Question about updating social security card status after US citizenship

[JohnE 57]

Good morning everyone,

 

  My wife had her oath ceremony back in February.  That afternoon we headed over to the Georgia driver's license office and updated her license.  Two days later we sent her US passport application and received it just over a week later (expedited).  A few days later her original citizenship document arrived in our mailbox.  Yes had to submit the original with her passport application.  Did not really want to let that document leave our hands after working so hard for it but that is the rule.  

 

   Anyway we  are heading to the social security office on Thursday to complete the finial step in this visa journey and that is to update her status.  This will be to remove the work authorization statement on the social security card.  Yes I have seen some people have posted stories about showing up at the social security office with their US passport only to be told they need the original citizenship document...which is not correct but how do you dispute the (uninformed/not trained) social security official.  Anyway we will show up with my wife's Georgia driver's license, original citizenship document, US passport, and social security card to cover all bases.  We will also have copies of everything.  During this entire visa journey our motto has been "It is better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it".  

 

 My question is for those of you that have already completed this final step.  Is there any social security form that will need to be completed?  I have poured through the social security web site and all their forms and do not see anything about changing the status.   

 

Thanks in advance for your reply.

 

God bless

 

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

1 hour ago, JohnE said:

Is there any social security form that will need to be completed? 

Yes, there is a form. At my naturalization ceremony, the SSA had a table outside with forms ready and we could fill one out as we came out of the courtroom. Took about a month to get a new SS card.

 

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

Right, as USS_Voyager states, the form was available at a table during my wife's oath ceremony. I know that doesn't help much as I don't remember the form #. You might want to search around a bit more and then maybe confirm with a call to the SS office, if needed.

[payxibka 10,047]

SSA uses the SS-5 to apply for or update any information on your account 

[Hypnos 6,577]

It is indeed the normal SS-5, available here: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf

 

You can provide whatever proof of US citizenship you wish. That can be a US passport book, passport card, or a certificate of naturalisation. 

 

If an SSA employee is being silly, ask for a supervisor. 

Edited April 15, 2019 by Hypnos

[arken 4,197]

2 hours ago, JohnE said:

 

 My question is for those of you that have already completed this final step.  Is there any social security form that will need to be completed?  I have poured through the social security web site and all their forms and do not see anything about changing the status.   

 

Thanks in advance for your reply.

 

God bless

 

 

If you had only read the first page of the only form (SS-5) to apply for SS card.

 

Use this application to:

Changing Information on Your Social Security Record
To change the information on your Social Security number record (i.e., a name or citizenship change, or corrected date of birth) you must provide documents to prove your identity, support the requested change, and establish the reason for the change. For example, you may provide a birth certificate to show your correct date of birth. A document supporting a name change must be recent and identify you by both your old and new names. If the name change event occurred over two years ago or if the name change document does not have enough information to prove your identity, you must also provide documents to prove your identity in your prior name and/or in some cases your new legal name. If you were born outside the U.S. you must provide a document to prove your U.S. citizenship or current lawful, work-authorized status. See page 2 for an explanation of acceptable documents.

 

 

 

 

 

[geowrian 22,337]

I would just add that you could have done this with your green card alone. There was no need to wait for citizenship to remove that wording on the card.

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

8 minutes ago, geowrian said:

I would just add that you could have done this with your green card alone. There was no need to wait for citizenship to remove that wording on the card.

I'm not 100% sure about this but I think there's some kind of update the SS office makes associated with a SS ID once someone becomes a US citizen. At least, that's the information they gave oath takers at my wife's ceremony. We didn't read about the reason why, she just filed the form.

[geowrian 22,337]

3 minutes ago, Russ&Caro said:

I'm not 100% sure about this but I think there's some kind of update the SS office makes associated with a SS ID once someone becomes a US citizen. At least, that's the information they gave oath takers at my wife's ceremony. We didn't read about the reason why, she just filed the form.

I'm not certain if there is anything SSA needs to do either. I was just specifically referring to the OP's remark about wanting to remove the work authorization statement on the card.

[JohnE 57]

Thanks for each person's reply.  I saw the form for application for a social security card and passed that one.  I should have read the directions.  Thanks. I do not believe the  social security card could have been updated when my wife had her 10 year (or two year) green card.  From the  social security web site it states:

Shows your name and Social Security number with the restriction, "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION".

We issue it to people lawfully admitted to the United States on a temporary basis who have DHS authorization to work.

 

The form for application for a social security card states To change the information on your social security number record ie a name or citizenship change you must provide documents to prove your identity, support the requested change and  establish the reason for the change. 

 

We will move forward with  updating her status and get a new social card without the valid for work only with DHS authorization statement.  Plus the  main reason  is to update the social security records.  

 

Thanks again to everyone

God bless

 

 

 

[geowrian 22,337]

12 minutes ago, JohnE said:

I do not believe the  social security card could have been updated when my wife had her 10 year (or two year) green card. 

You could remove it with any green card - conditional or unconditional. Many have done this. The quote you provided refers to those with temporary stay in the US - meaning non-permanent residents.

[Derwood 203]

12 hours ago, JohnE said:

Thanks for each person's reply.  I saw the form for application for a social security card and passed that one.  I should have read the directions.  Thanks. I do not believe the  social security card could have been updated when my wife had her 10 year (or two year) green card.  From the  social security web site it states:

Shows your name and Social Security number with the restriction, "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION".

We issue it to people lawfully admitted to the United States on a temporary basis who have DHS authorization to work.

 

The form for application for a social security card states To change the information on your social security number record ie a name or citizenship change you must provide documents to prove your identity, support the requested change and  establish the reason for the change. 

 

We will move forward with  updating her status and get a new social card without the valid for work only with DHS authorization statement.  Plus the  main reason  is to update the social security records.  

 

Thanks again to everyone

God bless

 

 

 

I had them remove that wording when I got my conditional 2 year green card. I need to go back again soon as I just became a US citizen.

[JohnE 57]

Well I am not too old to learn something new and thanks very much for each of your replies.  For some reason I always thought you could not remove that statement on your social security card unless you became a US citizen.  We had no issues during the process of having the two year and ten year green card (although my wife only had the ten year green card a few years before she became a US citizen).  

 

As I said we are heading to the social security office tomorrow to update my wife's status.  

 

I wonder why before the oath ceremony the USCIS officials kept pushing going to the social security office to update your status but to wait at least ten business days before you do that.  There was even a video that was playing in a loop (Atlanta office) that told you to wait ten business days before you went to the social security office.  

 

Thanks again and God  bless

 

[payxibka 10,047]

13 minutes ago, JohnE said:

Well I am not too old to learn something new and thanks very much for each of your replies.  For some reason I always thought you could not remove that statement on your social security card unless you became a US citizen.  We had no issues during the process of having the two year and ten year green card (although my wife only had the ten year green card a few years before she became a US citizen).  

 

As I said we are heading to the social security office tomorrow to update my wife's status.  

 

I wonder why before the oath ceremony the USCIS officials kept pushing going to the social security office to update your status but to wait at least ten business days before you do that.  There was even a video that was playing in a loop (Atlanta office) that told you to wait ten business days before you went to the social security office.  

 

Thanks again and God  bless

 

The reaon for the push is that the potential available SSA benefits are better if you are a citizen than a resident 

[arken 4,197]

8 minutes ago, JohnE said:

 

I wonder why before the oath ceremony the USCIS officials kept pushing going to the social security office to update your status but to wait at least ten business days before you do that. 

 

Updating your social security record after being a US citizen is not about removing DHS authorization statement in the card, it’s about putting your citizenship status in your SS record. They want you to go after 10 days as t may take 7-10 days for SS office to see your citizenship status in their system after you get your naturalization certificate. Even people with SS card having no such statement are asked to go update their record.

 

You can still keep the same card even after updating the citizenship status in yiur record but why to keep seeing that statement, so you can opt for getting the new card.