Updated My SSN with SSA and it was simple

[seetsuh 20]

8 hours ago, VinnyH said:

Maybe someone can enlighten me, but... generally speaking, what is the urgency to update your citizenship status with SSA

 

In my opinion there is no real urgency, but if you are switching/applying for jobs, and the company uses e-verify or applying for anything that need verification of citizenship, the verification is usually done via SSA records. If your records are not up to date the verification will failed and then they will urge you to go update your records with the SSA. As the other poster above stated also I rather just get it out the way and be done so I don't ever have to deal with those things again.

[VinnyH 59]

42 minutes ago, seetsuh said:

In my opinion there is no real urgency, but if you are switching/applying for jobs, and the company uses e-verify or applying for anything that need verification of citizenship, the verification is usually done via SSA records. If your records are not up to date the verification will failed and then they will urge you to go update your records with the SSA. As the other poster above stated also I rather just get it out the way and be done so I don't ever have to deal with those things again.

 

2 hours ago, El Escocés said:

For me, it is simply about getting all my ducks in a row as the opportunity presents itself

 

• Naturalization - done
• Receive passport and passport card - ongoing 
• change citizenship status at the SSA using passport card - tba 
• update driver license- tba

I’m the sort of person at home and at work who doesn’t like to leave tasks hanging if I have the ability to complete them with the tools that are already available.   

 

Thanks both for your replies. This therefore confirms to me that there is no real valid reason to do things in the rush and we can afford to wait for a couple of months until full reopening of the SSA offices.

 

Just like @El Escocés, I am the type of person to be very tidy from an "administrative/papers" perspective, and usually not delaying unnecessarily what needs to be done if this can be done. Arguably, in this case though, delaying for a couple of months is a reasonable decision vs. the risks and inconveniences of mailing the original NC.

 

VinnyH

 

[JourneyFromA2 85]

4 hours ago, El Escocés said:

For me, it is simply about getting all my ducks in a row as the opportunity presents itself

 

• Naturalization - done
• Receive passport and passport card - ongoing 
• change citizenship status at the SSA using passport card - tba 
• update driver license- tba

I’m the sort of person at home and at work who doesn’t like to leave tasks hanging if I have the ability to complete them with the tools that are already available.   

This is the last process for me. 

I hadn’t really cared to do so as it was just a writing on the card and I could show my passport to show I was a citizen. 
However, my wife enlightened me that if something should happen, you won’t be able to claim Social Security benefits.

 

So, as soon as I receive my passport card, that is my next and final step. 

[NEW CITIZEN 151]

4 hours ago, JourneyFromA2 said:

However, my wife enlightened me that if something should happen, you won’t be able to claim Social Security benefits.

 

Not exactly true.

 

You are eligible for SS benefits as long as you have contributed enough quarter.

The catch is you can not retire in another country, and receive benefits US SSA benefits as a non /resident citizen.

You would need to return to the US and live here 6 months and 1 day before returning.

 

Make a call to your local SSA office, ask for an appointment to show documents, if they refuse,  you cant tell them you refuse to risk mailing.

They need to oblige your request.

[VinnyH 59]

6 hours ago, JourneyFromA2 said:

This is the last process for me. 

I hadn’t really cared to do so as it was just a writing on the card and I could show my passport to show I was a citizen. 
However, my wife enlightened me that if something should happen, you won’t be able to claim Social Security benefits.

 

So, as soon as I receive my passport card, that is my next and final step. 

As mentioned by @NEW CITIZEN, once you are a U.S. citizen, you are a U.S. citizen, regardless of whether your status has been updated. If not updated in time while you start to claim your benefits, you will just get back payments. So it's just administrative headache, but nothing really serious. Bottomline is, of course, update as soon as you can or it is convenient for you.

 

With regards to claiming benefits, I believe as a U.S. citizen, you can receive your benefits if you live abroad in the very vast majority of countries aside from Cuba, North Korea etc...

 

See:

https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10137.pdf

 

 

[NEW CITIZEN 151]

10 minutes ago, VinnyH said:

As mentioned by @NEW CITIZEN, once you are a U.S. citizen, you are a U.S. citizen, regardless of whether your status has been updated. If not updated in time while you start to claim your benefits, you will just get back payments. So it's just administrative headache, but nothing really serious. Bottomline is, of course, update as soon as you can or it is convenient for you.

 

With regards to claiming benefits, I believe as a U.S. citizen, you can receive your benefits if you live abroad in the very vast majority of countries aside from Cuba, North Korea etc...

 

See:

https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10137.pdf

 

 

You can claim and receive benefits as a non-citizen, as long as you still have residency in the US.

[El Escocés 217]

4 hours ago, NEW CITIZEN said:

The catch is you can not retire in another country,

Costa Rica here we come

[EternalForeigner 57]

In terms of driver's licenses, is there an urgency to update them at all? I know the status doesn't change automatically (when I moved back to Colorado and wanted to get a license as a green card holder, the DMV employee noticed that my previous CO license from 10 years prior had my status as international student and she needed to tinker a bit to change my status to permanent resident). But still, does it have much effect if I don't update my status with the DMV/my DL? Aside from being eligible for an enhanced DL in certain border states I mean.

Edited July 26, 2021 by EternalForeigner

[VinnyH 59]

45 minutes ago, EternalForeigner said:

In terms of driver's licenses, is there an urgency to update them at all? I know the status doesn't change automatically (when I moved back to Colorado and wanted to get a license as a green card holder, the DMV employee noticed that my previous CO license from 10 years prior had my status as international student and she needed to tinker a bit to change my status to permanent resident). But still, does it have much effect if I don't update my status with the DMV/my DL? Aside from being eligible for an enhanced DL in certain border states I mean.

It would depend on the state. Some States do no longer keep the immigration status up-to-date, since they passed laws to authorize the issuance of Driver Licenses and Non-Driver State IDs.

 

For example, in the state of NYS a couple of years ago, the DLs and IDs still had written in red the mention "Temporary Status until:" with the date matching the I-94 in my passport. Being at the time on H1-B and E-2, it meant that the CBP would stamp only up to 2 years. And even if I was up-to-date and travelled frequently out and back and thus having new stamps/date at every return, I would no necessarily every 2-yrs to the DMV to get a new DL/ID and would look like I am passed my "Temporary Status date", despite the DL still good in terms of Expiration Date. I remember once that while in Las Vegas at the entrance of a nightclub, the bouncer noticed it and made an issue about it. It was totally uncalled for, made me so angry that I basically snapped back at him telling him to STFU, and asked whether he worked for Immigration, and if not, to mind his own business and remember what his work is, and that it is not even Police's prerogative to check someone's immigration status, and that as fas as he was concerned, my DL was not expired and I was older than 21yo, period. I made a loud scene and he backtracked and let me in.

 

A couple of years later, NY State removed that mention altogether from their DL/ID, and nowadays, you just need to show Proof of ID (foreign passport without stamp) and Proof of Address and that's it. Of course, it is different if you want a Real ID or Enhanced DL, and you need to prove your legal immigration status for the former (if not USC or LPR), and your USC status for the latter.

 

Where it might have an impact os whether the State Dept. of States/County Registrar cross-reference the info to register you as a voter (with other State databases -> it's not always automatic and can yield some errors resulting in you not being captured properly on the registry if contradicting results), but you should always apply to register to vote separately anyway rather than relying on that process.

 

VinnyH

[LaughingBuddha 64]

On 7/11/2021 at 8:42 AM, guys said:

Wow u always got lucky and able to call them, 

I used USPS service because there’s insurance in it and tracking number. 😬

Got my Certificate of Naturalization from UPS. No damage at all.

Received a new SSN card as well.

 

BTW, you can always find local SSA's number on google map... each SSA processes things slightly differently, for me I was told to just drop the docs by their office and I did, and it worked. Overall very smooth and clear procedure.

[Boston17 19]

Hi all-

I am in Boston, MA and am just sending my documents to my local SS office-

Just a tip for those who are apprehensive about sending their original Drivers License- You could apply for a duplicate drivers license if your state allows you to do that and just mail them one and keep one for yourself.

Good luck! 

[Boston17 19]

Also the other thing to do: Get a Real ID once you get your US Passport/Card. Drive on that. Use your old DL to mail for SS proof if needed for old name  proof or whatever reason.

[El Escocés 217]

On 7/22/2021 at 1:33 PM, NewlyNaturalized said:

Nope.. they said give it a couple of weeks for them to look and they will get back to us. That was probably 3 or 4 weeks ago now. Guess we have to call again

What about now?

[NewlyNaturalized 38]

On 8/6/2021 at 4:26 AM, El Escocés said:

What about now?

Sorry for the delay, we still haven't received the card. I guess we need to figure out how to escalate this and get it replaced. Any tips are welcome

[Waxing Moon 0]

On 7/25/2021 at 8:30 AM, seetsuh said:

In my opinion there is no real urgency, but if you are switching/applying for jobs, and the company uses e-verify or applying for anything that need verification of citizenship, the verification is usually done via SSA records. If your records are not up to date the verification will failed and then they will urge you to go update your records with the SSA. As the other poster above stated also I rather just get it out the way and be done so I don't ever have to deal with those things again.

 

That's exactly the situation I'm in. I didn't update my Social Security status after getting my US citizenship in April of this year. 

 

I'm in the middle of getting a new job and will be filing out hiring paperwork (including I9) on Monday. I have a valid State ID + Unrestricted Social Security card. My new employer uses EVerify. Will I run into any problems?