What should we do after entering the usa?

[mico1989Athens 0]

hello and i want to say thank you to all for support during this process. i wish everyone to success and hapiness. 

 

my spouse entered the usa with cr1 visa today.

i want to know what we need to do at this point?

 

we were told we will get green card in mail in 3 months.

do we need to apply for social security card? or is it going to be mailed automatically?

please share if we need to notify any office or place for my spouse after entering the country.

 

thank you.

[appleblossom 4,125]

13 minutes ago, mico1989Athens said:

hello and i want to say thank you to all for support during this process. i wish everyone to success and hapiness. 

 

my spouse entered the usa with cr1 visa today.

i want to know what we need to do at this point?

 

we were told we will get green card in mail in 3 months.

do we need to apply for social security card? or is it going to be mailed automatically?

please share if we need to notify any office or place for my spouse after entering the country.

 

thank you.

 

Congrats! If you've paid the green card fee, then yes, it will come within approx 90 days - you can track it using the receipt number.

 

SSN's used to be mailed automatically within 2 weeks if you selected that option on the DS-260. But I think that's changed, give it a couple of weeks and see if it arrives, if not then s/he'll need to go to a SSA office and apply in person.

 

Follow the links at the bottom of the page here for more info - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview/step-12-after-the-interview.html

Edited June 12 by appleblossom

[TBoneTX 47,286]

Thread is moved from the CR-1 Process forum to the "Moving to the US" forum.

[JeanneAdil 7,013]

As of early 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have stopped automatically communicating about Social Security Numbers (SSNs). This means that USCIS no longer automatically sends applicants' information to the SSA after approving employment authorization documents (EADs) or naturalization. As a result, applicants will need to take additional steps to obtain an SSN or update their citizenship status: 

 

made appointment as nearest SS office and apply (form is online to do ahead of appointment)

[appleblossom 4,125]

8 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

As of early 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have stopped automatically communicating about Social Security Numbers (SSNs). This means that USCIS no longer automatically sends applicants' information to the SSA after approving employment authorization documents (EADs) or naturalization. As a result, applicants will need to take additional steps to obtain an SSN or update their citizenship status: 

 

made appointment as nearest SS office and apply (form is online to do ahead of appointment)

Although strangely they are still issuing them to some people, there’s somebody on one of the EB threads that entered in late April and received their SSN in the mail as normal. Which is why I suggested the OP gives it a couple of weeks first just in case it does turn up. 

[wildbug100420 269]

17 hours ago, mico1989Athens said:

hello and i want to say thank you to all for support during this process. i wish everyone to success and hapiness. 

 

my spouse entered the usa with cr1 visa today.

i want to know what we need to do at this point?

 

we were told we will get green card in mail in 3 months.

do we need to apply for social security card? or is it going to be mailed automatically?

please share if we need to notify any office or place for my spouse after entering the country.

 

thank you.

Complete your timelines, be good, file for citizenship when able. 

[S2N 196]

3 hours ago, appleblossom said:

Although strangely they are still issuing them to some people, there’s somebody on one of the EB threads that entered in late April and received their SSN in the mail as normal. Which is why I suggested the OP gives it a couple of weeks first just in case it does turn up. 

I was under the impression that for immigrant admission classes and classes with work authorization it was CBP that sent over the request to SSA, not USCIS. For K-1 it’s their admission data that the SSA needs, not USCIS, and there used to be a box the CBP officer had to manually check on admissions related to the SSN question.

 

If that’s the case that would explain someone with an EB visa receiving one even if USCIS isn’t transmitting data to SSA. USCIS not transmitting would definitely impact AOS from VWP/B2 overstay (which we don’t like to talk about here, but under Biden it was the go-to method for a lot of people so it’s worth mentioning for their sakes.)

 

SSNs and admission is weird. 3-4 years ago it was hit or miss. Seemed to be dependent on if the CBP agent who admitted someone read through the packet from the consulate and remembered to check a box in the CBP competer saying the immigrant wanted an SSN. It’d gotten better recently after the consulates had moved to electronic transmission. Weird that it might be back tracking 

[mico1989Athens 0]

On 6/12/2025 at 11:07 PM, JeanneAdil said:

As of early 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have stopped automatically communicating about Social Security Numbers (SSNs). This means that USCIS no longer automatically sends applicants' information to the SSA after approving employment authorization documents (EADs) or naturalization. As a result, applicants will need to take additional steps to obtain an SSN or update their citizenship status: 

 

made appointment as nearest SS office and apply (form is online to do ahead of appointment)

thank you for information. can she go to the ss office with just a passport and apply?

does it have to be specific ss office or any ss office is fine?

[mico1989Athens 0]

On 6/12/2025 at 3:32 PM, appleblossom said:

 

Congrats! If you've paid the green card fee, then yes, it will come within approx 90 days - you can track it using the receipt number.

 

SSN's used to be mailed automatically within 2 weeks if you selected that option on the DS-260. But I think that's changed, give it a couple of weeks and see if it arrives, if not then s/he'll need to go to a SSA office and apply in person.

 

Follow the links at the bottom of the page here for more info - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview/step-12-after-the-interview.html

thank you, i reviewed it and i am aware of green card and ssn process but i am wondering if there is any other action we need to take

for example; submitting an address to uscis?

or any time sensitive action?

[mico1989Athens 0]

Hello, we entered with cr1 visa this week. We are told to wait to recieve green card and ssn in mail in couple of months.

Please help me with 2 questions:

1 - While waiting is there anything we have to submit or do (time sensitive)? for example; submitting our address to uscis or any other place?

2 - Can my spouse get a drivers licence or credit card or bank account without ssn? should we wait for ssn first?

 

thank you in advance.

[Crazy Cat 44,068]

***Similar/duplicate topics merged.  Please keep related questions in this thread***

[JeanneAdil 7,013]

19 minutes ago, mico1989Athens said:

thank you for information. can she go to the ss office with just a passport and apply?

does it have to be specific ss office or any ss office is fine?

Any SS office as it's federal and u need appointment 

[appleblossom 4,125]

1 hour ago, mico1989Athens said:

thank you, i reviewed it and i am aware of green card and ssn process but i am wondering if there is any other action we need to take

for example; submitting an address to uscis?

or any time sensitive action?

Only other thing is getting health insurance if you’ve not sorted that already, but nothing else for USCIS. They’ll have your address from when you paid the GC fee.
 

Did you read the link I gave you above? Please do follow the links there, there’s tons of info on your obligations as a LPR and setting up life in the US including how to get an SSN. 

Edited Saturday at 02:27 PM by appleblossom

[appleblossom 4,125]

22 hours ago, S2N said:

I was under the impression that for immigrant admission classes and classes with work authorization it was CBP that sent over the request to SSA, not USCIS. For K-1 it’s their admission data that the SSA needs, not USCIS, and there used to be a box the CBP officer had to manually check on admissions related to the SSN question.

 

If that’s the case that would explain someone with an EB visa receiving one even if USCIS isn’t transmitting data to SSA. USCIS not transmitting would definitely impact AOS from VWP/B2 overstay (which we don’t like to talk about here, but under Biden it was the go-to method for a lot of people so it’s worth mentioning for their sakes.)

 

SSNs and admission is weird. 3-4 years ago it was hit or miss. Seemed to be dependent on if the CBP agent who admitted someone read through the packet from the consulate and remembered to check a box in the CBP competer saying the immigrant wanted an SSN. It’d gotten better recently after the consulates had moved to electronic transmission. Weird that it might be back tracking 

Other EB applicants haven’t had it though. There’s no rhyme or reason it seems!