Question:
I am Australian , my wife American . I have been granted an
immigration visa which is only 6 months old.
I am planning on moving to California with only 3 months of validity
remaining on the original 6 month visa.
There I will apply to the Department of Social Security for a SSN , as
required by US law.
I am a bit worried , because I heard that this process of getting a SSN
takes allot of time , and that my original visa will expire , making me
" illegal " .
Can anyone offer advise ?
Answer:
They will give you a number alright, but you are already thinking of
claiming social security? We don't have enough social security to pay for
people who are here.
If you take the proper documents into a Social Security office and you are
eligible, you should receive your Social Security number (SSN) card in the
mail within 7 days. Normally you can call 1-800-772-1213 after 3 or 4 days
and get the number over the phone after it has been issued.
I'm a doctor you troll .
I have enough greenbacks of my own .
If you are entering on an immigrant I-130 (spouse) visa, you will be
given a green card stamp in your passport (I-551 stamp) when you enter
through immigration. This is the equivalent of a real green card, and
your real green card will arrive in the mail in a few months. You will
thus be a resident of the US upon entry, so don't worry about expiration
of any visa.
As for the social security number: be SURE that the officer at the port
of entry that checks you in writes your A-number in your passport. This
helps you get a social security number in only 1-2 weeks. Look at your
passport after he has written in it to be sure it is there, ask him to
point it out to you if you do not see it.
If the A-number is not written in the passport, it could take you 6-8
weeks to get the SS number, so try to be sure you get it written in
there. Then, after you enter, go to the social security office and
apply for a SS number, you should have it in 1-2 weeks.
I am assuming that you are coming in with an approved I-130 visa. As
such you will have no problem obtaining a social security number when
you apply for one at the local SS office based on your I-551 stamp in
your passport.
The number usually arrives in the mail ten days after applying for it
and if you are in a rush you can call the SS 1-800 number and obtain
the number over the phone 3 days after applying.
BTW your visa can only expire if you don't use it to enter the US
before the expiration date. If you enter the US on the last day of
validity of the visa, it is of no consequence because the I-130 is
then overridden by the I-551 stamp in your passport. This stamp is
the paper equivalent of the actual green card which should arrive via
mail in one to 12 months after entry into the US.
Hey moronic wd-40. he was asking about social security number.
Now get back to flipping burgers stupid.
My I-130 spouse arrived with A number in his passport, and despite
visiting 3 separate Social Security offices, Belleville Illinois, the
Main office in St. Louis, and another in Alton or some other small
city in S. Illinois, we were told the same story, you have to wait
until immigration puts the information in the computer. It was a month
to the day of filing for it that the SS card arrived, and a month
after that his Green card arrived, with the date of birth wrong I
might add.
There is NO legal requirement to get a SSN.
You need one to work or to be claimed as a dependent on a tax return,
but this has NOTHING to do with your ability to remain in the US.
It generally takes less than a week to receive a SS card in the mail.
Additionally, the visa expiration date is the date you must ENTER the
US.
It is not the date you have to leave.
If it is an immigration visa, then you are a permanent resident (or
conditional permanent resident) on arrival.
Dispite all of the problems you had, failing to obtain a SS number by
the time his visa would have expired, is not going to get him kicked out
of the country. There is no legal requirement to obtain a SS number in
order to live in the US. Not to say he won't need one later, but that
would be for working or paying taxes, not as a requirement to reside
here.
Doctor...I have a bad case of dealys...or is it delays.....
Can u help?
