Social Security card and IR1 Status

[yen&percy 0]

Hi, All

I have arrived in Chicago two weeks ago. Wasn't a good experience at the POE took a long time, about 2.5 hours. I have a social security card five years ago as I was an exchange student with a J-1 visa. I left my card back at home tho. Do I need to ask my family to send the card over in order to work here? Or do I need to apply for another SSN?

We were married for 23 months during the interview in Dec 09. So, I was granted a CR-1 visa. At the POE, we were married for 2 and a half year, the officer should have changed the status to IR-1 right? I have asked two officers, they said I was given CR-1 in the passport, in a rude manner.

Please advise, thanks a lot!!

[payxibka 10,045]

Hi, All

I have arrived in Chicago two weeks ago. Wasn't a good experience at the POE took a long time, about 2.5 hours. I have a social security card five years ago as I was an exchange student with a J-1 visa. I left my card back at home tho. Do I need to ask my family to send the card over in order to work here? Or do I need to apply for another SSN?

We were married for 23 months during the interview in Dec 09. So, I was granted a CR-1 visa. At the POE, we were married for 2 and a half year, the officer should have changed the status to IR-1 right? I have asked two officers, they said I was given CR-1 in the passport, in a rude manner.

Please advise, thanks a lot!!

You can apply for a replacement card or have the one from home sent... SSN's are issued for life so the number you had before is the number you will use for the rest of your US life

[redglasses 1]

No, you don't need the old social security card because you need to update your immigration status with SSA anyways (= a new card will be issued.)

If your last name has changed, you also need to file a name change with them.

I had a SSN from the time I stayed in the US as a F-1 student.

At a nearest SSA office, I requested for a name change (due to marriage) and immigration status update by filling out SS-5.

Make sure to check documents you need to bring for the process at http://ssa.gov/