If you have conditional status and need a new SS Card READ THIS!

[bcfc89 3]

Just wanted to post about my trip to the social security office today.

 

I lost my previous card and went in to get a replacement with my expired green card and my I797. After an hour wait I went up to the window and showed the gentleman my documents. He immediately said he can’t do it since my GC is expired. I was able to convince him to at least try and after 20 mins he gave my paperwork back and said there was no way he could do it. He said I would have to come in when my new GC is delivered. I walked out of the office so mad so I drove home and called the social security customer service line. After an hour hold I was finally able to speak to a rep and explained my situation. She advised that I have everything the office needs and it should not be a problem. She referred me to an article on the social security websites POMS System. https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0110211025

 

I drove back to the SS office and waited in line again for another hour with a print out of the article from the SS website. I went back to the same window and presented all of the same information but this time handed the POMS article. The gentleman read the article for 10min and then said I don’t have an I797. The document I have is the receipt for the I797 so there is nothing he can do.  I tried to explain that the receipt notice IS the I797 but he just wasn’t having it so I asked him to check with his supervisor. He went around back and was gone for another 20mins or so before he returned. He said he spoke to his supervisor and the “document specialist” and they all agreed this isn’t the right document.

 

At this point I was livid. I have a document from your website showing you how to process the forms but you won’t help me. I asked to speak to his supervisor myself. He told me to take a seat again while he got his supervisor. I was waiting for another 30mins before he returned and said he ran it by his assistant director and they finally came to the conclusion that I was right after all. He said nobody in the office had been trained on this procedure and without me bringing the article in it would have been a no. He proceeded to use this instructions in the article I provided and was able to successfully order a replacement card. 

 

Phew. What an awful experience! If it hasn’t already, would a mod of this forum kindly sticky a copy of the article I used so no one will ever have to go through this nightmare again!

Sorry for any typos/grammar errors. I’m still decompressing after that truly terrible experience. 

 

 

[Sukie 1,465]

Yes, it was an awful experience.  And, it's not uncommon.  Folks, always try to anticipate that clerks, especially if you are in an area where there may not be that many immigrants, will NOT know what to do.  Take a copy of the document that @bcfc89 talks about.  Know that your I-797 is the correct document.  BCFC89 did all the right things - asked to speak with a supervisor, etc.  But it is often up to US to know the rules.  BCFC89 was able to teach someone something new.

 

You are always your best advocate.  Just like getting all your documentation together (more quality is better), be ready to help people understand their jobs - even if it rankles.

 

Thanks for the info, @bcfc89   Hopefully we will all learn from your experience.  Hope your evening is better!

 

Sukie in NY

[bad4tatt 168]

48 minutes ago, bcfc89 said:

Just wanted to post about my trip to the social security office today.

 

I lost my previous card and went in to get a replacement with my expired green card and my I797. After an hour wait I went up to the window and showed the gentleman my documents. He immediately said he can’t do it since my GC is expired. I was able to convince him to at least try and after 20 mins he gave my paperwork back and said there was no way he could do it. He said I would have to come in when my new GC is delivered. I walked out of the office so mad so I drove home and called the social security customer service line. After an hour hold I was finally able to speak to a rep and explained my situation. She advised that I have everything the office needs and it should not be a problem. She referred me to an article on the social security websites POMS System. https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0110211025

 

I drove back to the SS office and waited in line again for another hour with a print out of the article from the SS website. I went back to the same window and presented all of the same information but this time handed the POMS article. The gentleman read the article for 10min and then said I don’t have an I797. The document I have is the receipt for the I797 so there is nothing he can do.  I tried to explain that the receipt notice IS the I797 but he just wasn’t having it so I asked him to check with his supervisor. He went around back and was gone for another 20mins or so before he returned. He said he spoke to his supervisor and the “document specialist” and they all agreed this isn’t the right document.

 

At this point I was livid. I have a document from your website showing you how to process the forms but you won’t help me. I asked to speak to his supervisor myself. He told me to take a seat again while he got his supervisor. I was waiting for another 30mins before he returned and said he ran it by his assistant director and they finally came to the conclusion that I was right after all. He said nobody in the office had been trained on this procedure and without me bringing the article in it would have been a no. He proceeded to use this instructions in the article I provided and was able to successfully order a replacement card. 

 

Phew. What an awful experience! If it hasn’t already, would a mod of this forum kindly sticky a copy of the article I used so no one will ever have to go through this nightmare again!

Sorry for any typos/grammar errors. I’m still decompressing after that truly terrible experience. 

 

 

Hope you don't ever lose your green card. That may get messy.

[bad4tatt 168]

2 minutes ago, Sukie said:

Yes, it was an awful experience.  And, it's not uncommon.  Folks, always try to anticipate that clerks, especially if you are in an area where there may not be that many immigrants, will NOT know what to do.  Take a copy of the document that @bcfc89 talks about.  Know that your I-797 is the correct document.  BCFC89 did all the right things - asked to speak with a supervisor, etc.  But it is often up to US to know the rules.  BCFC89 was able to teach someone something new.

 

You are always your best advocate.  Just like getting all your documentation together (more quality is better), be ready to help people understand their jobs - even if it rankles.

 

Thanks for the info, @bcfc89   Hopefully we will all learn from your experience.  Hope your evening is better!

 

Sukie in NY

and for clarification, the I-797 is only the correct document if it states:  “Your conditional resident status is extended for a period of one year. During the one-year extension you are authorized employment and travel”.

[databit 328]

You are lucky that the clerk did not sense, or did not interpret your anger as threatening. Most offices have a security officer on hand and the police could have easily been called. Arguing or trying to "reason with" the police could have gotten you arrested, and put a serious blockage to your ever becoming a full-fledged citizen. Any charges from the SS office would be federal charges, by the way. 

 

To all:

IT IS UTTER STUPIDITY TO EVER SHOW ANGER WHILE AT A GOVERNMENT AGENCY. In the current climate with all the shooters and terrorists, all federal, state and county agencies are on hyperalert. 

[TNJ17 1,329]

I am so glad you are one of those people who will show them how it’s done. Good for you. I would have done exactly the same. This just goes to show that these people are so ignorant about the aspects of their jobs. It doesn’t matter that it’s jot common or whatnot. If it’s something that your office does then train your employees to do so. I wish there was a way you could report them so that they could pass on the right information to other offices but unfortunately it’s a freaking government agency and they’re all useless. 

[bcfc89 3]

16 minutes ago, databit said:

You are lucky that the clerk did not sense, or did not interpret your anger as threatening. Most offices have a security officer on hand and the police could have easily been called. Arguing or trying to "reason with" the police could have gotten you arrested, and put a serious blockage to your ever becoming a full-fledged citizen. Any charges from the SS office would be federal charges, by the way. 

 

To all:

IT IS UTTER STUPIDITY TO EVER SHOW ANGER WHILE AT A GOVERNMENT AGENCY. In the current climate with all the shooters and terrorists, all federal, state and county agencies are on hyperalert. 

You are completely right. I didn't show any anger at the clerk and was as friendly as possible. I'm a kill em with kindness kinda person! By the end of the experience we were both joking with each other and I was sure to get his name, shake his hand and thank him for his help. He even made a point to say how the director was so impressed I came in with the instructions. 

[Ketsuban 1,034]

I really believe government workers should undergo semi-regular training courses to update them on valid documents. About 2 or 3 weeks after I entered the US, the surly woman at the SSA tried telling me my stamped CR-1 visa was not a valid I-551 and told me she couldn't help me. Immediately after that, she handed me a letter stating my SSN had been generated and would be mailed to me, which it was. Truly a weird experience. They shouldn't be allowed to pick and choose what they'll accept when their own guidelines compel them to do the opposite.

[bad4tatt 168]

16 hours ago, TNJ17 said:

I am so glad you are one of those people who will show them how it’s done. Good for you. I would have done exactly the same. This just goes to show that these people are so ignorant about the aspects of their jobs. It doesn’t matter that it’s jot common or whatnot. If it’s something that your office does then train your employees to do so. I wish there was a way you could report them so that they could pass on the right information to other offices but unfortunately it’s a freaking government agency and they’re all useless. 

You make it sound like SS Offices were invented to cater to immigrants.  If you don't like what's happening in the Government you are more than welcome to leave.

[arken 4,197]

7 minutes ago, bad4tatt said:

You make it sound like SS Offices were invented to cater to immigrants.  If you don't like what's happening in the Government you are more than welcome to leave.

It’s not about immigrants, it’s about law and regulation. If the SS officers don’t know about their own rules and regulations, what are they doing there, they should be the one leaving.

[Ketsuban 1,034]

23 minutes ago, bad4tatt said:

You make it sound like SS Offices were invented to cater to immigrants.  If you don't like what's happening in the Government you are more than welcome to leave.

They're there to cater to everyone, immigrants and citizens. This is because both immigrants and citizens require a social security number to live normal lives in the US. If you don't like immigrants having SSNs then that's your problem.

[fascinating123 38]

19 hours ago, databit said:

You are lucky that the clerk did not sense, or did not interpret your anger as threatening. Most offices have a security officer on hand and the police could have easily been called. Arguing or trying to "reason with" the police could have gotten you arrested, and put a serious blockage to your ever becoming a full-fledged citizen. Any charges from the SS office would be federal charges, by the way. 

 

To all:

IT IS UTTER STUPIDITY TO EVER SHOW ANGER WHILE AT A GOVERNMENT AGENCY. In the current climate with all the shooters and terrorists, all federal, state and county agencies are on hyperalert. 

I guess it's a good thing I go with my wife to all of these things. Since I'm a citizen by birth, I can show all the anger I want and they can't do a thing about my status. Yeah sure, they can arrest me, but I doubt the charges would stick.

 

Btw, you can show anger, you just can't threaten anyone. There is a difference.

[geowrian 22,338]

Ugh. That sounds like an awful experience. Many SSA trips are. I'm glad it got resolved finally.

 

I will give the workers some leeway. The SSA is absolutely massive and has more policies than you can learn in your entire tenure with them. People aren't going to know all of them all the time.

At the same time, sometimes they need to get off their high horse and understand/admit that they don't know everything, and then figure it out. Don't give an answer until you know it's actually correct...instead of just saying "no" because they aren't sure or don't know what a particular form is.

[NYCruiser 423]

22 hours ago, Ketsuban said:

I really believe government workers should undergo semi-regular training courses to update them on valid documents. About 2 or 3 weeks after I entered the US, the surly woman at the SSA tried telling me my stamped CR-1 visa was not a valid I-551 and told me she couldn't help me. Immediately after that, she handed me a letter stating my SSN had been generated and would be mailed to me, which it was. Truly a weird experience. They shouldn't be allowed to pick and choose what they'll accept when their own guidelines compel them to do the opposite.

At both the SS Office AND the BMV, we were asked if my spouse was a refugee...why? He is from an African country LOL.

AND both were black American clerks by the way....:-(

[Ketsuban 1,034]

35 minutes ago, NYCruiser said:

At both the SS Office AND the BMV, we were asked if my spouse was a refugee...why? He is from an African country LOL.

AND both were black American clerks by the way....:-(

That is pretty weird lol. He's native to Africa so clearly he must be a refugee, right? I don't work at either place so I don't know if that even matters for the SSN card or the driver's license if he produces his Green Card or another form of the I-551. A permanent resident is a permanent resident. Unless they were making small-talk or something, that's all I can think of.