Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Contact us

It's been 3 weeks since I entered the US and I still have no social security number: I should have been sent one automatically under the SSN visa program.

So I call the Social Security Administration, as they tell me to do, to check what was going on; and the operator has no idea about the process or about what I was talking about. She suggests I visit my local Social Security office tomorrow to apply for an SSN in person.

I'm fuming; this was supposed to be the quicker easier option but instead I'm knocked back to square one and face another two-week wait.

2:02 PM | permanent link

Comments:

I'm a recent Legal Immigrant (although Danish, not British) in the same situation as you describe here. It seems that nothing has changed. I called the SSA earlier today (having requested an SSN on my visa application) since I still haven't heard anything from them, three and a half weeks after I've arrived here. I couldn't even get past the machine asking for my SSN, so I decided to search the web and came across your blog. I am not encouraged, unfortunately...

Anonymous Anonymous | June 26, 2006 11:19 AM | permanent link  

Frustrating, isn't it, because you really need the SSN before you can do any of the other steps to establish yourself.

Best to deal with it in person by visiting your local SSA office; I was expecting the worst after my experience phoning the SSA, but the agent who dealt with me at my local office grasped the situation quickly and gave my application the kick it obviously needed.

I still don't know why the process stalled--the visa application strongly suggests that this is the best way to do it, but if I knew then what I know now I would definitely have chosen the "I will apply for an SSA after arrival" option.

Blogger James | June 26, 2006 11:52 AM | permanent link  

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