Speedyvespa

Went to the Social Security office today in St. Paul to chase up my
application which I made in September, armed with the receipt number
given on that visit. I'd been previously advised that it was my EAD
processing that was all that needed in order to complete my application,
and the SSA were awaiting confirmation that this had been done.



Before my visit today (just to backtrack a little), I rang to see if
they could tell me over the phone. Much to my alarm, the operator
couldn't find any trace of my application - he even asked me what the
person who dealt with my original application looked like so he could
chase it up with her. This was not filling me with confidence.



The lady who dealt with me was very courteous and helpful, gawd bless
her. She did a session of stabbing at her keyboard and scowling at the
monitor, and then announced that because it had been over 60 days
since I made the original application, it had 'fallen off' the system
and a new application would have to be made. Fortunately for me, she
could expedite my case by mailing the BCIS directly - she said it was
unacceptable that I should have waited over 30 days, let alone 60, 90,
100+ days. She rewrote my application online while I was there, took a
print of my passport, I-94 and EAD, and told me that I would have my
card within 2 weeks, even if she had to walk to Chicago herself and
demand the BCIS do something. However, she said that they are very
good with dealing with expedited cases of this variety and it usually
takes a week.



The conclusion of this tale is this: if I hadn't have chased up my
application by physically visiting the local office, my application
would have been in limbo. The SSA have a 60-day drop-dead processing
timeframe, and the BCIS aren't expected to process an EAD until between
60 and 90 days. She informed me that if the BCIS respond with
confirmation that an EAD has been granted, then the SSA have no
application case to apply it to.



Somebody isn't talking to somebody else.



Moral of the story - not sure, other than don't assume the system is
working without your constant intervention.



- Mark



P.S. She also told me that although an application for a driver's
license states that a SSN must be provided, the Minnesota DMV will
issue one with any two 'prime' forms of identification - in my
case, my EAD and a passport, though there are other acceptable
documents. She seems to believe that provided you can prove beyond
any doubt that you are who you say you are, then they're not
particular about getting an SSN. I will be putting this to the test
in the next few days - stay tuned.

Sirsteveuk

Originally posted by speedyvespa

    > Went to the Social Security office today in St. Paul to chase up my
    > application which I made in September, armed with the receipt number
    > given on that visit. I'd been previously advised that it was my EAD
    > processing that was all that needed in order to complete my
    > application, and the SSA were awaiting confirmation that this had
    > been done.


    > Before my visit today (just to backtrack a little), I rang to see if
    > they could tell me over the phone. Much to my alarm, the operator
    > couldn't find any trace of my application - he even asked me what the
    > person who dealt with my original application looked like so he could
    > chase it up with her. This was not filling me with confidence.


    > The lady who dealt with me was very courteous and helpful, gawd bless
    > her. She did a session of stabbing at her keyboard and scowling at the
    > monitor, and then announced that because it had been over 60 days
    > since I made the original application, it had 'fallen off' the system
    > and a new application would have to be made. Fortunately for me, she
    > could expedite my case by mailing the BCIS directly - she said it was
    > unacceptable that I should have waited over 30 days, let alone 60, 90,
    > 100+ days. She rewrote my application online while I was there, took a
    > print of my passport, I-94 and EAD, and told me that I would have my
    > card within 2 weeks, even if she had to walk to Chicago herself and
    > demand the BCIS do something. However, she said that they are very
    > good with dealing with expedited cases of this variety and it usually
    > takes a week.


    > The conclusion of this tale is this: if I hadn't have chased up my
    > application by physically visiting the local office, my application
    > would have been in limbo. The SSA have a 60-day drop-dead processing
    > timeframe, and the BCIS aren't expected to process an EAD until
    > between 60 and 90 days. She informed me that if the BCIS respond with
    > confirmation that an EAD has been granted, then the SSA have no
    > application case to apply it to.


    > Somebody isn't talking to somebody else.


    > Moral of the story - not sure, other than don't assume the system is
    > working without your constant intervention.


    > - Mark


    > P.S. She also told me that although an application for a driver's
    > license states that a SSN must be provided, the Minnesota DMV
    > will issue one with any two 'prime' forms of identification - in
    > my case, my EAD and a passport, though there are other acceptable
    > documents. She seems to believe that provided you can prove
    > beyond any doubt that you are who you say you are, then they're
    > not particular about getting an SSN. I will be putting this to
    > the test in the next few days - stay tuned.





FYI Mark, that happened to me about the SSN-when I changed from maiden
to married name 3 years ago my application (which had been done in
person at the local SSA office) somehow fell thru the cracks. I called
and spoke with a very sympathetic and about her business gal. She made
an appointment for me and we did a new appication- I got a letter from
her telling me if I hadn't received it in 2 weeks to let her know- I got
it in a week! A pity she couldn't have been cloned.

Roland Perry

In message <>, speedyvespa
<member6884@british_expats.com> writes
    >P.S. She also told me that although an application for a driver's
    > license states that a SSN must be provided, the Minnesota DMV will
    > issue one with any two 'prime' forms of identification - in my
    > case, my EAD and a passport, though there are other acceptable
    > documents. She seems to believe that provided you can prove beyond
    > any doubt that you are who you say you are, then they're not
    > particular about getting an SSN.

SSN is not needed as an ID, it's a separate program to trace runaway
dads who aren't making child support payments. In theory, individual DMV
have no discretion regarding the SSN requirement - unless you can get a
letter from the SS office saying you absolutely don't qualify for an
SSN.

Jg1012002

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.

Roland Perry

In message <>, jg1012002
<member12056@british_expats.com> writes
    >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.

I'm sure I had a similar experience. However, about three months later
nothing had arrived, and so I went to the local SSA Office. They had no
record, but I filled in an application form there and then, and they
sent me a number in the mail about a week later.

Katesuiter1

Originally posted by speedyvespa

    > Moral of the story - not sure, other than don't assume the system is
    > working without your constant intervention.


    > - Mark

    >





Toally agree with this. I applied for a name change with SS after I got
married, and after almost 3 months, their records still weren't updated.
I wrote a rather strongly worded letter to USCIS in Miami, and about a
week and a half later, hey presto.....my name had FINALLY been updated
in the SS system. Bearing in mind that USCIS had already acknowledged my
name change when they issued my 1 yr EAD in my married name, the length
of time they took to notify SS was beyond a joke.



Glad to hear that your persistence paid off, Mark. I can't relax when
I'm waiting on USCIS, and I constantly feel the need to follow up
with them.



Kate. xxxxx

Bequibar

Originally posted by speedyvespa

    > Went to the Social Security office today in St. Paul to chase up my
    > application which I made in September, armed with the receipt number
    > given on that visit. I'd been previously advised that it was my EAD
    > processing that was all that needed in order to complete my
    > application, and the SSA were awaiting confirmation that this had
    > been done.


    > Before my visit today (just to backtrack a little), I rang to see if
    > they could tell me over the phone. Much to my alarm, the operator
    > couldn't find any trace of my application - he even asked me what the
    > person who dealt with my original application looked like so he could
    > chase it up with her. This was not filling me with confidence.


    > The lady who dealt with me was very courteous and helpful, gawd bless
    > her. She did a session of stabbing at her keyboard and scowling at the
    > monitor, and then announced that because it had been over 60 days
    > since I made the original application, it had 'fallen off' the system
    > and a new application would have to be made. Fortunately for me, she
    > could expedite my case by mailing the BCIS directly - she said it was
    > unacceptable that I should have waited over 30 days, let alone 60, 90,
    > 100+ days. She rewrote my application online while I was there, took a
    > print of my passport, I-94 and EAD, and told me that I would have my
    > card within 2 weeks...



Same thing happened to me, only in Philly.

Michael D. Young

speedyvespa <member6884@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<>...

The conclusion of this tale is this: if I hadn't have chased up my
    > application by physically visiting the local office, my application
    > would have been in limbo. The SSA have a 60-day drop-dead processing
    > timeframe, and the BCIS aren't expected to process an EAD until between
    > 60 and 90 days. She informed me that if the BCIS respond with
    > confirmation that an EAD has been granted, then the SSA have no
    > application case to apply it to.

The application should stay pending for 120 days, but this is why I
say to go back every couple of weeks to have the office query SAVE
and/or ask if a G-845 has been sent and if it has come back.

Look at EM-02091

http://policy.ssa.gov/public/referen...ttocategory=EM

"You may leave the SSN application pend in the system with the EVC of
"S" until the alien returns with new documents (which will need to be
verified with INS) or the application drops off the system after 120
days."

Cindyabs

Originally posted by Michael D. Young

    > speedyvespa <member6884@british_expats.com> wrote in message
    > news:<>...


    > The conclusion of this tale is this: if I hadn't have chased up my

    > > application by physically visiting the local office, my
    > application

    > > would have been in limbo. The SSA have a 60-day drop-dead
    > processing

    > > timeframe, and the BCIS aren't expected to process an EAD until
    > between

    > > 60 and 90 days. She informed me that if the BCIS respond
    > with

    > > confirmation that an EAD has been granted, then the SSA have
    > no

    > > application case to apply it to.


    > The application should stay pending for 120 days, but this is why I

    > say to go back every couple of weeks to have the office query SAVE

    > and/or ask if a G-845 has been sent and if it has come back.


    > Look at EM-02091


    > http://policy.ssa.gov/public/referen...tiontypecode!-
    > openview&restricttocategory=EM"]http://policy.ssa.gov/public/referenc-
    > e.nsf/instructiontypecode!openview&restricttocategory=EM[/url]


    > "You may leave the SSN application pend in the system with the EVC of

    > "S" until the alien returns with new documents (which will need to be

    > verified with INS) or the application drops off the system after 120

    > days."





Michael,

Basic advice is to wait til EAD in hand, give it 10 days to be
entered in SAVE system before applying for SSN and then check back
every few weeks?

Jubjub

Originally posted by cindyabs
    > Michael,
    > Basic advice
is to wait til EAD in hand, give it 10 days to be entered in SAVE system
before applying for SSN and then check back every few weeks?


When you file in person (as you must for an initial SS card), you can
tell straightaway if your INS status is in the SAVE system. Because if
they don't get your info in there, they will photocopy all the stuff you
have provided, including EAD etc.

I made a very stupid mistake and
applied for my SS number only two days after getting my EAD, no matching
data in SAVE, incompetent employee who wanted to know where my entry
stub was (INS has my I-94W!), so off to verification it went. This was
back on the 11th of November and no sign of it yet. Thanks to the great
info in this thread I'm going to go to the office next week and ask them
to recheck the SAVE database. When I call the national SSA number, I
usually get some crap about "undergoing verification". But then again
sometimes they can't find my application at all.

BTW I recently got a
job, I showed them the EAD and told them the SSN was pending
verification by INS, that was fine with them. Employer just created a
unique SSN-like number for their records, till I get my real one.