How long after entry for SSN?

[Caribbean Pirate 9]

Hi everyone,

Another question! How long after the point of entry should we expect to wait for my husband to be issued a social security number. I had been primarily worried about the green card for employment purposes but just realized that he can't work without an SSN either.

What kind of time frame have other people had? Can anyone share their experiences with me?

Thanks!

[Ms C 5]

Two weeks to one month after you applied for it

[BBCC 16]

See my signature below for the dates. Our application didn't go so well. It took a lot of time off work for several trips to the local SSA an office an hours drive away to convince them that they were not executing the application.

We applied through the visa application so the application would have submitted on the Day of Entry (DOE). The application was sent to a different state and was being held there. The local SSA office kept telling us that we had to appear at that out of state office. I managed to google a direct local phone number to the out of state office who informed us that we did not have to travel to their office to resolve the problem, further the out of state office had no record of the application. Yet our local office had a record of the application so would not let us re-apply.

After almost three months of debating the matter with our local SSA office, they finally coughed up the goods. We received the card the next day in the mail. Oy.

Edited July 19, 2012 by BBCC

[Caribbean Pirate 9]

See my signature below for the dates. Our application didn't go so well. It took a lot of time off work for several trips to the local SSA an office an hours drive away to convince them that they were not executing the application.

We applied through the visa application so the application would have submitted on the Day of Entry (DOE). The application was sent to a different state and was being held there. The local SSA office kept telling us that we had to appear at that out of state office. I managed to google a direct local phone number to the out of state office who informed us that we did not have to travel to their office to resolve the problem, further the out of state office had no record of the application. Yet our local office had a record of the application so would not let us re-apply.

After almost three months of debating the matter with our local SSA office, they finally coughed up the goods. We received the card the next day in the mail. Oy.

OMG! That isn't an encouraging story! Is there an option to wait an apply in person at SSA rather than at POE? That might make more sense if we go on day 1 and do that if possible. Do you know?

worried all over again! :help:

[BBCC 16]

Yes, you can opt to do that. This problem could have as easily happened for us had we opted to apply locally except the local office would have resolved their processing error more quickly. In our case, I moved from one state to another in the middle of our CR-1 process prior to my wife's arrival in the US. I had the luxury of continuing to receive mail at the old address until the process was completed. Since we were entirely electronic with the NVC by that time, we didn't see the point in changing anything. So at the POE, the social security application was forwarded to the old state. These were our circumstances. We filed our AR-11 change of address immediately on the day of arrival with the USCIS.

While I don't think this move halted the application at the processing center in the old state, it did interfere with our ability to mitigate the matter with the local office in the new state.

Perhaps your circumstances will not cause such a problem.

Edited July 19, 2012 by BBCC

[Caribbean Pirate 9]

wow! so glad you said that! I'm outside the US with my husband. My address with USCIS is at my mom's (a different state than we will move to). So we are actually very similar to you! I think we'll wait and file for the SSN when we get there. Thanks so much for sharing!

Do you know if we need the green card in hand to apply for the SSN or just the visa in the passport? Want to minimize the delay however possible!

[Ryan H 3,818]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to Social Security Numbers forum.

[BBCC 16]

wow! so glad you said that! I'm outside the US with my husband. My address with USCIS is at my mom's (a different state than we will move to). So we are actually very similar to you! I think we'll wait and file for the SSN when we get there. Thanks so much for sharing!

Do you know if we need the green card in hand to apply for the SSN or just the visa in the passport? Want to minimize the delay however possible!

Both the Green Card and Passport are required. They will issue the SS card in whatever the form of the the name that is on the Green Card and ignore what is on the passport.

The legal name in the US is considered to be whatever is on the green card.

That was an issue for us because at POE, we confirmed they had spelled her first name correctly. Then, when the Green Card arrived, the first name as incorrectly abbreviated.

Now all her US documents are being generated with an incorrectly spelled first name. I've heard we have to pay $400 to correct it on the CR-1 Green Card so I guess we will just have to wait until Adjustment of Status in 2 years in order to take care of it without payment.

[BBCC 16]

Correction above: strike "Adustment of Status", replace with "Removal of Conditions"