"AOS" for CR1

[mlspyl]

We had an easy time with the "AOS" for a CR1 with one exception:

 

11/29/05 Kelly enters arrives to the USA. POE - Newark, NJ

12/07/05 Receipt date for Welcome Notice to USA I-797C letter

12/13/05 First attempt to apply for a SSN at the local Social Security office. No go !!!

12/14/05 Received the Welcome Notice letter

12/16/05 Received a second Welcome Notice letter !!! USCIS must like us.

12/19/05 Green Card arrived.

12/21/05 Second atttempt to apply for a SSN. Success !!!

12/31/05 SSN card arrives in the mail !!!

 

 

Not sure why two Welcome Notice letters arrived. I carefully compared both letters and I found only two small differences:

1. The notice date was different.

2. One letter had Valid from // to // in the "Notice Type" block with the second letter did not ???

 

 

Applying for the Social Security Number was a problem. As other CFL members have stated, we waited about two weeks until applying. My mother accompanied Kelly to the local Social Security office on 12/13/05, before her Green Card arrived. Kelly knew to show the SSA employee the CR1 visa in her passport with the stamped entry date. The SSA person said this was not acceptable.

 

At first she would not tell her why. After pushing from my mother, the SSA person said Kelly had to have a Green Card (I-551). Kelly stated that the visa acts as a temporary I-551 form (as stated on the visa itself !!!) but the SSA person said this was not the case. No matter what Kelly and my mother said the SSA person would not budge. My mother asked to speak to a supervisor. The employee said ok, but it would be a 2 - 3 hour wait and the supervisor would tell them the same thing.

 

They return empty handed. First, I tried to call the local SSA office over a two day period. I could never reach a "real" person. Next, I called the toll-free SSA number, waited on-hold for 15 minutes then reached a "real" person.

 

I explained what occured at the local SSA office and explained why I believed the documentation that my wife supplied was appropriate and that the CR1 visa acts as a temporary Green Card for one year (as stated on the visa itself). In addtion, I added that the IO at the Newark Airport, Kelly's POE stated this was the case. The SSA person told me I did not know what I was talking about. Specifically she said:

 

1. The Department of Homeland Security and the USCIS do not understand SSA policy.

2. The reason why the SSA changed it procedure on not using the CR1 visa as proof was because of 911.

 

I was waiting to reply that the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for foreigners entering the USA after 911 and they should know the proper procedures, but to no avail. The SSA employee hung up the phone after she stated the two reasons, so I could not reply !!!!

 

 

At this point, we decided to wait until Kelly's Green Card arrived, which occured within a week. A week later, Kelly and my mother returned to the same SSA office with the Green Card and all went well. Kelly had a different SSA person this time and he was extremely helpful and pleasant.

 

We only wish that all the agencies involved would inform and train their employees uniformly, so issues think these would not arise.

 

 

Kelly and Mark

[Randy W]

Specific employment authorization is required - K-1 is authorized, K-3 is not. I'm not sure how that applies to CR-1.

 

We had no trouble (K-1). He asked if she had employment authorization - I said simply "K-1". It's a good thing I knew to do that, thanks to Frank's links.

Edited January 2, 2006 by Randy W (see edit history)

[BillV 8-16-2004]

I went to the Social Security Office with my wife 8 days after she arrived. We presented her passport with the temporary I-551 stamp, there was no problem it took less than five minutes, the SS lady said we should have in two weeks.