Feeling Down with SSN Problems

[PalmTrees 34]

Hello.

I'm not sure if this is the right place to write this and I'm not sure anyone can help but I need to share my experience.

I received my EAD in September but there is no public transport near us so I went to the SSN office to have my card changed so that it would show my married name and then with that I would be able to apply for my driving license. I was told they needed to verify my identity and it would take up to 4 weeks.

5 weeks passed and I rang to enquire. Apparently they had processed it after 8 days of applying for the new card so the official excuse was "it must be lost in the mail". I went in the next day, where the officer requested another new card with my married name on it and I was told it would take 3 weeks.

It's been just over 3 weeks so today I rang and was told that they had sent my application to be verified by DHS and had no way of knowing when they would receive an answer as to my status from them, but it could take a few more weeks. I questioned why the first card had taken 8 days, surely they had to check with them too, but they said they had no way of knowing. I'm not even sure why they needed to verify my immigration status as I showed them my EAD which is valid for a year.

I'm going to cancel my driving test for tomorrow (canceling for the 4th time now) as I booked hoping that the card would be here by now. I cannot believe how messed up this all is. I feel like my work permit is basically useless because I have no way of getting to a job (no public transport and hubby works long, unusual hours so wouldn't be able to drop me off/pick me up).

I have emailed a senator about all this, including how I haven't heard anything since biometrics about my I-485, so maybe they can look into everything. I felt like it was too good to be true when our visa was processed so quickly, and now I'm having nothing but problems with my AOS and SSN. It is so frustrating and I feel like an illegal immigrant at times because I have nowhere to go, no way of getting around or contributing to the family finances and no rights. The way some "officials" at the SS Office have spoken to me is like I'm a criminal and I'm finding it so difficult to get established over here. As much as I love this country, I am so angry and sad right now. I know 2 people who came over on the VWP with the intention of getting married and filing AOS - they told me so themselves and wouldn't listen when I told them it was visa fraud - but they "got away" with it and are now greencard holders who have driving licenses and jobs. Yet I go about things the legal way and am screwed over.

Sorry if this was a miserable post. I know I'm throwing a pity party and there are people out there having a much harder time than me but right now its all getting to me. Maybe there is someone who has had a similar experience with the SS Office? I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks for reading.

[mrszorak44 7]

Hi PalmTrees,

I had the same situation with my SSN. I applied the first time under my maiden name and never got my card. After getting married, I went back to the SSA office to know why I did not receive my card and if I can apply for a new card under my married name. They searched for my name and I was told that my first SSN card was sent out to USPS - but I never received it. The very nice lady from SSA said that maybe my name was not on the mailbox (and we are living in an apartment building), which was true. It only had my husbands name in our mailbox and USPS won't deliver a social security card if they think it's the wrong address. So the SSA lady went ahead to change my name in their system and just sent me a replacement card which I received with no problems since I added my name in our mailbox.

With your situation, I would suggest going back to the SSA office and hopefully try to get a different SSA agent. Tell them your situation and show them your EAD and if you have your greencard already. And, try what I did if you think it would be helpful - put your name in your mailbox? It sure helped me.

God bless and I pray that you'll have your SSN soon.

[Calikitkat 16]

Hello.

I'm not sure if this is the right place to write this and I'm not sure anyone can help but I need to share my experience.

I received my EAD in September but there is no public transport near us so I went to the SSN office to have my card changed so that it would show my married name and then with that I would be able to apply for my driving license. I was told they needed to verify my identity and it would take up to 4 weeks.

5 weeks passed and I rang to enquire. Apparently they had processed it after 8 days of applying for the new card so the official excuse was "it must be lost in the mail". I went in the next day, where the officer requested another new card with my married name on it and I was told it would take 3 weeks.

It's been just over 3 weeks so today I rang and was told that they had sent my application to be verified by DHS and had no way of knowing when they would receive an answer as to my status from them, but it could take a few more weeks. I questioned why the first card had taken 8 days, surely they had to check with them too, but they said they had no way of knowing. I'm not even sure why they needed to verify my immigration status as I showed them my EAD which is valid for a year.

I'm going to cancel my driving test for tomorrow (canceling for the 4th time now) as I booked hoping that the card would be here by now. I cannot believe how messed up this all is. I feel like my work permit is basically useless because I have no way of getting to a job (no public transport and hubby works long, unusual hours so wouldn't be able to drop me off/pick me up).

I have emailed a senator about all this, including how I haven't heard anything since biometrics about my I-485, so maybe they can look into everything. I felt like it was too good to be true when our visa was processed so quickly, and now I'm having nothing but problems with my AOS and SSN. It is so frustrating and I feel like an illegal immigrant at times because I have nowhere to go, no way of getting around or contributing to the family finances and no rights. The way some "officials" at the SS Office have spoken to me is like I'm a criminal and I'm finding it so difficult to get established over here. As much as I love this country, I am so angry and sad right now. I know 2 people who came over on the VWP with the intention of getting married and filing AOS - they told me so themselves and wouldn't listen when I told them it was visa fraud - but they "got away" with it and are now greencard holders who have driving licenses and jobs. Yet I go about things the legal way and am screwed over.

Sorry if this was a miserable post. I know I'm throwing a pity party and there are people out there having a much harder time than me but right now its all getting to me. Maybe there is someone who has had a similar experience with the SS Office? I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks for reading.

So sorry to hear about your experience! I know how frustrating it is to wait to get your driver's license! My EAD was approved last Friday. Hoping to have it in hand this or next week and then the first thing I do is to go to the SSA office and change my name on my SSC. I will let you know how it goes.

It is such a hassle to change your name through marriage here. If I didn't rly want to have a family with all the same name I wouldn't even bother.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Social Security and the Texas Driver License office both told us we should wait two weeks after a change of status (it was citizenship for us) so the SAVE database that they check for names and status will be updated. Even if you have the EAD CARD (or naturalization certificate) in hand, they need to verify your name and new status on the computer.

If you went too soon, then that could be what happened. They can manually send off to the USCIS to check on your status, but waiting on two government agencies could take several months. When we went in, about nine days had passed and the new status, citizen, had been updated so we didn't have to go back which we would have done over getting stuck in "manual verify".