Social Security approved despite foreign birth certificate concerns - my experience

My husband had virtually the same situation - born in Germany in '57 when his dad was stationed there with the Air Force. When he applied for retirement benefits last year, they initially flagged his application for review because of the birth certificate issue. Took an extra 3 weeks, but ultimately everything processed fine. The SSA agent told us that military births abroad are actually pretty common in their system! Glad yours went smoothly!

i had similar prob but mine was worse - born in philippines in 60s when dad worked for state dept. my FS-240 form was super faded and they rejected my first application!! had to order certified copy from state dept which took FOREVER. finally got approved last month but missed 2 payments bcuz of the delay. ugh.

SSA actually has specific procedures for handling foreign birth certificates. For anyone reading this thread with similar concerns, here's what helps smooth the process: 1. If possible, update your SS card *before* applying for retirement benefits 2. Bring multiple forms of ID verification (passport, driver's license, etc.) 3. If you have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240), Certificate of Citizenship, or Naturalization Certificate, bring the original if possible 4. Consider bringing documentation that links your US citizen parent(s) to you if it's a case of derived citizenship The most common delays happen when the name on your birth certificate doesn't exactly match other documents (marriage changes, spelling variations, etc.). For military families, the DoD records can sometimes be accessed by SSA to verify eligibility.

I tried calling SSA about this exact issue last month and spent THREE HOURS on hold before getting disconnected. TWICE. The system is broken! My brother was born in Panama Canal Zone in 1959 and needs to apply soon but we can't get answers about what documentation he'll need.

Actually, Panama Canal Zone births have a specific designation in the SSA system. Your brother would need his Canal Zone birth certificate, proof of parent citizenship at time of birth, and possibly Form DS-1350 (Certification of Birth) if available. The Canal Zone has special status since it was a US-controlled territory, so it's handled differently than other foreign births. I processed these cases for years before retiring from SSA. He should apply online but expect to be contacted for an interview to verify documents. The backlog is currently running about 4-6 weeks for special case processing.

For those wondering about timing - my application with a foreign birth certificate (Germany, 1954) took about 6 weeks from submission to approval. That was about 3 weeks longer than my husband's standard application with a US birth certificate. Not terrible, but plan accordingly!

so does anyone know if a CRBA form FS-240 is better than having naturalization papers?? my cousin has both (born in mexico, parents got citizenship when he was 4) and doesnt know which to use when he applies next month

Congrats on getting approved! When do you get your first payment? I'm just starting to research all this stuff and the payment timing is confusing me.

This is really encouraging to hear! I'm in a similar situation - born in Italy in 1958 while my father was working for an American company there. I've been putting off applying for retirement benefits because I was worried about potential delays or complications with my foreign birth certificate. Your experience gives me hope that the process might be smoother than I expected. I do have my original Consular Report of Birth Abroad and a current US passport, so it sounds like I have the right documentation. Did you apply online first or go straight to the local office? I'm trying to decide the best approach.

I'm also dealing with foreign birth documentation - born in the UK in 1959 when my dad was stationed there with the Navy. I've been hesitant to apply because I keep hearing mixed stories about processing times and documentation requirements. Your positive experience is really encouraging! I have my Certificate of Birth Abroad and updated my Social Security card about 2 years ago, so it sounds like I'm in a similar position to you. Did the SSA office give you any timeline estimate when you applied in person, or did the approval just show up unexpectedly in your online account? I'm trying to plan when to submit my application relative to my 67th birthday next fall.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 66 and planning to apply for Social Security benefits next month. I was born in Canada in 1958 while my parents were living there temporarily for my father's job. I have my Certificate of Birth Abroad but I've been nervous about potential complications. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially the practical advice about bringing multiple forms of ID and updating your SS card beforehand - has really put my mind at ease. It sounds like most people with foreign birth certificates are getting approved within 4-6 weeks, which is much better than the horror stories I'd heard. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and documentation tips!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm 65 and was born in Japan in 1959 while my father was working for a U.S. contractor there. I've been putting off my Social Security application because I was worried about delays with my foreign birth documentation, but reading everyone's experiences here has been really reassuring. I have my original Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240) and a current U.S. passport, but my Social Security card is the old paper one from the 1970s that's pretty worn. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like I should definitely get an updated SS card before applying - seems like that made a real difference for several people. Did anyone else find that having the updated card significantly sped up their process? I'm hoping to apply within the next couple of months and the 4-6 week timeline most people are reporting sounds very manageable.

This is such valuable information for anyone with foreign birth certificates! I'm 64 and was born in Australia in 1960 when my mother was doing research there. I've been anxious about applying for Social Security benefits because I wasn't sure how they'd handle my Certificate of Birth Abroad. Reading through all these experiences - especially seeing that most people are getting approved within 4-6 weeks - has really helped calm my nerves. I have my original FS-240 and current passport, but like others mentioned, my Social Security card is one of those old paper ones from decades ago that's barely readable. Definitely going to get that updated before I apply! It's so reassuring to see that SSA has established procedures for handling these cases and that the staff seems knowledgeable about foreign birth documentation. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and tips - this community is incredibly helpful!

This thread is incredibly encouraging! I'm 66 and was born in Germany in 1958 while my dad was stationed there with the Army. I've been dreading the Social Security application process because I was worried about potential complications with my foreign birth certificate, but reading everyone's experiences here has really put my mind at ease. I have my Certificate of Birth Abroad and a current US passport, but my Social Security card is one of those ancient paper ones from the 1970s that's practically disintegrating. Based on all the advice here, I'm definitely going to get an updated SS card before applying - it sounds like that really makes a difference in processing time. The 4-6 week timeline most people are reporting is so much better than the horror stories I'd been hearing! It's amazing how helpful this community is - thank you all for sharing your real experiences rather than just speculation. This has given me the confidence to move forward with my application next month!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm 65 and was born in the Philippines in 1959 while my father was working for the State Department. I've been terrified about applying for Social Security because I kept reading horror stories online about foreign birth certificate delays, but seeing all these real experiences has completely changed my perspective. Everyone's timeline of 4-6 weeks sounds so reasonable! I have my FS-240 Consular Report of Birth Abroad and current passport, but like so many others here, I'm dealing with one of those deteriorating paper Social Security cards from the 1970s. Definitely getting that updated first based on all the great advice in this thread. It's incredible how much anxiety melts away when you hear from people who've actually been through the process successfully. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences - this community support means everything when navigating something this important!

This entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! I'm 63 and was born in South Korea in 1961 while my father was serving with the U.S. military there. I've been postponing my Social Security research because I was overwhelmed by conflicting information online about foreign birth documentation requirements. Reading through everyone's real experiences here - especially the consistent 4-6 week processing timeline and the practical tips about updating your Social Security card beforehand - has given me so much confidence to start preparing for my application. I have my Certificate of Birth Abroad and current passport, but yes, I'm another victim of the deteriorating 1970s paper Social Security card! I'll definitely be getting that updated first thing next week. It's amazing how much this community has helped turn my anxiety into actual actionable steps. Thank you all for sharing your journeys - knowing that SSA handles military births abroad routinely makes this feel so much more manageable!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm 68 and was born in England in 1956 while my mother was working as a nurse there. I actually applied for my Social Security retirement benefits three months ago and just got approved last week - reading through everyone's experiences here confirms that my timeline was pretty typical for foreign birth situations. Like many of you, I was really nervous about potential complications, but having my Consular Report of Birth Abroad and current passport made all the difference. I did update my Social Security card about a year before applying (thank goodness!), and I think that definitely helped streamline the process. My total processing time was about 5 weeks, which matches what most people are reporting here. For anyone still preparing to apply - don't let the anxiety stop you! The SSA staff I worked with were very familiar with foreign birth documentation and made the whole process much less stressful than I anticipated. This community's support and shared experiences are truly wonderful for helping people navigate these important life transitions!

This thread has been such a game-changer for my peace of mind! I'm 64 and was born in Mexico in 1960 while my parents were living there for my dad's engineering work. I've been absolutely paralyzed by fear about applying for Social Security benefits because every online forum I'd read before this was full of nightmare stories about endless delays and documentation rejections. But seeing all these real, successful experiences with actual timelines has completely shifted my perspective! I have my FS-240 Consular Report of Birth Abroad and current passport, but like seemingly everyone else here, I'm dealing with one of those ancient, barely-legible paper Social Security cards from the 1970s. Reading through all your advice about updating the SS card first has moved that to the top of my to-do list for next week. The consistent 4-6 week processing timeline everyone is reporting gives me such hope - that's so much more reasonable than the horror stories that had me convinced I'd be waiting months or even years. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space and sharing your real experiences rather than just fears and speculation. This community has literally given me the courage to move forward with something I've been avoiding for months!