Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are observed annually on September 17 in the United States to commemorate the Constitution’s role in shaping American citizenship.
It is a time for citizens to reflect on the importance of their status as US citizens, as well as to welcome and acknowledge those who have recently become citizens through the naturalisation process.
This day not only emphasises the relationship between the United States Constitution and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, but it also allows us to recognise the journey that new citizens have taken to join the American community.
In light of this year’s observance, there is noteworthy news regarding improvements in services for individuals undergoing the naturalisation process. Over the last year, there have been ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency and accessibility of services provided to applicants.
In particular, recent collaboration between the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has resulted in significant changes aimed at streamlining the application process for those seeking US citizenship.
Updates to the Social Security enrollment process
This collaboration is primarily aimed at those who submit Form N-400, the application used to seek US naturalisation. Historically, after becoming a citizen of the United States, individuals were frequently required to visit multiple offices and complete additional paperwork in order to update their citizenship status, request a name change, and apply for a social security card.
However, this new collaboration between the SSA and USCIS enables applicants to handle all of these requests concurrently as part of the naturalisation application process.
Specifically, when individuals apply for naturalisation using Form N-400, they can now request updates to their citizenship status, make legal changes to their name, and apply for a Social Security card all in one simple process.
This means that new US citizens will no longer need to make a separate trip to a Social Security office with their immigration documents once their naturalisation process is complete.
This is expected to save applicants significant time and alleviate the burden of navigating various federal services separately. It also aligns with the SSA’s efforts to streamline processes and make it easier for users to interact with the services it offers.
This initiative is part of a larger effort to strengthen interagency cooperation and improve the naturalisation process. It is consistent with the goals outlined in the Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalisation, as mandated by White House Executive Order 14012.
This Executive Order emphasises the importance of increasing access to naturalisation services and ensuring that newly naturalised citizens can fully integrate into American society as soon as possible.
As part of the updated process, USCIS collects all necessary information on behalf of the SSA to ensure that the Social Security card application and naturalisation request can be processed concurrently.
While not all information collected for immigration purposes is required for the issuance of a Social Security card, some critical information is required for the SSA to process the request correctly.
Applicants are asked to provide specific information such as their full name, date of birth, parents’ names, country of birth, and gender. This information is critical to ensuring that the Social Security Administration can issue a Social Security card without delay.
After a new citizen’s naturalisation is processed, they should receive their Social Security card within about 14 days. If the card does not arrive within this timeframe, new citizens should contact their local Social Security office for assistance.
The new procedure is intended to reduce the likelihood of such issues, but the SSA is prepared to assist in resolving any unexpected delays.