Just became citizen last week, when should I apply for passport?

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Deerlover

New Member
Hi friends,
I changed my name when I applied for citizenship. During the oath ceremony, someone said I should wait for the arrival of a new social security card before applying for U.S passport. He said that it may take months for passport agency to check my identity if I don't update my social security number first. Is this true? I need your advice. Thank you!
 
They do verify Social Security records so to avoid delays just go to SS Office update their records and then apply for Passport, SS records will be updated by the time State department will look into their records for passports.
 
namecheckvictim said:
They do verify Social Security records so to avoid delays just go to SS Office update their records and then apply for Passport, SS records will be updated by the time State department will look into their records for passports.
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I don't know what you mean by "verify Social Security records", but it's not for the same reason DMVs do it before issuing licences. Passport agencies check the applicant's SSN just to see if the person owes child support money which would prevent him from getting passport and leaving the country. They don't collect SSNs just for the sake of verifying the name. I applied for the passport 2 weeks before the SSA sent me an approval letter, and apparently it was not a big deal for the guys at the passport agency especially since the name change court decree was attached to the certificate.
 
König said:
... and apparently it was not a big deal for the guys at the passport agency especially since the name change court decree was attached to the certificate.
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That's what I would presume. As long as the applicant has the naturalization certificate and a name change certificate, they have all the information they need to verify.
 
Deerlover said:
Hi friends,
I changed my name when I applied for citizenship. During the oath ceremony, someone said I should wait for the arrival of a new social security card before applying for U.S passport. He said that it may take months for passport agency to check my identity if I don't update my social security number first. Is this true? I need your advice. Thank you!
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Not true. For one, you have to fill up the form to get SS record updated. I applied for Passport before i filled up SS form. i got PP within 3 weeks. Again, i did not even apply with expedited option.
 
I applied two days after getting naturalized, got PP in 10 days. Haven't done anything with DMV, Social Security etc. None of that is required for passport.
 
Apply for new social security card before you apply for your passport.

It was strongly suggested to me at my naturalization ceremony to do both the passport and social security change ASAP after citizenship. From a practical perspective you will want to do the social security change before passport. When you apply for your passport they send your naturalization certificate with the application and you will not get it back for a couple of weeks. When you do your social change, they need to make a copy of your naturalization certificate.
 
paulclarke1 said:
From a practical perspective you will want to do the social security change before passport.
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Tell me how it is more practical. You already had a GC, which implies you already had an unrestricted social security card. What benefits are you going to derive by running directly from naturalization ceremony to the SS office? In most cases, SS office says that they get USCIS updates only a few days later, so they are just sitting on your application.

However, you can get a passport the same day or next day.

So if you have the need for an urgent passport, and you are wasting an hour or 2 in SS office before going to the passport office, I think it is absolutely the wrong prioritization. And even if the passport was not urgent, so is the SS update (not being urgent).
 
Thank you all for your all replies. I will go ahead to apply for my first U.S passport. I will not wait for SSN card to come after reading your replies. Not too sure if need to turn in court document for name change. I really don't want to lose it.

Do I need to update with my employer at same time? I am worried my paystub may not
match the new or old name in Social Security Bureau. I want pay tax, and get credit from
Social Security Bureau.
 
If you want, you can go into SS office first and give them the copies. They are not going to hold the certificate. It will take 2 hours of your time, including travel, in most cases. Once SS office is working on this, you can go to your employer and update the name change. You can then go to Passport office. Whatever works for you.

However, you are not going to lose SS credits because most of that will happen through SS#. I am sure there are so many people changing their name, many due to taking the husband's last name, that SS office will have figured out how to handle Name discrepancy.
 
sanjoseaug20 said:
However, you are not going to lose SS credits because most of that will happen through SS#. I am sure there are so many people changing their name, many due to taking the husband's last name, that SS office will have figured out how to handle Name discrepancy.
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I did a name change in May and updated my employer's record soon thereafter. The tax statement for the entire year came for my new name. Surely, the OP wouldn't expect to get the tax statement starting only after the name change? This would make no sense.
 
I am not sure what purpose changing your social security card serves. It does removed the notation "Valid for work only with INS authorization". For me that was enought to want the change. Yes it is certainly true you can get a same or next day passport, however that has additional charges.

My point (to the extent I had one), is that I wanted both my SNN and passport, in the shortest possible time (at no additional cost) and I stand behind my original statement that from a practical perspective you should do your social before you passport.
 
paulclarke1 said:
I am not sure what purpose changing your social security card serves. It does removed the notation "Valid for work only with INS authorization".
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If someone is getting naturalized, they have a green card. If someone has a green card, the SS card should already be unrestricted. The "INS" notation should not be there.

If someone wants to fix the "valid for work" notation in the shortest time, they can do it before naturalization. The SS update after naturalization has different purpose.
 
We applied for passports at LACC at the time of Naturalization on 10/27. We got our passports and Nat. Certificate in the mail today. Will go to SSA office to update the records, just in case.

No plans to do anything on DMV..
 
Right after I naturalized, i went to SSA next day and they asked me to come back once I get my PP. So there is no link between the two.
 
sanjoseaug20 said:
... I am sure there are so many people changing their name, many due to taking the husband's last name, that SS office will have figured out how to handle Name discrepancy.
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Um, yeah, look at E-Verify for example. If there is a discrepancy, you are out of luck and get sent to your closest Social Security Administration office to sort it out.

The argument has always been to do the Social Security visit first as you have your naturalization certificate in your hands. Once you apply for a passport, you hand over your naturalization certificate for a few weeks. Practically speaking the odds of losing your naturalization certificate in the mail are minor, but some people like the added peace of mind. In so many words, just get it done. ;)
 
Deerlover said:
Thank you all for your all replies. I will go ahead to apply for my first U.S passport. I will not wait for SSN card to come after reading your replies. Not too sure if need to turn in court document for name change. I really don't want to lose it.

Do I need to update with my employer at same time? I am worried my paystub may not
match the new or old name in Social Security Bureau. I want pay tax, and get credit from
Social Security Bureau.
Click to expand...

The new SSN card will come only if you apply for name change in their Bureau. It is not automatic, you have to apply. They verify the Naturaliztion certificate and Court doc across the counter and return the originals back to you. That's why from practical point of view it is better to go DMV and SS first to change yourname in DL/ID and SSN before you apply for PP.
 
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