SSA Status Update

[ryna 132]

I was just wondering, while my wife waits for her naturalization process to finish, is there any time limit for her to update her status with the SSA? She isn't changing her name as part of her naturalization, so there's no issue there. I know her original SS Card that she received before receiving her EAD/GC had the notation 'Only valid for work with DHS Authorization' or something along those lines.

Will not updating affect her future benefits, either her own or her spousal benefits through me? She will definitely update it at some point, especially since the SSA office is only 10 min from our house and she won't have to take off work to go do it. I'm just curious since the only 'benefit' that I can think of is having a card without the notation on it. Being a natural-born USC, having a US passport in hand (for I-9 purposes, for example), I can't think of any reason whatsoever why I will ever need to present my physical SS card to anyone for any reason ever again, unless I am missing something...

I really only ask this to satisfy my own curiosity and to ask if there is a time limit for updating her status. I've seen it mentioned that you should wait for 10 days after the Oath to change it but nothing saying you are obligated to complete it within any specific amount of time.

[Caryh 5,206]

I've never seen a time limit. But I know they told my wife not to forget to come back and update it when she became a citizen. I'm not really sure what advantages there are to changing your status, except possibly in the ability to get SS based on the spouses income when they retire.

[ryna 132]

I've never seen a time limit. But I know they told my wife not to forget to come back and update it when she became a citizen. I'm not really sure what advantages there are to changing your status, except possibly in the ability to get SS based on the spouses income when they retire.

I kind of remember them telling my wife that, too. Just never having been through it myself I can't think of a reason other than to have a 'clean' card. Since I haven't needed to show my physical card to anyone in years, if not decades, I was just curious.

What strikes me as odd is, if the reason for waiting 10 days is so that the SSA database shows the new info from USCIS, why can't they just update the status themselves???

[Caryh 5,206]

I kind of remember them telling my wife that, too. Just never having been through it myself I can't think of a reason other than to have a 'clean' card. Since I haven't needed to show my physical card to anyone in years, if not decades, I was just curious.

What strikes me as odd is, if the reason for waiting 10 days is so that the SSA database shows the new info from USCIS, why can't they just update the status themselves???

My best guess would be because they will never look at the SAVE database until prompted by the new citizen. There is no difference in the SS card a green card holder carries. When my wife returned to get her new card without the notation, the card was the same as mine, except the numbers and name of course.

[orionn 0]

I've never seen a time limit. But I know they told my wife not to forget to come back and update it when she became a citizen. I'm not really sure what advantages there are to changing your status, except possibly in the ability to get SS based on the spouses income when they retire.

Oh there are a lot of advantages to updating your SSA info, for example if you're applying for a mortgage or car loan. Had a close friend who was applying for an auto refinancing with Bank Of America and there was a question about citizenship, he is a citizen but he never bothered to update his SSA info, the bank somehow couldn't verify his social and asked him to produce docs to verify his citizenship.

[lilsweetie 32]

When I updated mine the lady said it really didn't matter (I don't believe her.... but that's what she said). She said they see people who go their whole lives without updating the citizenship status until they are over 60 and then remember to do so, but it is fine.

I am skeptical about this info, but she did also turn to a colleague and say, "isn't that right?" and the co-worker agreed.

[BigDaddy28 228]

I was just wondering, while my wife waits for her naturalization process to finish, is there any time limit for her to update her status with the SSA? She isn't changing her name as part of her naturalization, so there's no issue there. I know her original SS Card that she received before receiving her EAD/GC had the notation 'Only valid for work with DHS Authorization' or something along those lines.

Will not updating affect her future benefits, either her own or her spousal benefits through me? She will definitely update it at some point, especially since the SSA office is only 10 min from our house and she won't have to take off work to go do it. I'm just curious since the only 'benefit' that I can think of is having a card without the notation on it. Being a natural-born USC, having a US passport in hand (for I-9 purposes, for example), I can't think of any reason whatsoever why I will ever need to present my physical SS card to anyone for any reason ever again, unless I am missing something...

I really only ask this to satisfy my own curiosity and to ask if there is a time limit for updating her status. I've seen it mentioned that you should wait for 10 days after the Oath to change it but nothing saying you are obligated to complete it within any specific amount of time.

Many applications that we file such as: loans, jobs, driver's license ... ask for your citizenship status. If you request to be verified by your SS than the info in the SS office won't match what you are claiming which could result in delay if asked to fix that before any approval.

many companies request from social security to verify citizenship status.

you don't have to do it soooon but it's better to make sure you do it before purchasing or doing something major.

Good luck.