ITIN [?]

[f12phantom]

I brought my wife (and her daughter) here on a fiancee visa last May from Kiev and we were married in August just before the 90-day period was completed. We waited until the end of October to file the AOS as it cost double and money became an issue for me this past year. We filed for an SSN at the same time we filed the AOS. We were told by the Social Security Administration that it will take a minimum of 6-weeks before the SSN is issued to them. Today my wife called to say that the school she is attending for English will not allow her to stay in the program if she does not have an SSN by the end of this week. Likewise, her daughter is applying to enter a local university and was told that unless she has an SSN, they cannot accept her. Tonight I heard on a radio show that one can obtain an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) from the Social Security Administration - immediately. That this can be used in lieu of an SSN for work or school until the official SSN is issued. Is this true? Does anyone know anything about this? I spoke with the Social Security Administration in Washington D.C. today and they told me we had no choice but to wait until the SSN is issued and never said anything about an ITIN. Why? THX!

[BubbaGump]

... in response to ITIN [?], posted by f12phantom on Nov 18, 2002

Do they get SSNs?  In most states I don't think those kids can be denied the chance to attend school.  Maybe you can find out how those kids manage to get in.  There was a high school kid in Colorado recently that complained he couldn't get a financial aid to the University of Colorado because he was an illegal alien, but had attended school in Denver for years.  The INS didn't even try to throw him out of the country.

[Lynn]

... in response to What do the illegal alien kids do?, posted by BubbaGump on Nov 20, 2002

[This message has been edited by Lynn]

....is that they have fake SS cards, who would know or check at a public school. It seems to be fairly common in the workplace also; where they present the fake card, the employer does his tax collector duties, sends the money in, April 15, the tax papers go in the trash, no return, no refund, the gummit makes off like a bandit. If there is a problem, the next day or so he will be back with new card and name, it happens all the time. Why would the INS do anything about it? A cash cow that you don't even have to milk.

[SteveM]

... in response to ITIN [?], posted by f12phantom on Nov 18, 2002

Taxpayer ID numbers (ITIN) are not necessarily faster to get than SSNs, but you can try.  They are useful for dependant children who will not be issued SSNs.  They do NOT depend on whether you have filed for AOS.

In our experience, we got the SSN in a much shorter period of time than six weeks.  Did you file it at the SSA, or with your AOS papers?

[f12phantom]

... in response to SSN and ITIN, posted by SteveM on Nov 19, 2002

We filed the AOS and obtained the EAD on the same day at the INS center in Boston. Then we went down to the SSA and filed for an SSN on the same day. THX!

[Charles]

... in response to ITIN [?], posted by f12phantom on Nov 18, 2002

The ITIN is issued through the Internal Revenue Service for those who need a tax ID# for dependants and others who do not have a SSN.  There are some restrictions, and you should check and see if you qualify.  Since your wife has filed for AOS, she may not be eligible for an ITIN, but I would check and be sure.

[davet]

... in response to ITIN [?], posted by f12phantom on Nov 18, 2002

I believe the ITIN is issued by the IRS, not the SSA.

I posted several months ago that the first thing you should do any getting married AND before the K-1 is expired is to walk into the local SSA office and get a SSN.  This saves lots of hassle as the SSN and card is issued within 7-10 days.  Sorry this advice didn't reach you in time.

[f12phantom]

... in response to Re: ITIN [?], posted by davet on Nov 18, 2002

We tried that and were told by SSA that we had to wait until we file the AOS and EAD after we got married. We got married on August 14th just before the deadline 90-days period that ended on August 23rd. Unfortunately, because of financial issues, we had to wait until the end of October to file both the AOS and EAD when we went to the SSA at the same time where they told us it would take 6-weeks before the SSN would be assigned. I contacted the SSA the other day and they reiterated that it's another 3-weeks (or more) before the SSN will be issued under the new guidelines. THX!

[davet]

... in response to Re: Re: ITIN [?], posted by f12phantom on Nov 20, 2002

We got married on June 7, went to the SSA office and applied for the SSN on June 10.  Irina's visa expired on June 15.  We received the SS card in the mail on June 19 (9 days after filing).  We sent in the AOS on June 12.  All dates were 2002.

I am posting the dates as people should understand that they should apply for the SSN after they are married (because you have to have a certified marriage certificate) and before the expiration date of the K-1 visa.  You can apply for a SSN before marriage but it means another trip the SS office for a name change to the married name.  If the K-1 visa expires before you apply for a SSN, then you get in the situation where you have to wait 6 weeks or longer to get the card.  The SS cannot issue a person a card who has an expired visa for entry to the US.  That is why it takes 6 weeks or longer for the SS to check with INS that the person is actually filing an AOS so they will be legal resident of the US.

I realize some of this is history for f12phantom but hopefully the next person in line will not run into the same problems as he and his wife are.