Submitting Your SS-5 Social Security Card Application in Person
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If you are looking to get your SS-5 social security card, then it can be large hassle. However, that is only the case if you are not armed with the right information to make it easier on yourself. Therefore, make sure you do not simply wing it. Have the right documents and be prepared to make the process easier by following this advice designed to make your experience better:
The first key part of submitting your social security application in person
Submitting your ss-5 social security card application in person needs to be done completely accurately. This means that there cannot be mistakes in the process. The first part of this to understand is that if you have made photocopies or gotten notarized copies of your documents, you will need to keep them aside for now.
It would be nice if you could simply make a copy and bring it into the office. The reality is that the social security office does not permit the use of copies that did not come from the agencies that originally created the documents themselves. You will need to obtain the originals. This is not as difficult as it sounds.
However, it could take some time. So be sure to leave room in your timing for this to arrive in the mail, or you could be disappointed by the inability to get your social security card as soon as you wanted it.
Citizenship
The first, and most important, part of this process, is proving your identity. There are only two documents that will qualify this part of the process. You will either need your birth certificate or your U.S. passport. Even if you have a passport that is valid from another country, this will not satisfy the requirements.
Again, these cannot be copies. If they are, they need to be officially sent from the government agencies that issued them. It is best to locate your originals and keep them handy throughout this process. In fact, you will find that these two documents can be all you need.
Also keep in mind that you cannot use your passport or your birth certificate for the entire process. Both of them together will give you everything you need. One can qualify for different parts of the process. But at the end of the day, you have to have two different pieces of documentation. This is to ensure that the government can continue to prevent fraud at the appropriate pace.
Age
Your birth certificate is required to verify your age if it exists. Therefore, even if you have a passport or other form of id that could qualify to verify your age, it will not be accepted if you have a birth certificate.
However, you do still have other options if you do not have a birth certificate. This includes your passport, a religious document (if it was made before you were 5 years old), or a hospital document. Also keep in mind that people who were born out of the U.S. must prove why they were not in the U.S.
In this case, the documents above can help explain why that is. You might also need to produce employee documents or school documents. This will show where you lived and demonstrate why you don’t already have a social security card.
Identity
There are three items you must have for a proper piece of id. The first is a photo that is current. The second is that the document is valid and not expired. The third is that it describes your age and your date of birth. If it has all of these things, then it can qualify as your proof of identity. Your passport is the preferred document for this proof.
Getting your SS-5 social security card is a big step. It allows you do to enjoy a lot of the benefits that you were once missing out on as a U.S. citizen. However, it is not something that will happen easily if you try to get around the laws that exist. The agency will demand certain types of documents in order to process your paperwork. So be sure to follow the advice above without straying.