Recently in Social Security Number Category
Yesterday was a big day. The shipping container carrying all our goods arrived and I got my social security card in the mail! Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle are coming together.
Hello, World!
We arrived in the United States last Monday, and we are busy settling in. After arriving at JFK airport, we cleared immigration as we would do normally. The main difference between our previous visits and this one, was that it was quicker to get through the initial screening. Unlike the other times, this time we were not going on to collect our luggage directly, but we were directed to a second desk where they validated the visa. The additional time that we spent at immigration was about 10 minutes, but I think we won that time back by not having to wait for our luggage. After my visa has been validated, all the bags were already together and sitting next to the luggage carousel.
Finding good, affordable, health insurance can be a serious problem. In the Netherlands, we are used to having mandatory health insurance our entire lives. In the United States, such a thing does not exist; everybody is free to decide whether or not they feel that having a health insurance coverage is worth the cost.
Normally, moving to a different place to live is a big undertaking. Moving internationally brings on a whole other level of complexity. We are in the fortunate position that we will be moving to another country with a job already lined up.
Starting that job might turn out to be a little bit of a problem, for the simple reason that I will not have a social security number until several weeks until after we arrive. After we are admitted into the country, the immigration officer will send off a request for a social security number to the social security administration. Our information at this point indicates that it might take weeks before a number is issued and mailed to our address.
