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My SSN took 4 weeks. I went down to the SS office and organised it. I came on a temporary Visa due to the fact we hadn't been married for 2 years so when that went unconditional I think it took 6 weeks for my 'real' green card to arrive.
I lived in Australia for 4 years before coming to the US with my American husband, so I completely understand your frustrations. This country does things very differently, you have to just go with the flow. Even after being here for 6 years there are still things I don't understand yet.
And don't get me started on the work conditions here either
Yes - when I brought my wife to Australia we literally walked into the DMV and got her a license, and we walked across the road to a bank and got her an account and then enrolled her in Medicare and arranged a Tax File Number (similar to a SSN). I've solely navigated Australian Immigration and the US Greencard Immigration process so it's not like I'm totally unaware of how either country works. Just venting that the SSN is a bottleneck, I guess.
The population of Australia is 23 million. The population of the U.S. is about 316 million. So yes, it's not surprising that there's a little red tape to work through, especially in light of the illegal immigration issues we have been dealing with over the last decade. Given the differences in scale, three weeks seems pretty darn quick. It's the same, btw, when a baby is born in the US -- it can often take up to a month or more for their SSN to arrive. As you have discovered, almost everything revolves around that little 10-digit number -- so yeah, they are a little careful about issuing it willy-nilly.
You can always go to your local SS Office and have them print out your number on their official letterhead.
This will give you a valid temp card until your real one arrives.
...People tend to vent without bothering to check all of their options. And nowadays Google makes it pretty easy for people to know what the options are if they actually take the time to research them.
That would be excellent news. It didn't say anywhere that they can offer me a temporary copy so I might visit in about a week to give enough time to actually be put in 'the system'
A vent is a vent. By definition, it's not particularly educated or informed
The population of Australia is 23 million. The population of the U.S. is about 316 million. So yes, it's not surprising that there's a little red tape to work through, especially in light of the illegal immigration issues we have been dealing with over the last decade. Given the differences in scale, three weeks seems pretty darn quick. It's the same, btw, when a baby is born in the US -- it can often take up to a month or more for their SSN to arrive. As you have discovered, almost everything revolves around that little 10-digit number -- so yeah, they are a little careful about issuing it willy-nilly.
Welcome to the U.S.!
Heh, when the question "could someone show up in Australia and expect what you're expecting" is asked, all I can do is answer it :-)
Out of interest - my daughter was born in the US and we ticked the 'let the hospital do the SSN for us' option before we found out that takes about 16 weeks longer than just doing it ourselves... so yeah... much longer than a month for her to get a SSN - we had actually moved to Australia several months before it arrived in our US address.
It was great to vent - I'm over it. I set myself a goal for the day and didn't really achieve anything because of the SSN road-block - it annoyed me, I vented, now it's all back in perspective. I'll feel great when my debit card arrives today or tomorrow so I can start buying things to keep myself busy. I know I can drive on my foreign license for around 90 days so I was just being melodramatic about 'not being able to drive'... and I'm looking forward to taking my driving test again - failure would be hilarious and embarrassing but I generally stick to the right side of the road (as opposed to the left in Australia) and enter the vehicle on the left (as opposed to the right).
Venting because I don't have what they want me to provide so I'm stuck in a stalemate. You apparently don't have this problem because you would have been born with a SSN so kudos to you. Meanwhile, I'll sit here, unable to work, drive, rent, or pay my taxes.
I'm entitled to vent in much the same way that you're entitled to tell me to suck it up, but I think you've missed the point. I don't feel I deserve royal treatment, it's just frustrating that after the year(s) of organising a Greencard, when it finally arrives it seems immigrants are essentially in a stalemate... if a SSN was provided at port of entry I wouldn't have any reason to vent.
You are able to work, drive, rent and pay taxes.
You did not inform yourself on how to apply for a SS# and now it is everybody else's fault
No you cannot drive for around 90 days on a foreign license! Is it so hard to google DMV?
Go to get drivers license - told to come back when I have a SSN and 2 forms of ID with proof of address. Also told I will need to take a driving test despite having driven for 15 years. Ok ok, I drive on the wrong side of the road and don't mind taking a test as a formality, but the documentation is the frustrating bit.
I won't get my SSN for apparently 3 weeks? Arrived 2 days ago. I'm working on 2 forms of ID which is my next vent.
Go to get bank account - had to 'fight' for it for about 1 hour. The bank didn't think I had a visa, even though it was stuck right there in my passport. They finally 'agreed' that I have a valid visa but insisted on using my Australian drivers license as proof of address - so my belief that a bank account could act as 1 form of new USA ID was kind-of crushed. They put the 'mailing address' as my USA address which might be OK...
In any case, I'm basically in limbo until this SSN arrives because I need it for absolutely everything.
Surely there could/should be a Social Security rep at ports of entry who can print off or whisper in your ear your SSN to help get things started upon arrival.
I know, I know, it's hopefully only 3 weeks to wait... but what do I do for 3 weeks? Sit around...
I won't even go into my bewilderment upon being told at the port of entry that the actual green card can take up to 12 months to arrive.
Please, someone, tell me it's not 12 months!
Trying to 'Americanize' myself is difficult! I'll feel much better with a US drivers license as it will all feel a bit more official... and being able to spend money will be great... then it will all come into place from that point onward.
Oh, it's just starting mate.
Get ready to shell out roughly 1000 USD to pay deposits for: electricity, internet, gas (if applicable), a cell phone contract... your SSN is new, so no credit, which means you don't exist. You will probably need a deposit for your first US of A credit card too, unless your bank has some transfer service that recognizes your responsible use of credit in your country of origin (I know AMEX has one).
Go to get drivers license - told to come back when I have a SSN and 2 forms of ID with proof of address. Also told I will need to take a driving test despite having driven for 15 years. Ok ok, I drive on the wrong side of the road and don't mind taking a test as a formality, but the documentation is the frustrating bit.
I won't get my SSN for apparently 3 weeks? Arrived 2 days ago. I'm working on 2 forms of ID which is my next vent.
Go to get bank account - had to 'fight' for it for about 1 hour. The bank didn't think I had a visa, even though it was stuck right there in my passport. They finally 'agreed' that I have a valid visa but insisted on using my Australian drivers license as proof of address - so my belief that a bank account could act as 1 form of new USA ID was kind-of crushed. They put the 'mailing address' as my USA address which might be OK...
In any case, I'm basically in limbo until this SSN arrives because I need it for absolutely everything.
Surely there could/should be a Social Security rep at ports of entry who can print off or whisper in your ear your SSN to help get things started upon arrival.
I know, I know, it's hopefully only 3 weeks to wait... but what do I do for 3 weeks? Sit around...
I won't even go into my bewilderment upon being told at the port of entry that the actual green card can take up to 12 months to arrive.
Please, someone, tell me it's not 12 months!
Trying to 'Americanize' myself is difficult! I'll feel much better with a US drivers license as it will all feel a bit more official... and being able to spend money will be great... then it will all come into place from that point onward.
For things which don't actually require a SSN, use nine zeros, or ask the person to use nine zeros. They may try and tell you to get an ITIN, which you're not eligible for.
Try just handing over random crap and see ifit works for ID. IIRC mine was the US visa in my passport (not the passport, the visa), a credit card with the VISA logo and a museum membership or student card or something equally pathetic. But not my passport, because for some reason a foreign museum is more authoritative than a foreign govt?
You don't need a driver's licence until you need local insurance, but you'll need that to test drive a car (I think it's the liability insurance). And check if you're allowed to do your test in a rented car, you may need preapproval.
But, do this RIGHT now. Get the bank to give you a deposit secured credit card. In twelve months magically your insurance premiums will drop, deposits, everything, because you'll have a credit score.
ETA: if your wife is American, can't she get utilities and bank accounts and rent and things?
I dont know why you are venting when you are doing something every other single person has to do for the privilege of living here. What makes you so special?
I'm sorry, it might be a privilege to live here if you're from a third world country, but for those of us coming from first world countries there are a lot of things here that are worse than we're we are from.
No Annie, I returned to Illinois (born, raised, and lived here my entire life) and they were the state giving me the hard time. Finally took my written test in 10 minutes flat, took my photo ID (absolutely hideous photo, if I ever get pulled over I am sure the reproductive bits of any gender officer will wither and die upon viewing the photo) and the DL# is the exact same one as that of the license they said was "no longer in the system."
No child born on American soil is "born" with a SSN, the parent (s) have to apply for it once they receive a notarized copy of the child's birth certificate. Citizens here (and elsewhere in the world, I'm sure) are regulated and 'dictated' by specific protocol as well.
Take heart...one foot in front of the other and one hurdle at a time.
No, they're not. Hope that helps!
And having changed US states multiple times and done the fresh off the boat DMV drama, you cannot even begin to compare the two.
You are able to work, drive, rent and pay taxes.
You did not inform yourself on how to apply for a SS# and now it is everybody else's fault
No you cannot drive for around 90 days on a foreign license! Is it so hard to google DMV?
Use google before you post. Of course you can drive on your old licence for 90 days.
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