About SSN and green card

[Gracie79 1]

Hello everyone,

I left Montreal for Dallas on Oct. 7 on a family based immigration visa. Is there someone who can tell me when do you get your SSN and green card? I need a SSN badly for learning to drive. When I filled the DS-230, I remember I required a SSN assigned to me. But today, I went to the local SSA office they cannot check for that, and they let me apply for another SSN, which takes more than 4 weeks because they need to verify my documents which the visa issuing consulate. Things become complicated. So, if you are also leaving from Montreal to US on a CR1 or IR1 visa or other family based immigration visa, can you tell me the timeline when you get your SSN and Green card! Thanks a lot!

Gracie

[SapphireDreams 71]

You'll probably get the SSN in about a week or so. They say it takes 4 weeks to check your immigration status, but that's an overestimate.

[antda 13]

Hi Gracie79,

I don't know about CR1 or IR1 visas...But I can tell you that, yes, it does take some time for social security to verify your immigration status.

For me it took 8 weeks, despite me going there right after I was approved for my interview for the AOS and had the I-551 stamp in my passport (though they wanted to see the actual green card instead and didn't inform me of such). And yes, like you, I needed that in a hurry, as I needed that to get a US Driver's license too... (see my detailed vj timeline for more info).

In the meantime, you might still be able to drive with your Canadian Driver's license while you are waiting for your US driver's license (which is what I did, and hoped that I didn't get in trouble for doing such), and haven't yet established 'residency" in the USA. It's a risk though, and is up to each state's individual rules to determine if you are a resident of that state or not and need to exhange your Canadian driver's license for a US one within a certain amount of days. On the bright side: Depending on which state you live in, you might be able to get a US Driver's license right away in exchange from a Canadian one, with no testing required (which is what happened to me...10 mins..in and out....with US driver's license in hand... no tests...)

But yes, if it takes too long, do inquire with your local Social Security Administration office about getting your SSN card....You definitely need that to establish your life here in the USA! Don't wait too long for such! Inquire if there are any delays!

Hope this helps too. Good luck in getting your card and with the rest of your journey too.

Ant

P.S. Funny, that they delayed my son's social security card too...(sent it to the wrong address...)..Had to bug them about that too..lol....yet another 8 week wait....sigh.....

Hello everyone,

I left Montreal for Dallas on Oct. 7 on a family based immigration visa. Is there someone who can tell me when do you get your SSN and green card? I need a SSN badly for learning to drive. When I filled the DS-230, I remember I required a SSN assigned to me. But today, I went to the local SSA office they cannot check for that, and they let me apply for another SSN, which takes more than 4 weeks because they need to verify my documents which the visa issuing consulate. Things become complicated. So, if you are also leaving from Montreal to US on a CR1 or IR1 visa or other family based immigration visa, can you tell me the timeline when you get your SSN and Green card! Thanks a lot!

Gracie

Edited October 21, 2009 by Ant+D+A

[OBX 51]

Hello everyone,

I left Montreal for Dallas on Oct. 7 on a family based immigration visa. Is there someone who can tell me when do you get your SSN and green card? I need a SSN badly for learning to drive. When I filled the DS-230, I remember I required a SSN assigned to me. But today, I went to the local SSA office they cannot check for that, and they let me apply for another SSN, which takes more than 4 weeks because they need to verify my documents which the visa issuing consulate. Things become complicated. So, if you are also leaving from Montreal to US on a CR1 or IR1 visa or other family based immigration visa, can you tell me the timeline when you get your SSN and Green card! Thanks a lot!

Gracie

I entered on a CR1 visa in June. I applied for my SSN exactly 3 weeks after arriving (even though I did check off the box on the DS-230) and the actual card arrived within a week. My green card arrived 4 weeks after my POE. Good luck.

[Krikit 1,164]

Moving from the Canada forum to the Working & Travelling forum..... which contains the SSN section.

[I'm Gone 60]

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has entered into agreements with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State (DOS) for those agencies to assist SSA by collecting as part of the immigration process the information SSA needs to assign Social Security numbers and issue Social Security number (SSN) cards. DHS electronically forwards the data to SSA once the person is admitted to the United States (U.S.), to assign Social Security numbers and issue SSN cards. SSA calls this data sharing process Enumeration at Entry (EAE).

RM 00202.315 Enumeration At Entry:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100202315

Individuals applying for an immigrant visa and completing Form DS-230 “Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration,” should answer “yes” to questions 43a and 43b on the form if he or she wants to be assigned an SSN or issued a replacement card.

The individual should receive his or her SSN card within 3 weeks after arriving in the United States. The SSN card will be mailed to the same United States mailing address that is used to mail the Permanent Resident card (Form I-551).

If you answered “yes” to being assigned an SSN on Form DS-230 when applying for an immigrant visa, and have not received your SSN card within 3 weeks of being admitted to the United States, suggest that you go into an SSA office.

If you have been assigned an SSN, the office can provide you with the number. However, if you have not received your card within 14 days of your SSN being assigned, normally you will need to apply for a replacement SSN card.

After 3 weeks, you will need to submit an SSN application at an SSA office, if no SSN has been assigned or application is found pending.

You can obtain the address and directions to Social Security offices from the Social Security Office Locator, which is available on the Internet:

http://www.ssa.gov/locator

Note: Applicants who live or receive mail in the Brooklyn, NY, Queens, NY, Phoenix, AZ, Orlando, FL, Sacramento, CA, or Las Vegas, NV area should apply at their local Social Security Card Centers.

Card Center Information:

http://www.ssa.gov/cardcenters/cardcenterinfo.html

Be sure to take proof of age, identity and work authorization when going into a Social Security office to inquiry about the status of your SSN or to submit an application.

Applicants need to provide at least two documents as evidence to establish age, identity and work authorization.

Example: If the immigration document, for example, I-551, is used to establish work authorization and identity, the alien must provide another document to establish age.

Proof of age is not required when applying for a replacement SSN card.

When requesting an SSN card, the documents presented, as evidence must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. SSA cannot accept uncertified or notarized photocopies as evidence.

If a foreign-born person has the foreign birth certificate in his/her possession or can easily obtain a copy, he or she must submit it as proof of age. In some situations SSA can accept alternative evidence of age. The alternative evidence of age may be less than a year old, for example, a DHS document or foreign passport.

You can find detailed information regarding evidence that

establishes age on the SSA Web site:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203110

The documents acceptable as evidence of identity are now based on three factors: (1) the applicant’s age, (2) the applicant’s citizenship/alien status, and (3) the relative value of documents.

Primary Identity Evidence for an alien:

-- Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (includes temporary I-551

stamp/machine readable immigrant visa (MRIV) in combination with an

unexpired foreign passport when the I-551 Permanent Resident Card

has not yet been issued)

You can find detailed information regarding evidence that

establishes identity on the SSA Web site:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203200

Employment Authorization Documents:

-- I-551 (stamp or card)

-- MRIV with temporary I-551 language

Note: The MRIV shows the alien's identification number (“A” number) as the “Registration Number” in the upper right-hand corner of the MRIV.

The MRIV in an unexpired foreign passport that shows the statement “UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR and is endorsed with an admission stamp is the same as a valid Temporary I-551 stamp and is valid for one year from the date of endorsement by the admission stamp.

Example:

If the admission stamp shows a date of entry into the U.S. as January 4, 2009, the expiration of the temporary I-551 status will be January 3, 2010. The expiration date on the MRIV should not be used to determine when the temporary I-551 status expires. The expiration date on the MRIV only shows how long the MRIV is valid not how long the alien's temporary I-551 status is valid.

RM 00203.410 Evidence of Alien Status for an SSN Card for an Alien Lawfully Admitted for Permanent Residence:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203410

SSA cannot accept an application filing receipt or notice of action as evidence of an immigration document.

An SSN card should be received card in the mail within two weeks after the application and documents have been received and verified when applying within the United States.

However, when an alien requests an SSN or replacement card, SSA must verify his or her documents/current status with the appropriate bureau of DHS. If the initial online verification is not possible through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, SSA may need to send a Form G-845 to the appropriate bureau of DHS for manual verification.

Social Security field offices can submit an additional electronic online verification, which with the majority of applications eliminates the need to send a Form G-845 along with a copy of the applicant’s immigration documents.

However, some applications still require a copy of the immigration document(s) to be mailed to the appropriate bureau of DHS along with Form G-845 for manual verification.

SSA offices can also assist applicants by issuing a notice acknowledging the SSN application while documents are being verified.

RM 00202.307 Acknowledgement for Form SS-5:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100202307

All cards are mailed from Social Security Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland.

When am I legally required to provide my Social Security number:

http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cf....php?p_faqid=78