by FatherTime » Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:44 am
lostjeremy wrote:twiceayear wrote:Thanks for posting. What are they doing about SS #'s? When we had our first child they refused to process the application and said we had to contact the SS office in Manila directly. We I did, Manila said we had to send original documents (including passports). I'm not willing to do that so as a result he doesn't yet have his SS #. I wasn't willing both because we shouldn't have a several week period of time with no documents here in Cambodia - but also we shouldn't be restricted for a several week period from travelling somewhere due to a medical emergency.
Just wondering if they have changed their process by any chance?
There is a form to request a ssn. When I did it about a couple years ago he handed me the form and said bring it back in a few days but then looked at me took the form back and said never mind. He said he'll take care of it since all my kids info was already in their system. I said great. About 3 months later my PO box had a new SS card sittin in it.
Sent from my CPH1605 using Tapatalk
Update: They have indeed changed the process. The US Embassy in Cambodia (or Thailand, Vietnam, etc) cannot help process a new Social Security Number. Instead, you have to go to the embassy to get certified copies of your and you kid's passports and his CRBA (normally the embassy charges a fee for this, but in this circumstance they will do it gratis), and then mail the whole shebang to Manila. It's quite annoying that they didn't tell me this when I applied, or when I picked up the packet, and that it requires yet another trip to the world's most unfriendly waiting room. Here's the process in full, which for some reason they can't post on their own website (I got it in an email from Manila):
To apply for a Social Security Number (SSN), please follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Download, complete, and sign the Application for a Social Security Card, Form SS-5-FS. All questions must be answered legibly.
Step 2: Send the completed Form SS-5-FS and the following required documents to our office for processing. We will only accept original documents or copies certified by a U.S. Embassy/Consulate. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable.
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Birth Certificate of the child
- Valid/Unexpired U.S. Passport of the child
- Valid/Unexpired U.S. Passport or U.S. Government-Issued ID (such as U.S. Driver’s License or State Identity Card) of the parent who signed the Form SS-5-FS
If you will not mail the original documents to our office, you should have the original documents copied and certified at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate. You should schedule an appointment with the American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit of the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your area. On your appointment, present the original documents and inform the Consular Staff that you need certified copies which will be used as part of an application for a Social Security Number (SSN)/benefit. The Consular Staff will return the certified copies to you, and you must take care of mailing the paperwork to us.
We recommend that you send your application paperwork through a mailing or courier service (such as FedEx, UPS or DHL) with tracking capability to prevent the loss of documents. It will also allow us to verify whether or not the application has been received at our office.
We will not return certified copies. We will copy and return original documents within one week by regular mail only. However, you may provide us with a pre-paid self-addressed return label for the secure return of the documents. We can only accept return labels/airway bills issued by courier service companies (such as FedEx, UPS or DHL). Our local post office does not accept pre-paid registered mail labels issued by foreign postal offices.
Our street mailing address is:
Social Security Administration
Attention: ANH
U.S. Embassy Manila
1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita
Manila, Philippines 0930
Our military mailing address is: (If you are using this option, please provide a pre-paid USPS certified mail with tracking number envelope that we can use to return the original documents to your APO/DPO/FPO mailing address.)
Social Security Administration
Attention: ANH
U.S. Embassy Manila
Unit 8600 Box 1610
DPO AP 96515-1610
Once the application is processed by our office, the Social Security Card is printed from a central location in the U.S. and will be sent by regular mail to the address you provided in the application form. The average mailing time is within three weeks for a U.S. mailing address and within 90 days for a foreign mailing address.
If you do not wish to mail your application paperwork to our office for processing, we advise that you delay your SSN application until you are in the U.S. or a country that has a Federal Benefits Unit. You can then file your SSN application in person at a local Social Security Office in the U.S. or at a Federal Benefits Unit.
[quote="lostjeremy"][quote="twiceayear"]Thanks for posting. What are they doing about SS #'s? When we had our first child they refused to process the application and said we had to contact the SS office in Manila directly. We I did, Manila said we had to send original documents (including passports). I'm not willing to do that so as a result he doesn't yet have his SS #. I wasn't willing both because we shouldn't have a several week period of time with no documents here in Cambodia - but also we shouldn't be restricted for a several week period from travelling somewhere due to a medical emergency.
Just wondering if they have changed their process by any chance?[/quote]There is a form to request a ssn. When I did it about a couple years ago he handed me the form and said bring it back in a few days but then looked at me took the form back and said never mind. He said he'll take care of it since all my kids info was already in their system. I said great. About 3 months later my PO box had a new SS card sittin in it.
Sent from my CPH1605 using Tapatalk[/quote]
Update: They have indeed changed the process. The US Embassy in Cambodia (or Thailand, Vietnam, etc) cannot help process a new Social Security Number. Instead, you have to go to the embassy to get certified copies of your and you kid's passports and his CRBA (normally the embassy charges a fee for this, but in this circumstance they will do it gratis), and then mail the whole shebang to Manila. It's quite annoying that they didn't tell me this when I applied, or when I picked up the packet, and that it requires yet another trip to the world's most unfriendly waiting room. Here's the process in full, which for some reason they can't post on their own website (I got it in an email from Manila):
[quote]To apply for a Social Security Number (SSN), please follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Download, complete, and sign the Application for a Social Security Card, Form SS-5-FS. All questions must be answered legibly.
Step 2: Send the completed Form SS-5-FS and the following required documents to our office for processing. We will only accept original documents or copies certified by a U.S. Embassy/Consulate. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable.
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Birth Certificate of the child
- Valid/Unexpired U.S. Passport of the child
- Valid/Unexpired U.S. Passport or U.S. Government-Issued ID (such as U.S. Driver’s License or State Identity Card) of the parent who signed the Form SS-5-FS
If you will not mail the original documents to our office, you should have the original documents copied and certified at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate. You should schedule an appointment with the American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit of the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your area. On your appointment, present the original documents and inform the Consular Staff that you need certified copies which will be used as part of an application for a Social Security Number (SSN)/benefit. The Consular Staff will return the certified copies to you, and you must take care of mailing the paperwork to us.
We recommend that you send your application paperwork through a mailing or courier service (such as FedEx, UPS or DHL) with tracking capability to prevent the loss of documents. It will also allow us to verify whether or not the application has been received at our office.
We will not return certified copies. We will copy and return original documents within one week by regular mail only. However, you may provide us with a pre-paid self-addressed return label for the secure return of the documents. We can only accept return labels/airway bills issued by courier service companies (such as FedEx, UPS or DHL). Our local post office does not accept pre-paid registered mail labels issued by foreign postal offices.
Our street mailing address is:
Social Security Administration
Attention: ANH
U.S. Embassy Manila
1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita
Manila, Philippines 0930
Our military mailing address is: (If you are using this option, please provide a pre-paid USPS certified mail with tracking number envelope that we can use to return the original documents to your APO/DPO/FPO mailing address.)
Social Security Administration
Attention: ANH
U.S. Embassy Manila
Unit 8600 Box 1610
DPO AP 96515-1610
Once the application is processed by our office, the Social Security Card is printed from a central location in the U.S. and will be sent by regular mail to the address you provided in the application form. The average mailing time is within three weeks for a U.S. mailing address and within 90 days for a foreign mailing address.
If you do not wish to mail your application paperwork to our office for processing, we advise that you delay your SSN application until you are in the U.S. or a country that has a Federal Benefits Unit. You can then file your SSN application in person at a local Social Security Office in the U.S. or at a Federal Benefits Unit.
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