidence.
- We read
- I-20 and enrollment, Scholarship, sponsor, or family funds, Savings in a U.S. account, Any authorized on-campus income, Rent and phone obligations.
- Starting line
- $500–$1,500, illustrative. Sized to your capacity after rent and essentials, not to a score you don’t have yet.
- First unlock
- On-time payments plus confirmed enrollment each term.
- The coach’s focus
- Small recurring spend, autopay, a low utilization cap, and no store-card detours. Graduate with 720 in reach.
- The risk we plan for
- Funding is real but it isn’t W-2 income. We read it as capacity, and keep the line sized to it.
Month by month.
Week
1
Starter line opens on your I-20, funding letter, and savings.
Term
1
Autopay on a small recurring bill. Utilization capped at 10%.
Month
6
First FICO score appears.
Year
1
Enrollment confirmed, line reassessed upward.
Year
2
Mainstream cash-back card. Mid-tier travel card if income supports it.
Graduation
OPT starts with a 12–24 month file, not a blank one.
Typical, not promised. Every step depends on on-time payments.
Questions students ask.
I can’t work off campus. How can I have a credit card?
The line is sized to your funding and savings, not a paycheck. Small, recurring, paid in full. That’s what builds the file.
Is this a secured card?
Not by default. Secured is the fallback when the evidence doesn’t support a starter line yet, and we say so plainly.
Will this hurt my visa?
A credit card is not employment. Keep authorized-work rules with your DSO; the card just reports on-time payments.
What happens after graduation?
You keep the account and the file. When OPT or H-1B income arrives, the coach reassesses for a larger line and the premium-card path.
Not a student? See the professional card.
Get on the list.
We open by country. Tell us where you’re moving from and when you land.