Honest question, what do other nations do to determine credit-worthiness? There has to be some sort of risk assessment on the part of banks and other financial institutions. And that risk assessment would have to be made for immigrants there as well, presumably with less/zero data?
FWIW, as much as Americans complain about the credit score system, it's mostly not a problem (for most people, most of the time). It's not hard for a middle-income person to earn and maintain a top-tier score (800+) and the lowest possible APRs when borrowing.
And assuming a prospective employer would assist you with finding housing, it's not hard for an immigrant to begin building their credit score. Just make sure your landlord reports rent to the credit agencies and take out a credit card. 3-6 months later, you have a decent score.
Identity theft is a real problem, but that extends well beyond the credit agencies.
