Monday, June 13, 2011

SSN received!

So, I had a good feeling this morning as I went to check the mailbox. Lo and behold, there was something for me from the SSA! Came all the way from Baltimore, Maryland. There was only one thing inside the envelope:

(front with SSN card)

(back)

So, after one month and one day from entering the USA, I finally have my SSN! *dances*

Going to my bank after Ben gets off work and I'm going to apply for a credit card. Hope I get accepted! As soon as I have a credit card, I'll be buying my computer parts off NewEgg, so I can finally, finally have a desktop again! *super excited*

I'll be applying for school probably tomorrow and getting my transcripts gathered and such.

I'll also have to pay a visit to the DMV (*shudder*) to get a South Dakota driver's license.

And then finally, try to get a job somewhere, so I can start getting money again after one year of unemployment.

~Lindsay

10 comments:

  1. Ill be interested in hearing how your attempt to get credit card goes. I was reading online that they "forget" all your credit from Canada and basically you just start over.

    That can be both good and bad!

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  2. Yeah, credit doesn't transfer to the US. The guy mentioned I'll most likely be denied since I don't have a job. I'll find out in a few days when I get something from the bank by mail.

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  3. I've been following your blog for a few weeks now. Congrats on getting the SSN in the mail! =) That's got to feel great!

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  4. Thanks! And yes, it's finally nice to get my SSN after so long! :)

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  5. Any luck with the credit card?

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  6. Haven't received anything in the mail yet from my bank, but at this point I'm expecting a denial as I don't have a job.

    I didn't feel like waiting any longer, so I just used my debit card to buy my computer parts. One half of them are bought, just waiting on some money to buy the second half :)

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  7. Hi Lindsay - My name is Jade. I'm a fellow Canadian living in Ontario married to an American man. Like you, we've been navigating this visa process for what feels like forever.

    I've been meaning to contact you a few times just to say "thanks". I've been trolling your Visa journey (through VisaJourney!) the last two months and it's helped my husband and I immensely!

    Since you seem to have a plethora of expertise in the area, I thought I'd ask you a quick question. We're just waiting for our interview date now. We received the case complete confirmation email on June 8th. I've called NVC four times since then and they keep asking me to call back the second week of July to see if there's any August interview dates. It seems as if you got your interview date fairly quickly from the time you received your "case complete" email. I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to expedite the process or, do I just have to sit back and wait for an email with my interview date?

    I can't seem to find your email - if you like I can be reached at directedimage@hotmail.com

    Again, thank you. I know you're looking for a new job. While I don't know you, based on your organizational skills, amazing attention to detail, efficiency and entrepreneurial approach to problems I have no doubt you'll find something soon. You would be an asset to any team!

    Thanks in advance! And, best of luck!
    Jade

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  8. Hi Jade!

    I'm so glad I could be of help to you and your husband!

    For now, you can't really do anything except call NVC and/or DOS to see if an interview date has been assigned. And don't listen to the NVC operators when they say they only schedule interviews in the second week. It's a lie! I was scheduled during the fourth week! It's funny you mention how I got an interview date quickly. Compared to other Canadians, it was actually really long. Most find out within 2 weeks. Mine took 15 days from CC. I'd say you're going to find out your interview date this week or next :) And it'll probably be for an early August interview. And there's no way to expedite this process unless you have a good reason (medical, imminent deployment, etc).

    And there's not much jobs here in this tiny town :( I applied to a Super 8 hotel here for a motel cleaner (I love cleaning XD), but haven't heard back. Too bad I can't work as an immigration attorney or something without having to go to school as there's no school here for that. I definitely have experience needed for an immigration attorney, lol. And I don't know what kind of job would involve organizational skills (I'm OCD about being organized), attention to detail, and such. If you have any suggestions, I'm listening :)

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  9. My computer died just as I was typing you a response last night! Of course it did.

    Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! You're message made me feel much better! I hope to hear something soon. I was assuming I'd get more like a mid September interview date so your estimation is positive!

    Off the top of my head, and not knowing your previous work and/or education experience, I think you'd be fabulous in an administrative role. If you don't have it already perhaps try and get some office experience under your belt. We hired a lawyer to walk us through this process and the $2500 we've spent has basically been for the communication we've had with her assistant! From your posts it seems as if you know more about this process then she does.

    Other avenues to consider - Not for profit. Are there any causes that you're passionate about? You could be a Researcher, Grant Writer, Data Entry.

    Even if you don't have administrative experience and want to investigate that world a bit I'm sure you have some transferable skills that you could parlay into a new career. It's all about articulating it appropriately - and you my friend are certainly articulate! If I can help in any way let me know! Aim high girl!

    Thanks again for your help! I'll keep you posted! And, send me an email anytime if you want to bounce any ideas around.

    Jade

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  10. There are several ways to credit card if you just moved to the US. Although it might be a bit tricky, nothing is impossible. However, having SSN and creditworthiness proof is a must. This article provides some cases how an immigrant can get a credit card:

    https://effectify.com/blog/build-credit/how-to-get-credit-card-for-new-immigrants/

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