All right friends, here is my second accomplishment in the US – the SSN. I applied for SSN before submitting the EAD application. So the learning here is that the SSN and EAD are not related. They are handled by two different departments. You don’t need to have an EAD to apply for SSN and visa versa.
SSN process was relatively simple. My husband and I walked into the Social Security Office near my home with all the required original documents. You can carry certified copies by issuing agency as well, just in case. You can lookup for your nearest Social Security office here - https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp
Here is the list of the document I carried with me (all originals)
*Only needed for the dependent.
I-94 is to show the immigration status and work eligibility status. Passport serves both as your identity proof as well as age proof. The marriage certificate is to confirm the legal dependent.
It was 9:30 am when we entered the office and it was crowded. It was a weekday and my husband was getting late for office. Eeee... But, coming back again was not a good idea. We decided to stay back, took a token and waited for our turn. Make sure you take one token per person (that’s what we learned from the official there at the time of our interview). I forgot to mention that you also need to fill a form. I picked it from the SSN office the same day and filled it before my interview. If you want, you can print and fill the form before you go for the interview. Here is the link to the form - http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.pdf
After an hour and a half, they announced our token number and it was our turn… huuurraaah J. We went to the counter for the interview. There was a nice lady on the other side. With all smiles and greetings, we handed over the SSN form and original documents to her. She asked a couple of questions about our work status and marriage. Since the servers were down, she could not submit our application. We got a temporary acknowledgement number and were told that once the application is submitted, we will receive the confirmed acknowledgement number through mail in a week’s time. Probably within 3 weeks, we will get the SSN card or maybe sooner.
Things were good for my case. I received the confirmed application acceptance acknowledgement in a week and then the card next week. But it was not that rosy for my husband. He received confirmed acknowledgement 4-5 weeks after the interview and the card a week after. Looks like wait is the medicine for all the problems in US, just kidding J.
Stay tuned for details on my husband’s case, why it’s good to have SSN asap, and why you don’t need to wait for weeks before applying for it.
Hope this helps!
You might also like to read: Twelve Key Things To Do After Moving To The US
SSN process was relatively simple. My husband and I walked into the Social Security Office near my home with all the required original documents. You can carry certified copies by issuing agency as well, just in case. You can lookup for your nearest Social Security office here - https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp
Here is the list of the document I carried with me (all originals)
- I-94, Arrival/Departure record, which was punched on my passport at the time of entry.
- Passport
- Marriage Certificate*
- Marriage photo* (might not be needed always, but we showed them :))
*Only needed for the dependent.
I-94 is to show the immigration status and work eligibility status. Passport serves both as your identity proof as well as age proof. The marriage certificate is to confirm the legal dependent.
It was 9:30 am when we entered the office and it was crowded. It was a weekday and my husband was getting late for office. Eeee... But, coming back again was not a good idea. We decided to stay back, took a token and waited for our turn. Make sure you take one token per person (that’s what we learned from the official there at the time of our interview). I forgot to mention that you also need to fill a form. I picked it from the SSN office the same day and filled it before my interview. If you want, you can print and fill the form before you go for the interview. Here is the link to the form - http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.pdf
After an hour and a half, they announced our token number and it was our turn… huuurraaah J. We went to the counter for the interview. There was a nice lady on the other side. With all smiles and greetings, we handed over the SSN form and original documents to her. She asked a couple of questions about our work status and marriage. Since the servers were down, she could not submit our application. We got a temporary acknowledgement number and were told that once the application is submitted, we will receive the confirmed acknowledgement number through mail in a week’s time. Probably within 3 weeks, we will get the SSN card or maybe sooner.
Things were good for my case. I received the confirmed application acceptance acknowledgement in a week and then the card next week. But it was not that rosy for my husband. He received confirmed acknowledgement 4-5 weeks after the interview and the card a week after. Looks like wait is the medicine for all the problems in US, just kidding J.
Stay tuned for details on my husband’s case, why it’s good to have SSN asap, and why you don’t need to wait for weeks before applying for it.
Hope this helps!
You might also like to read: Twelve Key Things To Do After Moving To The US