SSA experience

[Stu4Lee 66]

Finally got around to getting down to the SSA today.

Hello, came on K-1 visa and applying for SSN card.

Are you married now?

Yes

Have you notified DHS you are now married?

Errrr nooooo, it's not a requirement

Your status has changed you need to notify them.

My marital status has changed, not my immigration status.(in my head I'm thinking ugh #######???)

Checks the system....we need verification of your status from DHS.

You mean 6 weeks after POE I'm still not in the system?

No sir.

Hands me the receipt/letter, may take up to 4 weeks to verify blah blah

As Balotelli would say, "why always me"

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Clerk was wrong. Some clerks think that once you become married you are a K-3, but that is just wrong.

Go back and ask for a supervisor.

You are cutting it close though, how many days left do you have on your I-94? If less than 2 weeks, then you'll have to wait for EAD (looks like you have a couple of days at most).

[Stu4Lee 66]

Clerk was wrong. Some clerks think that once you become married you are a K-3, but that is just wrong.

Go back and ask for a supervisor.

You are cutting it close though, how many days left do you have on your I-94? If less than 2 weeks, then you'll have to wait for EAD (looks like you have a couple of days at most).

I thought so.

I-94 expires Feb 25th, so still got 6 weeks

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Oh, I can't count two months v three months Anyway, go back and ask for a supervisor. I might also avoid starting the conversation with "I am here on K-1." I might just say "I am here to apply for a new SSN."

[Holly2234 66]

Definitely just say "I want to apply for my first SSN please". They get waaay too confused in there. I got asked for my I-94. I said i dont have one and i dont need one. "But you HAVE to have one". No i dont... SSN arrived in 4 days... They were way off the mark on nearly everything they said. The bank did this to me and the DMV did it too. Just know your facts and insist that they listen to you. I am yet to come across a person who knows ANYTHING about immigration in places where they really should.

Edited January 12, 2013 by Holly2234

[Darnell 8,478]

i've written a bit about this - please see

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

IMO, the clerk that you spoke to is wrong.

Marriage doesn't invalidate the K-1 - the K-1 was invalidated the day you crossed at the POE and your legal presence is governed by the I-94.

If you notice in that piece I wrote,

look you up in SAVE both in VISA NAME and A#. They should be able to find you with one or the other - but if not....

withdraw the SS-5, get into CBP the next day and fix yer SAVE record then come back in a week later, apply again .

SAVE batch updates, is never in real time.

I still say go back, get a supervisor, tell the supervisor that you have a basis for receiving a SSN and the clerk doing your intake did it wrong.

Then have another lookup in the SAVE system with the Supervisor, both on VISA NAME and A#.

[orangedesk 27]

Finally got around to getting down to the SSA today.

My SSA experience wasn't as bad as yours, but it took a bit longer for my guy to get the card than originally expected. It did take the full four weeks. I've attached the first letter we received, which is probably the same as yours. As long as the guy took your information and gave you the letter, you'll be moving along in the process. About three weeks after we first got in and were sent this letter, we received a second letter in the mail saying that we should get the card in two weeks. A week after that we received the card and a letter saying that it was enclosed.

Make sure you save all of the letters. My guy and I are in the process of buying a car (in both of our names, so he can start to build credit here) and the bank had no problem approving us, but they wanted to see his SS card and the cover letter.

[Stu4Lee 66]

i've written a bit about this - please see

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

Wish I had read this before I went, oh well thanks

My SSA experience wasn't as bad as yours, but it took a bit longer for my guy to get the card than originally expected. It did take the full four weeks. I've attached the first letter we received, which is probably the same as yours.

It's exactly the same letter

[orangedesk 27]

It's exactly the same letter

Excellent! I'm sure you'll get the SSN soon then I wish more government workers were educated on K1 visas. It would make things so much easier!

[Elora & Rob 15]

mine was easy.

[Izu&Abbey 1]

Mine was straightforward as well, I guess it depends who you meet. I came into US on Saturday and though i knew to wait about 2 weeks before applying, we took a ride to the SSA office just out of curiosity. was attended to by a nice older gentle man, who explained (again) that I'll need to wait at least 10 days from date of entry, but offered to save me the stress of coming back, and took all the required information and copies of documents etc, and assured that on the 10th day (22nd Jan) he will go ahead & process it, to just look out in the post for the letter from them...

[Stu4Lee 66]

update....

Ended up having to wait for EAD as out of time on I-94.

CBP at RDU had no problem finding me so....go figure.

Got the same clueless clerk as first visit, she remembered me, I remember you too ffs!!!

Need the actual card for DMV so back to stalking the postman

Edited April 15, 2013 by Stu4Lee

[markonline1 11]

I went to my local SSA office just over a week ago. God, what a depressing place. Anyway, it opened a 9, so we got there about twenty to, to avoid the queues. The queue was out the door when we arrived. LOL. However, much like at the embassy, every window seems to be given a different role, so my waiting time was only around 25 minutes. When I was called, I expected the usual fight to get assigned a number. No such problem, the lady was straight on the ball. Not the friendliest, but very courteous. Any way, 4 days later, my new SSN card was in my hand. All in all, a pretty positive experience for me.

[Stu4Lee 66]

It came in the post today

[QueenOfBlades 224]

Do you think it's better to apply for a SSN before or after marriage? Just so my name will be correct on my card.