The Social Security Number

Hello everyone,

This is a short entry just to talk about the social security number.

When you are filing your forms through the immigration process, at one point there is the option (literally a tick box) that asks if you want a social security number automatically sent you once you arrive in the US. I'm not sure why anyone would not want to tick it, since it means you don't have to go to the social security office in your home state to request one.

I had ticked the box (or more accurately, our lawyers had), and a weeks to the day after entering the U.S. it arrived in the post! One thing I have learnt here in the US is that for some unfathomable reason whenever you need ID for anything, a lot of the time they'll also ask for the original envelope that whatever it is you're presenting, arrived in! So, be careful opening your SSN - don't rip the envelope open and throw it away, keep it!

Dan.