How to complete FAFSA when parent's immigration status changed with new SSN?

Congratulations to your mom on her residency status! Yes, she needs to update her FSA ID account with her new Social Security Number before completing the new FAFSA. Here's the process I would recommend: 1. Your mom should log into her existing FSA ID account 2. Go to the profile settings and update her SSN information 3. Save the changes and wait 1-3 business days for the SSA to verify the new information 4. Once verified, she can then start the parent portion of your FAFSA 5. After she completes her section, she can invite you to complete your part The system needs to validate her SSN with the Social Security Administration before you submit the FAFSA, so doing it in this order prevents delays. Make sure she updates the account rather than creating a new one to avoid confusion in the system.

my mom had the same thing happen except she got citizenship!! we just updated her info on the fsaid website but then had problems becuz the system kept saying her info didnt match social security records. took forever to fix ugh

As someone who works with FAFSA applications regularly, I can tell you that changes in parent immigration status are actually fairly common. The key points to remember are: 1. Your mother should update her existing FSA ID account with her new SSN - creating a new account will cause problems 2. After updating, there's a verification period with the Social Security Administration that typically takes 1-3 days but can sometimes take longer 3. Once verified, complete the FAFSA with the updated information 4. In the comments section of the FAFSA, it's helpful to note that this is an update to immigration status from the previous year Yes, there's a higher chance of being selected for verification when information changes significantly between years. However, this is a legitimate change and you'll have documentation to support it. Just make sure your mother has her green card and SSN card easily accessible in case verification is requested.

doesnt matter what order u do it in. my dad updated his stuff last yr and we just did it normal. its fine

I spent HOURS trying to get my dad's updated information to work on the FAFSA system last year. The FSA ID website kept giving errors and when I called the helpline I was on hold for like 2 hours!!! Then got disconnected!!! TWICE!!! The whole system is ridiculous and clearly not designed for families with complex situations. I eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human at the FSA help center without the insane wait. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Basically lets you skip the hold time. The agent I spoke with finally explained we needed to wait 3 full business days after updating the SSN before trying to start the FAFSA. Something about database syncing that the website doesn't bother to explain anywhere.

yall making this way more complicated than it needs to be lol. just put the new ssn in and move on

Just wanted to add that if you're worried about verification (which honestly happens randomly a lot of the time anyway), start gathering documentation now: - Your mom's permanent residency card - Her new Social Security card - Tax returns for the year required on the FAFSA - Any documentation showing when her status change occurred My sister went through this exact situation and we did get selected for verification. Having all the documents ready made it much easier. Her school's financial aid office was actually super helpful and understanding about the situation. Don't stress too much - this happens more often than you'd think!

To answer your follow-up question - yes, her aid was delayed by about 3 weeks while verification was processed. But because we submitted everything quickly, it was still processed before the tuition due date. The financial aid office gave her a temporary hold on the account so she didn't have to pay out of pocket while waiting. Definitely talk to your school's financial aid office about your situation - they can often put notes in your file and help if there are delays.

wait, i just realized something important - make sure your mom's name is EXACTLY the same on everything. my mom's middle name was spelled differently on her SSN card vs green card and that caused so many problems!!