Removing "DHS Authorization" on SS card with I-797 extension letter

[JMDI 26]

I recently submitted an I-751 (Removal of Conditions) application to the CSC. I received my I-797 NOA1 which extends my  conditional GC by one year.

 

Does anyone know if I can take that extension letter (I-797) to the local Social Security Administration office and ask for the notation "Valid for Work Only with DHS Authorization" to be removed from my social security card? I was not even aware I could have done that earlier while I had my 2-yr green card until I read the forums here...  Thanks in advance for your input/experience!

[Lemon23 400]

55 minutes ago, JMDI said:

I recently submitted an I-751 (Removal of Conditions) application to the CSC. I received my I-797 NOA1 which extends my  conditional GC by one year.

 

Does anyone know if I can take that extension letter (I-797) to the local Social Security Administration office and ask for the notation "Valid for Work Only with DHS Authorization" to be removed from my social security card? I was not even aware I could have done that earlier while I had my 2-yr green card until I read the forums here...  Thanks in advance for your input/experience!

Does your actual green card still valid? If yes, then you can without the extension letter, if your green card is already expired then you will have a hard time to do it since SSA don't know what I-797 means.

[JMDI 26]

26 minutes ago, Lemon23 said:

Does your actual green card still valid? If yes, then you can without the extension letter, if your green card is already expired then you will have a hard time to do it since SSA don't know what I-797 means.

Thanks for the reply!

 

No, the GC has expired... I guess I will try my luck at the local SSA office. 

Edited June 14, 2018 by JMDI

[Lemon23 400]

32 minutes ago, JMDI said:

Thanks for the reply!

 

No, the GC has expired... I guess I will try my luck at the local SSA office. 

You can try, just make sure to bring all the letters you received from USCIS and have them read. Good luck.

Edited June 14, 2018 by Lemon23

[JMDI 26]

2 minutes ago, Lemon23 said:

You can try, just make sure to bring all the letters you received from USCIS and have them read. Good luck.

Thank you! Will do!

[charmander 692]

43 minutes ago, JMDI said:

Thank you! Will do!

Take a printout of this page with you. https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110211025#c1

If they resist, show them the instructions.

[Wooderz 314]

Update us after you go please! My husband is currently battling with his HR who want to terminate him because his green card expires tomorrow. We neglected to get his ssn changed and are regretting it now. 

[JMDI 26]

53 minutes ago, charmander said:

Take a printout of this page with you. https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110211025#c1

If they resist, show them the instructions.

Thank you so much! That is a handy document!

[JMDI 26]

27 minutes ago, Wooderz said:

Update us after you go please! My husband is currently battling with his HR who want to terminate him because his green card expires tomorrow. We neglected to get his ssn changed and are regretting it now. 

Will do - BTW, I think your husband should show this to HR if he has his I-797 NOA

https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/71-lawful-permanent-residents-lpr

 

LPRs and conditional residents may be issued temporary I-551 documents. These documents are acceptable for Form I-9 as follows:

• The combination of an expired Permanent Resident Card and a Form I-797, Notice of Action, that indicates that the card is valid for an additional year, is an acceptable List C evidence of employment authorization for one year as indicated on Form I-797. At the end of the one-year period, you must reverify.

 

 

[JMDI 26]

So, just got back from the local Social Security Administration field office.

 

• Did not need an appointment - walk-ins are fine
• The lady at the counter, as expected, was completely ignorant of the I-797 and insisted that she could not do anything as my GC had expired
• I politely corrected her and tried to show her a printout of the official Program Operations Manual System (POMS) document, which clearly states an expired I-551 (GC) and an associated I-797 extension letter as acceptable proof of permanent resident status and that such applicants should be issued UNRESTRICTED SS cards
• She refused to look at the document, claiming that "they have much more info..." and said that she would need to see an I-551 stamp on the passport
• I insisted that the I-797 is the standard document provided by USCIS
• Finally, she called a supervisor, who took a cursory look at the printed document I provided and told her to process it
• As far as I know, I should be getting an unrestricted SS card in the mail within 2 weeks

Bottom line, if you are in a similar position, take the printout and insist on speaking to a supervisor!

 

Thanks for your help, charmander!

[JMDI 26]

3 hours ago, Wooderz said:

Update us after you go please! My husband is currently battling with his HR who want to terminate him because his green card expires tomorrow. We neglected to get his ssn changed and are regretting it now. 

Posted the update. I hope your husband is able to sort it out with HR. At the very least, he should be able to schedule an infopass appointment with a local USCIS field office and get a temporary I-551 stamp on his passport in case he still awaiting the I-797 NOA1

[Lemon23 400]

15 hours ago, JMDI said:

So, just got back from the local Social Security Administration field office.

 

• Did not need an appointment - walk-ins are fine
• The lady at the counter, as expected, was completely ignorant of the I-797 and insisted that she could not do anything as my GC had expired
• I politely corrected her and tried to show her a printout of the official Program Operations Manual System (POMS) document, which clearly states an expired I-551 (GC) and an associated I-797 extension letter as acceptable proof of permanent resident status and that such applicants should be issued UNRESTRICTED SS cards
• She refused to look at the document, claiming that "they have much more info..." and said that she would need to see an I-551 stamp on the passport
• I insisted that the I-797 is the standard document provided by USCIS
• Finally, she called a supervisor, who took a cursory look at the printed document I provided and told her to process it
• As far as I know, I should be getting an unrestricted SS card in the mail within 2 weeks

Bottom line, if you are in a similar position, take the printout and insist on speaking to a supervisor!

 

Thanks for your help, charmander!

This is expected as some of the employees are ignorant with documents from USCIS or I could say lack of training. Good thing you were able to deal with the supervisor who are more willing to read the docs than the staff because of laziness to read. You should get your unrestricted SSA card in less than 2 weeks.

Edited June 15, 2018 by Lemon23

[charmander 692]

17 hours ago, JMDI said:

Thanks for your help, charmander!

I'm glad it worked out. SSA personnel could be just as ignorant as DMV people for USCIS paperwork.

[JMDI 26]

Update: I received my new UNRESTRICTED social security card.

 

Thank you all, especially charmander!

[Ron&Nisha 0]

My experience: Went to local SSN office with expired GC and Extension letter. The lady serving me first pointed out my green card was expired and could do nothing, i explained the purpose of the I-797 letter and she just looked at me and said homeland does not recognize any paperwork from uscis, they can only accept green cards. 

And now after reading this I wish i had the "printout of the official Program Operations Manual System (POMS) document, " it would have been a lot more helpful. But again this lady was ready to shut down any further talk once she saw the green card was expired. 

 

PS congrats on successful update to your SSN card!