an experience to share in getting my SS Card - State ID - Learner's permit

[nhojda 0]

Hello to everyone.

I would like to share my experience about how I got my SS Card, State ID up to Learner's permit which are very important in living here in America.

Here it goes.

I arrived last August of 2006 as K-1, with my country's passport with U.S visa, my ID cards and other personal documents, but to have only these things was somewhat a bit difficult, as some establishments, like bank, are not acknowdging them as a supporting documents unless you will have a U.S. Social Security Card. So I went to the SSA in my area to get SSCard but that was somewhat measuring your patience also due maybe to one of a few arrogant employees only. After getting my waiting number, it took me a long time to be called and when I went to that guy who called me and after answering his question about my transaction, he just simply said to me that he was not the person handling that transaction and advised me to sit down and let my number be called again. So I waited a couple of hours to be called and my number has not been called again, it so happened that I was the last person sitting on there, so someone made a sign to come to him. Thank's God, that young guy seemed knows his job so well that I have no difficulty, after signing some papers, he just said to me that my file has not yet been updated so he cannot issue me SS#, so they will verify it first in the INS. And when they could verify it, they will let me know by mail. After a week only, I received then a notice that my SS Card will be sent to me within two weeks. But it took only a week then that I got my SS Card with mark "valid to work only w/ DHS authorization". Receiving it made me happy, as somewhat I felt that I can consider now my feet were really on the ground of America. After I got marry, I applied to have a State ID last October 2006, in the branch of BMV near my place, so they just asked for my SS#, marriage certificate and passport with VISA. As my name in my SS Card was still my maiden name, so the BMV employee gave me two options to have my State ID. Either to let them validate my SS number but it will take two months or I am personally go to SSA to let my number be validated then I could get right away my State ID. So I took the latter, I went to the SSA and it went smoothly and they made replacement also to my card with my married name on it which they sent it to me after a week. I went back to BMV branch and I got my State ID, with my smiling photo on it , at the same day I applied.

While waiting for the result of my AOS which currently still pending, as of now, my husband told me to get a learner's permit so I could practice to drive. So my husband dropped me off last March 10, at the BMV branch which is nearby his workplace but it was not a branch where I got my State ID. At the BMV, the woman employee asked me about my SS#, passport and State ID, and she then checked my record and gave me a questionaire to answer. After done with the exam, another woman called me, and she was processing my learner' permit so fortunately, I did passed the exam. She let let me paid, she let me also be taken a photo and I have seen also that she had already made a learner's permit card for me with my photo on it. While processing my permit, she was somewhat, new in handling the processing that she made a lot of inquiries to other employees. Also she asked to her branch manager, which is also a woman, and then she gone back telling me to go to SSA to let my SS# be validated and then go back on March 13 or else my permit is totally nothing. What's the problem with them, why they let me get an exam and let me pay that it will result only to nothing? So, I have explained to her that my SS# has already been validated when I got my State ID. So she talked again to her manager, and the manager herself asked to let me produce a copy of that SS validation. So I looked to my bunch of documents with me and luckily the guy in the BMV branch where I got my State ID has returned the original copy to me that I found it in my files. So I gave that to them, but still they didn't release the learner's permit card; they just issued me a written permit on a paper that is good for 60 days only. And they said that they will send the card in a mail. It relieved me and thankful for it. Then it was then my turn to ask them about my original copy of my SS number validation, and the employee could not give it back to me as she couldn't find it nowhere. Even her manager was going back and forth looking for it, and then the employee came to a point insisting me that she might had returned it back to me and told me to look inside my bag. But I insisted also that she has nothing returned back to me. But she's really insisting me to look inside my bag, but how could I find it in my bag that something it's not there. So in order not to create chaos, aside other applicants were looking on us, i said to her that never mind about it. Since i got already my temporary permit i decided to leave their office. When I was about to leave the BMV building, that employee called me back, as their branch manager found that validation paper somewhere. So the employee returned it back apologetically. I just smiled saying it's okay. Anyway, she's kind in attending me, it so happen only that she's not much familiar about she's doing.

This is my measured patience's experience. I know there are a lot more to come that test our patience as long as we are living. Hope this experience could give idea to others. God bless to everyone...

Time Line:

06-10-2006 - entered in U.S.

11-06-2006 - sent AOS in Chicago

11-16-2006 - received my Receipt Number

11-22-2006 - received Biometric Notice

12-02-2006 - Biometric taken

12-08-2006 - received Transfer Notice to CSC

03-09-2007 - received RFE

[Caroline and Phil 14]

Thank you for sharing your experience!