Financing a car as a green card holder

[amber_eddy 1]

Hi all,

My husband and I were wondering if anyone else has been in the same situation as us.....

We went to buy a car together and all was well until they started to contact the banks to get the loan approved. The manager told us we are unable to finance a car because my husband's Social Security card looks different than mine... it says "Valid for work only with DHS authorization". He's a permanent resident with a green card (almost two yeras) and we both have very good credit. We were able to buy a house together and the bank that holds our mortgage is the same bank that we tried for the car loan.

I don't understand!!!!I don't know if it's the bank or the manager but they would not allow us to buy the car, after 3 hours of going through paperwork, transferring insurance, changing plates... then they told us this. The manager says that anyone who is not a citizen is not able to finance a car. I said if that was a prerequisite he should have told us from the beginning. I am so upset and find it all hard to believe. Has this happened to anyone else???

Thanks VJ family

[aleful 1,905]

hi

that SS card is only temporary until the interview, as soon as he got the GC, he should have applied for a new card so that they can take out that and be just like yours

go the nearest SS office to change the card, in a few weeks he will have a new SS card

even though the others accepted the card, some might not because it's different, it was meant to be temporary anyway, so change the card and you won't have any issues

Edited April 18, 2015 by aleful

[Hypnos 6,576]

Go to another car dealership. You were talking to an idiot.

[lost_at_sea 995]

I co-financed our car with my SSN (and a year's worth of decent credit score). I didn't even have my SSN on me - I showed him a photo I'd taken with my phone that I happened to have in my dropbox. It likely varies about who and how one can buy a car by State, however.

You're in Philly? Check the rules at your local DMV: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/motorvehiclecenter/buying.shtml

It would be crazy though, in a country where most people *have* to drive to get anywhere. I like Hypnos' idea best.

Edited April 18, 2015 by lost_at_sea

[Hypnos 6,576]

If someone rolls out blanket moronic statements like "only a citizen can finance a car", that should be a reasonable person's cue to leave.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Hi all,

My husband and I were wondering if anyone else has been in the same situation as us.....

We went to buy a car together and all was well until they started to contact the banks to get the loan approved. The manager told us we are unable to finance a car because my husband's Social Security card looks different than mine... it says "Valid for work only with DHS authorization". He's a permanent resident with a green card (almost two yeras) and we both have very good credit. We were able to buy a house together and the bank that holds our mortgage is the same bank that we tried for the car loan.

I don't understand!!!!I don't know if it's the bank or the manager but they would not allow us to buy the car, after 3 hours of going through paperwork, transferring insurance, changing plates... then they told us this. The manager says that anyone who is not a citizen is not able to finance a car. I said if that was a prerequisite he should have told us from the beginning. I am so upset and find it all hard to believe. Has this happened to anyone else???

Thanks VJ family

You don't even need a green card to get car financing. I know people on Tn status (work visa's) who have done it. My wife financed her car when she was a LPR without me - she wanted to do it herself and no issues whatsoever. I agree with Hypnos, go somewhere else. You don't want to be going through financing with someone who doesn't know what they are doing.

[kzielu 1,144]

Hi all,

My husband and I were wondering if anyone else has been in the same situation as us.....

We went to buy a car together and all was well until they started to contact the banks to get the loan approved. The manager told us we are unable to finance a car because my husband's Social Security card looks different than mine... it says "Valid for work only with DHS authorization". He's a permanent resident with a green card (almost two yeras) and we both have very good credit. We were able to buy a house together and the bank that holds our mortgage is the same bank that we tried for the car loan.

I don't understand!!!!I don't know if it's the bank or the manager but they would not allow us to buy the car, after 3 hours of going through paperwork, transferring insurance, changing plates... then they told us this. The manager says that anyone who is not a citizen is not able to finance a car. I said if that was a prerequisite he should have told us from the beginning. I am so upset and find it all hard to believe. Has this happened to anyone else???

Thanks VJ family

Complete nonsense - like written below - talking to an idiot.

Start with - why did you tell them you're a green card holder ? It's irrelevant. Shouldn't show them your SS card either, in no way they need to see it. All they need is an SSN and that's it.

I financed a car (at 0%/60mo) being an LPR with a card saying "Valid for work only..." because I never bothered to replace it after I got green card (was on L-1B before). I replaced it after naturalization trying to avoid going to happy place like SS office too many times.