Social Security Number question
May 9th 2010, 3:00 am
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 76
Social Security Number question
I think I know what to do here, but I thought I'd ask...
My husband, the UKC/permanent resident of the United States, checked "yes" in the box to send him an SSN number along with his green card.
My understanding is that, like the green card, it'll likely take months for the SSN to arrive. However, he has gotten a job (Just two weeks after entering the country AND it's a job in his field -- yay!), but needs a SSN for his employment forms.
Do we just go down to the local Social Security office and get one immediately, even though we've already applied? Do we have to wait and get him a Tax ID number in the interim? I'm sure this issue comes up all the time. We're planning to go to the local Soc. Sec. office on Monday, but I thought I'd ask here, just in case.
Thanks, as always...
My husband, the UKC/permanent resident of the United States, checked "yes" in the box to send him an SSN number along with his green card.
My understanding is that, like the green card, it'll likely take months for the SSN to arrive. However, he has gotten a job (Just two weeks after entering the country AND it's a job in his field -- yay!), but needs a SSN for his employment forms.
Do we just go down to the local Social Security office and get one immediately, even though we've already applied? Do we have to wait and get him a Tax ID number in the interim? I'm sure this issue comes up all the time. We're planning to go to the local Soc. Sec. office on Monday, but I thought I'd ask here, just in case.
Thanks, as always...
May 9th 2010, 4:51 am
#2
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Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Silicone Valley
Posts: 1,730
Re: Social Security Number question
I entered on 30 January and my Green card and SSN came on 18th February this year. I know Ginblossom entered a couple of weeks back and got his in about 2 weeks also. It seems they are coming very quickly at the moment so maybe hang on a week if he's only been there 2 weeks.
May 9th 2010, 11:44 am
#3
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Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 38,865
Re: Social Security Number question
He may need a SSN for tax withholding, but he doesn't need it to complete an I-9 and his employer can't ask him to produce one for the I-9.
They may be able to tell you what his SSN is - but if he applies for another one, he might end up with two.
He's not eligible for a tax ID number.
Good idea.
Ian
Do we just go down to the local Social Security office and get one immediately, even though we've already applied?
Do we have to wait and get him a Tax ID number in the interim?
We're planning to go to the local Soc. Sec. office on Monday
Ian
May 9th 2010, 5:32 pm
#4
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Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 504
Re: Social Security Number question
I think I know what to do here, but I thought I'd ask...
My husband, the UKC/permanent resident of the United States, checked "yes" in the box to send him an SSN number along with his green card.
My understanding is that, like the green card, it'll likely take months for the SSN to arrive. However, he has gotten a job (Just two weeks after entering the country AND it's a job in his field -- yay!), but needs a SSN for his employment forms.
Do we just go down to the local Social Security office and get one immediately, even though we've already applied? Do we have to wait and get him a Tax ID number in the interim? I'm sure this issue comes up all the time. We're planning to go to the local Soc. Sec. office on Monday, but I thought I'd ask here, just in case.
Thanks, as always...
My husband, the UKC/permanent resident of the United States, checked "yes" in the box to send him an SSN number along with his green card.
My understanding is that, like the green card, it'll likely take months for the SSN to arrive. However, he has gotten a job (Just two weeks after entering the country AND it's a job in his field -- yay!), but needs a SSN for his employment forms.
Do we just go down to the local Social Security office and get one immediately, even though we've already applied? Do we have to wait and get him a Tax ID number in the interim? I'm sure this issue comes up all the time. We're planning to go to the local Soc. Sec. office on Monday, but I thought I'd ask here, just in case.
Thanks, as always...
ps. my green card arrived two days after the SSN, so again, seems like the system works!
May 9th 2010, 5:46 pm
#5
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: Social Security Number question
I think I know what to do here, but I thought I'd ask...
My husband, the UKC/permanent resident of the United States, checked "yes" in the box to send him an SSN number along with his green card.
My understanding is that, like the green card, it'll likely take months for the SSN to arrive. However, he has gotten a job (Just two weeks after entering the country AND it's a job in his field -- yay!), but needs a SSN for his employment forms.
Do we just go down to the local Social Security office and get one immediately, even though we've already applied? Do we have to wait and get him a Tax ID number in the interim? I'm sure this issue comes up all the time. We're planning to go to the local Soc. Sec. office on Monday, but I thought I'd ask here, just in case.
Thanks, as always...
My husband, the UKC/permanent resident of the United States, checked "yes" in the box to send him an SSN number along with his green card.
My understanding is that, like the green card, it'll likely take months for the SSN to arrive. However, he has gotten a job (Just two weeks after entering the country AND it's a job in his field -- yay!), but needs a SSN for his employment forms.
Do we just go down to the local Social Security office and get one immediately, even though we've already applied? Do we have to wait and get him a Tax ID number in the interim? I'm sure this issue comes up all the time. We're planning to go to the local Soc. Sec. office on Monday, but I thought I'd ask here, just in case.
Thanks, as always...
These documents don't take months to arrive, more like a few weeks.
Congratulations on the job, and one he actually wanted! He can be hired, and paid, before receiving his SSN/card as long as he has applied & is eligible (he did and is).
If I were me, I'd wait another week to see what arrives. If you need help on how to talk to the employer about it, let us know what the employer's complaint or problem is.
Here is a related post:
Originally Posted by sunfloweruk
Hi,
Yes, my husband was told that once you arrive into the US that not all employers will accept your stamp to work that you had to wait for your green card to arrive which takes a few weeks.
Ah, OK. They may be (as often happens) working on outdated information.
Your husband will have a Machine Readable Immigrant Visa in his passport, a full passport page sticker that says clearly what it is. In the older days, the visa was attached to the document envelope and the immigrant got a rubber-stamp in their passport that didn't look particularly official (you still see them for extensions etc these days, but they are rarer).
Your husband's US employer is required to have him complete form I-9 Employment Eligibility within a few days of starting work. The Employer's Handbook has item #3 as "3. Foreign passport that contains a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV)" under the list of 'Documents That Establish Both Identity and Employment Authorization'.
Should any employer quibble over this, your husband can post here for assistance explaining it to the employer. Form I-9 (and questions about his immigration status) should NOT even be a topic until he has been hired.
If he's got a job waiting for him, he can even be paid before receiving his Social Security card.
