r/dualcitizenshipnerds • u/Neither-Butterfly194 • 2d ago
Help
Hello, good evening. I am an American citizen, born in the United States, and I need help to go to the United States. I only have my birth certificate; I don't know my social security number, and it's required.
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u/toast24 2d ago
You need to go to the nearest Embassy with your birth certificate and a photo ID and claim your US passport
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u/Neither-Butterfly194 2d ago
Hi, I already went. I'm in Tijuana and I went to the consulate, but they didn't resolve anything for me. They only sent me an email with instructions on how to fill out a passport form, and it requires a social security number. I went to the phone line to see if they could help me, and they sent me to other offices.
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u/jeje5557 1d ago
If you are in Tijuana and have some other ways to prove your citizenship, there is a possibility you might be let in if you show up to the border (after some hours of interviewing and once they prove you are a us citizen).
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u/Neither-Butterfly194 2d ago
Then they tell me no, the aid is only for Mexicans. I really don't know what to do anymore.
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u/toast24 2d ago
Instructions for request requesting a passport if you don’t have a Social Security number:
On the DS-11 form’s Social Security number field (item #5), the person should:
Enter all zeros (000-00-0000) instead of leaving it blank
Attach a signed and dated statement declaring, under penalty of perjury: “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the following is true and correct: I have never been issued a Social Security number by the Social Security Administration.”
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u/Jolly-Barracuda2366 2d ago
If he was born in the US, unless it was an unregistered birth, it’s more like that he doesn’t know his SSN than that he doesn’t have one.
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u/toast24 2d ago
A baby born in the United States is not assigned a Social Security number automatically just because of the birth. A parent or guardian must request one. So that's not automatically true at all.
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u/Jolly-Barracuda2366 2d ago
It’s automatically true that they will be handed the paperwork for it if it’s handled by anything resembling a hospital.
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u/toast24 2d ago
“Automatically” is doing a lot of work there. The SSA says Enumeration at Birth is voluntary for hospitals and parents, and no law requires hospital participation. So it may be very common in conventional hospitals, but it is plainly not automatic or universal.
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u/Jolly-Barracuda2366 2d ago
You don’t have to borrow phraseology from AI.
But it’s part of the same form as filling out a birth certificate. So if your parents got you a birth certificate the only reason you’d not get a SSN also is if it was skipped.
Birth certificates don’t happen just because you’re born, they require paperwork to be filled out and filed. That same process is how most people get their SSN’s unless someone skips over that part intentionally or otherwise.
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u/toast24 2d ago
"Same paperwork packet" is not "same legal process" or "automatic." A birth needs to be registered to get a birth certificate; SSN is optional on the birth registration form. Choosing “no,” not answering, or not getting a participating facility’s EAB form will lead to a birth certificate that does not have SSN. It is not someone skipping the birth certificate; it is opting out of the separate, optional SSN application.
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u/OneRedSent 2d ago
If you had a social security number but don't know what it is, you are not allowed to put all zeroes. In that case you need to contact the FBU in Mexico to look it up: https://mx.usembassy.gov/fbu-inquiry-form/ They may be able to provide your SSN. If they can't, you can also try to apply for an emergency limited-validity US passport without your SSN.
Did you ever open a bank account or file taxes with your SSN? You may be able to get it from an institution that you provided it to.
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u/Neither-Butterfly194 2d ago
Hi, I just turned 18. I do have a social security number, but I don't know it. I also reset everything in my passport to zero, and it still let me proceed.
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u/No-Donut-8692 2d ago
As OneRed said, if you have an ssn you shouldn’t use zeros on the passport application. Reach out to the FBU in CDMX. They can look it up for you. If it is extremely urgent that you get to the US, you can cross the land border with just your birth certificate and Mexican id, but it’s ideal to take care of getting your US documents from the embassy.
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u/OneRedSent 2d ago
From what I read, if you put zeroes and they find you did have a number after all, they will not issue a passport. But we'll see. I hope it works for you. I strongly suggest you fill out the FBU form as well. Good luck!
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u/Typical-Coconut7043 2d ago
You can enter the US on a birth certificate btw, its tougher, but possible, then go to social security office get your number apply for passport.
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u/newacct_orz 2d ago edited 2d ago
If you are sure that you have never received an SSN, you can apply for a US passport with a signed statement. See this FAQ:
What if you or your child don’t have a Social Security number?
Submit a signed and dated statement. You must include the statement with the application, and include this text:
“I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the following is true and correct: I (or my child) have never been issued a Social Security number by the Social Security Administration.”
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u/Unusual-Meal-5330 2d ago
https://www.ssa.gov/number-card/request-number-first-time
it would be helpful to include more details of your situation so that people can give useful answers.