Social Security Adm. won't give me my card!

[AstralEdge 2]

First off, i'm sorry if this is in the wrong category. Please feel free to move this if need be.

I am not too sure why i'm writing this, it is partly a rant, partly a warning for others and if someone has ever been in a similar situation and could help me it would be great...

I got my greencard following a CR1 visa on October 6th. Since it is a conditionnal greencard, I will have to renew it in 2 years.

During the immigration process I was never informed that I could "assume" my husband's last name. So I filled all the paperwork with

my maiden's name as I did not want to make a mistake and the process to take longer. Obviously, I got my greencard in my maiden's name

which was no big deal I thought because I'd change my name when I'd renew my greencard (replacing it now is VERY costly and is a rather

long process therefore not worth it in my opinion).

On the DS-230, I checked that I wanted to have a SSN assigned to me. Well two months later, in December, still no SSN card. Everytime I'd call the

Social Security Administration they'd tell me that they had no record of me and to call back later. Obviously, someone at USCIS doesn't

do his job and does not inform the SSA that you want a SSN. My BIG ADVICE HERE: ... go to your local office and request a card there instead.

So on December 21st, I go to my local office to apply for a new card. The lady asks me if I want to have my husband's lastname on it. I ask if I can do that,

and she says yes no problem. She asks for my marriage licence and there we go! Problem is, somehow even if both my husband and me double checked the address she entered she managed to write the appartment number to send the card to as 249 and our appartment is 246. Obviously, 2 weeks later: STILL NO CARD.

Husband take a day off work so we can go to the local SSA office. A total ###### (excuse my japanese haha) ... tells us that it is OUR FAULT if the address is wrong, that they cannot cancel it and that she cannot order a new one and have it send to the right address because I don't have any documentation in my married name.

We went to our neighbour and asked if he got a letter for me, which he didn't. I don't know him so maybe he's a liar but the point is that my SSN card is out there, somewhere, can be used by someone, and I CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. They gave me a phone number that i have to call to check if someone has stolen my identity or not. What is that???!

They are a bunch of morons and I feel so discouraged right now because I want to get all my documentation in the same name, but I don't want to pay $500 to replace my greencard.... my other options are a state ID which requires a SSN card which i don't have!!! and getting a new canadian passport in my married name which requires all my documentation to be in the same name ....

I am in a loophole and I don't know how to get out of it. I feel very discouraged and sad. Almost wondering why I moved here instead of him moving to Canada.

[Inky 1,110]

Moved from removal of conditions to moving here and your new life in america as this is not an issue with removal of conditions filing.

Stolen Identity is when your SSN card gets in someone elses hands and they start opening credit cards in your name with your SSN and start wracking up debt in your name. Quite a serious issue, pretty hard to get it fixed sometimes too depending on how bad they get you.

[Darnell 8,478]

you know the SSN though, right?

if not, walk back to the office, and they'll give it to you.

[bewildering 9]

you know the SSN though, right?

if not, walk back to the office, and they'll give it to you.

Great point. The card is pretty useless. The number is important.

Incidentally, for credit applications they need your SSN for your credit history. As you are new in the USA you have no credit history, so no one will give you any credit. I know, because i had to put a deposit down for everything when i first arrived. Effectively you are identity-theft proof!

[AstralEdge 2]

Yes I do have the number on a paper because I insisted to get it. But I still don't have the card... and the paper isn't an official thing with a seal or anything on it. So whenever I want to apply somewhere, like a job for example... I guess it's going to be a problem.

[oohpartiv 484]

Yes I do have the number on a paper because I insisted to get it. But I still don't have the card... and the paper isn't an official thing with a seal or anything on it. So whenever I want to apply somewhere, like a job for example... I guess it's going to be a problem.

Actually, I've never been ask for my SSN card. They could ask for your number, but you're supposed to memorize it so as to not carry the card around with you and run the risk of losing it. As long as you have the number, you're pretty much set, honestly.

[AstralEdge 2]

Hahah Thanks it helps a lot .... although I am still pissed off and wondering why they're making such a fuss about it and how they manage to make something that's supposed to be safe, totally unsafe... big thumbs down to the SSA!

[Inky 1,110]

Great point. The card is pretty useless. The number is important.

Incidentally, for credit applications they need your SSN for your credit history. As you are new in the USA you have no credit history, so no one will give you any credit. I know, because i had to put a deposit down for everything when i first arrived. Effectively you are identity-theft proof!

Not totally true. Capital one gives credit cards to new immigrants with no credit history. I had no issue doing things with no credit history either, loans, buying a house etc.

[EmigratingSwede 16]

I have had to show my ss-card a few times, but so far only connected to getting a mortgage and I think when I got my job.

[missicy 87]

You don't have to show your SS card when you get hired. As long as you have your GC that's all you need as it proves both identity and work authorization.

You might have issues down the road though for having different last names on SSN and your GC and other documents. I would have them all changed to the same last name to avoid any possible confusion and problems in the future.

[Villanelle 4,122]

So basically your SS card was mailed to the wrong address (through SS's error) and now they wont issue you a replacement card because you have no ID showing your name...

So somewhere out there is a SS card with your name and number on it and you dont know where. It happens. People lose them. I would say your spouse should know what to do or the SSA should have advised you better then just 'call this number to check if your identity was stolen' but I guess not.

You should know by know from dealing with USCIS that everything in the US requires 'evidence' or documents or a paper trail. You need to go down to your local police station and file an incident report. Go at a reasonable hour, this isnt an emergency. Youre just filing an incident report. Your SS card was lost, you need to report it. Someone out there could potentially have it and be using it. You need a record that it was 'lost'/mailed to the wrong address/not in your possession.

If (and I hope it never happens) but if someone ever does use it, you have a document (the incident report) showing you reported the card lost/missing. You now have the burden (thanks to SSA) of having to check your credit report periodically for inconsistencies. There are ways to put freezes on your credit if you choose to- some places offer the service for a fee- where no one can open lines of credit w/o prior auth (you have to call a certain number or something to verify your identity.) Its a PITA and costly, but its something to look into.

If you dont have a freeze on your credit and someone was to obtain credit in your name and run up a bill, you have the incident report as your starting point to say- hey this wasnt me, I reported my SS card lost on X date- heres my proof. The incident report is going to make it alot easier to dispute credit items that are not yours. So file one.

I also agree with the post above. It kind of sucks that you have to pay to get the GC in your new name, but youre going to have issues if your docs have mismatched names. Right now your SS is in a different name. You cant get a state ID card or DL like that. So youre kind of in a situation where youre going to have to cough up the cash and pay to change them all since you changed one (the SS card). Its the snowball effect.

You cant go back and undo the name at SS, you cant move forward and get a state ID/DL w/o a SS card, you cant get the SS card w/o the GC in the married name. So you really are in a nasty loop and the only way out of it is to pay for the new GC.

(LOL or divorce your husband and go back to SS and theyll issue you a card in your maiden name!!)

[AnotherLostSoul 167]

Can you apply due to social security card got lost? I wonder if you could do that, and simply, do not change your name now...just stick with your maiden name. I read it so many places that people keep getting into problems for having 500 documents with different names. Why complicate things? Why don't you change your name only when you'll pass your US citizenship, or if you don't want that, then when you're applying to your 10 year green card? Sounds to me from other threads that it's a pain in the "you know where"...lot of people want to travel home and have a hard time getting back as their passport and green card name differ...for now, try to apply for a new card saying your social security card got lost...and for now just value the last name you got from your parents.

[Villanelle 4,122]

^she went back to SS and asked for a new card as her old one was lost. They have no problem in giving her a new card, she just needs to show them an ID with her married name on it- she has none. Her GC is in her maiden name and she cant get a state ID w/o the physical SS card. So shes in a loop. The only way to fix it is to pay to get the new GC with the married name on it.

[AnotherLostSoul 167]

Yeah, I got that part, but I just don't understand why she wants to have a soc. sec. card now with her married name? Life would be much less complicated for her now if she just obtained a new soc.sec.card with her maiden name, using her green card along. Or am I still missing something? o.O

[Villanelle 4,122]

lol. I dunno maybe it was just exciting when they said do you want your husbands last name on it so she said yes.

Now that they issued it in her married name, theres no way to undo it. The only way they'll go back and put her maiden name on it is if she brings them a divorce decree showing shes divorced and took her maiden name back, or if she goes down and has a legal name change done through the probate court and brings them that paper showing her legal name is now her maiden name again.