Wife needs ID card immediately; Can't wait for SSN

[Sudowpa2 7]

Has anyone every been successful in getting a military dependent ID card for their wife without a SSN?

 

I would like for her to get something after she enters in on a CR1 visa.

 

Wait time for an SSN number varies to much. To much uncertainty.

[Chancy 6,241]

*** Moved from SSN sub-forum to Military Immigration-Related Discussion, for input from our members in the military who might have relevant info ***

 

[LucindaLou 43]

Not sure how it works today, but when we first got married in Germany I was able to get a military ID Card without a social, but can't remember if I had an ITIN. However we been married since 96 and still had the old ID Cards, so not sure how it works today.

[nhi.nguyen 1]

On 9/19/2023 at 5:37 AM, Sudowpa2 said:

Has anyone every been successful in getting a military dependent ID card for their wife without a SSN?

 

I would like for her to get something after she enters in on a CR1 visa.

 

Wait time for an SSN number varies to much. To much uncertainty.

You dont have to wait until your spouse receives SSN. Right after my spouse was shipped to BMT, they mailed me the copy of his order and also the instruction of application for military ID for dependents.  I just brought my passport, driver license and his order to the office and they made me ID card asap. 

P/S: When I was applying for ID card, I did not have SSN or ITIN. And I am F1 visa.

[R&OC 371]

I was able to get a military ID without my social security number. I had to renew my ID every 3 months until the SSN arrived (and at some point, the processing facility just ignored the three months renewal and gave me a four year version). I did hear, however, that military bases have different approaches. NAB in San Diego asked us to wait until my CR-1 is adjucated. However, when my husband renewed his ID at a different office a couple weeks later, he was told that I should make an appointment and come it to get my ID with him asap. Same with different branches. I had to bring our marriage certificate, my international birth certificate and two government IDs.

[ghostinthemachine 75]

Similar experience to the above. I was able to obtain an ID without SSN by bringing marriage cert, foreign passport and foreign DL. They can assign you a FIN in the meantime.

 

They also gave me the whole spiel of 3 month validity max up to a total of 9 months (3 IDs total). After that they wouldn't have been able to issue me one without social according to them. Luckily I received my SSN a couple weeks before the last renewal ran out so I never got to see what *actually* happens beyond the 9 months. 

 

I've also heard many stories of people being able to get full validity IDs right away. Guess it depends on how clued in the various offices and/or individuals are on the rules.

[Sinead91 249]

Hey, i know its way late, but I also got my DoD ID without an SSN. I got that 3 years ago and have yet to add it to my DoD information >< (I need to make the trip though), haven't had any issues with tricare whatsoever or base access.

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

I hope it worked out by now already but just in case somebody else will find this in the future: nobody except the IRS needs and can force you to give them your SSN. Everyone else and that includes the ID card office can pound sand and use a placeholder. If they give you bs be ready to escalate it up the chain. 

Edited December 8, 2023 by Letspaintcookies

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

On 10/9/2023 at 11:11 AM, R&amp;OC said:

I was able to get a military ID without my social security number. I had to renew my ID every 3 months until the SSN arrived (and at some point, the processing facility just ignored the three months renewal and gave me a four year version). I did hear, however, that military bases have different approaches. NAB in San Diego asked us to wait until my CR-1 is adjucated. However, when my husband renewed his ID at a different office a couple weeks later, he was told that I should make an appointment and come it to get my ID with him asap. Same with different branches. I had to bring our marriage certificate, my international birth certificate and two government IDs.

There are no different approaches. Just poorly trained people and unfortunately too many of them.

[Sudowpa2 7]

I went on the 7th to get her a military ID card and the lady pissed me off. This was the one on the Air Station in Beaufort, SC.

 

She went on to tell me that everything was on the internet and that I should have looked everything up before coming to the office. 

Then, not even 10 minuets later she has her big ### binder out looking up the primary and secondary IDs. I am thinking to myself. If this is your job and you have the gall to tell someone that they made a mistake, but then you just then become a hypocrite. 

 

One of the primary forms was the international passport. Then, a second form would be a green card. I told her that the endorsement on the visa created the green card. She told me that she couldn't do it because it was inside of the passport. So, because it was inside of the passport, she couldn't use the visa as a secondary. Civilians sometimes, I dunno.

 

So, I told her that i read on the internet that they could give a temp military ID card while waiting for the SSN. She told me that only active duty can do that and I am sure that she means overseas. She was able to enter all her information into the computer, but could not issue the military ID card because of no SSN.

 

Because i was fighting a loosing battle. I just gave up. I am just going to deal with it at the base that I officially live near by. since, I should receive the SSN within 2 weeks of entering. The main reason why I wanted the military ID card is because North Carolina requires 2 sets of ID card and I could have used that one.

 

sometimes I think that people hardly question the system. They didn't know what a catch 22 was when it came to documents. 

 

My wife had her national ID card from Colombia. The lady at the office told me that she couldn't use it because it needed to be translated to english. Clearly if you study the card you could figure out everything on the card. I don't know. Sometimes I shake my head when it comes to things.

 

why was i being yelled at about not checking the website for requirements when "she" herself had to look them up herself and that was her main job.

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

I'm sorry that you had such a bad encounter. That's one thing that really gets to me sometimes in the military. You're expected to know everything which can be especially hard for spouses. My first time making an appointment with medical at the base hospital brought me to tears cause some people were just plain rude. Make sure to connect your spouse to your squadrons key spouse. They can be super helpful.

 

I don't remember if my secondary form of identification was my international birth certificate or the visa. We're lucky to had somebody nice at the office.

[Sinead91 249]

On 12/8/2023 at 5:33 PM, Sudowpa2 said:

I went on the 7th to get her a military ID card and the lady pissed me off. This was the one on the Air Station in Beaufort, SC.

 

She went on to tell me that everything was on the internet and that I should have looked everything up before coming to the office. 

Then, not even 10 minuets later she has her big ### binder out looking up the primary and secondary IDs. I am thinking to myself. If this is your job and you have the gall to tell someone that they made a mistake, but then you just then become a hypocrite. 

 

One of the primary forms was the international passport. Then, a second form would be a green card. I told her that the endorsement on the visa created the green card. She told me that she couldn't do it because it was inside of the passport. So, because it was inside of the passport, she couldn't use the visa as a secondary. Civilians sometimes, I dunno.

 

So, I told her that i read on the internet that they could give a temp military ID card while waiting for the SSN. She told me that only active duty can do that and I am sure that she means overseas. She was able to enter all her information into the computer, but could not issue the military ID card because of no SSN.

 

Because i was fighting a loosing battle. I just gave up. I am just going to deal with it at the base that I officially live near by. since, I should receive the SSN within 2 weeks of entering. The main reason why I wanted the military ID card is because North Carolina requires 2 sets of ID card and I could have used that one.

 

sometimes I think that people hardly question the system. They didn't know what a catch 22 was when it came to documents. 

 

My wife had her national ID card from Colombia. The lady at the office told me that she couldn't use it because it needed to be translated to english. Clearly if you study the card you could figure out everything on the card. I don't know. Sometimes I shake my head when it comes to things.

 

why was i being yelled at about not checking the website for requirements when "she" herself had to look them up herself and that was her main job.

 

I am so so sorry you had such an awful experience!! There was no need for her to be so rude to you. Not being able to provide a DEPENDENT ID without a social is ridiculous. I still don't have my social on their system (it's been 3 years, but i will do it when i renew next year). 

 

Go back with the SSN in two weeks, plus her passport and a translated birth cert (you should have that already from the immigrant petition / adjustment of status?) and your marriage cert. 

 

Best of luck!!

Edited December 11, 2023 by Sinead91