ITIN stands for "!Individual! Taxpayer Identification Number". I've seen a lot of questions about ITIN number. I want to just notify anybody about the necessity to fill a U.S. federal tax return every year in case you want your ITIN to remain active. If you won't fill it won't be active. You assign ITIN for yourself when you fill the tax return form W-7. Primarily it's not an identifier for a bank or a credit rating, it's a number to pay your annual personal taxes in America. If you are a non-resident of the US, you need to pay your personal taxes in the country you reside. Filling the yearly personal tax declaration (which is ITIN created for) is an option for non-residents. Do not consider ITIN as an identificator for the bank/credit cards/credit score on the first place, it is only the second place. Federal tax is the purpose, you should fill the form every year. "If your individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) expired, you must renew the ITIN if it will be included on a federal tax return." Without renew it will be expired: https://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/how-to-renew-an-itin An ITIN is a 9-digit number the IRS issues if you need a !U.S. taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes!, but you aren’t eligible for a Social Security number (SSN). You may need an ITIN if you’re a: - Nonresident alien claiming a tax treaty benefit - Nonresident alien filing a U.S. federal tax return - Resident alien filing a U.S. federal tax return - Dependent or spouse of a U.S. citizen/resident alien - Nonresident alien student, professor or researcher filing a U.S. federal tax return or claiming an exception - Dependent or spouse of a nonresident alien U.S. visa holder Source: https://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin P.S.: If you want to build your personal credit history with the US and want to fill personal taxes every year you should apply for ITIN. Otherwise you will have EIN for any business operations connected with banks, etc.

Do I get a credit score as a non resident? If yes which card do I start with to build history?