by Anura Guruge
on May 5, 2023
Kind of COOL & symbolic BUT it has no bearing.
This was but a serendipitous coincidence. I just lucked out.
You are told to WAIT 10-days AFTER NATURALIZATION before contacting Social Security to notify them of your change in immigration status. And I sure intended to do so.
I happened to be very close to our local Social Security office the morning of my naturalization & decided to just pop-in to see IF I could get an appointment, 10-days HENCE to tell them of my new status as a citizen.
It transpires that at that office (which is relatively small) YOU have to wait in line to see a person to ask for an appointment!
Well, I lucked out. They weren’t very busy & there were only two others ahead of me. I got to see a representative within 10 minutes.
He (a young man) was beyond helpful. He looked me up in the system (using my Social Security number (which was assigned to me in 1985)) & said that my change of status was already IN THE SYSTEM. I didn’t need to come back. It was all done. Nothing more required. I could leave with my existing card. It did NOT need to be replaced.
Social Security number does NOT change! If it did, it would wreak havoc. It would be like getting a new identity.
As I was getting up to leave this helpful young man asked “would you like a NEW card“? As far as I was concerned there was only one answer to that. He said you should get a new one in about 5 days! [I guess he did mean 5 working days.] I was skeptical. A new card from SSA in 5 days? Didn’t seem possible.
Well, it happened. I am impressed & humbled. That was quick & efficient. Wow.
So, here I am. New Soc. Sec. card dated 04/28/2023 the day I became a citizen.
