Congratulations on becoming a US citizen! The next step is updating your social security records to make sure everything reflects your new citizenship.
Here’s what you need to do.
1. Proof Of Identity
You need to provide proof of your identity. The documents should be valid and show your official names, date of birth current age and a recent photograph. Your birth certificate will not serve as proof of identity. Here’s a list of the documents you should provide as proof of identity.
• US driver’s license
• US passport
• US state-issued non-driver ID card
If you don’t have the documents mentioned above or have tried replacing them without any hope, you can provide any of the following additional documents as proof.
• Employee ID badge or card
• Medicaid or health insurance card
• US government ID card
• Certificate of US citizenship
• US military ID card
• Certified copy of your medical record
• Certificate of naturalization
• School ID card or a certified transcript/record of your current year in school
• Life insurance policy
• US Indian Tribal card
2. Proof Of US Citizenship
There are a few documents acceptable as proof of US citizenship. These include:
• US passport
• US birth certificate
• Certificate of citizenship
• Certificate of naturalization
Note that, you should not provide notarized or photocopies of these documents because your application will be rejected. Make sure the documents provided are certified by the issuing agency or originals.
3. Application Form
Visit the official social security website and fill the application form. Make sure all the sections are filled accordingly without skipping out on any information. If you’re unsure about some of the information, you can always ask for assistance from someone who has gone through the whole process before.
4. Handing In
You can send the completed application using mail to the local office for social security matters or take them in person. Once the documents have been validated, they will be returned to you with a receipt. If there are any missing documents, you will be notified and present them. Afterwards, your social security card will be send to you via mail. It takes about 10 business days to get your social security card once you have received the receipt. If you’re replacing your card, it will have the same number as the old one.
Why Do You Need A Social Security Card?
You should always remember your social security number because it serves as the only proof of your identity. Legally, the assumption is that you’re the only one who knows this number besides your banker, employer, financial manager and credit card companies. Note that, if everyone else on the list uses your social security number for anything else, it’s considered fraud. Always keep the number as a secret and don’t provide it to anyone over the phone.
It’s used to track your personal information in various areas such as rental history, driving history, employment history and much more. Note that, for verification purposes, any of the people and institutions required to have your social security number may ask for it. However, in most cases, they usually need a verification of the last 4 numbers and not the entire number. Find more details at https://www.application-filing-service.com
