thanks for the answer fbanna. you have great insights, i will be lost without you. we just got back from SS office, and they said that we have to wait for 3-4 weeks, they might have issued him a # already. so if we dont receive the # we will go back. as far as insurance, i dont know what to do, since they are expensive. I will try to look for a cheaper one.
Did you have to fill out the application form ? They say if you already checked on the I-130 to have one issued, they will automatically issue one. But I am not sure if this works.