Received SSN but "inactive"

[rysa 3]

Looked around on these forums and on the internet generally, but we couldn't really find anything that fit our particular case.

We got the SSN fairly quickly after POE (within a week), but when we try to use the SSN for opening accounts, we are told the SSN is not yet active. Does anyone know what is a reasonable amount of time to wait before we should expect a number on an already-issued card to be active in the system? (When should we start bugging the local SSA office?)

Thanks!

[rysa 3]

We still seem to be inactive--so has no one had this issue before? We were thinking of making a painful trek to the DMV this week to get my spouse the state ID but there's no point if he's not actually in the system yet. We're going to try hit up the SSA office tomorrow but rather skeptical that they can do anything if it's a "typical delay from SSN issue to active status" or something like that. Just seems weird when we got the physical card but he can't even open an account on the SSA website using that number.

[Lynkali 163]

I have not encountered anything about "inactive" SSN, is that the actual terminology you've been given? I have encountered, because my husband just got his SSN in October, some verification errors with online systems that will not recognize the SSN as a valid number, but they only say the SSN "cannot be verified." That is a well-known issue that relates to how the SSA started randomizing the numbers in 2011 ... the new numbers can no longer be machine-verified. But almost all places allow you to override the verification issue manually -- we had to do that at our bank and for my beneficiary designation, they just needed to see his physical card and override the machine verification error.

So when I see your comment, I wonder if you're just getting verification errors, or if you really mean "inactive"?

[rysa 3]

Thanks for the quick response! I checked w/my spouse and what they actually told him was "cannot be verified," so it seems your explanation fits the bill. This is an annoying issue for us though since he's trying to open an online bank account (so no physical locations). Calling the SSA number just kept getting us booted off (full queue?) so off to the office we go tomorrow... Would this be an issue for DMV issuing state licenses, if they can't verify his SSN online?

[Dave&Roza 748]

Thanks for the quick response! I checked w/my spouse and what they actually told him was "cannot be verified," so it seems your explanation fits the bill. This is an annoying issue for us though since he's trying to open an online bank account (so no physical locations). Calling the SSA number just kept getting us booted off (full queue?) so off to the office we go tomorrow... Would this be an issue for DMV issuing state licenses, if they can't verify his SSN online?

Typically you do not need to show the actual card, but in this case if the DMV cannot verify the SSN, show them the card and say, "Well here is the card, what do you suggest I do?" One would like to hope that a government agency has the latest SSN verification software and can handle the new randomized SSNs. My wife had her SSN for a long time before trying the DVM as she has never driven and the whole idea of driving is still a bit scary to her. Be prepared to go to the top at the DMV--this usually results in having no problems. Also, take as much information as you can to just over whelm them.

Good luck,

Dave

[rysa 3]

We hit the SSA office today. They were unable to help with regard to the online verification. We found it strange that one of the reasons as to why online verification (e.g., for online banks) would fail is because of the lack of an associated credit history. Why would the social security number need a credit history to verify identity? Either way, they couldn't even troubleshoot. They said that once the DMV issues a state ID that might help "synch" the online database, but aside from that, it is a matter of time. We're hoping time doesn't mean waiting six months for him to acquire a credit history. It won't be a huge hindrance but we didn't want to open an account at places like BoA and wanted to go with CapitalOne/Ally.

As for why we couldn't sign up for an SSA account on their website (apparently a separate system), they would've been able to circumvent the issue by providing us with an activation code--except they couldn't provide us with an activation code because we didn't have a valid US ID for my spouse yet. We asked if a paper temporary ID (which some DMVs give while they send you the real ID in the mail--not in CA's case, but we were just curious) would suffice, but they said no. So we'll have to go back with the state ID once it arrives in the mail. We'll keep our expectations of that happening any time soon low, given all the anecdotes we've heard about the DMV.

The state ID was issued at the DMV without any issues with a paper card and his foreign passport. They didn't even seem to run the SSN against anything.

Edited December 18, 2013 by rysa

[Darnell 8,478]

ya, sorry, this is related to credit history, and nothing else.

[K and P 0]

Looked around on these forums and on the internet generally, but we couldn't really find anything that fit our particular case.

We got the SSN fairly quickly after POE (within a week), but when we try to use the SSN for opening accounts, we are told the SSN is not yet active. Does anyone know what is a reasonable amount of time to wait before we should expect a number on an already-issued card to be active in the system? (When should we start bugging the local SSA office?)

Thanks!

How long did it take before your SSN became active? Did you have to do anything special?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

There is no such thing as active or inactive SSN.

[rysa 3]

We haven't checked since my spouse was still transitioning, but as chance would have it, he's moving here today so I'll be able to let you know within a few days if his SSN is active since we'll try opening accounts again.

One update I have based on my initial post is that while CA DMV allows you to make a state ID with a freshly minted SSN, they actually require your green card to verify your legal presence. You will only find this out after starting to call them (after waiting the requisite 6-8 weeks) and being told they are waiting for "legal presence check" to clear, which they can't tell you how long it will take. If you mention you've read on the internet that you can fax in a copy of the green card (e.g., http://forums.immigration.com/forum/advocacy-efforts/issues-related-to-obtaining-driver-s-license-from-dmvs/331873-ca-driver-license-delayed-due-to-legal-presence-check-pending) they will let you do so, and then you just have to gnaw your thumb for couple more weeks.

Although the above doesn't really relate to your question, just wanted to show that DMVs are not the best indicator of whether your SSN is active. In retrospect, it seems obvious, but at the time we still believed the DMV must be running the SSN through something before taking our money and promising ID cards within x weeks.

As for your other question, the impression I was given was that the only way to really speed things up would be start building a credit history ASAP.

Edited April 16, 2014 by rysa

[rysa 3]

There is no such thing as active or inactive SSN.

Hmm, one would hope having a physical printed card means it's active, but for the purposes of doing "things" with your SSN (like opening bank accounts with banks that only have an online presence, or solely using a new SSN to get a gov't ID apparently), that's the wording various reps will use to explain why they have to turn you down.

Of course, the IRS doesn't care and will accept the number so that you can pay your taxes--they are very generous like that.

Edited April 16, 2014 by rysa

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Yes, I understand.

With a new SSN you will not be able to do online stuff. You will need to go in person and show the card.

A SSN is merely a unique number to track your retirement benefits. That is all.

But, because it is guaranteed to be a unique number, other agencies and services are allowed to piggy back off of the number and use it. That is why it is used for credit scores and things like that.

The SSA, the body that issues SSNs, is not integrated with other agencies. They don't report anything to anyone, they just hand out the card and update their own database, a database that employers are able to access to make sure the SSN is valid for SSA taxes.

So, I can understand that a clueless rep for a bank might say "card doesn't work" when they put it in their system and their own computer system doesn't allow it to go through. That system is probably checking your credit score or something, but it is not checking anything with the SSA.

You might have to tell people that it is a new number for a while, to get them to think instead of just putting numbers in their own computer system.

[rysa 3]

True. It's sad that there is so little inter-agency information flow. Naive little me was taken aback when an NVC rep told me that our paper file must be mailed over from the USCIS and then (manually? who knows) entered into their own filing system. I just feel lucky our files didn't get lost, flooded, etc.

Back when I first posted, we had no other form of US ID. But now, we have the state ID and GC, so we'll probably be able to skirt the issue (minus online presence only banks since at least the ones we checked claimed they *only* use SSN--for banks with physical presence we can waltz in with state ID & GC, so we'll do that).

[K and P 0]

We haven't checked since my spouse was still transitioning, but as chance would have it, he's moving here today so I'll be able to let you know within a few days if his SSN is active since we'll try opening accounts again.

One update I have based on my initial post is that while CA DMV allows you to make a state ID with a freshly minted SSN, they actually require your green card to verify your legal presence. You will only find this out after starting to call them (after waiting the requisite 6-8 weeks) and being told they are waiting for "legal presence check" to clear, which they can't tell you how long it will take. If you mention you've read on the internet that you can fax in a copy of the green card (e.g., http://forums.immigration.com/forum/advocacy-efforts/issues-related-to-obtaining-driver-s-license-from-dmvs/331873-ca-driver-license-delayed-due-to-legal-presence-check-pending) they will let you do so, and then you just have to gnaw your thumb for couple more weeks.

Although the above doesn't really relate to your question, just wanted to show that DMVs are not the best indicator of whether your SSN is active. In retrospect, it seems obvious, but at the time we still believed the DMV must be running the SSN through something before taking our money and promising ID cards within x weeks.

As for your other question, the impression I was given was that the only way to really speed things up would be start building a credit history ASAP.

Thanks for your response! Let me know if you are able to open online accounts or anything yet. Thanks for so much info!

[rysa 3]

Today, he was able to open an account with Ally (an online presence only bank) despite CreditKarma (a site Ally's rep told him to use to see when his SSN was "active enough" via the existence of a credit score) telling him his credit file was too thin for the site to generate a score (but I guess this means he's in the system). So it doesn't seem like you need to wait the whole six months upon starting to build credit history in order for your SSN to have enough "online presence", I guess!

When we were at the social security office in December, the staff there told us that getting a state ID may help expedite getting him to show up on "the system." We weren't sure he knew what he was talking about based on other things he said, but maybe that is true. That said, it could all be a coincidence. He got the SSN around 12/10, applied for the state ID 12/17, [limbo until I figured out he needed to send in copy of his GC], faxed in GC scans 3/6, got the state ID 3/28.

Edited April 18, 2014 by rysa