HarryTheSpider

Assuming I get my L1 visa at our interview... we're planning to move in early November. However, my company needs me in the US for a couple of weeks, so I'll travel out in mid Oct, then be back in the UK the week before we move (and yes, Her In Doors was unimpressed with THAT piece of news!!).

So I'll be travelling out in mid Oct with my L1 visa. What, if anything, do I need to do to have this trip activate my SSN process?

Cheers

Harry

Vimto

You should be able to visit the local Social Security Office after 2 weeks of arriving in the US and filling out the SS-5 http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.html
It takes time from the time you arrive in the US and the necessary information of your arrival to be transferred to the Social Security Administration, if you go too early and apply our collective experience on this forum is that it just screws the system up.
You can use your employers address, provided you have someone you trust at work to hold your mail for you, the card will be mailed to you in approx 4 weeks.
Your family will have to wait till they are in the US long enough to apply for theirs.

IPM

The L1 "interview" is very low risk assuming your company employs decent lawyers. As to the SSN, Vimto's advice is spot on. Once piece of advice I would impart is to ask your car insurance co and doctors to provide some signed papers evidencing your history. This will expedite getting sorted out over here where things can be astonishingly bureaucratic...

meauxna

+1
Also, after you submit your application, ask if you can come back for the number the next day or so; they will give you the number in person (which can be useful) so you don't have to wait for the card itself to arrive.

TheCynick

+1 here as well, although you *may* need a letter from your employer asking SSA to furnish you with the number so that they may add you to payroll - the SSA office that I attended in Atlanta required this.

meauxna

meh, that office was just being difficult (I know, what can you do though).

One may be paid without a SSN, if eligible & applied for. That's a battle for the company, however.

Vimto

When I first came to the US my company paid me and deducted taxes and social security contributions while using a 'bogus' SSN.
As payroll period is every 2 weeks in most companies in the US, you will have at least 1 if not more pay periods before you have your 'official' SSN from the Social Security Administration.
Most large companies who have international transfers understand this and will correct their and your contributions within the first employment quarter for submission to the government with your official SSN.