David John

Hey, totally get the stress—US healthcare costs are no joke, and waiting on paperwork feels endless. My spouse came over on CR-1 last year, and no, the SSN isn't issued at the consular interview; it's handled after POE (port of entry). If you ticked the box on the DS-260 for SSN, it gets processed there and mails out in 2-4 weeks—otherwise, hit up the SSA office once settled. For coverage before they land: We grabbed a travel medical policy from IMG Global (like $100-150/month for solid emergency/evac) that bridged until we could add her to my plan. No SSN needed, just passport and visa docs. Once here, she's lawfully present so eligible for ACA marketplace right away—they don't require the SSN upfront and can help apply for it. We enrolled her day 3, got subsidies based on our joint income. What visa route are y'all on? CR/IR? Might tweak the timing a bit. Hang in there!