Social Security office incompetence!

[Lorenzoid 12]

Just venting (and warning) about the incompetence of the Social Security Administration bureaucracy. My wife already had a Social Security card because she was once a student in the U.S., but now that she has adjusted status and changed her name as a result of our marriage, she needed to have the SSA update her status to work-authorized and to reflect the name change. So she made a trip down to our local SSA office here in Atlanta. She had the following with her: Green Card, Georgia driver's license, Belgian passport, and certified copy of marriage certificate reflecting the name change. She filled out whatever form they asked her to fill out, and the clerk who helped her said everything was in order for her to receive the updated work-authorized status and name change. A few days later she receives in the mail a notification from SSA that she did not provide the required documentation. Specifically, they need two forms of identification. What a joke! I believe that she had with her all the documentation she was required to show, and that she showed it, and that the clerk confirmed that all was in order. Incredibly, the letter from SSA included a copy of the form that she had filled out, including an attached photocopy of her Green Card and passport ID page! Total incompetence! She is going back there today to speak with a supervisor.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Lorenzoid

[I'm Gone 60]

Is the Green Card in her married name? If it is not that could be the problem

Generally, a foreign-born person’s legal name is the name shown on his or her immigration document.

When the name shown on the immigration document differs from the name shown on other evidence submitted for an SSN, we process the application in the name on the immigration document as long as the name can be derived from the other evidence, for example, a foreign passport.

If the required documents show clearly different names, we cannot accept the evidence to process the application. In these situations, the applicant must submit evidence showing the same name, or submit evidence of a name change that occurred after the immigration document was issued.

RM 10212.001 Defining the Legal Name for an SSN:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

[Lorenzoid 12]

Yes, her Green Card is in her married name, so that was not the problem.

So my wife returned to the SSA office yesterday, waited 45 minutes, and was able to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor looked at my wife's Green Card, Belgian passport, and marriage certificate, and admitted an error had been made. The supervisor assured my wife that she would receive confirmation of her updated status shortly.

Sheesh! Nothing is easy when dealing with the government. But anyone who is here on VJ already knows that.