Dept. of Social Security, you guys suck.

[Cartooniverse]

The deal: Kids are adopted. Kids got Social Security cards when they were toddlers.

Kids became Naturalized American Citizens in 1999. They each got a lovely and elaborate Naturalization Certificate. ( NC from here out ). By sweet coinkydink, both kids were handed their citizenship by the First Lady at the time, Hilary Rodham Clinton.

So. Daughter has a SS #. Daughter has a pretty certificate. On the face of NC it states , " It is a violate of Federal Law to photocopy this document". Okay. Fair 'nuff.

Daughter goes to fill out FAFSA student financial aid forms online in March or so. A month later, her online app is rejected. She's not got a valid SS # for someone who is not a citizen. Great. Fucking great. Daughter ( who is now 17.5 ) and her mother drive to a local S.S. Office. They are told to fill out a form and surrender her NC. They do so.

Daughter is sent a form letter confirming the face to face visit. " The process will take no longer than 4 weeks." That was 9 weeks ago. I called SS today. They told me that the information was incorrect. The person in the local office made a mistake. However, the NC was forwarded on to the Department of Homeland Security- Immigration Enforcement Dept. THEY will decide if her NC is acceptable and valid or not.

If they do, then eventually she will get her SS # straight, and get back the sole copy on the planet of her right to stay in American for good. If they decide they do not like it, for whatever reason, she is deeply fucked. She has zero proof of American citizenship, and no way to make SS believe that she is a citizen.

Fuckers. Tomorrow I call DHS, and get Immigration Enforcement and see what I can find out.

Meanwhile- MEANWHILE- she is trying to register for classes in college. When they find out her SS is invalid, IF they do so, she will not get to start college.



If DHS does not give me satisfaction, I will have to call Ms. Clinton's office and see what she can do. Of course, she isn't exactly the former First Lady any more. I don't care. I'll make the call and see how far I can push this.

Cartooniverse

[Zabigail]

Thoughts and prayers for the best possible outcome are going out to you!

Do you know if your other child has the same problem? Time to go to an attorney on their behalf, maybe?

[OtakuLoki]

Another vote for getting a lawyer ASAP. Or calling your US Reps as well as the Senators offices.

I hope things work out quickly.

[Hatshepsut]

She's not got a valid SS # for someone who is not a citizen.

Wait, I don't get it - she is a citizen, right? (Whether naturalized or by birth, a citizen is a citizen. Or should be.) And she has a SS# for a citizen? What on earth is the problem?

Whatever, I feel your pain. We had to change the name on our son's social security records and it took about 6 months and never would have happened if I hadn't done a lot of follow-up that shouldn't have been necessary. Good luck with those jokers.

[featherlou]

Best of luck with this. I'm currently dealing with our local City Hall, and that's a big enough hassle; I don't even want to think about dealing with a federal government and having to rely on their competence to get my proof of citizenship back!

[Laughing Lagomorph]

She's not got a valid SS # for someone who is not a citizen.

Wait, I don't get it - she is a citizen, right? (Whether naturalized or by birth, a citizen is a citizen. Or should be.) And she has a SS# for a citizen? What on earth is the problem?

...

Yeah, I'm a little confused too. There must be SOME other record of your daughter becoming a citizen other than the certificate you no longer have.

For what it's worth my parents lived in New York State when HRC was a Senator. Being elderly they occasionally had issues with their health insurance, when the insurance companies were being especially ornery they would write then-Senator Clinton's office to complain...and the problems would magically clear up every single time.

Hillary's role is obviously different now and her office is probably not oriented specifically towards fixing constituent's problems but it is worth a shot.

[Zsofia]

This is definately the sort of thing you call your senators and representatives over - they'll have numbers just for constituent services.

[Cartooniverse]

Yeah, I'm a little confused too. There must be SOME other record of your daughter becoming a citizen other than the certificate you no longer have.

For what it's worth my parents lived in New York State when HRC was a Senator. Being elderly they occasionally had issues with their health insurance, when the insurance companies were being especially ornery they would write then-Senator Clinton's office to complain...and the problems would magically clear up every single time.

Hillary's role is obviously different now and her office is probably not oriented specifically towards fixing constituent's problems but it is worth a shot.

Oh MORE than worth a shot. To clarify- the ex told me they had it xeroxed at the SS office. So that is good. Unlike other documents, this is akin to a Passport. It is a one-off. Thick fancy document, with a color photo stapled to it, raised embossed seal THROUGH photo, etc. There should be electronic records of her being a citizen, but that is it. Anyway, original is in the house.

It is a moot point anyway- I have photos AND video of HRC handing my daughter her citizenship. The SS assholes, and foot-dragging jerks at DHS would have an exceedingly hard time proving that what I said about this was not the truth. One does not call the Secretary of State a liar. She was there, I spoke to her, she hugged my daughter, etc. All easily documented.

After a few more hours of my life on the phone invested in this, I was told to go and make an appointment face to face with someone from DHS- there is a division that does Citizenship stuff. That way, I have a person, a contact, and they can assess where the stuff is in the process and why- if at all- it is being slowed down or denied.

This may just be the wheels turning slowly and nothing more. I will make the appointment and see where it takes me.

She IS a citizen, but SS codes information for Resident Aliens who have a valid SS # differently than for citizens who have a valid SS#. When daughter became Naturalized, that should have been changed. We did not know, were not told, to contact SS to have that change affected. It is our responsibility apparently, but one we ignored out of.......... ignorance?

[featherlou]

Ah, the beauty of bureaucracy changing the goalposts and not letting you know that you need to do your things to keep up with them. That scene from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" where they had the plans for the new intergalactic highway buried in the file cabinet in the basement, and it was humanity's fault for not seeing them? Rings truer every day.

[Hatshepsut]

Ah, it all makes sense now. Or rather, the OP makes sense. Unclear that the SS Administration ever will.

It's certainly bizarre that you aren't allowed to copy the naturalization certificate. I understand how only the original is valid, like a passport, but we photocopy our passports all the time for administrative uses (joys of expatriate life). It's not like anyone is going to mistake a photocopy for the original. I hope the naturalization certificate at least has unique information on it (a registration number) that you can keep as proof that it exists. (Photos of HRC hugging your daughter are far less convenient forms of proof.)

On a kind of hijackish note, I really do not understand why adopted children do not become US citizens immediately upon adoption by US citizen parents. Our son was born in South Africa, and while we had to jump through a couple of hoops to take care of the paperwork, he was instantly considered a US citizen, despite having been born abroad, because his parents are US citizens. Well, adoption means that you are his parents, so to my mind your kids should become US citizens on the spot just like my son did. The SS Administration is merely incompetent, but sometimes I think INS is downright evil. [/hijack]

[Cartooniverse]

On a kind of hijackish note, I really do not understand why adopted children do not become US citizens immediately upon adoption by US citizen parents.

They do. Now. One of President Clinton's parting gestures was to pass one of those Presidential laws just before he left, declaring that upon finalization of adoption, all foreign-born adoptees were immediately and automatically US Citizens.

Incoming President Bush made it clear from Day 1 that he would NOT overturn that law. AFAIK, it still stands. Too late for my kids, but great now.

cite

Cartooniverse

[Hatshepsut]

I am so happy to hear that! I wish it could have saved you some trouble, but at least things are better now.