I would be surprised but after my recent dealings with the SSA, I'm not.
When we completed our forms, we checked the box that asked if we wanted
to apply for a social security number. The officer at the port of entry
told my husband he should receive his social security number in 30 days
-- no need to go to the SSA office and apply because we had checked that
little box on the forms.
Me being the disbeliever that I am with our government, followed up
after two weeks and, of course, SSA said we had to go in person. We did
and after about 4 weeks we received it (funny we received the
conditional green card first). We were so happy to finally have this
little blue card -- we had grand illusions of opening a bank account,
driver's license, applying for jobs -- you know the ususal. We went to
open his checking account about three weeks later -- we were politely
told that his social security number had never been issued by three
different banks -- thus implying we had a fake social security number.
Stupidly we asked what we could do because I didn't think the SSA issued
fake numbers. Everyone said WAIT. Now normally I am a patient person
but this process has pushed me beyond my level of patience.
So we go to the SSA the following morning. The clerk punches her
keyboard and politely informs me that the number was issued on December
11th. She then proceeds to tell me that there was nothing she could
give me to prove his social security number was legit or stating that
the number had been issued by them. According to her, the credit
bureaus such as equifax, are updated every Wednesday and his number
should have been updated on their system by now (3 Wednesday later). I
promptly and very politely tell her that she needs to talk to a manager
or someone else because I need documentation stating this number is
legit. After about 45 minutes, two supervisors later, they give me a
letter stating that in fact the number was issued. It seems they have
trouble with the numbers beginning with 6xx and she is complaining to me
that this is causing her unnecessary grief. I really wanted to tell her
she is causing me unnecessary grief because it was their office that
issued the damn number that won't update -- but alas I did refrain.