SSA won't issue SSN without EAD

[Jim - Portland, USA]

Juxin and I went to the Social Security Adminsitration (SSA) this afternoon to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) and card. The lady said we can't do that until Juxin first goes to "immigration" and gets Employment Authorization.

 

I told her that we have no plans for Juxin to work, then she said that's all that SSNs are good for, is for working. She then implied that if Juxin ain't gonna work then she doesn't need a SSN. I forgot to tell her that I'm claiming Juxin on my 2004 taxes and so Juxin needs some type of Federal tax identification number.

 

I told the lady that Juxin came here on a K-1 visa, blah, blah, and she still said that she can't issue a SSN without EAD.

 

1. Is the SSA lady full of it?

 

2. How easy/hard/quick/long is it to get EAD in Oregon?

 

3. Isn't this backwards, isn't a SSN needed to get EAD?

 

4. How does this impact our need to commence AOS before 90 days? We have about 30 days left.

 

[tywy_99]

I thought you K-1 ppl in Oregon could get a SS card the next day!........

 

Her on the east coast, SSA told us EAD first with DHS approval.................

[warpedbored]

She's full of it Jim. What office did you go to? Bing got her SSN before we filed AOS and EAD. Go to the SS office at 1538 SW Yamhill Street in Portland. Take a certified copy of your marriage licence and her passport with the I-94 in it. Take a number and fill out the application. Unless this is some new rule that has been put in effect since July it should be a snap.

[Stats]

K-1 is authorized to work incidental to the type of visa. Since it is only valid for 90 days after entry, you need to apply for SSN within 60 ~ 75 days. If you get a bonehead who doesn't know that and refuses to check it out, try a different office.

I got a bonehead in Conroe, TX SSN office. I finally got the supervisor involved. She called DHS in Houston and got the OK from DHS

 

Funny thing is the supervisor said she should have gotten an EAD stamp at the POE. I just ignored that, but wanted to say "yeah right, like that happens all the time".

 

Bottom line, is you have to gently push the paper shufflers. Usually they aren't up to speed on K-1 requirements.

[Jim - Portland, USA]

She's full of it Jim.  What office did you go to?  Bing got her SSN before we filed AOS and EAD.  Go to the SS office at 1538 SW Yamhill Street in Portland.  Take a certified copy of your marriage licence and her passport with the I-94 in it.  Take a number and fill out the application.  Unless this is some new rule that has been put in effect since July it should be a snap.

I guess we made the mistake of going to the SSA office just off of NE Broadway. We'll try going to the office on SW Yamhill instead. Hmmm, how many offices are there? Perhaps we'll have to keep shopping around until we find a response that we like

 

We brought the certified marriage license and passport with I-94, plus a notorized copy of her birth certificate, national ID card, and all the immigration docs from the Feds. She still said no.

 

Or should we try to get EAD now? If it just takes a day, maybe we should do that?

[warpedbored]

You can get the EAD the same day you file AOS if you file in person at the federal building on broadway. You do need to get an appointment now but you can do that on line. Bing and I didn't have an appointment so we had to stand in line a long time just to take a number and wait some more. If she is in no hurry to work though I would just go for the SSN and file AOS. Bing adn I got her EAD but it was a waste of money since she got her interview 11 weeks after filing AOS and her green card 3 weeks after that.

[Jim - Portland, USA]

Bing adn I got her EAD but it was a waste of money since she got her interview 11 weeks after filing AOS and her green card 3 weeks after that.

Thank you Carl!!!

 

I was just looking into the EAD filing requirements, and I noticed the $175 fee. Ouch! But since we are in no hurry for Juxin to work, and since the green card should take less than 6 months anyway, we'll just wait for the green card.

 

Screw the EAD! Thanks again Carl, you just saved us $175, I owe ya for that one!

 

Onto the next SSA office ....

 

P.S. After the SSA turned us down, we took all her documents down to the DMV office and they gave her an Oregon ID card, no problem (with my last name as her last name).

[Jim - Portland, USA]

Well, it's later in the day now. This afternoon Juxin and I went to the other SSA office over on SW Yamhill.

 

The nice man processed our application without hesitation.

 

And just as planned, we didn't have to blow $175 on a stupid EAD application! In fact, after he processed our application and we were just talking about stuff, he said to Juxin

 

"You can walk out of this office right now and start working today, go ahead, no problem"

 

Didn't expect to hear that! So what the heck is a $175 EAD good for anyway? I wasn't even too sure what he meant by that. I was kind of afraid to ask any further. I should have got his statement in writing. Oh well.

 

One thing that didn't go as expected, her first/original SS card will have Juxin's maiden name. Then he said the green card will have her married name, then we can go back and get a revised SS card in her married name. Kind of backwards but oh well, we're happy.

 

Onto the I-485 ...

 

P.S. He also said the card should arrive in 7 to 8 weeks.

[awch]

Wait a minute- did I get this straight? Did you just write that a K-1 can start working right when they enter the country??

I hope so !!!!

If so, that's great news! We thought we would have to wait 3 or 4 months...

[warpedbored]

One thing that didn't go as expected, her first/original SS card will have Juxin's maiden name.  Then he said the green card will have her married name, then we can go back and get a revised SS card in her married name.  Kind of backwards but oh well, we're happy.

 

Onto the I-485 ...

 

P.S.  He also said the card should arrive in 7 to 8 weeks.

We didn't have any problem what so ever with the name change there. I am a little confused why he said it's a problem Still I think you can go back with the marriage licence and have it changed when she gets it. After all thats what amercan couples do all the time. Bing's SS card came about 4 days after we applied for it. It does say though allowed to work only with authorization or something to that effect. In other words she has to have an EAD or green card to work. I'm surprised you were able to get her an ID card without a SSN. I know it's required for a drivers licencse. Anyway it worked out for you. Congratulations Jim! Well done!

[lele]

Wait a minute- did I get this straight? Did you just write that a K-1 can start working right when they enter the country??

I hope so !!!!

If so, that's great news! We thought we would have to wait 3 or 4 months...

That is why she is arriving as her POE in JFK in nyc. The officers there told me when I came back from China a few weeks ago (I told them about my fiancee on the K1) that they will give her an EAD stamp, and she will not even have to ask them for it.

 

 

plus, the direct beijing to nyc flight is pretty cheap!

[lele]

Why is it *so* fast where you all live? And can we apply through there too???

 

Does anyone know exactly how long Boston is taking?

 

Can I apply, instead, through a different city's office if I have a different type of official document which says that I live there (ie. passport/driver's license)?

[ghall20]

 

One thing that didn't go as expected, her first/original SS card will have Juxin's maiden name.  Then he said the green card will have her married name, then we can go back and get a revised SS card in her married name.  Kind of backwards but oh well, we're happy.

 

Onto the I-485 ...

 

P.S.  He also said the card should arrive in 7 to 8 weeks.

We didn't have any problem what so ever with the name change there. I am a little confused why he said it's a problem Still I think you can go back with the marriage licence and have it changed when she gets it. After all thats what amercan couples do all the time. Bing's SS card came about 4 days after we applied for it. It does say though allowed to work only with authorization or something to that effect. In other words she has to have an EAD or green card to work. I'm surprised you were able to get her an ID card without a SSN. I know it's required for a drivers licencse. Anyway it worked out for you. Congratulations Jim! Well done!

I got Yi and her son both Oregon Id cards without S/S number. Only needed passport as I recall. And Don is right.. K/3 has to get a EAD if they wont to work and get a S/S number.. I had to pay the 175.00 twice since there was a K/4 wonting a part time job as well..

 

I got them both TIN numbers this year for taxes.. Only needed a copy of there passport for that. Didn't wont to wait for green card before doing taxes not know when we would get it...and I sure as heck did not wont to send the goverment the orgional.

 

It's also odd that the S/S lady told Jim that work is the only reason to have S/S card... Hell---everybody in the world wont your number.

Insurance, DMV, Bank, Docotor--heck---It's a std question on most forms... Of course you don't have to give it out---but it's ask for---therefore--needed as far as Im concern..

[Jim - Portland, USA]

It's also odd that the S/S lady told Jim that work is the only reason to have S/S card... Hell---everybody in the world wont your number.  

Insurance, DMV, Bank, Docotor--heck---It's a std question on most forms... Of course you don't have to give it out---but it's ask for---therefore--needed as far as Im concern..

This is an interesting topic. I've been surprised by how much Juxin can do thus far without a SSN. We've been able to complete all the AOS paperwork without SSN, apply for state ID without SSN, get married without SSN, put her on my health insurance without SSN, make her the beneficiary of my life insurace without SSN, I know I can file taxes as married without her having SSN, Don said it's not necessary to have SSN to open a bank account ...

 

Yes, so many people ask for SSN, but as soon as we say she doesn't have one, it's "Oh, well, that's okay, we don't really need it".

[tonymasiello]

Hmmmm... that's interesting Jim, thanks for sharing.

 

We had our first experience with SSA yesterday, and it was a comedy of errors. We left the office with nothing. The woman at the window seemed quite incompetent. She told us (and three other people while we were waiting) to come back when we have the green card. There was nothing they could do. Seemed to be her stock answer for everyone. She did manage to pull up Quan's record based on the numbers on her I-94, but could not file the request with BCIS. It is a pain not to have the number now, but maybe we shouldn't sweat it.