How long did you take off from work when your loved one arrived?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

My husband took one day off, not so much for when I arrived but to help me arrive. He flew up to Detroit after work on Thursday, rented an SUV at the airport and drove to my place. We loaded up the van, then headed for the border Friday. He took Friday off for travelling. We got home late Saturday, we had Sunday together and he was back to work on Monday. We had to time my entry for when he was able to schedule even that one Friday off so I didn't use my K-1 until 6 weeks after I got it.

He didn't take any time off for our wedding either. We got married on a Saturday and he worked both the Friday before and the Monday after.

Edited December 10, 2011 by Kathryn41

[MyLittlePony 340]

I took one week off went to pick up at SF airport about a hour from my place and spent the week off with wife.

[N M 96]

I flew over on July 4 (Saturday), so Annette already had the Monday off (for the holiday). She definitely took the Tuesday off too, but if I recall correctly, she was back at her desk on the Wednesday.

[Sunny123 44]

I took off two day the week my now husband came. Like everyone else here you never knew when you were going to be getting your visa approved then have to scramble to find a ticket. I took off the first two days he was here but I was trying to rashion out the vaction days I had left for getting married/ honey moon and any more immigration matters I needed to take time off for. But I tried to take off that friday but is was summer time and too many people I worked with had that same time off.

[slangofoil 50]

He arrived on a Wednesday. I worked a half day that day, then drove 5 hours to New York to pick him up, drove another 5 hours home, getting there around 11pm or so, then was in to work at 7am the next morning. Suuuuucked. I worked the rest of the week, and 4 days of the next until we got married on his second Friday here. I took that day off and the following Monday for a mini honeymoon in the Shenandoah Valley.

[ryna 132]

You need a "None" or "Less than a day" option.

We arrived in the U.S. together (after I had taken a week off to go there) on a Sunday at 4PM and I was back at work Monday morning at 7AM. I did the best I could to give her the quick tour of our house, explain to her where everything was and how everything worked that evening but I felt terrible for having to leave her alone in an unfamiliar place after only a little more than 12 hours in the U.S.

She has since adapted quite nicely and knows more about where everything is than I ever did.

[TBoneTX 45,966]

She has since adapted quite nicely and knows more about where everything is than I ever did.

Does she awaken from a sound sleep at 2 a.m. to get up and rearrange all the furniture? If so, she's qualified for U.S. citizenship, si man.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I said two but meant three, oops. I didn't count the day she arrived and I took the day off to drive to NY to get her. She arrived on Wednesday I went back to work Monday.

On Thurday we went grocery shopping and applied for her SSN (she needed it for her grant for tuition) Pasha slept late. On Friday we took Pasha to school got him all situated, went to the SS office and got Alla's SSN,(it takes a week to get the CARD, you can get the number the next day, the number is all you need) went to the bank and added her to our account and went to open her a checking account at a credit union, deposited $50 and she was given her own MasterCard account with a credit limit of $500. We went to her college, signed off all the papers for the grant, showed her SSN and I-94 and got her registered. She was disappointed to learn that they would need Monday to process everything and she could not start classes until Tuesday. Less than 48 hours after she landed, she had her SSN, a son in school, a bank account, a credit union account and her own credit card in her own name, a grant for education at a private university. Saturday started driving lessons OMG!!!!!!!!!

I had everything arranged before she arrived so we were able to just jump into normal life. We had an 8th grader to get in school and Alla was anxious to get started on her education also.

It took many months before she arrived to arrange everything. I NEVER looked at an online "update" of our case.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

That's bs. I took Kira to the Soc. Sec. office the day after she got here, we took a # and when we went up to the counter she showed the gal her passport with stamp and she gave her her SSN right there. It's a temporary thing until you get the card in the mail. That piece of paper worked to get her on my bank account and to get her a state ID and the following week a state drivers permit.

So I'm not sure how Gary is giving bad advice. How else does someone go about getting their SSN without going to the Soc. Sec. office where they are going to print that number out for whoever. Are you saying people shouldn't go to the SS office and get a SSN? If so that sounds like bad advice.

Sure you did, Kip.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Sure you did, Kip.

What do you mean by that? Better yet call the SS office. When anyone goes in there with proper ID and applies for a SSN they give you a "piece of paper with your SSN on it" until your card arrives in the mail. Now I'm starting to think you haven't ever applied for a SSN and/or card before.

They give you that same piece of paper with your number on it if you lose your SS card. It's temporary until your card arrives in the mail.

Edited December 18, 2011 by Why_Me

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I said two but meant three, oops. I didn't count the day she arrived and I took the day off to drive to NY to get her. She arrived on Wednesday I went back to work Monday.

On Thurday we went grocery shopping and applied for her SSN (she needed it for her grant for tuition) Pasha slept late. On Friday we took Pasha to school got him all situated, went to the SS office and got Alla's SSN,(it takes a week to get the CARD, you can get the number the next day, the number is all you need) went to the bank and added her to our account and went to open her a checking account at a credit union, deposited $50 and she was given her own MasterCard account with a credit limit of $500. We went to her college, signed off all the papers for the grant, showed her SSN and I-94 and got her registered. She was disappointed to learn that they would need Monday to process everything and she could not start classes until Tuesday. Less than 48 hours after she landed, she had her SSN, a son in school, a bank account, a credit union account and her own credit card in her own name, a grant for education at a private university. Saturday started driving lessons OMG!!!!!!!!!

I had everything arranged before she arrived so we were able to just jump into normal life. We had an 8th grader to get in school and Alla was anxious to get started on her education also.

It took many months before she arrived to arrange everything. I NEVER looked at an online "update" of our case.

+1

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3194c2ec0c7c8110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=3194c2ec0c7c8110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

Social Security Administration gets its information on an aliens status from the SAVE system. For newly arrived immigrants, the info fed into SAVE comes from CBP processing at ports of entry. This does not happen overnight.

From the link above:

"If you have recently updated your information or your immigration status has recently changed, this update may affect the verification processing time."

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3194c2ec0c7c8110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=3194c2ec0c7c8110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

Social Security Administration gets its information on an aliens status from the SAVE system. For newly arrived immigrants, the info fed into SAVE comes from CBP processing at ports of entry. This does not happen overnight.

From the link above:

"If you have recently updated your information or your immigration status has recently changed, this update may affect the verification processing time."

That doesn't have jack ####### with an "alien" getting their SSN. I could do the entire process again and it would be the same. We went into the SS office the day (early morning after she arrived) and about 30 min. later we walked out of the SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE WITH HER SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. That same day...morning in fact we went to the DMV and got her a Alaska state ID card and then hopped over to Wells Fargo and put her on my bank account. We had all this done and she hadn't been in the USA for 24 hours. She arrived in Anchorage at 10pm at night, and we had all that done well before noon. To top it off we went and got her a Costco card that same day.

Now try again.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

That doesn't have jack ####### with an "alien" getting their SSN. I could do the entire process again and it would be the same. We went into the SS office the day (early morning after she arrived) and about 30 min. later we walked out of the SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE WITH HER SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. That same day...morning in fact we went to the DMV and got her a Alaska state ID card and then hopped over to Wells Fargo and put her on my bank account. We had all this done and she hadn't been in the USA for 24 hours. She arrived in Anchorage at 10pm at night, and we had all that done well before noon. To top it off we went and got her a Costco card that same day.

Now try again.

Yes, it has jack ####### to do with an alien getting a SS number. If the alien cannot be located in the SAVE system, SS can't give them a number. Not unless the clerk at the window is a dumba$$.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10096.html

If you are not an immigrant or did not apply for a Social Security number on your immigrant visa application, you must have your papers from DHS showing your U.S. immigration status and authorization to work in the United States. Then you should apply for a Social Security number and card by visiting an office. We recommend you wait 10 days after arriving in the United States to apply for a Social Security number. This will make it easier for us to verify your DHS documents online, which will speed processing of your Social Security number application. Applying for a Social Security number and card is free. To apply:

Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5);

Show us at least two original documents proving your:

Identity,

Work-authorized immigration status, and

Age; and

Take your completed application and original documents to your local Social Security office.

All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. We also cannot accept a receipt showing you applied for the document.

We may use one document for two purposes. For example, we may use your DHS work permit as proof of both your identity and work-authorized immigration status. Your birth certificate or passport may serve as proof of age. However, you must provide at least two separate documents.

We will mail your number and card as soon as we have all of your information and have verified your documents with the issuing offices.

Identity and work-authorized immigration status

To prove your identity and work-authorized immigration status, show us your current U.S. immigration documents and your unexpired foreign passport. Acceptable immigration documents include your:

Form I-551 (includes machine-readable immigrant visa);

Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) showing DHS work authorization; or

Forms I-766 (Employment Authorization card).