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

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

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).

We did check the box on her visa paperwork to the embassy to apply for a SSN on her app, but only a person without a clue would wait for the government to send that card seeing how they fail to do so more often than naught. The smart people go straight to the SS office and get it done instead of waiting for something that's most likely never going to come. Read the threads on here in regards to how many peeps thought it would be in the mail when they arrived. It's not happening. And no, she wasn't in the SS system for applying for that card on her visa paperwork....so it's another good reason to get it ASAP at the SS office...that is if you want a SS#. We deemed it important so we went and got one first thing. If you want the milk, go straight to the cow, don't wait for the cow to come to you.

She had her SS#, state ID, bank account, and Costco card all in the first day of her arrival, and on the second day she had a cell phone, and was put on the utilities (bills/account) including phone, electric, internet, insurance,etc...

Less than three weeks of landing here she had her drivers license, car,auto / health insurance, and full time job. She hit the ground running, and English wasn't even her second language...it was her third language with Belarusian and Russian being her first two primary languages.

If your going to do it, do it right and don't fck around waiting for something that's most likely never going to arrive. Just do it!

btw her actual SS card didn't arrive in the mail until a month after she landed. She got everything with that temp card/paper from the SS office.

Edited December 18, 2011 by Why_Me

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

We did check the box on her visa paperwork to the embassy to apply for a SSN on her app, but only a person without a clue would wait for the government to send that card seeing how they fail to do so more often than naught. The smart people go straight to the SS office and get it done instead of waiting for something that's most likely never going to come. Read the threads on here in regards to how many peeps thought it would be in the mail when they arrived. It's not happening. And no, she wasn't in the SS system for applying for that card on her visa paperwork....so it's another good reason to get it ASAP at the SS office...that is if you want a SS#. We deemed it important so we went and got one first thing. If you want the milk, go straight to the cow, don't wait for the cow to come to you.

She had her SS#, state ID, bank account, Costco card all in the first day, and the second day she had a cell phone, and was put on the utilities including phone, electric, internet, etc...

Less than three weeks of landing here she had her drivers license, car and full time job. She hit the ground running, and English wasn't even her second language...it was her third language with Belarusian and Russian being her first two primary languages.

If your going to do it, do it right and don't fck around waiting for something that's most likely never going to arrive. Just do it!

btw her actual SS card didn't arrive in the mail until a month after she landed. She got everything with that temp card/paper from the SS office.

The clerk made a mistake. You say yourself she was not in the system to get a number.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

The clerk made a mistake. You say yourself she was not in the system to get a number.

lol..read the threads on here or better yet talk to SS office. It's done more times than naught on here. In fact most of the CR1 visa peeps in the RUB forum did theirs the same way. Only a peep without a clue would think the government is going to send you that card without going to the SS office. They are suppose to, but more times than naught they don't. And again Kira wasn't even in the system...so that tells me that INS didn't do their job and put in for her card like they were suppose to....and she didn't arrive in the states until two months after her interview. So that shows the INS dropped the ball...and if you read the threads on here they do it all the time hence the reason we went straight down the to the SS office the morning after she got off the plane here.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

lol..read the threads on here or better yet talk to SS office. It's done more times than naught on here. In fact most of the CR1 visa peeps in the RUB forum did theirs the same way. Only a peep without a clue would think the government is going to send you that card without going to the SS office. They are suppose to, but more times than naught they don't. And again Kira wasn't even in the system...so that tells me that INS didn't do their job and put in for her card like they were suppose to....and she didn't arrive in the states until two months after her interview. So that shows the INS dropped the ball...and if you read the threads on here they do it all the time hence the reason we went straight down the to the SS office the morning after she got off the plane here.

CR1 is different from the non-immigrant K1. The alien can apply from abroad for the number.

Maybe Kira was able to get the number through a mistake with the State Department (btw the INS hasn't existed for several years).

Who knows maybe you have found a valuable "trick" for K1 entrants. Just tick the box like Kip did and voila! your loved one will be able to swoop into the US and get their SS number the very next day.

When I see anecdotal evidence to this regard (from K1 entrants not aliens admitted on CR1) then I'll believe the trick.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

CR1 is different from the non-immigrant K1. The alien can apply from abroad for the number.

Maybe Kira was able to get the number through a mistake with the State Department (btw the INS hasn't existed for several years).

Who knows maybe you have found a valuable "trick" for K1 entrants. Just tick the box like Kip did and voila! your loved one will be able to swoop into the US and get their SS number the very next day.

When I see anecdotal evidence to this regard (from K1 entrants not aliens admitted on CR1) then I'll believe the trick.

I don't know anything abut K1 visa's other than it's a fiancee visa. I went CR1 all the way. But with the CR1 visa you just go to the SS office and bring your paper work and passport with you. It's pretty easy and it's done all the time. K1 is probably a different story...no idea, all I know is we didn't want that visa for the fact she wanted a big wedding where her family and friends were there so that's what we did.

I do know this, that ticking that box didn't help us one bit. She wasn't even in the system as far as the INS applying for that card and we did check that box. Screw the INS, if you want it done then do it..and by that I mean head on down to the SS office ASAP and get that number. Gary did it, I did it, and I'm guessing most peeps did it. I mean why wait for something that's most likely never going to arrive? Doing it that way is for peeps who have more time then brains imo. If you want that card, then go get it at your local SS office.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Sure you did, Kip.

Same here. We got the wife's social security processed the morning after her flight arrived in the US on a K-1.

Edited December 18, 2011 by Crusty Old Perv

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Same here. We got the wife's social security processed the morning after her flight arrived in the US.

I think most of us did it that way. I mean I don't know the actual numbers but it's poll time for this question just to see how many peeps did it that way. After I read the threads on peeps checking the box in the CR1 visa paper work in regards to applying for a SS# and never receiving it...I said screw waiting, were going straight down to the SS office and see what we can do. And it was a good thing we did for the fact we don't have a SS office out here in Dillingham, and she wasn't in the system like she was suppose to be.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I think most of us did it that way. I mean I don't know the actual numbers but it's poll time for this question just to see how many peeps did it that way. After I read the threads on peeps checking the box in the CR1 visa paper work in regards to applying for a SS# and never receiving it...I said screw waiting, were going straight down to the SS office and see what we can do. And it was a good thing we did for the fact we don't have a SS office out here in Dillingham, and she wasn't in the system like she was suppose to be.

All they needed to see was her I-94 and two forms of ID. They said it would take about 20 days to get her card, but the wife got hers in the mail in about 7 days.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

All they needed to see was her I-94 and two forms of ID. They said it would take about 20 days to get her card, but the wife got hers in the mail in about 7 days.

Man you got yours fast. It was like 3 - 4 weeks before we got Kira's card in the mail...although our mail is super slow here. It has to be flown in from Anchorage.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Man you got yours fast. It was like 3 - 4 weeks before we got Kira's card in the mail...although our mail is super slow here. It has to be flown in from Anchorage.

It took a little longer when she applied for an unrestricted card and when she became a USC, more than a month in both cases. We went to the SSA office on the way back from the oath ceremony.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

It took a little longer when she applied for an unrestricted card and when she became a USC, more than a month in both cases. We went to the SSA office on the way back from the oath ceremony.

What's an "unrestricted card" ? Kira just got a regular SS card is all. First the temp thing with her SSN on it at the SS office, and then they sent her a regular SSC in the mail with that same # on it.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

What's an "unrestricted card" ? Kira just got a regular SS card is all. First the temp thing with her SSN on it at the SS office, and then they sent her a regular SSC in the mail with that same # on it.

When she gets the green card, she can get one that doesn't have the "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION" on it. You didn't have to go through AOS.

Edited December 18, 2011 by Crusty Old Perv

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

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.

SAVE system is updated every night at 12:01 am for entries from the previous day. It is automated.

Go to SS the day after arrival and file the application. Go back the second day and they will give you the number. It may be available the same day as Kip says, we were told to come back the next day and we did. You get the card in about a week, but you can get the NUMBER the next morning. Alla had her CARD in the mail exactly one week after arrival. We were married 9 days after her arrival and her SSN is entered on the marriage license application.

The only "admonishment" I have ever received is from another member that is wrong.

K-1s are eligible from day ONE until day 76 of their I-94 validity to receive an SSN. They are eligible immediately upon entering the US with a valid I-94 and two forms of ID. SS uses the SAVE system to verify legal entries and this has to update overnight. While the law allows the K-1 to be issued an SSN 1 minute after arrival, the process requires waiting until the next day.

If the clerk will not issue a K-1 an SSn the day after arrival, the clerk is untrained. Get a supervisor. Fortunately the clerk we got was trained and we had no problems at all.

Edited December 18, 2011 by Gary and Alla

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

SAVE system is updated every night at 12:01 am for entries from the previous day. It is automated.

Go to SS the day after arrival and file the application. Go back the second day and they will give you the number. It may be available the same day as Kip says, we were told to come back the next day and we did. You get the card in about a week, but you can get the NUMBER the next morning. Alla had her CARD in the mail exactly one week after arrival. We were married 9 days after her arrival and her SSN is entered on the marriage license application.

The only "admonishment" I have ever received is from another member that is wrong.

K-1s are eligible from day ONE until day 76 of their I-94 validity to receive an SSN. They are eligible immediately upon entering the US with a valid I-94 and two forms of ID. SS uses the SAVE system to verify legal entries and this has to update overnight. While the law allows the K-1 to be issued an SSN 1 minute after arrival, the process requires waiting until the next day.

If the clerk will not issue a K-1 an SSn the day after arrival, the clerk is untrained. Get a supervisor. Fortunately the clerk we got was trained and we had no problems at all.

The only problem we ran into was that the bank wouldn't accept the interim "work letter" as showing her as having a valid SSN. We had to wait for her card to arrive in the mail for the bank to put her on my bank account. I should dig that up again. It looked to me as if someone with that letter could show it to an employer and use it for work authorization. If I remember right, it said something like the person listed on the letter was work authorized, but not yet verified by the DHS.

[luckytxn 2,264]

I took about 8 months off and took an old house and built it into a business for her.