Personal Loans for Non-US Citizens: What To Know
It can be tough to find a lender as a non-U.S. citizen, since many require citizenship, but here are a few places to start
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| Lender | User rating | APR | Amount | Min. credit score | See Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6.99% to 35.99% |
$2k – $50k |
620 | ||
|
6.99% to 35.49% (with discounts) |
$5k – $100k |
600 | ||
|
7.74% to 35.99% (with discounts) |
$1k – $50k |
600 |
- Non-U.S. citizens can get a personal loan without a Social Security number, but you’ll need other documentation.
- If you haven’t yet had time to build your credit history in the U.S., expect to pay an APR (annual percentage rate) on the high end if you do qualify.
- A cosigner or a smaller loan amount can help you get approved. If you don’t qualify for an unsecured personal loan, consider a secured loan or credit card.
Loans for noncitizens at a glance
Best for: Best Egg
- APR
- 6.99% to 35.99%
- Amount
- $2k – $50k
- Term
- 36 to 60 months
- Origination fee
- 0.99% – 9.99%
- Min. credit score
- 620
- Offers secured and unsecured loan options
- Fair credit OK
- Fast loans (as soon as one business day after approval)
- Will charge an origination fee on all loans
- Bad credit borrowers may not qualify
- Can’t add a second person to your loan application
Best Egg is available to permanent residents. To learn more, read our expert Best Egg personal loan review.
Best Egg uses built‑in home fixtures as collateral but doesn’t require an appraisal of them. It reviews your credit history and home equity instead.
You must also meet the requirements below to qualify for a Best Egg loan:
- Age: Be of legal age to accept a loan in your state (usually 18)
- Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident living in the U.S.
- Administrative: Have a personal checking account, email address and physical address
- Residency: Not live in the District of Columbia, Iowa, Vermont, West Virginia or U.S. territories
- Credit score: 620+
Best for: SoFi
- APR (with discounts)
- 6.99% to 35.49%
Terms and conditions apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or other eligible status, be residing in the U.S., and meet SoFi’s underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. If approved, your actual rate will be within the range of rates at the time of application and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, and other factors. If SoFi is unable to offer you a loan but matches you for a loan with a participating bank, then your rate may be outside the range of rates listed above. Rates and Terms are subject to change at any time without notice. SoFi Personal Loans can be used for any lawful personal, family, or household purposes and may not be used for post-secondary education expenses. Minimum loan amount is $5,000. The average of SoFi Personal Loans funded in 2025 was around $32K. Based on loans funded from 1/1/2025-12/31/2025. Information current as of 10/02/26. SoFi Personal Loans originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). See SoFi.com/legal for state-specific license details. See SoFi.com/eligibility for details and state restrictions. Fixed rates from 6.99% APR to 35.49% APR. APR reflect the 0.25% autopay interest rate discount and a 0.25% member rate discount. SoFi Platform personal loans are made either by SoFi Bank, N.A. or , Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, operating from its Delaware branch, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. SoFi may receive compensation if you take out a loan originated by Cross River Bank. These rate ranges are current as of 10/02/26 and are subject to change without notice. Not all rates and amounts available in all states. See SoFi Personal Loan eligibility details at https://www.sofi.com/eligibility-criteria/#eligibility-personal. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including evaluation of your credit worthiness, income, and other factors. Loan amounts range from $5,000– $100,000. The APR is the cost of credit as a yearly rate and reflects both your interest rate and an origination fee of 9.99% of your loan amount for Cross River Bank originated loans which will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive and for SoFi Bank originated loans have an origination fee of 0%-7%, will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive. Autopay Discount: The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to make monthly payments using SoFi’s automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The discount will discontinue and be lost when you do not have autopay enabled. You’re not required to set up autopay to obtain this loan. Member Rate Discount: To be eligible for an additional 0.25% interest rate reduction on a Personal Loan, you must, within 31 days of loan funding, either (1) meet SoFi Plus eligibility criteria, (2) receive an Eligible Direct Deposit into a SoFi Checking or Savings account, or (3) receive at least $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits into a SoFi Checking or Savings account. You must continue to meet at least one of the above eligibility criteria every 31 days to maintain the discount. See the SoFi Plus terms for details on SoFi Plus subscription. For more details on Eligible Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits, please see https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. Once you become eligible during the initial period, the discount will be removed or reinstated depending on whether the criteria have been met. Each time your loan is re-amortized, your monthly payment amount will change based upon the interest rate that was in place. SoFi reserves the right to modify or terminate this offer at any time for unenrolled participants. You are not required to meet these criteria to be approved for a loan.
- Amount
- $5k – $100k
- Term
- 24 to 84 months
- Origination fee
- 0.00% – 7.00% (optional)
- Min. credit score
- 600
- Offers large loan amounts and long repayment terms
- No mandatory origination fees
- Accepts fair credit
- Offers APR discounts
- Fast funding
- For small loan amounts, may need to look elsewhere
- May need to accept origination fee to get lower rates
SoFi is available to permanent residents and non-permanent residents (including asylum seekers and recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — DACA — program). Read our expert SoFi personal loan review.
You must meet the requirements below to get a loan from SoFi:
- Age: Be the age of majority in your state (typically 18)
- Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen, an eligible permanent resident or a non-permanent resident (a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient or asylum-seeker, for instance)
- Employment: Have a job or job offer with a start date within 90 days, or have regular income from another source
- Credit score: 600+
Best for: Upgrade
- APR (with discounts)
- 7.74% to 35.99%
- Amount
- $1k – $50k
- Term
- 24 to 84 months
- Origination fee
- 1.85% – 9.99%
- Min. credit score
- 600
- Offers APR discounts
- Long repayment terms available
- Can get money as soon as one business day
- Offers joint and secured loans
- Charges an origination fee on all loans
Upgrade personal loans are available to permanent residents and valid visa holders. To learn more, read our expert Upgrade personal loan review.
To qualify for a loan through Upgrade, you must meet the requirements below:
- Age: Be at least 18 years old (19 in some states)
- Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or live in the U.S. with a valid visa
- Administrative: Have a valid bank account and email address
- Credit score: 600+
Qualifying for loans as a non-U.S. citizen
Navigating personal loan rules as a non-U.S. citizen can be challenging, especially after dealing with complex visa and residency systems. But borrowing as a non-U.S. citizen or without a Social Security number is possible, and there are clear steps to increase approval chances.
Every lender has a different set of personal loan requirements, but they all usually ask you to provide proof of your immigration status, residence and employment. In some cases, they also want you to have a U.S. Bank account.
Here’s what to prepare:
Government-issued ID and a valid visa, green card or other documentation
Many lenders require that you have status in the U.S., such as permanent residency or a student or work visa, so you’ll need to show proof. If you don’t have a Social Security number, you might need to at least have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
Proof of residence
Whether or not you’re a citizen, many lenders require proof of residence before offering you a loan. (Since lending laws vary by state, certain companies are only allowed to offer loans in particular states.) You can use a utility bill or lease agreement as proof of residence.
Proof of employment or income
Loan companies want to know that you can pay back your loan, so many require that you’re employed or have an offer of employment. Pull together your pay stubs or job offer letter to prove your employment and income.
U.S. Bank account
Some lenders require a U.S. Bank account before offering you a loan. This will make it easier for you to repay your personal loan. Bank of America and Santander Bank both allow noncitizens to apply for a bank account.
Estimate your personal loan monthly payments
How credit works in the U.S.
In the U.S., credit can mean two things:
- Borrowing money and paying it back (like with a loan or credit card)
- How you handle your money (like your payment history and how much you borrow)
Both of these types of credit are important because they affect your credit history and credit score.
Your credit score is a three-digit number that acts as a sort-of grade for how you handle money. Lenders and other financial companies use this score to decide whether to offer you a loan and how much you’ll have to pay to borrow it.
Having bad credit can make borrowing money expensive and limit your access to housing or jobs.
When you move to the U.S., you probably won’t have a credit score yet. You can build credit over time, though, which will help you get access to better financial opportunities.
Check your credit score for free with the LendingTree app. You’ll get personalized recommendations on how to boost your score, and you can use Spring to track your score over time. (Checking your credit won’t hurt your score, either — that’s a common credit myth!)
Next steps and resources
1. Improve your chances fast
You can improve your odds of loan approval by applying for a small personal loan, since lenders usually have lower requirements than for larger-amount loans.
Adding a cosigner or co-borrower with good or excellent credit can improve your chances, too. Just remember that their credit will be affected by how you make payments. Co-borrowers are equally responsible for your loan, and cosigners are responsible if you stop making payments.
Payday loans are much easier to get since they don’t require a credit check, but avoid them at all costs. Their interest rates make them outrageously expensive, and it’s common to get trapped in a cycle of debt where you have to borrow more to pay off your first loan.
2. Start building your credit
When you don’t have a credit history in the U.S., you’re credit invisible. This means you don’t have a credit score. It’ll be much harder to get a loan, credit card or even rent an apartment without a credit score to your name.
You can build credit from scratch, even as a noncitizen, by opening up a secured credit card or becoming an authorized user on someone’s credit card.
3. Check out resources for non-U.S. citizens
Noncitizens can legally do a lot of things in the U.S. You can start a business, get car insurance and even borrow money for a mortgage. Here’s a list of resources to get you started:
- Starting a business as a non-U.S. citizen
- Getting a mortgage as a non-U.S. citizen (ITIN loan)
- Car insurance for non-U.S. citizens
- One Percent for America and Mission Asset Fund offer low-cost loans for immigration services fees
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, noncitizens can get personal loans in the United States, but they’ll need to meet eligibility requirements.
Yes, you can get a mortgage as a non-U.S. citizen. Note that it’s easier for green cardholders to get mortgages than other noncitizens.
Only certain non-U.S. citizens can get federal student loans. You can find out whether you qualify by checking the Federal Student Aid website.