Hi all I'm new to this board but have been a registered member since january. Great forum great people. Mr. Bob, I have a Amex NL but Amex US never approved me (tried 2 times) for some reasons, the last time it said something like not sufficient credit history. I've had my Amex NL card since '99! I'm a legal foreigner too moved from Netherlands 5 years a go but successfully build my credit to 740 (not fako one). I opened my first secured credit cards when I came here were BOFA 500 and Orchard 500, then a year later in '07 applied for Chase Plat (they gave me 300 cl) which is now Slate.