K-1's Get your Social Security Number ASAP!!!

[Joan >3 Bob 20]

So will you ever get a SSN?...because they couldn't find me in the sysyem either when I applied,and I been here for a month...what happens if they can't find you?

The SSN office could not find my wife in the system either. After our 2nd trip to the SSN office with the same results we went to the airport and met with the Customs and Border patrol Agents and they took the passport of my wife and looked into the system and said she is in the system the problem is at the SSN office. We went back to the SSN office and this trip we were waited on by a different person and she looked into the system and found my wife because at POE the Immigration Official who completed the I-94 and stapled it to my wife passport mis-spelled her last name. So the SSN person matched the "A" number on my wifes visa to the I-94 and gave her a SSN number.

You may have the sasme problem. Tose Immigration officers at POE need to take their time and print letters on the I-94 very neatly because the SSN office will enter the name as spelled and you may not show up in the system. I hope this helps. Good luck

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

The SSN office could not find my wife in the system either. After our 2nd trip to the SSN office with the same results we went to the airport and met with the Customs and Border patrol Agents and they took the passport of my wife and looked into the system and said she is in the system the problem is at the SSN office. We went back to the SSN office and this trip we were waited on by a different person and she looked into the system and found my wife because at POE the Immigration Official who completed the I-94 and stapled it to my wife passport mis-spelled her last name. So the SSN person matched the "A" number on my wifes visa to the I-94 and gave her a SSN number.

You may have the sasme problem. Tose Immigration officers at POE need to take their time and print letters on the I-94 very neatly because the SSN office will enter the name as spelled and you may not show up in the system. I hope this helps. Good luck

Good info about using the "A" number to find the record. Typos are a fact of life; being able to use the "A" number to recover from the clerical error is excellent. We will go to the local SS Office next week. Because of the tips in this thread, we will be better prepared.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I may as well say it here..it's just as good a place as any...Damn man! Is there anything that you don't know?! LOL Awesome!

Maybe it's the Shiraz.

I don't know anything. I just know how to use Google.

[MrTee12 64]

We're in Philadelphia, my fiance had no problem getting hers. We waited like 10-14 days after her POE and we went to the SSA office early in the morning and filed. They asked us for her Passport (w/K-1 visa inside) and I-94. We were done 10 minutes and she received it the mail in 3-5 days.

It sucks that people are having problems. I followed the guide here and everything worked out. I wish you guys the best.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/ssn

[Joan >3 Bob 20]

Good info about using the "A" number to find the record. Typos are a fact of life; being able to use the "A" number to recover from the clerical error is excellent. We will go to the local SS Office next week. Because of the tips in this thread, we will be better prepared.

Also make sure on the I-94 they spelled your wife last name correctly. If not then the SSN person has to search the system using the exact spelling as is on the I-94. She also matched the "A" numbers just to be sure and we showed a certified copy of out marriage certificate and she got the SSN in her married name. Our problem was the SSN person was searching the system using my wife correctly spelled name from her passport.

[MRStee 19]

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FrancElsie - IMO - you should file a complaint with the Inspector General's office, and make sure that this 'incident' gets on that SSA employee's record. Incompetence is rampant on the 'front line clerks' at many SSA offices.

I agree here. Another thing to do when it comes to SSA and DMV is to print out a copy of "their" rules..The SSA has fact sheets for your state. That is what we did when we applied for a state id. They were impressed that we came fully equipped. Try not to get bent out of shape. As far as speaking to a supervisor you could have told them if you weren't allowed to speak to a supervisor, you would be filing a complaint and documenting everything they said to you to try to "ruffle" their feathers a bit or even threatened to come with legal representation (even if you didn't the threat was still there). Words are powerful...

Good luck to you

MrTee.. we filed ours 2 weeks and 2 days after his arrival and had no problems either.. we live outside of Philly in Delaware County, PA. We filed in Chester, PA.

[MRStee 19]

Also - Step 16 of the K-1 flow chart advises you to apply for a SSN after the POE...

Sorry this happened to you!

[Asila 10]

I was able to get my wife and step-daughter on my employer's medical and dental insurance without an SSN. I'm not aware of any statutory requirement that would compel an insurance company to require an SSN. It may be a convenient way to track members, but I don't think they can legally require it.

I just wanted to say that there is a new medicare reporting law that went into effect in 2010 that requires every dependent on healthcare insurance to have identifying information--IE a SSN. If you have healthcare through an employer, they can choose to restrict your options to SSN only, but some will still allow you to use other options (a TIN, for instance). It might be wise to check first.

[MRStee 19]

Speaking of Social Security numbers:

http://www.comcast.net/finance/forwhatitsworth/5891263/yoursocialsecuritynumbermaynotbeuniquetoyou/

[adethony 2]

Speaking of Social Security numbers:

http://www.comcast.net/finance/forwhatitsworth/5891263/yoursocialsecuritynumbermaynotbeuniquetoyou/

I was at the Social Security Office on the 4th of May, And i was told that my name was not in the system. I went back on the 26th of July after my EAD was approved, my I-94 had expired at this time, my name was not in the system. I went back on the 2nd of August after receiving my EAD, my name was not in the system. I called on the 6th of August to confirm if my name is in the system, No it's not yet in the system. I called again on the 9th, No, not yet. I've called again today guess what, my name is still not yet in the system. The officer said i'll have to cancell the form and file a new one. I spend close to 35 mins on the phone everytime i call them now i feel like

[amira16 0]

just sharing my expeience.... I already had my SS number we don't have a hard time getting it.. i just showed my passport and our marriage contract a birth certificate... after a series of questioning the lady ask me if I wanted to use my husband's surname on my SS number..of course YES is d answer..then after a week I got my card on the mail.... one thing written on it was " valid only with DHL work permit "... She said i can only work soon as I get my docs from UScIS.... no other question...

I told her "because my wife can have one" which annoyed them, but they processed the request and we got the new card in a week.

This is one of the salient points that I was trying to make with my original posting...a person with a K-1 Visa is ENTITLED TO a SSN or as you said "because my wife can have one!" It's really none of their business "Why?" And, as you stated in your posting, the SS-5 was processed and you got the new card in a week. Pretty easy, once you overcome the obstacle (person) on the front line, yes?

Getting a SSN is supposed to be a very easy process and you can see that due to incompetence an easy process becomes difficult. It's almost as if the people working in these offices search for a way NOT to help the public.

I find it interesting and humorous that you were receiving "free immigration advice" at a Social Security Office. My expectation was and is to receive Social Security information from there and get my Immigration advice from VisaJourney. (or USCIS...LOLOL)

Regards,

Franc

[T & W 2]

My fiance just crossed the boarder 5 days ago. To pursue our parole ASAP we figured we would go down and get the Marrige licence this week or next and get married. Then do the SSN afterwards. Should we wait and get the SSN prior to the Marrige licence? What are the implications of not getting her SSN before the wedding licence / wedding certificate? Thanks in advanced

[thongd4me 69]

We waited less than a week after the marriage to try for the SSN.

Same result.

We had to get married before the end of 2009 (POE was December 29

and we got married December 31) so we could file joint taxes.

She finally got the SSN after the AOS, 6 months later.

SSA staff are not very knowlegable about their own rules & regulations, agreed.

[Kimchimex 8]

Brilliant discussion, I have a question to ask here...

Does anyone know if minor children should get their SS#'s before wedding or wait until after the wedding when Mom & Step Dad are already wed?

Is there a place here with some regulationss regarding K1 Visas & SS# that could be printed to bring along to the SS office>

Can you point that out?

This website ROCKS!!!!

Kim

[John & Flor 3]

Looks like printing the webpage would have helped you alot, according to the SSN Guide here in VisaJourney:

Print the following webpage out (K-1 Visa Holder Only); pay attention to section C:

>> RM 00203.500

Wish you the best of luck!