Updated My SSN with SSA and it was simple

[DallasDreamy 32]

1 hour ago, Eternati said:

Wait if you're mailing your passport card, you don't need to mail your driver's license? I'm a bit confused here because per SSA website and after talking to the SSA clerk, I was told that they need BOTH - Certificate of Naturalization and my driver's license. Maybe it's the list for those who requires the name change, I don't know. Either way, I cannot imagine mailing them my original drivers license and losing the ability to drive for indefinite period of time.

That is quite strange! I assume @Eternati, you are needing a name change for your current Social Security Card post Naturalization? At the SSA website (Learn what documents you will need to get a Social Security Card) when I select the following: 

Who is the card for: An Adult

Type of card: Corrected

Citizenship of the person the card is for: Foreign Born U.S. Citizen

 

This following is what I see and no mention of sending in Driver's license. There may be others who have gone thru this who may chime in shortly.

 

 

Name Change

If you need to change your name on your Social Security card, you must show us proof of your legal name change. Documents Social Security may accept to prove a legal name change include:

• Marriage document;
• Divorce decree;
• Certificate of Naturalization showing the new name; or
• Court order approving the name change.

If the document you provide as evidence of a legal name change does not give us enough information to identify you in our records or if you changed your name more than two years ago (four years ago if you are under 18 years of age), you must show us an identity document in your prior name (as shown in our records). We will accept an identity document in your old name that has expired.

If you do not have an identity document in your prior name, we may accept an unexpired identity document in your new name as long as we can properly establish your identity in our records.

 

 

 

[DallasDreamy 32]

9 minutes ago, seetsuh said:

The Passport Card and Passport Book proofs both Identity and proof of US citizenship, you only need one or the other when mailing off your application if you do not want to send in your certificate. I would suggest getting the Passport Card and use that to update your SSN.

Based on the recent experience of @seetsuh and the valuable link provided by @MrKo (https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110210505 ) to update one's US Citizenship status with the SSA, one can send in their Passport "Card" instead of the Naturalization Certificate.  If you don't have your Passport "Card" send in your Passport "Book" or one can wait till the SSA Offices open up (no urgency).

[Eternati 13]

14 minutes ago, DallasDreamy said:

That is quite strange! I assume @Eternati, you are needing a name change for your current Social Security Card post Naturalization? At the SSA website (Learn what documents you will need to get a Social Security Card) when I select the following: 

Who is the card for: An Adult

Type of card: Corrected

Citizenship of the person the card is for: Foreign Born U.S. Citizen

 

This following is what I see and no mention of sending in Driver's license. There may be others who have gone thru this who may chime in shortly.

 

 

Name Change

If you need to change your name on your Social Security card, you must show us proof of your legal name change. Documents Social Security may accept to prove a legal name change include:

• Marriage document;
• Divorce decree;
• Certificate of Naturalization showing the new name; or
• Court order approving the name change.

If the document you provide as evidence of a legal name change does not give us enough information to identify you in our records or if you changed your name more than two years ago (four years ago if you are under 18 years of age), you must show us an identity document in your prior name (as shown in our records). We will accept an identity document in your old name that has expired.

If you do not have an identity document in your prior name, we may accept an unexpired identity document in your new name as long as we can properly establish your identity in our records.

 

 

 

I need an updates SS record because I 1. Became US citizen and 2. Changed my name at the same time.

 

Here is the link to the list of documents that I need. I don't think you're looking in the right place for my situation. 

https://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/ss5doc.htm

 

They specifically state that I need a proof of citizenship and proof of identity. Here are the only documents they take as a proof of identity

Identity

We can accept only certain documents as proof of identity. An acceptable document must be current (not expired) and show your name, identifying information (date of birth or age) and preferably a recent photograph. For example, as proof of identity Social Security must see your:

• U.S. driver's license;
• State-issued non-driver identification card; or
• U.S. passport.

Either way, thanks all for your replies. I wish I thought of ordering a passport card earlier - I only ordered a passport book last week. I just got my citizenship less than 2 weeks ago, and I was hoping I will be able to change my SS record while I'm waiting 4-6 weeks for my passport to come but it's definitely not the case. So I'm sticking to my original plan - hoping to hear back from my local SSA office (people report to be waiting for 2-3 months to hear back) to get an in-person appointment because, again, I am not mailing my original driver's license to them. Whatever SSA is doing is completely ridiculous honestly. 

[KevinSass 0]

Hi, 

I updated citizenship by mail. I have received my passport and the application back. How do we know if my citizenship has already been updated? Do we need to call them to check? I don't change my name, so will they send me a new SS card or not? 

Thank you. 

[MightyIndian 25]

6 hours ago, KevinSass said:

Hi, 

I updated citizenship by mail. I have received my passport and the application back. How do we know if my citizenship has already been updated? Do we need to call them to check? I don't change my name, so will they send me a new SS card or not? 

Thank you. 

They will send you a new SS card in 2-3 weeks.

[KevinSass 0]

12 hours ago, MightyIndian said:

They will send you a new SS card in 2-3 weeks.

Even i did NOT change my name, they will still send me a new SS card? Thank you. 

[MightyIndian 25]

1 hour ago, KevinSass said:

Even i did NOT change my name, they will still send me a new SS card? Thank you. 

 

Yes. Since your status of citizenship changed, a new card will be generated and sent.

[ImmiGeek 59]

On 3/29/2021 at 8:23 AM, Eternati said:

Wait if you're mailing your passport card, you don't need to mail your driver's license? I'm a bit confused here because per SSA website and after talking to the SSA clerk, I was told that they need BOTH - Certificate of Naturalization and my driver's license. Maybe it's the list for those who requires the name change, I don't know. Either way, I cannot imagine mailing them my original drivers license and losing the ability to drive for indefinite period of time.

A passport card is a FEDERAL ID, if you use that, you DONT NEED any other state/regional ID. Passport is the supreme ID for any national of their respective nationality.

[Eternati 13]

1 hour ago, ImmiGeek said:

A passport card is a FEDERAL ID, if you use that, you DONT NEED any other state/regional ID. Passport is the supreme ID for any national of their respective nationality.

Yeah but I am changing my name. They need an ID with an old name on it, which in my case (and per their website) is a driver's license. 

[ImmiGeek 59]

8 hours ago, Eternati said:

Yeah but I am changing my name. They need an ID with an old name on it, which in my case (and per their website) is a driver's license. 

This does make sense. Instead of your Driving license, you may send the OLD (country's) passport OR any federal OR state notice (such as valid Car registration renewal/ Utilities bill etc). If they insist the photo ID with old name, the previous passport is your best bet. I would avoid sending Driving license copy in Original since I need to drive while SSA is having lunch and beer with your application processing.

[MightyIndian 25]

23 hours ago, Eternati said:

Yeah but I am changing my name. They need an ID with an old name on it, which in my case (and per their website) is a driver's license. 

If the name change is through naturalization, you must attach the name change order you received from USCIS, signed by a judge along with your passport car/book/NC. While sending in SS-5 and collaterals use a trackable mail such as USPS priority mail FedEx/UPS with return postage paid envelope. SSA will make copies of your collaterals and send back the originals. In my case it happened in 2 days. USPS priority mail is the quickest and cheapest trackable mail to use. It takes 2 weeks to update in the system for SSA and you will get a new SSN card in mail, in the third week,  with your new name.

[Eternati 13]

18 hours ago, ImmiGeek said:

This does make sense. Instead of your Driving license, you may send the OLD (country's) passport OR any federal OR state notice (such as valid Car registration renewal/ Utilities bill etc). If they insist the photo ID with old name, the previous passport is your best bet. I would avoid sending Driving license copy in Original since I need to drive while SSA is having lunch and beer with your application processing.

What makes you think all these things will suffice the requirement that is posted on their website? Because they will not. 

• U.S. driver's license;
• State-issued non-driver identification card; or
• U.S. passport.

These are only 3 options. Utility bill and a passport issued by a foreign country is not on the list. Maybe if I had a state-issued non-driver identification card, I'd be fine. But I don't.  My drivers license is the only photo ID I have left with my old name on it since all my GCs were taken from me. 

So unfortunately my only option is to wait for their magic "call back" with the appointment date. The reviews on their Google page say that people have been waiting for months and they never heard back. Not much for me to do here.

[Eternati 13]

3 hours ago, MightyIndian said:

If the name change is through naturalization, you must attach the name change order you received from USCIS, signed by a judge along with your passport car/book/NC. While sending in SS-5 and collaterals use a trackable mail such as USPS priority mail FedEx/UPS with return postage paid envelope. SSA will make copies of your collaterals and send back the originals. In my case it happened in 2 days. USPS priority mail is the quickest and cheapest trackable mail to use. It takes 2 weeks to update in the system for SSA and you will get a new SSN card in mail, in the third week,  with your new name.

Wait you changed your name through naturalization and you only mailed them the passport card/book/NC (one of these) alongside with the name change form? That's it? You didn't send them an ID with your old name and still got the new SSN card?

[MightyIndian 25]

56 minutes ago, Eternati said:

Wait you changed your name through naturalization and you only mailed them the passport card/book/NC (one of these) alongside with the name change form? That's it? You didn't send them an ID with your old name and still got the new SSN card?

Not me but my wife. Your old name is already with SSA and you don't need to send any evidence for that. The evidence needed is for citizenship which passport card/book or NC supports. The other is for name change which the name change order supports.

[Eternati 13]

5 hours ago, MightyIndian said:

Not me but my wife. Your old name is already with SSA and you don't need to send any evidence for that. The evidence needed is for citizenship which passport card/book or NC supports. The other is for name change which the name change order supports.

I hope you are right, because I explicitly asked the SSA clerk if the SS-5 + original of NC + original of the petition for the name change would be sufficient to update their record, and he said NO, we will also need the original of your driver's license that has your old name on it. So I am really on the fence here. I already received my new passport (it took 2 weeks btw), but haven't gotten my NC back yet. If what you're saying is true, I might just mail them the NC once I get it back.