MFS

I've just moved to NY with k1 visa and I was wondering can I apply for my SSN before getting married and filing AOS?

I really appreciate your help,
MFS,

Rete

My experience with getting a social security card with a K-1 is about 5 years old at the moment. So I can say only that recently others in the NY area have found that if they waited a week to 10 days after arrival to go to their local social security office to apply for the card. According to reports and Mr. Young's words of advise, you must be in the SAVE system before they will issue a number to you. The waiting period to apply gives USCIS a chance to input your information in to the data banks. If you run across a SSA office that says you are not eligible because of your K-1 status, walk out without leaving your application and head for another office. They are wrong. K-1's are eligible for a SS Card as long as their info is in the SAVE system.

Good Luck

Rete

PS Mr. Young works for the SSA

MFS

Thanks a lot,

Michael D. Young

Rete wrote:

    > Originally posted by MFS
    > > I've just moved to NY with k1 visa and I was wondering can I apply for
    > > my SSN before getting married and filing AOS?
    > >
    > > I really appreciate your help,
    > > MFS,
    > My experience with getting a social security card with a K-1 is about 5
    > years old at the moment. So I can say only that recently others in the
    > NY area have found that if they waited a week to 10 days after arrival
    > to go to their local social security office to apply for the card.
    > According to reports and Mr. Young's words of advise, you must be in the
    > SAVE system before they will issue a number to you. The waiting period
    > to apply gives USCIS a chance to input your information in to the data
    > banks. If you run across a SSA office that says you are not eligible
    > because of your K-1 status, walk out without leaving your application
    > and head for another office. They are wrong. K-1's are eligible for a
    > SS Card as long as their info is in the SAVE system.
    > Good Luck
    > Rete
    > PS Mr. Young works for the SSA

Hi All,

The only thing I would have to add is if you live in the Brooklyn, NY area
you must apply at the SSA Brooklyn Card Center.
The center, located at 625 Fulton Street in downtown Brooklyn NY.


Take care,

Mike

Duckie

the save system might be required in ny, but it is not a requirement written in stone everywhere. when we went to the ssa office in defiance (ohio) the monday after i arrived (flight came in on friday) we asked about the expected timeframe when the ssc arrives in the mail. and that was a couple weeks for the ssa to get the snail-mail report (for lack of better word) from immigration about my status (without me beeing required to be in save) and another couple weeks for ssa to give me the number and for the letter beeing in the mailbox. a day or two after the predicted 4 weeks the card was actually in the mail. for us there was no need to mention save at all when applying for ssc.

go figure

Rete

Well duckie actually they probably did wait for your name to be on the SAVE system. Normally the SS card arrives 7 to 10 days after application if you have been approved. BTW you don't mention the SAVE data base to the SSA. That is a SSA tool for verifying your immigration status. According to Mr. Young who works for the SSA and who I believe to know his business, some SSA offices if they don't find your name the first time will hold on to your application for a week and then will check again. Neither you nor I have any way of knowing just how the Defiance, OH SSA office handled your application.

But darn glad you got your card and that everyone's experience is as smooth as yours was.

Rete

Michael D. Young

Rete wrote:

    > Originally posted by Duckie
    > > the save system might be required in ny, but it is not a requirement
    > > written in stone everywhere. when we went to the ssa office in
    > > defiance (ohio) the monday after i arrived (flight came in on friday)
    > > we asked about the expected timeframe when the ssc arrives in the
    > > mail. and that was a couple weeks for the ssa to get the snail-mail
    > > report (for lack of better word) from immigration about my status
    > > (without me beeing required to be in save) and another couple weeks
    > > for ssa to give me the number and for the letter beeing in the
    > > mailbox. a day or two after the predicted 4 weeks the card was
    > > actually in the mail. for us there was no need to mention save at all
    > > when applying for ssc.
    > >
    > > go figure
    > Well duckie actually they probably did wait for your name to be on the
    > SAVE system. Normally the SS card arrives 7 to 10 days after
    > application if you have been approved. BTW you don't mention the SAVE
    > data base to the SSA. That is a SSA tool for verifying your immigration
    > status. According to Mr. Young who works for the SSA and who I believe
    > to know his business, some SSA offices if they don't find your name the
    > first time will hold on to your application for a week and then will
    > check again. Neither you nor I have any way of knowing just how the
    > Defiance, OH SSA office handled your application.

Hi All,

Well if you don't clear SAVE at the time you apply, the next step is for the
SSA office to send the G-845 for manual verification. Whichever method
verifies your status first gets you an SSN and card. You are right that
some offices will wait a week or so before sending the G-845 and check SAVE
one last time before sending it. The one thing to remember is that checking
SAVE is not a one shot deal. You can go back to the office with your
documents and ask them to run you through SAVE after the G-845 is sent. I
would say to keep from being a pain in the butt, don't go back anymore than
once every two weeks.

Take care,

Mike

Duckie

i know not to mention save, but some posted here that they did mention it and it seamed to only slow down the arrival of the card.

reading so many bad stories on here i thought putting something that went smooth might cheer some people up. and i admit that not working for the ssa i cannot know what exactly happened with my application. i can only say what was told to me. the lady at the ssa went to copy some of my passport (i assume the visa and i-94) so she could send a request by mail for immigration status. and when we asked how long that takes to get an answer back she almost apologized that it is usually 2 weeks and another 2 weeks for them to work on the ssc and for it to arrive in the mail. that was a good enough answer to us - and it really turned out to arrive in about 4 weeks. 4 weeks might sound long to others getting the card within 7-10 days of applying - but it is still less than 5 weeks of arriving in the usa and even before the wedding. *shrug*

Sharon S.

I applied for my SSN on September 23rd as a K1 with a temp. EAD in hand from
Boston. I had entered the US on September 15th, and I was not in the system
when Social Security checked. I went back on September 30th and was still
not in the system, but they gave me a letter saying I had applied.
Yesterday I called to check my SSN status and they told me that it had been
processed and I could expect my SSN within 7-10 days.

My new employer is grateful, because once I have the SSN, I can be entered
into the automatic deposit payroll system.

Just a note to those who follow .. I was able to open a bank account, get a
debit card (Visa check card) and start a new job without a SSN. However,
without the temporary EAD card, I could not work.

Sharon & Mel
Boston

"Rete" <member@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Originally posted by MFS
    > > I've just moved to NY with k1 visa and I was wondering can I apply for
    > > my SSN before getting married and filing AOS?
    > >
    > > I really appreciate your help,
    > > MFS,
    > My experience with getting a social security card with a K-1 is about 5
    > years old at the moment. So I can say only that recently others in the
    > NY area have found that if they waited a week to 10 days after arrival
    > to go to their local social security office to apply for the card.
    > According to reports and Mr. Young's words of advise, you must be in the
    > SAVE system before they will issue a number to you. The waiting period
    > to apply gives USCIS a chance to input your information in to the data
    > banks. If you run across a SSA office that says you are not eligible
    > because of your K-1 status, walk out without leaving your application
    > and head for another office. They are wrong. K-1's are eligible for a
    > SS Card as long as their info is in the SAVE system.
    > Good Luck
    > Rete
    > PS Mr. Young works for the SSA
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com