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> On other hand, this is such a double standard. In China, I couldn't even get a credit card because I don't have a Chinese ID number even though I had a job fo

> On other hand, this is such a double standard. In China, I couldn't even get a credit card because I don't have a Chinese ID number even though I had a job for 9 years + lots of money in their bank. I don't get it when people point out double standards when living in different countries as if they should be equivalent in both places. Just because X country offers Y to Z people, why is it normal to expect another country to offer the same thing? Different country, different laws for different people right?

seanmcdirmid 8y ago
Hmm, maybe? I mean, being a foreigner in America (USA or Canada) is pretty easy compared to being one in China, I'll definitely give you that! China also has a net emigration rate, so they aren't really geared towards having immigrants. I do like that China at least tries to reciprocate on some things, like 10 year visa durations.
- bonestamp2 8y ago
  > being a foreigner in America (USA or Canada) is pretty easy compared to being one in China When I moved to the US from Canada, the banks couldn't access my credit file in Canada -- even though they use the same fucking credit bureaus in both countries! I had to give AT&T $500 cash just to get a cell phone account, and another $500 cash so my wife could have an account too... even though we had already bought our iPhones in cash -- we had no debt with AT&T. They literally needed a $500 deposit in case we ran up some crazy bill with long distance calling (text and data were unlimited). With a lot of work, we were finally able to get a mortgage even though we were putting about 45% down. The bank issued us kind of trail credit card that they issue all immigrants. I ran into another consultant at a client site and we had lunch together. He was fresh off the boat from India and when he pulled out his credit card we laughed because I held up the same immigrant Visa card. Easier than China, ya... but it's pretty silly here too. How equifax here can't get my stellar credit history from equifax Canada blows my mind.
  - seanmcdirmid 8y ago
    I’m sure there are issues. In China, there is no real credit history, so it is undeveloped in that regards (well, they are trying to replace that with social credit history, but I’m a bad communist).
  - kspaans 8y ago
    This is where multi-nationals like Amex come in handy. I'm Canadian and got my first Amex while living in the UK. Later when I moved to the US I was able to bring my Amex history with me and get an Amex there with no issues.

seanmcdirmid 8y ago

Hmm, maybe? I mean, being a foreigner in America (USA or Canada) is pretty easy compared to being one in China, I'll definitely give you that! China also has a net emigration rate, so they aren't really geared towards having immigrants. I do like that China at least tries to reciprocate on some things, like 10 year visa durations.

bonestamp2 8y ago
> being a foreigner in America (USA or Canada) is pretty easy compared to being one in China When I moved to the US from Canada, the banks couldn't access my credit file in Canada -- even though they use the same fucking credit bureaus in both countries! I had to give AT&T $500 cash just to get a cell phone account, and another $500 cash so my wife could have an account too... even though we had already bought our iPhones in cash -- we had no debt with AT&T. They literally needed a $500 deposit in case we ran up some crazy bill with long distance calling (text and data were unlimited). With a lot of work, we were finally able to get a mortgage even though we were putting about 45% down. The bank issued us kind of trail credit card that they issue all immigrants. I ran into another consultant at a client site and we had lunch together. He was fresh off the boat from India and when he pulled out his credit card we laughed because I held up the same immigrant Visa card. Easier than China, ya... but it's pretty silly here too. How equifax here can't get my stellar credit history from equifax Canada blows my mind.
- seanmcdirmid 8y ago
  I’m sure there are issues. In China, there is no real credit history, so it is undeveloped in that regards (well, they are trying to replace that with social credit history, but I’m a bad communist).
- kspaans 8y ago
  This is where multi-nationals like Amex come in handy. I'm Canadian and got my first Amex while living in the UK. Later when I moved to the US I was able to bring my Amex history with me and get an Amex there with no issues.