It's a blessing and a curse. Yes, if you've recently moved to the U.S., then you are screwed for your first year or two - need to get a secured credit card, and

It's a blessing and a curse. Yes, if you've recently moved to the U.S., then you are screwed for your first year or two - need to get a secured credit card, and everything will be a hassle without credit history. Nobody will care about your salary, bank statements, assets or anything. But then, after 3-4 years, it's pretty damn convenient not needing to mess around with lengthy applications for credit (except for possibly on a mortgage), and having a credit reputation that's completely portable across providers. It pretty much makes sense that newly arrived residents are a corner case that isn't worth worrying about too much for the banks and credit reporting agencies - at any given time, the number of residents who have been here for less than, say, 2 years is going to be a pretty small, somewhat risky part of the market (less assets in the country, more likely to leave).