Getting a SSN

[carhil24]

Hello everybody,

 

I thought I would respond to this post since we are in the middle of all of this as we speak. For one thing, I think it might be dependent on what state you are in, and since we are in California, I can only speak to what is occuring here, at least at the SF office.

 

1. We had no problems getting married, only needed her passport. Of course, we got married in Nevada, so that solved a lot of problems.

 

2. In order to get a Social Security Card, we had to apply for AOS beforehand. And even then, we were not able to get it until we had received the EAD card. However, I don't think it is the EAD card itself, but the fact that by then you are finally entered into the BCIS system. When we applied for the SS card the first time, the clerk there logged onto her computer, and within seconds informed us that we were not yet in the BCIS computer. After we had received the EAD card, we returned to the SS office, and lo, and behold, we were in the system!

 

3. For whatever reason, now you cannot get a SS number for a minor immigrant under the age of 15 (unlike native-born children). You have to send in a W-7 (application for Taxpayer Identification Number). And because the rules have recently changed (Dec 2003), now you cannot apply for that separately from a tax return. It must be accompanied by a tax return. An IRS representative informed me that it was to stop illegal aliens from obtaining a TIN without filing a tax return. By the way, this is a perfect reason for getting a passport for a minor in China. If you read the instructions for the new W-7, it is by far the easiest way to prove the identity of the minor. Luckily, my wife did obtain a passport for her daughter, even though she did not technically need it to come to America. It also works very well for other ID needs such as school registration, Vaccinations, etc.

 

4. At the DMV, we were also informed that you cannot obtain a Driver's license, a permit, or even take the written test unless you have a Social Security Card. And the Social Security Card itself must be presented and must match exactly what is shown on their computers. (We currently are waiting for a replacement Social Security Card since some idiot put a space between Hong and Yu (thinking Yu was her middle name, instead of Hongyu) on her SS card, even though all of the paperwork we filled out had the correct spelling.

 

Hopefully this helps anyone who lives in California, so they will know what to expect or not to expect as the case may be. And while I am on the subject, why is it that whenever we have to deal with any form of government employee, from a Federal appointee, down to the person scooping up dog $h!t at the local city park, they have to be so damn condescending and act as if they are doing us a favor? And then, to be so smug about it! For the life of me I will never understand how any one in their right mind could ever work for the government (oh, that's the problem, we are thinking they are in their right mind!). One of these days you all will be reading an article about a Redding man jumping over the counter at some government office and choking the $h!t out of some flunkie who couldn't make it in the real world at a real job! (That's if my wife doesn't get to them first...please don't any of you believe this crap you hear about meek Chinese women!

 

Okay, I digressed, but it damn sure felt good! Good luck to all of you during whatever point of this process you are in, and remember, don't relax just because your fiancee/wife is here, you still have to finish the battle. But at least now it's not just me against the system, it's US against the system! Now we can choke two of them at a time!