Ray

In theory yes ... take your SS5 form ..to the local office ..about a week after you arrive ..

http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.html

Silly Sod

Just a small aside though. Not sure about the other states but, in Michigan at least, you won't need your SSN to get a drivers licence. They will give you the licence (assuming you pass the test) and you can supply your SSN later. So, if you end up waiting a while it shouldn't bar you from getting a licence (in Michigan, check your local secretary of state)
Hope this helps

jen_andreson

The visa stamp that you have now (or will receive before coming over) will be stamped to activate it upon your entry into the US. As long as you have this then you can go apply for your SSN. You can print the form off and bring it with you if you'd like--I didn't, and that was fine too. The guy checked his system, found me but could tell a SSN hadn't been generated, he filled in the form, had me add my address and sign it. Took 5 minutes (but there can be a queue at SS offices so prepare for that).

Got my number a few days later...before the card arrived in the post. (I'm CR-1, too). The card arrived within a few weeks, but the visa in your passport is what you'l use until then (it's valid for a year from the date it's stamped at entry).

In Ohio the requirement is the permanent card and a SS card to get a license. They will do a short-term license for people on a limited visa, but they told me I could drive with my UK license for 30 days (or so...) until I had all my paperwork to bring in. Of course when I rang them up I got a completely different answer, but such is life...

anabella

Ray mentions that I should wait a few days.. but I was thinking of doing it the day after I arrive.. otherwise I would have to go back to Denver to do it, and that's a 3 hour drive. Do you also think that I should wait a few days or could I do it straight away?

jen_andreson

Do listen to Ray...he's very wise.

I'd give it a week or two. I think I waited a month, but that's only because I didn't need a SSN straight away. Did you tick the box on your paperwork to automatically generate a number? That worked for one friend of mine, but not the rest of us (I forget which form it's on, the I-130 or DS-230, one of those).

Have you checked to see if there is a local office closer to where you'll be living? We have a main office in the city downtown, and I thought I was going to have to go there and fight the crowd, but there are smaller offices throughout the area.

Ray

Your detail have to get into the computer system that the SS use in cooperation with SS ..Its called SAVE if I remember correctly ...

I would wait a week ... you can go to any SS office... bound to
one nearer ..

Scarlett-Dallas

Wishing you the best of British. All my papers were in order, and it took six months to get my SS number. They sent copies of my docs to USCIS for verification. Eventually--and I mean eventually--USCIS wrote to them saying their copies weren't clear enough. They did it again, and behold another long wait. I cried more over my SS than any other part of the process!

There are lots of cases of it happening fast though. One of my students, who's from the Ivory Coast applied one day and was told if he went back in 24 hours they'd give him the number. I couldn't believe it and took him to the office myself. I told him if they gave him a number that day I'd eat my shoes.

He was a while with the officer, and I couldn't contain my curiosity so I wandered over. I thought she was about to tell me to go away, but she looked at me strangely and said, "Everything's fine. He has his number. I just didn't understand the bit about why you would have to eat your shoes!"

Apparently, he'd gone up to the desk and said, "Please, you MUST give me a number today because then I get to watch my teacher eat her shoes!"

Yep, he got the number. And in answer to your question, boiled with rice!



Regards
-=-
Scarlett

anabella

I will tick the box again when I reapply (long story)..

I did some research with hubby about where to get the SSN and I seem to recall that the only way to get it was going to Denver. In the local ones you could get a replacement but not a new one or something like that..

Ray

Not correct Anna ... get it at any office ... trust me ...

anabella

lol !

anabella

Oh Ray.. I DO trust you!

jen_andreson

Do double check, as the local offices are a lot quieter and convenient--had one 5 min from our house. At least here the main office houses the majority of SS and welfare recipients, which means it's crowded and busy. The local office had a few OAPs checking on their benefits, and that's it. They had a special queue for people with name changes or replacement cards, and a 'take a number' system for the rest of us.

Elvira

I wouldn't go THAT far :scared:

Though he's right this time

scrubbedexpat099

I did mine in Boulder, go first thing, or take a good book.

Not a lot of point going straight away, better to wait a few weeks so you are in the system.

Probably not practical for you but they process them overnight so assuming you are in the system you could go back the following day and find out what the number is, you still have to wait for the card, but what matters is the number.

anabella

Elvira.. the first time I spoke to him he called me a Spanish cow, which I found very charming .. he is my hero since then!