First US credit card · build credit from zero.
No SSN? No US credit history? 5 cards that still approve Indian F1 students. Plus how to skip the secured-card stage with Nova Credit.
5 credit cards for Indian F1 students
Built specifically for international students. No SSN required. Approval based on I-20, passport, US bank account, university enrollment. 1% cashback on all purchases. No annual fee. 1-year free Amazon Prime Student.
5% rotating cashback (groceries, restaurants, gas — quarterly categories). Cashback Match doubles all earnings in year 1. Generally requires SSN + 6-9 months of US credit history. Best second card after Deserve EDU.
1% cashback, bumps to 1.25% for paying on time each month. No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees (rare!). Free CreditWise score monitoring. Capital One often more lenient than Discover for thin credit files.
Transfers your Indian CIBIL credit history to US lenders for evaluation. American Express partners with Nova for newcomers — apply for an Amex Gold or Platinum from day 1 if your CIBIL is 750+. Game-changer for students from credit-positive families.
Refundable security deposit ($200-2,500) becomes your credit limit. Same 2% gas/restaurant cashback as the unsecured version. Discover automatically reviews after 8 months and refunds the deposit if you graduate to unsecured.
The 12-month credit-building sequence
Open US bank account (BofA / Zolve). Get SSN started.
Apply Deserve EDU. Use it for groceries, books — pay full balance every month.
Pull your free credit report (Credit Karma). Should show 650+ score.
Apply for Discover It Student or Capital One Journey. Keep Deserve EDU open (length of history matters).
Score should be 700+. Apply for apartment without security-deposit penalty. Eligible for Amazon Prime credit card.