Dental License needs SSN - SSN needs H1 - H1 needs license

[sujan_vatrapu]

We are in a chicken and egg situation, please help us.

My wife went to dental school on H4. She graduated recently and she has a job offer from a reputed dental chain. But here is the catch she does not have SSN as she is on H4. We called state dental boards she has job offers from and none of the states are willing to issue dental license without SSN. She needs SSN to apply for H1 and she does not get SSN without a work permit.

Is anyone is simillar situation? Gurus please help!

P.S. F1 was not an option to sart with as she was a beneficiary of my 485 app which was denied!

[chanduv23]

We are in a chicken and egg situation, please help us.

My wife went to dental school on H4. She graduated recently and she has a job offer from a reputed dental chain. But here is the catch she does not have SSN as she is on H4. We called state dental boards she has job offers from and none of the states are willing to issue dental license without SSN. She needs SSN to apply for H1 and she does not get SSN without a work permit.

Is anyone is simillar situation? Gurus please help!

P.S. F1 was not an option to sart with as she was a beneficiary of my 485 app which was denied!

How long does it take to get a license? Can an employer hire her and put her on non clinical stuff till she gets her license?

Did u try to see if ITIN works out?

Did u enquire if a letter from Social Security office stating reason for not giving SSN suffice? You may consider talking to the dental baord. Usually licensing is a process and you are in direct contact with the officer who processes your license - licenses are usually issued after board meetings and discussions. aybe you can try talking to someone

[veni001]

We are in a chicken and egg situation, please help us.

My wife went to dental school on H4. She graduated recently and she has a job offer from a reputed dental chain. But here is the catch she does not have SSN as she is on H4. We called state dental boards she has job offers from and none of the states are willing to issue dental license without SSN. She needs SSN to apply for H1 and she does not get SSN without a work permit.

Is anyone is simillar situation? Gurus please help!

P.S. F1 was not an option to sart with as she was a beneficiary of my 485 app which was denied!

Try for SSN using Job offer and OPT!

[sujan_vatrapu]

State dental boards dont accept ITIN for SSN. We tried to convince them but with no luck. They said its federal mandate. Most of the dental boards are pretty adamant about SSN. Some boards like pennsyalvania clearly state ITIN is not accepted.

I called SSN office multiple times on how to approach the local office and everytime I get a different answer. I guess I have to just go to local office and give it a try.

How long does it take to get a license? Can an employer hire her and put her on non clinical stuff till she gets her license?

Did u try to see if ITIN works out?

Did u enquire if a letter from Social Security office stating reason for not giving SSN suffice? You may consider talking to the dental baord. Usually licensing is a process and you are in direct contact with the officer who processes your license - licenses are usually issued after board meetings and discussions. aybe you can try talking to someone

[sujan_vatrapu]

Try for SSN using Job offer and OPT!

She does not have OPT as she is on H4. If she is on OPT, getting SSN is pretty straight forward.

[mk26]

I did not get this ''why she needs SSN to apply H1"? is this a H1 requirement for this profession? or the company will not apply h1 without licence?

[spulapa]

I did not get this ''why she needs SSN to apply H1"? is this a H1 requirement for this profession? or the company will not apply h1 without licence?


My question exactly.. Why would she need SSN to apply for H1 ?? I know a few dentists who applied for H1 w/o SSN. Moreover any person applying for first time H1 will not have SSN unless they were previously here on F1 or L1. Let me know if I got ur question wrong.

[sujan_vatrapu]

My question exactly.. Why would she need SSN to apply for H1 ?? I know a few dentists who applied for H1 w/o SSN. Moreover any person applying for first time H1 will not have SSN unless they were previously here on F1 or L1. Let me know if I got ur question wrong.

Sorry for not being clear, She needs SSN to apply for dental license and for H1B she needs dental license and for SSN she needs work permit (like EAD or H1B), so in this situation she needs SSN to apply for H1B but she needs H1B for SSN!

Can you please explain how the dentists you know applied for H1B? Did they provide USCIS a letter explaining the situation? Thanks!

[snathan]

Sorry for not being clear, She needs SSN to apply for dental license and for H1B she needs dental license and for SSN she needs work permit (like EAD or H1B), so in this situation she needs SSN to apply for H1B but she needs H1B for SSN!

Can you please explain how the dentists you know applied for H1B? Did they provide USCIS a letter explaining the situation? Thanks!

You wont get the SSN without H1B. So first apply the H1B with the offer letter. Once you get the H1, apply for the SSN and then the license. Dont forget to explain the same to USCIS in a draft.

In the mean time, contact your congressmen and explain how absurd the system is.

[ds37]

You wont get the SSN without H1B. So first apply the H1B with the offer letter. Once you get the H1, apply for the SSN and then the license. Dont forget to explain the same to USCIS in a draft.

In the mean time, contact your congressmen and explain how absurd the system is.

I think she can not apply H1B as she does not have valid qualification letter (Dental license). So you are back to one.

ds37

[justice4all]

We are in a chicken and egg situation, please help us.

My wife went to dental school on H4. She graduated recently and she has a job offer from a reputed dental chain. But here is the catch she does not have SSN as she is on H4. We called state dental boards she has job offers from and none of the states are willing to issue dental license without SSN. She needs SSN to apply for H1 and she does not get SSN without a work permit.

Is anyone is simillar situation? Gurus please help!

P.S. F1 was not an option to sart with as she was a beneficiary of my 485 app which was denied!

Hello Sujan_vatrapu
Sorry I dont have a solution for you since we are new like you. BTW which dental program ur wife did, 2 yrs or regular 4 yrs. I dont understand why her F1 was denied becos of your 485 app. My wife F1 got approved irrespective of my I140 approval. She got SSN and eventually OPT. She got admitted both in dental & hygiene school and since we cant get loan for dental, she went to hygiene school.

P.S. please share dental school info. becos my wife may eventually pursue that.

[chanduv23]

Do licensing procedures change state by state? There could be some states where SSN for license may not be required. You can try a license in that state, get a h1b job there, work for sometime and then move to wherever u want - I know it sounds crazy - so don't take my advice seriously.

There may be some way or the other, the best bet is to actually talk to the employer and work with them on the h1b and then get the license. I am sure some employers would be ready to do it basically with the kind of demand for dentists.

[sujan_vatrapu]

thanks everyone for the advice, i will ask her to talk to her employer,

as "snathan" suggested I will contact our congressman and senator and ask them for help, they might contact USCIS regarding the same and it might help others as well, IV rocks, so many people chipping in with their experiences and ideas, keep up the good work!

[sujan_vatrapu]

Do licensing procedures change state by state? There could be some states where SSN for license may not be required. You can try a license in that state, get a h1b job there, work for sometime and then move to wherever u want - I know it sounds crazy - so don't take my advice seriously.

There may be some way or the other, the best bet is to actually talk to the employer and work with them on the h1b and then get the license. I am sure some employers would be ready to do it basically with the kind of demand for dentists.

we tried a lot of states with no luck, my hope is someone who was in simillar situation might be able to help, eiether with some advice on immigration or suggesting states that issue license without SSN, no option sounds crazy when you have to traverse immigration maze :)

[amulchandra]

Can you get a letter from the board saying that she is eligible for license but she has a deficiency of SSN, so cannot provide her a license? I think there is a similar procedure to get Pharmacy intern License and H1b for an intern. Attorney can write a covering letter saying that once she gets the H1b, she gets SSN and eventually the license.

We went through this. So this is first hand experience.

[sujan_vatrapu]

Can you get a letter from the board saying that she is eligible for license but she has a deficiency of SSN, so cannot provide her a license? I think there is a similar procedure to get Pharmacy intern License and H1b for an intern. Attorney can write a covering letter saying that once she gets the H1b, she gets SSN and eventually the license.

We went through this. So this is first hand experience.

thanks amulchandra, sent you a PM, please check your inbox

[pkak]

I think she can not apply H1B as she does not have valid qualification letter (Dental license). So you are back to one.

ds37
she can get H1 if her supervisor has a license
Then when she gets SSN, she can get own license

[smuggymba]

We are in a chicken and egg situation, please help us.

My wife went to dental school on H4. She graduated recently and she has a job offer from a reputed dental chain. But here is the catch she does not have SSN as she is on H4. We called state dental boards she has job offers from and none of the states are willing to issue dental license without SSN. She needs SSN to apply for H1 and she does not get SSN without a work permit.

Is anyone is simillar situation? Gurus please help!

P.S. F1 was not an option to sart with as she was a beneficiary of my 485 app which was denied!

When I first came to the US on H1, I did NOT have SSN. I applied after coming here.

"She needs SSN to apply for H1" doesn't seem right unless things have changed from 2004/2005

[sujan_vatrapu]

When I first came to the US on H1, I did NOT have SSN. I applied after coming here.

"She needs SSN to apply for H1" doesn't seem right unless things have changed from 2004/2005

Please read my first post carefully and then my clarification in subsequent posts! SSN is not required to apply for H1B but in this case it might well be not because its mandated by USCIS but for reason beyond their control,

[lifestrikes]

For Dental License <= SSN Required
For SSN <= H1B Required
For H1B <= Job Offer Required
For Job <= Dental License Required

Employer can help you in this case. Giving the job offer and process H1. I'm not sure how Dental License is obtained (via exam or other exams). So, there will be bit of uncertainly that employer have to go through.

If shes yet to graduate, then H4 to F1 and get SSN (school might require job offer to give SSN).

Also, previous post suggested - talk to your congress rep.

[amulchandra]

By the way it is called deficiency letter if that helps. Google deficiency letter from board XXXXX