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Whether Darnell (or anyone else for that matter) comes across as rude doesn't really matter. Unless they're saying something that breaks the TOS it doesn't really matter. Who cares if you like or don't like the tone or language of a message. Just take the information you're provided and do what you need to do. Use it or don't use it. But by putting your question out there means being open to all the potential responses.

There must be a way to find out whether or not the SSN is even in progress at all or if you're just screwed and must go to an office.

I did call them last week. The general office said they couldn't tell me anything. I even had to have my husband call and put in his SSN because when using the number you are supposed to call if the card does not show up within 3 weeks you cannot get an operator unless you punch in an existing SSN. I ended up calling the local office and the lady there said she didn't know why the main office couldn't have looked it up but that she was going to. So she typed in my name and birth date and came up blank. She also said that no one at the SSA had ever heard of the DS-230 method.

So I guess someone messed up royally somewhere along the chain and didn't forward my information to the SSA. I wouldn't be nearly as upset if they didn't offer this service in the first place and claimed that you can get your number that way without having to go to an office. I received my greencard and welcome letter (actually two of the same welcome letters within 7 days... no idea why) so the main reason I posted here was not to get suggestions about how to get to the social security office (I will get there somehow although it will be a major hassle since I don't really know anyone around here yet) but to see whether anyone had waited longer than 3 weeks and had maybe received the SSN after a longer waiting period. After all I arrived right around Christmas and New Year's so I figured maybe some extra time would fix the problem. But it will be 6 weeks on Wednesday, so unless someone on here received their SSN after waiting 6 weeks or longer instead of within 3 weeks, I will just go to the office and hope to God they are nice to me there or else I might bite off some heads

We always assume that the person posting hasn't done their research b/c usually that's the case. It's a lot easier to make a post and wait for the answer to come to you than to go and pull up countless websites and read on your own. I'm not saying you did that, I'm saying a LOT of people do that.

Darnell is far from patronizing or condescending and what I don't understand is how people can come on here asking for answers and then get their panties all in a bunch when they don't like the answer or don't like the way the answer was given. You're asking a question, none of us get paid to help, a little appreciation goes a long way.

Oh believe me, I really appreciate people trying to help me and I take my time to help others who write me personal messages on here too. But Darnell always assumes the worst and is often really really rude in the way he responds. It could be that it's a language issue (if so, I apologize for saying you were rude, Darnell), but his posts on here just never come across as friendly and helpful. It often rather seems like he gets a kick out of "being smarter" than others on here.

Quite a few places actually.

Suck it up and bike there or borrow your husband's car for the day (you could drop him off at work and pick him up). I don't know about your state, but foreign licenses are valid for up to a year in ours.

Bike there? I used to bike everywhere in Europe but the only way I could bike to where the office is, is if I were suicidal. As for dropping off my husband at work... I would, except that he drives his car for work all day.

Is there an office closer to your husband's work? Could you go with him to work one day and go from there? Or can he apply on your behalf? I saw a section on the SSN site that said something about having someone else apply but didn't research it very far. Perhaps that is an option.

ETA: This page also says "take or mail" your application so maybe you can do that? http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/

Yeah, I saw the option of mailing it but for some reason the office told me I had to come in in person.

As for it being cheaper to take the day off than not being able to work... I am self-employed, so I already work again. I didn't need an SSN to start my business in the US. So me and my husband taking the day off to go to the SSN is incredibly expensive. Especially considering that we only have to do it because someone at the DHS or SSA didn't do their job.

As for Darnell: I find it rude when someone in every single post just assumes that people don't do their research and essentially is condescending and patronizing all the time. Not only on this thread.

How many places do you guys know in the US were public transport is readily available over a distance of 60 miles? Not too many, I bet.

I guess I'll just have to suck it up and eat the loss. I was just hoping someone here had waited for the SSN longer than 3 weeks and it ended up getting in after all.

read a bit ?

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/405546-ssn-howto/

and I suggest you spend some time studying google maps, aye?

Put in your husband's work address, then your home address,

then search for a SSA office

--in between the two points and

--30 miles away from his work

as it might be, there's an office closer, and he can take you on his lunch break or take off an hour early from work to get there.

I am not sure why you always have to be so rude. What makes you assume I didn't research this? There are two offices in our area and both are an hour away (in different directions. Also, there is no going to the SSA during your lunch break, because one, my husband doesn't get a lunch break and two, often you have to wait hours (the office I have to go to confirmed this). And there is no taking of an hour early because my husband works until 10 pm on most days. And by the way, I called in and they said I HAD to go to a particular office. Which doesn't matter though because there is no closer office anyway.

What I would really like to know is if there is anyone on here who still received their SSN through the DS-230 form even after a longer period. Thank you!

So there is no chance it will still arrived if you applied for it on the DS-230? I don't see how they could be that incompetent. And yes, an hour is far if you don't have a way to get there and if your husband would have to take an unpaid day of to take you!!! I am really starting to wish I had never moved .... too much incompetence everywhere...

How wonderful. Why use that DS-230 system at all then? I can't get to the SSA office. It's too far away

Hi all,

I entered the US in mid-December and already received my welcome letter (actually, I got two, about a week apart) and my greencard but there is no sign of my Social Security Number anywhere. I applied by checking the box on the DS-230. I really need it because I can't even open a bank account without it. I would go to the next office, but that is an hour away and I have no way of getting there right now. Calling the USCIS and the SSA did not get me anywhere.

How long did it take for you all until you got the number (maybe I just haven't waited long enough yet) and did you get it through applying via the DS-230 or did you have to work some other magic? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hallo an Alle,

mein Interview in Frankfurt war letzten Mittwoch und ich warte verzweifelt auf meinen Pass. So langsam sind alle Flüge vor Weihnachten ausgebucht und ich will unbedingt noch vorher zu meinem Mann, habe aber Angst, dass der Pass nicht mehr rechtzeitig kommt. Kann mir jemand sagen, wie lange es bei Euch gedauert hat? Bisher wurde er noch gar nicht verschickt (ersichtlich an der tracking number der DHL-Marke)

I need all possible fingers crossed. I really need my passport by Tuesday so I can try to schedule a flight for Wednesday or Thursday. My husband took Friday off because we thought I'd be there by then. He never gets time off and if I am not there by then it's a wasted day for him and we won't have any time off together when I get there

Interview approved on 12/12 - now going crazy waiting for my passport so I can schedule a flight for the next day.

The fingerprinting thing is in the link posted by you at the beginning of this thread.

As for what the interview letter says - it doesn't really say anything. It seems like NVC has all the documents needed for the interview and if they made it to Frankfurt there seems to be nothing for me to take except my passport. Does that seem right?

Yay, grats!

Unless that's Germany-specific, I've never heard of that before.

As for what to bring, it's in the interview letter. All you can prepare besides documents is to practice interview questions. There's a link to an extensive list on the first post.

Omg, grats! So happy for you!! It's an amazing feeling finally getting back together

I am going through all the interview preparation posts to make sure everything is in order for my interview in two weeks. One of the threads reads that you need to arrange for fingerprints before the interview and that you will be told how to. I never got any information about that. Is it true that this has to be done? If so, where?

What else should I prepare for the interview? What are the essentials? I only received an email from NVC, nothing from the NVC and there is no information on what to bring or prepare.

All I received was an email from the NVC. Got that email in early November with an interview date for December 12.

I don't know the answer to your question, but I can only suggest to ask the consular staff before or during the interview. In all of my contact with them, they have been quite friendly, much more so than the USCIS.

Just curious, when did you receive your appointment letter?

I am scheduled for a CR1 interview in December and since I would really like to make it to the US by Christmas I was wondering whether Frankfurt allows passport pickup the day after the interview or whether the passport HAS TO BE sent. Does anyone have any experience with this?

I know it's very iffy to get my flight changed on such short notice before Christmas etc. anyway, but I am hanging on to the idea of seeing my husband for Christmas.

I didn't have a vision exam at all. The doctor just asked whether I have glassed (I do but they are weak and I don't always wear them). That was it.

Really? Does the vision exam really counts? I'm really worried my husband's medical exam is a week from now. And he has vision problems he wears lenses. Will he be asked to remove them?

Thanks! I found that surprising as I always thought the embassy would send some info. Apparently at Frankfurt there is not even a place to deposit cell phones etc. Not sure where they think we are supposed to leave our stuff

Since the AOS and IV are two separate tracks, they are NOT tied together. NVC reviews what they receive, whether the other package is there or not.

No, NVC does not email you that they received or accepted packages. You can only find this out by calling an operator. And they'll only know AFTER the package has started the review process. Until then, the package does NOT show up on their computers.

It's currently taking 1-2 weeks (on average) for packages to be reviewed.

As for interview times frames, this differs by country. YOU need to do your own research on this. Start here: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list.php?cfl=0&op1=3&op2=d&op3=5&op4=1&op5=5,6,8,10,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,20,21,22,25,26,27,28,108,110,111,208,210,211&op6=All&op7=Venezuela&dfile=No&adv=

Embassy doesn't send out anything. The interview letter from NVC is the last piece of correspondence you'll receive.

Does the embassy send out interview information in addition to the email from the NVC? Or do I just assume that all is in order and rely on the interview date in the email and just show up at the embassy at the appointed date?

Yay!!!!

he was approved <3 yay!!!

It took them about 14 days in our case, I think.

what is the typical time for NVC to accept DS-3032? We sent on Nov 07/08. So far, IV fee is still locked.

Did he get it this time?

It was posted in Nov. Thread. He got blue slip. They wanted more proof from when we first became friends in 2010. Already sent and has to go back Nov. 13 to give it to them.

Akk, I hope it doesn't do that to me. I have appointments all week, because I am moving out of my apartment at the end of the month to prepare for the move to the US.

4 weeks they will fly you will see!! take a nap i got the flu shoot last year and it made me sick like for 3 days!!!

Alright, so I am back from my medical. From what I can tell, it went okay. Had to get the flu shot and feel a little tired. Also @Saylin, I had to give a urine sample but no skin test. Other than that the doctor seemed a bit bored, chest xray, blood taken, listened to my breathing and heart beat, took blood pressure, looked at my vaccinations, asked for my height and weight and whether I have glasses, asked whether I have diabetes, a heart condition or some such and that was it. Paid 156 Euro (including the shot) and was sent home with a huge x-ray that I have to haul through the airports on my way to POE. So all in all it went well, I suppose and hopefully the embassy will accept everything as fine.

They said my results might be sent to Frankfurt within this week. *fingers crossed* although I still have to wait a month until my interview

I will do that once I am back tomorrow night.

Yes, it seems like they have no idea that (in my case) 8-9 months of my life have been spent with nothing but immigration related stuff. If my husband had a way to move to Germany, he could have been with me right away without any of this ridiculous hoop-jumping.

Unfortunately, because of his job, he can't.

But it really feels like I lost almost a year of my life to this process and I still don't know whether this will be over next month or not. The funny thing is, they want us to do a medical, when really it is this process that makes us sick. I have lost weight, I don't sleep, I am so stressed I get stomach aches etc. I didn't have any of that before.

I can understand you!! Our case is still at the NVC but I'm super worried about my medical too!! I can't even sleep!! It would be perfect if the US immigration could see how everything about this process affect our lives!!

Ps: put an update about your medical ok

Thank you!

I am just so worried something might go wrong or get delayed. I am soooo tired of this process and of doing everything alone.

Don't worry everything will be ok!!