So, I’m in a big crisis. I was born in a different country, but my parents came here with me when I was 5. Both my parents were naturalized and I’ve read on multiple sites that makes me a citizen. Now the problem is, SSA doesn’t recognize me as a citizen. I have a passport and social security number but what do I do from here? Do I go to the social security office and get it resolved or do I send my college my passport and ss card? I’m so lost.
also, do I need to fill out FAFSA before colleges start? I know the deadline is the end of the year as in 2018 - 2019 school year deadline is on June 30, 2019.
Take your Certificate of Citizenship and Social Security card to the SSA office in person, and ask that they update your status. It takes a couple weeks to accomplish. You’ll get a new Social Security card in the mail, completely identical to the old one; when you get it, your status is updated.
Source: my spouse needed a replacement card at 50 and discovered when applying for it that the computer had never been updated even though it had been 33 years.
If you are 18, you can take either the certificate of citizenship or the passport to the SSA office and have the status changed. If you have already filed a FAFSA, you will need to take the passport/COC to the school’s office and they will update your status there too. They HAVE to see the original and don’t send it in! Actually, you probably didn’t get an FSA ID if your SSN status wasn’t ‘citizen’. If you aren’t 18, your parent can do it at the SSA office.
But yes, your first duty is to get your status corrected at the SSA. You’ll have to correct it at the school by showing your proof of citizenship (passport/COC).
“my spouse needed a replacement card at 50 and discovered when applying for it that the computer had never been updated even though it had been 33 years.”
I ran into the same issue when I got old enough to sign up for medicare. Although I have been a US citizen for several decades, the social security people didn’t know. Apparently the social security administration and the folks who grant US citizenship are not fully coordinated.
It wasn’t that hard to fix, but did require a visit to the local social security administration office, and a wait. Take a good book.
None of the federal agencies are allowed to share information. Only two agencies can determine if you are a citizen based on documents (other than the SSA when using a birth certificate) and those are the state dept and the USCIS, so you have to take either a passport or a Certificate of Naturalization/Citizenship to prove it to the SSA. Taking a copy of the law? No good. Taking your “A” number or your visa in a passport? No good. The SSA can’t interpret law (like the Child Citizenship Act).
Re: filing FAFSA. The FAFSA for your freshman year in college will be available on October 1 of your senior year in high school. Complete it ASAP after that date and submit to the colleges you are applying to.
Do NOT wait until the deadline. You want to have you financial aid award in time to make your matriculation decision on May 1 of your HS senior year.
Look on EACH college website for their deadlines for all financial aid application materials, what you need to submit.
And also look at admission deadlines.
Don’t wait…don’t miss the deadlines.
What year in HS are you now?
Complete your FAFSA with the SSN you described. Whether you answer yes or no to citizenship on FAFSA doesn’t matter …they’ll run it through SSA anyway. If SSA cannot verify your citizenship, your Financial Aid office will request citizenship documentation. For you, that’s probably this:
https://ifap.ed.gov/sfahandbooks/attachments/0203Vol1Ch2.pdf (Page 1-42)
The Certificate of Citizenship is issued to persons who were born abroad of U.S. parent(s); who became citizens when their parents were naturalized; or who were adopted by U.S. parents
I already applied and submitted
I just wanted to know.
^^ I think the OP will have an issue getting a FSA ID if the SSN citizenship doesn’t match up.
Same SSA check, I assume. Maybe paper signatures all around?
Never, ever send anyone your social security card and/or passport!!!
When you submit your FAFSA, if the system cannot verify your citizenship status you will be selected for verification. There is a specific verification worksheet for those with citizenship issues. You complete this form and submit it to your financial aid office with a copy of your US passport and birth certificate. They will then update the system and your federal aid will be released. This is a fairly common problem.
Any questions, ask your financial aid office. They will have encountered this issue many times and can advise.
The FA officer has to see the ORIGINAL proof of citizenship, either a passport or a certificate of citizenship. A copy will not do it. A US birth certificate that shows you were not born in the US will not work. And do NOT send your original to the FA office. They might accept a copy to continue processing your aid if you are out of state, but they cannot release the aid until they see the original.