AOS without social security number

[rlogan 2,036]

This is more of an informational post for those that have trouble getting a social security number. Our office here is filled with world record stupid an callous employees. They made numerous errors - insisting we could not get a social security number, entering the wrong data numerous times, and finally filing it in the wrong place for 11 weeks and being rude when we went in to ask what the delay was. Cannot reach them on the phone. Line busy all day. Can't make appointments so it is a 70 mile round-trip for us just to waste the time making an appointment with idiots who will screw it up.

The morons at this office told us that since they lost our file for 11 weeks, we should have someone change the entry stamp on her passport. Yea, what a brillian suggestion - why not just forge a green card.

My wife is not working and does not want to work - it is idiotic to do the EAD and pay hundreds of dollars for something she does not want in the first place. She is four months pregnant . What we need is to show co-mingling of finances. Since we were told by the bank and driver's license place we needed a social security number, we went there first. That office has employees that are so stupid you have to actually show them how to do their job. Unbelievably incompetent.

Then the bank through three phone calls now has insisted the law requires she has a social security number before she can get an account. Claiming nothing but a social security number is legal. Insisting the Patriot Act requires a social security number to get a bank account.

Well I finally dug up the Patriot Act section 326, which is the requirement that banks have a "customer identification program". That act resutled in a multi-agency "Final Rule" that describes how banks must conform to the law. For citizens the requirement is a social security number. For noncitezens, the law is clear that a passport number or alien identification number or a number of other options are perfectly acceptable and a social security number is not required at all.

So you can get a bank account without a social security number. In this state, anyway. The federal law says the bank must have a designated CIP officer and we are going to force our bank to identify him and then force him to show us their written CIP program, the specific section for noncitizens, and the required training program for employees. Now they can contend with having us armed with the law instead of just thinking we will slink away after they give us the wrong answers. Next up will be the driver's license and although there too we were initially told that we had to go to the social security office I am absolutely positive they are full of ####### too.

I think in general we are finding you have to be an immigration lawyer yourself in addition to knowing how to look up every other matter of law you run up against. People will insist to you that they know what they are talking about and be completely wrong.

We learned you can also get a social security number for non-work reasons. But that requires going back to the same idiots that lost our file for 11 weeks, were rude to us when we inquired, and made an asinine suggestion on how to fix their mistake.

So we're just going to forget about the SSN until she gets permanent residency and go online to get it. God Almighty the worst thing you can do with this local office is have them in charge of entering anything into the computer. We initailly got our Congressman involved, but I can see that is a big waste of time too. In about a month we might get a letter back from Social Security explaining to the congressman what they already told us. Her I-94 expired because they lost our file for 11 weeks. Therefore punish us and pretend we did not file for 11 weeks.

All this office had to do was look at her I-94, which we brought in with us. Each time we went in (three times) they made it sound so mysterious - as if they were going to Homeland Security and having them "authenticate" a bunch of things. No - all they do is look at the photocopy of your I-94, which is something they can do right in front of you. In fact, they did just that before we left. So it is incredible really. How stupid these people are.\

Don't take no for an answer, and be relentless. Nobody is on your side.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

it is idiotic to do the EAD and pay hundreds of dollars for something she does not want in the first place.

You dont pay for the EAD or even have to file for it.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

The EAD can also act as a piece of government issued ID while you wait for the green card - it doesn't just have to be used for employment. If you have already filed for AOS you can still file for EAD without paying a fee - just include a copy of the NOA receipt for the AOS with the application.

Regardless, I am sorry you had such a runaround and rough time. You aren't the first (and unfortunately, will probably not be the last) to complain about the inadequacy of the Social Security Administration staff.

I do know that our bank - Bank of America - had no problems adding me to my husband's accounts when we were first married. They used my passport and my foreign driver's license for identification. I just needed to inform them when I got my SSN so they could update their records. Perhaps it is time to look at another bank, even if just for one account.

Good luck.

Edited July 7, 2009 by Kathryn41

[rlogan 2,036]

it is idiotic to do the EAD and pay hundreds of dollars for something she does not want in the first place.

You dont pay for the EAD or even have to file for it.

Haw! Chalk that up to another example of misinformation. From the office that said we were ineligible for a Social Security number. She told us my wife was "out of status" too which I have not bothered to look into - but regardless I know I am with thousands of other people who entered legally, married in the right time frame, but do not have green cards.

So anyway thanks - that's why we are here instead of sitting at the SSA office to talk about what to do!

Thanks Kathryn41. We'll do just that.

I think the main thing I am learning, and from Art Bell's case is that you have to be relentless. Expect the answer to be "no", and falsely so. Be expecting bad information. Stand over their shoulders and watch every keystroke if you can. Look at the source law yourself. Put the hours in.

Check with people experiencing the same thing.

Edited July 7, 2009 by rlogan

[Hunnybaby 1]

Do we really need Bank joint account to prove our relationship with our hubby on our AOS interview?

What if we don't have any joint bank account? Also our utility bills still the same (on his name), will those prove that our relationship is not genuine? I am pregnant for 24wks, not possible to work, though we included in our AOS application the EAD.

Just wondering 'coz a lot of you here are getting joint account documents... I think the document I only have here is his health insurance with my name as beneficiary....

I apologize if I just butt in here with my concern....

[rlogan 2,036]

Do we really need Bank joint account to prove our relationship with our hubby on our AOS interview?

What if we don't have any joint bank account? Also our utility bills still the same (on his name), will those prove that our relationship is not genuine? I am pregnant for 24wks, not possible to work, though we included in our AOS application the EAD.

Just wondering 'coz a lot of you here are getting joint account documents... I think the document I only have here is his health insurance with my name as beneficiary....

I apologize if I just butt in here with my concern....

It doesn't seem to be a fatal problem. Just something they explicitly look for. So if you can get it, why not do it.

We are going to show joint health insurance too.

I think pregnancy would be a clue to them that the relationship is genuine!

[trillium13 84]

Do we really need Bank joint account to prove our relationship with our hubby on our AOS interview?

My husband and I did not yet have any joint bank accounts at AOS. It was not mentioned, approved that day.

[spartan 2]

Do we really need Bank joint account to prove our relationship with our hubby on our AOS interview?

What if we don't have any joint bank account? Also our utility bills still the same (on his name), will those prove that our relationship is not genuine? I am pregnant for 24wks, not possible to work, though we included in our AOS application the EAD.

Just wondering 'coz a lot of you here are getting joint account documents... I think the document I only have here is his health insurance with my name as beneficiary....

I apologize if I just butt in here with my concern....

During my AOS interview we only brought 3 pictures of our wedding, then credit cards with the same account number. That's it. We don't have joint bank account, joint health insurance (since we have different health insurance), mortage or bills with same address and I'm not even pregnant so you don't have to worry about the evidence. You'll be fine especially pregnancy is a big evidence. God Bless