SSN Application Questions (K-1 Holder)

[Engineer06 0]

We'll be heading to the Social Security office tomorrow to apply for her card but I have a couple questions first that I couldn't easily find the answer to.

1)What does she put for #5, Citizenship? Her work authorization is in the works so is she a "Legal Alien not allowed to work" or "Other"?

2)The catch-22 part, she has her passport for one form of ID but what can she use as the second? The form only gives 3 options, but for a state-issued ID card (Alabama) we require a SSN to get one. Kind of lost on what to do about that.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Legal alien allowed to work.

See these guides...Scroll down for K1 http://www.visajourney.com/content/ssn

Does she have a foreign driver's license or birth certificate to show her identity?

[I'm Gone 60]

Well for one thing when you apply at the SSA office you don't actually fill out an application. The SSA employee enters info into the computer based on the evidence and whatever questions they might ask. So I wouldn't worry about the citizenship question. SSN purposes SSA considered K-1s work authorized.

You don't need two forms of ID. You need proof of age, identity and work authorization. Birth certificate or passport can be proof of age. The unexpired Passport along with the unexpired Form I-94 is evidence of identity. The unexpired Form I-94 with K-1 status is employment authorization.

Her status will need to be verified before the application can be processsed. They will do an initial verification while she is in the office. If that doesn't verify they will submit a secondary electronic verification request. That takes normally from a few days to a week to come back. If immigration ask to see a copy of the document, They will mail a photocopy of the front and back of the I-94 with Form G-845. That can take a month or more to come back.

If the initial verification fails ask why, since one letter of the name can be wrong and it still be considered verified. If the reason is something else make sure that the secondary electronic verification is submitted and check back in a week to see if they received a response. Most of the time this is as far as it needs to go, but if they G-845 needs to be sent, make sure it has been and check back every couple weeks. If a month goes by and the office says they haven't received the G-845 back, ask them to call the verification office. If they say they can't, tell them BS and ask for a manager. There is a number in the POMS procedure for the SSA office to call.

Edited August 10, 2010 by I Quit

[Engineer06 0]

Thanks for the replies, we'll take her foreign driver's license and birth certificate with us just in case they ask for those. The whole immigration process has been extremely smooth for us (thanks to this website) and it feels like something needs to trip us up eventually.

Edited August 10, 2010 by Engineer06

[Darnell 8,478]

Engineer06 - hey ! Please update yer timeline !!! Yer missing some important bits over at http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=63591

If she has EAD in hand, hey - yer golden, mostly.

If, instead, yer within the 14 to 74 day window from the POE date, you need to hustle/rush - bring passport and birth certificate, apply in VISA name. Remind the clerk to look her up in the SAVE database, in the VISA name. Then follow what I Quit has referenced/mentioned.

Good Luck !

[tokyo.lovers 6]

we only needed his passport and the paper we got at the POE.

the SS emp did all the paperwork. we only filled in a few things.

easy.