Please help me understand why someone with an EAD can apply for and receive a SSN in a couple of weeks, but someone with an actual, physical Green Card (which supersedes the EAD...obviously) has to wait for weeks and weeks for a SSN???

Where's the logic?

I've searched and searched for the answer, and have yet to read anywhere why the SSA does this. Both times we've been to the SSA, we were told that they had to "verify" my husband's "documents" with "immigration". I honestly don't know what that means or why it takes so freakin' long to do.

HE HAS A GREEN CARD, for cryin' out loud!!!

mdyoung left me some SSA info before he left..

When an alien requests an SSN or replacement/corrected SSN card, SSA will verify his or her documents and current status with the appropriate Bureau of the Department of Homeland Security. If the initial verification is not available through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, SSA may need to send Form G-845 for manual verification.

However, for applications submitted after 01/06/2007 SSA offices can submit an additional electronic verification request, that in most cases eliminates the need for a Form G-845 to be sent.

If your status does not verify through the initial SAVE request be sure that the secondary request has been made and return to the SSA office no more than once a week to see if the SSA office has received a response from the secondary verification request. Be sure to take your document whenever going into the SSA office.

I'm assuming that your husband is getting a ss # for the 1st time, right? I have heard that brand new #s are taking 1-2 months to get from filing. Reason I got mine pretty quickly (March 7-April 2) is because when I was H1B worker I'd already had a number and was just switching to married name. Have you been calling SS office for status updates? In a previous post I explained that I had called 2 weeks later for a status check and the ball got rolling pretty quickly then. Is your husband not able to work because he does not have a # yet? good luck!

meauxna...that information is the most helpful I've read so far. Thanks.

cpinkely...my husband and I both have lost out on some important opportunities because he has not been assigned a SSN yet. We're both very frustrated.

We'll be going back to our local SSA soon as my attempts to contact them by phone have been utterly futile.

did SS give your husband a letter stating that he had applied for a card and that DHS verification needed to be done? I have read on other immigration forums that a SS# is not absolutely necessary for employment. if he has that letter to show he has applied for the SS card, he still might be able to start employment. I will try to find the links for you or you could Google to find out. Besides calling your local SS office, have you tried the national SS#.

Yes, he received a letter from our local SSA stating that he had applied and needed to wait for verification. The employer he applied with told him that he had sufficient documentation to work, but on the day he was supposed to start, turned around and told him that a SSN was needed afterall.

I've spoken to representatives at both our local and national SSA offices, and have been told each time that verification is not yet complete. They told me it could take anywhere from 10-60 days to complete verification.

So we'll just wait. If immigration has taught us anything, it is how to wait

Thanks for all your suggestions...

Well shoot, the employer was wrong too.


What happened before AOS? Why didn't you get a number earlier? I've seen you posting bits here and there but do not know what the whole story is. Have you been following up *with the office where you applied*? This will be much more powerful than calling the 1-800#.

That was really too bad he left, he sure knew his stuff when it came to the Social Security Administration!

That's really too bad, I'd keep contacting them (maybe the district manager even) and nagging them to speed it up.

My husband received his EAD just one week prior to our AOS interview, but it had the wrong A# on it. So we decided to wait for the Green Card. Everything was fine at our interview, and we got the Green Card less than 2 weeks after, with all the information correct on it.

So we applied for the SSN, and that's when the trouble began. We have contacted our local SSA office twice (after calling more than 200+ times because it's nearly impossible to get through) and were told both times that they were still waiting verification with immigration. That's it.

I had no idea we would have so much trouble getting a SSN, especially AFTER receiving the Green Card.

But with your help, at least I have some idea what's going on....

We got a letter from our local SSA yesterday stating my husband's document verification was complete and that his SSN card should arrive in 2 weeks...

Good.

Awesome! Glad they finally got that sorted out!!

Woooo!

Oh man. That's the one thing that's so super important once my husband gets his green card (we need to get car insurance together, I need to give his SSN to my insurance companies, and he needs it to really get a job, even though I am aware you can start a job without one if you've applied). Most importantly, he needs to start building his own credit so we can hopefully buy a house in a few years (tired of renting).

I don't wanna waaaaait.

Glad your husband finally got his, though.

You can potentially can hitchhike him onto your credit score by adding him as an authorized user on a credit card account. This worked for us, and several others, and no SS# was required to start out (don't ask me how it worked.. it must've been magic). I added the DAH before he ever even moved to the US.

He's on two of my cards...except they're maxed out (not getting into my financial pitfalls here, let's just say a solid job can be hard to come by). I make all my payments on time, etc. I don't know how that works though, his name only appears on the card, nowhere on my statement or account otherwise. Weird.

I know he might be able to get a store card in a while, but there's no store he shops at enough that there would be a point to using one to build credit...maybe a secured credit card? I went about building my credit the totally wrong was (was young and stupid) so I want him to do it right.

The credit building issue is very important, indeed. I'm just waiting until my husband starts working, and then we can focus on his credit. Right now, thankfully, mine is good enough for the both of us. But I have no idea if it's good enough for us to get a home anytime soon....

I'm tired of renting, too

Yeah, mine sucks. (I'm young, etc etc). After a few years his will probably be better than mine times two.

Or at least I'm hoping.

Credit scoring is complex and secretive.
There is a good article about immigrants getting going with US credit here: FAQ -Ways to Immigrate + Finance/Credit

Good information as always, meauxna...thanks!