SSN box on DS-230

[The Robinsons 0]

To all the DCF people out there who haven't filed their DS-230 yet.....

Just want to share a little info that hopefully will make your visa journey a little easier.

Judging from own experience and what I've heard from others do NOT check the box on form DS-230 asking for a SSN to be generated for you. If you do that it's almost 100% safe to say you will not be receiving one in the mail.

Instead save yourself the trouble of waiting around. Once you arrive in the U.S. all you need to do is go down to your local Social Security Office with your passport, driver license, birth certificate (whatever ID you have) and file for one. It's so easy and within 1-2 weeks you'll have your SSN. And unlike when dealing with USCIS delays or misplaced paperwork is pretty much unheard of.

Hope this helps you out.

[Dakine 26]

To all the DCF people out there who haven't filed their DS-230 yet.....

Just want to share a little info that hopefully will make your visa journey a little easier.

Judging from own experience and what I've heard from others do NOT check the box on form DS-230 asking for a SSN to be generated for you. If you do that it's almost 100% safe to say you will not be receiving one in the mail.

Instead save yourself the trouble of waiting around. Once you arrive in the U.S. all you need to do is go down to your local Social Security Office with your passport, driver license, birth certificate (whatever ID you have) and file for one. It's so easy and within 1-2 weeks you'll have your SSN. And unlike when dealing with USCIS delays or misplaced paperwork is pretty much unheard of.

Hope this helps you out.

DISAGREE!

You can always go apply even if you checked the box.

Who knows? You may get lucky and get it in the mail faster than you think.

[Lona.C. 16]

to my understanding it takes 2 weeks to have all your information from DHS in the SS office save system , as I understand it the check mark dives DHS permission to forward your info to SS administration , if you check mark the box SS have all your info in the save system if you go 2 weeks after entry , and it will go faster ( if there is no status change or name change after DHS registers your info in SS save system )

from DS 230

33b. CONSENT TO DISCLOSURE: I authorize disclosure of

information from this form to the Department of Homeland Security

(DHS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), such other U.S.

Government agencies as may be required for the purpose of assigning

me an SSN and issuing me a Social Security card, and I authorize the

SSA to share my SSN with the INS.

[Chris Parker 11]

To all the DCF people out there who haven't filed their DS-230 yet.....

Just want to share a little info that hopefully will make your visa journey a little easier.

Judging from own experience and what I've heard from others do NOT check the box on form DS-230 asking for a SSN to be generated for you. If you do that it's almost 100% safe to say you will not be receiving one in the mail.

Not true! We actually got the SSN card based on the check mark. This saved waiting all day at the SSA office, worrying about SAVE verification, etc. The only disadvantage is, if this is for your original SSN card, your SS number will have a special region code in it to identify you forever as having entered the U.S. as an immigrant.

When the process does work, the MRIV's electronic visa data is sent to SSA on the second business day after entry at the POE, which then immediately assigns a number and prints the card. You should get your card within 10 days of when you entered. You won't be able to apply for a SSA card at the office any faster, because your status may not validate in SAVE before 10-14 days after entry.

If you don't get the SS card by the time you would go into the office otherwise, go into the SS office anyway and they will check the computer to see if the SS card has been issued yet, and if not, they will process your application as usual. It is important to go in to apply if you didn't get the card, as there can be a number of reasons why the EAE process doesn't work (such as invalid characters, duplicate names, etc.) that must be resolved by you visiting the SS office. Do not believe the "3 weeks" estimate or "call SSA" instructions.

Edited February 25, 2008 by Chris Parker

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

We checked the box and the SSN arrived in the post 17 days after POE. As Haole says, you can always go to the office if you don't get it in a timely fashion. But if you can avoid going and waiting around at the SSA office, why not?

[simple_male 1]

We checked the box and the SSN arrived in the post 17 days after POE. As Haole says, you can always go to the office if you don't get it in a timely fashion. But if you can avoid going and waiting around at the SSA office, why not?

For some who checked the box SS card do not arrive, but for some SS card do arrive. So if one checks the box, but does not receive the card witin 3 weeks, he/she can head to the SS office. They can check the system, if SS card is generated or not. If one does not check the box for SS card, he/she can head to the SS card right after the arrival in USA.

[Chris Parker 11]

If one does not check the box for SS card, he/she can head to the SS card right after the arrival in USA.

Not really... immigration status must be verified by SSA before the number and card can be issued. It won't verify until up to 2 weeks after arrival; if you go before it verifies, your application will be held for further verification and that will only delay the card longer (up to 8 weeks) than if you had waited to apply until after it verified immediately.

Edited February 25, 2008 by Chris Parker

[MargotDarko 0]

If one does not check the box for SS card, he/she can head to the SS card right after the arrival in USA.

Not really... immigration status must be verified by SSA before the number and card can be issued. It won't verify until up to 2 weeks after arrival; if you go before it verifies, your application will be held for further verification and that will only delay the card longer (up to 8 weeks) than if you had waited to apply until after it verified immediately.

We had no trouble ticking "no" on the form and then going to our local SSA office the day after my husband arrived. We brought a copy of the form to prove that we had ticked "no". The SSN card arrived in the mail just under two weeks later. I had heard lots of stories of people ticking "yes", waiting for weeks, and then going to the SSA office to find out it had never been done for them, applying in person, and then having to wait a few more weeks. I have also heard stories of it working perfectly fine, so it's not a situation where one is absolutely and always better than the other.

[simple_male 1]

If one does not check the box for SS card, he/she can head to the SS card right after the arrival in USA.

Not really... immigration status must be verified by SSA before the number and card can be issued. It won't verify until up to 2 weeks after arrival; if you go before it verifies, your application will be held for further verification and that will only delay the card longer (up to 8 weeks) than if you had waited to apply until after it verified immediately.

We had no trouble ticking "no" on the form and then going to our local SSA office the day after my husband arrived. We brought a copy of the form to prove that we had ticked "no". The SSN card arrived in the mail just under two weeks later. I had heard lots of stories of people ticking "yes", waiting for weeks, and then going to the SSA office to find out it had never been done for them, applying in person, and then having to wait a few more weeks. I have also heard stories of it working perfectly fine, so it's not a situation where one is absolutely and always better than the other.

This is what I meant. Once can click on "No" and then head to the SS office after the arrival. My wife clicked "yes," but we made a trip to the office after 3 weeks of her arrival and she had to apply again. But I also know, some did receive the SS card by mail, as they clicked "yes."

[Chris Parker 11]

This is what I meant. Once can click on "No" and then head to the SS office after the arrival. My wife clicked "yes," but we made a trip to the office after 3 weeks of her arrival and she had to apply again. But I also know, some did receive the SS card by mail, as they clicked "yes."

If you are comfortable that your immigration status will verify with SSA on the day after arrival (for many people, it does not), then by ticking YES for an automatic SSN you'd only have to wait another 2-3 days to be sure the electronic visa data had a chance to get to SSA's computer to issue an SSN through the Enumeration at Entry (EAE) process.

SSA will not disallow you to apply for an SSN just because you ticked YES and you entered very recently, but they will check to see if an EAE record was received and is being processed when you apply in person. You will not get two social security numbers if you apply on your own early despite checking YES, since if you somehow apply yourself before the EAE processing begins (which is theoretically impossible if EAE was going to process on its own), the subsequent EAE processing will recognize that a social security number has already been applied for by you and drop the EAE record.

In fact, this may be why some people don't get a SSN even though when they ticked YES---somebody else with a similar name and date of birth already has an SSN, and the EAE system isn't sure if you are the same person or not, and so it just drops the record (no notices are sent out, thank you SSA!).

The way the EAE process works for issuing an SSN automatically upon entry with an immigrant visa has been well documented in detail by SSA here: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0100202315

Edited February 26, 2008 by Chris Parker

[simple_male 1]

This is what I meant. Once can click on "No" and then head to the SS office after the arrival. My wife clicked "yes," but we made a trip to the office after 3 weeks of her arrival and she had to apply again. But I also know, some did receive the SS card by mail, as they clicked "yes."

If you are comfortable that your immigration status will verify with SSA on the day after arrival (for many people, it does not), then by ticking YES for an automatic SSN you'd only have to wait another 2-3 days to be sure the electronic visa data had a chance to get to SSA's computer to issue an SSN through the Enumeration at Entry (EAE) process.

SSA will not disallow you to apply for an SSN just because you ticked YES and you entered very recently, but they will check to see if an EAE record was received and is being processed when you apply in person. You will not get two social security numbers if you apply on your own early despite checking YES, since if you somehow apply yourself before the EAE processing begins (which is theoretically impossible if EAE was going to process on its own), the subsequent EAE processing will recognize that a social security number has already been applied for by you and drop the EAE record.

In fact, this may be why some people don't get a SSN even though when they ticked YES---somebody else with a similar name and date of birth already has an SSN, and the EAE system isn't sure if you are the same person or not, and so it just drops the record (no notices are sent out, thank you SSA!).

The way the EAE process works for issuing an SSN automatically upon entry with an immigrant visa has been well documented in detail by SSA here: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0100202315

My wife and many never got their SS card by mail, though they ticked yes. They had to go to the SS office and apply. They even did not have any record of their record from POE. So there is a problem in their system. I agree you may find many people with same name, but I doubt you will find exact name and date of birth match.

[Chris Parker 11]

My wife and many never got their SS card by mail, though they ticked yes. They had to go to the SS office and apply. They even did not have any record of their record from POE. So there is a problem in their system. I agree you may find many people with same name, but I doubt you will find exact name and date of birth match.

Yes, when the EAE record is dropped, the SSA office will find no SSA record generated from the visa information, and therefore process your SS-5 application in the office as normal. Checking YES on the DS-230 just gives you a chance to get a SS card faster and with less document hassle in the SS office.

My point here has been, which you don't seem to understand yet, even if you check YES on the DS-230, still plan to visit the SSA office at the same time as you would otherwise. Unless they find that an EAE record has been processed already (and therefore the SS card is already on its way), they will process your SS-5 application in the office as usual, and you don't have to wait 3 weeks just to go in and inquire. Does checking YES save you time getting a SS card? Maybe.

In conclusion, checking YES on the DS-230 can only help you get the SS card faster, but you can't sit at home for weeks waiting for it to come rather than going into the SS office shortly after you arrive (5-10 days is suggested) to check if the SS card is coming and to apply for it on your own if it isn't. Therefore, the advice of the OP here is not great advice to me if you want the SS card ASAP when you arrive with your immigrant visa. The only reason I can think why you would want to not check YES is if you don't want to possibly have an SS number than begins with 729 thru 733 and therefore marks you forever as an immigrant, an important consideration that most people here seem to be ignoring.

Edited February 26, 2008 by Chris Parker