IGSA @ UIC

Living in US

Here please find info about obtaining SSN/banks/Credit cards and other misc stuff that you need to know.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN)

Federal law requires all people residing in United States of America to have a Social Security Number irrespective of the fact you are [permanent] alien residents or citizens. So what is this "magic number"? This is a unique number that will be associated with your name for life and this will be used to identify you as long as you live in USA. This number is used for tracking a person all over USA. By tracking it means from Banking credit history to where the person is living right now. And its every person's responsibility to get a SSN as soon as he/she arrives in USA. But dont panic... we dont want students to panic if they do not receive an SSN. Its a simple procedure. The new rules require you to have a job before you apply for SSN. So come down here and you can think of it.

Q: How do I apply for SSN?
A: The Office of International Students (OIS) located in SSB provides complete information about how to apply for SSN and what documents to be taken for applying. Before going to Social Security Administration be sure to apply for letter from OIS as this letter is required when applying for SSN. New students, please note that you will be applying for SSN card as soon as you arrive and settle down in UIC. At that point of time the OIS people will be very busy and hence it sometimes takes at least 10 days for the OIS people to process your request letter. Please be Patient and apply ahead of time to avoid delays. Until then you can make use of the temporary SSN provided by the college. Though this will be sufficient to get along in the campus, you will require actual SSN for any other services outside the campus (Like applying for State ID or driving license etc etc etc...)

Q: What are the documents that i need to take with me while applying for SSN?
A: Apart from the letter that you receive from OIS these are the documents needed:
    - Your passport.
    - Your copy of Form I-20AB, or FormIAP-66, or Form I-797.
    - Your I-94 card, which should be attached to passport (small white card).
In case you want more details or location of the SSN office, kindly contact OIS. They have more than enough information. And the OIS website gives you the most accurate information about this. So refer to it.
OIS Website

Note:
This may seem a bit premature but it is very important that you are absolutely clear in the information that you provide to the Social Security Administration office to reduce chances of mistakes. But in spite of this, there have been cases in the past where students have got SSN cards with names mis-printed. Rectify this immediately by surrendering your card to the SS Administration and re-applying for new card. This may cause initial delay, but believe me, its much better than roaming around with a mis-print in your SSN card.

BANKS

This financial institution is a easy way access to students in a convenient manner:
Here is CREDIT UNION 1 BANK information:

UIC West Campus - Administrative Office Building
1737 W. Polk Street, LL Phone 312-413-2431
Chicago, IL 60612 Fax 312-413-1006
Hours : M T Th F 8:30-5:00 Wednesday 7:30-5:00

UIC East Campus - University Hall
601 S Morgan, LL Phone 312-413-3607
Chicago, IL 60607 Fax 312-413-3639
Hours : M T Th F 8:30-5:00 Wednesday 7:30-5:00

UIC Halsted - Circle Campus Center/Student Union
705 S Halsted, Room 220C Phone 312-355-0590
Chicago, IL 60607
Hours : M T Th F 8:30-5:00 Wednesday 7:30-5:00

Membership Fee: $5 *(one time charge)
Account Balance : savings of Min $5 requirement
1 Touch automated service : call 800 252 1950
E-mail statements made easy so no hassles with paper statements
Temporary cheques - $1.00 min/cheque
Cheque Prints - $15.00 and up
More information www.creditunion1.org

There are other banks such as Bank One, Bank of America, State Bank of India, Citibank . But they are not in campus and most of them have a branch in downtown.

CREDIT CARDS

Credit History and credit cards - In America most of the financial related things depend on your credit history. A credit report is a record of an individual's open and fully repaid debts. A credit history helps a lender to determine whether a potential borrower has a history of repaying debts in a timely manner. No one has a record of credit when they first come to america. So be advised you cannot buy a cellular phone or get a credit card in the first week you come to america. You have to develop your credit history before you get it. This is matter of concern in the long run and does not affect you the day you come in. General steps to improve credit history include paying your monthly bills and rent on time, it helps to have one of the utility bills of your house on your name, get a credit card from credit union 1 by paying a deposit. They give a minimum limit of 500$ against a deposit but that is good to start of with. Avoid using cash and debit cards and instead use this credit card to develop your credit history. After you use this card for about 4 or 5 months apply for better cards like AMEX Blue for students and once you get them you should be just fine. With regards to cell
phones it is advisable to get a phone on your name (instead of someone else getting in their name for you) because this again helps you to build your credit history.

You can apply to other cards too but information about this can be obtained once you come here.

IDENTIFICATION

The Driver Services Department issues Drivers Licenses and State ID's. The department falls into the Office of the Secretary of State. The Driver Services Facilities are located in the city as well as the suburbs.

For more Information regarding Drivers License please visit :
http://www.sos.state.il.us/home.html

CULTURE SHOCK

Before anything you will have to get accustomed to not converting everything in rupees. For example a simple meal in a cheap restaurant will be around 5$ that translates to 250 rupees approx. So the thought that i am spending 250 rupees on a meal should not be on your mind. Think about this you are earning 1300$ a month, that translates to 60000 rupees approx. So when you earn that much you tend to spend that much. If you really feel you need to get stuff from india do so but think about how much you can carry and see if it is worth it.

America as you know is quite westernized and is a lot different than India in certain aspects, the way people behave, the way they dress, the way they eat. This at the beginning could give you some mixed feelings and you might provocate some stares from the people around you. Most of them are really friendly and people greet each other with a 'Hi' even if you do not know them. Its just friendly and say Hi back. Even for getting a tumbler of water people say Thank you which might sound awkward but that is manners here. In hotels it is customary to leave a tip of 15%. Say you have a meal for 10$ you leave a tip of atleast 3 to 5$. For those of you who have lived at home all along it might be a little difficult to adjust but things change. UIC has a wellness center which has psychiatrics who will help with you in case you have personal issues. If you feel you are getting away from parents one good thing to do would be to teach your parents to check email and chat. That will save you quite some telephone bills.

SSN
Credit History
Credit Union 1
Bank One
Illinois - SOS
Culture Shock