Problems with social security Manila

[steveb6]

I am having problems with the Filipino claims examiner at the Manila social security office. The first is English communication from her email. Difficult to make out what exactly is required and when I sent email to clarify she got upset

I am applying for social security benefits and child benefits. For the child benefits she is requiring a embassy certified copy of my passport but for my benefits no copy of my passport..also requiring  Thai marriage certificate and birth certificate be certified by the embassy. The embasy e-mailed me that they do not certify. The last email that I received was a one-liner thatI said please see my email instructions and comply

Does anyone have any experience how to contact a supervisor or make an official complaint

[ubonjoe]

Can't help on your question about contacting a supervisor.

A Thai marriage or birth certificate can be certified by the Department of Consular Affairs of the MFA in Bangkok. I am certain that would be accepted by the SSA.

[Sheryl]

I don't know but if you find out please post. Lots of us would like to complain about Manila.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Curt1591]

8 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

I don't know but if you find out please post. Lots of us would like to complain about Manila.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

You ought to try dealing with the Filipinos at the US immigration offices in los Angeles! Needed an interpreter!

[taxout]

The embassy will not itself certify your passport copy, but they will notarize an affidavit in which you swear that attached is a true copy of your passport. Ditto the Thai certificates. You'll have to confirm Manila will accept this.

[lopburi3]

A copy of the normal translation and registration at MFA of Thai documents as posted by ubonjoe is normally what is required to obtain US government benefits AFAIK (and what I used for OPM retirement issues many moons ago).  

[Pib]

Also, whatever you end of possibly getting notarized/certified at the US Embassy in relation to this "federal benefits" application, you do not have to pay the $50 notary fee per doc.  When apply for federal benefits there is no charge but you may need to point this out to the embassy.   And yes, I know from personal experience this is fact as I've helped two folks (one a close family member) get certain docs notarized at the US Bangkok Embassy like their US passport and/or US Naturalization Certificate in applying for SSA benefits when Manila requested the applicant provide certain notarized/certified at the US embassy unless the applicant wanted to mail the original docs to Manila who would mail them back.  Don't mail any original unless you simply can't get a certified/notarized copy....originals are too precious to trust to mail unless you simply have no other choice.

[Pib]

5 hours ago, taxout said:

The embassy will not itself certify your passport copy, but they will notarize an affidavit in which you swear that attached is a true copy of your passport. Ditto the Thai certificates. You'll have to confirm Manila will accept this.

Manila will.

[Pib]

OP, bellow is an example of an email from Manila (partial quote) to a dual US-Thai citizen I was helping to apply for SSA benefits.  Actually both dual citizen applicants I helped got very similar emails as to docs required in their cases. Notice where Manila wanted an "original or certified copy" of certain docs like the US passport and/or US naturalization certificate.    The applicants took their passport/naturalization certificate to the US Embassy in Bangkok and got them certified/notarized at no fee.  They provided the embassy a copy of the Manila SSA office request.   The applicants did not have to complete any form, write-out any statement, etc., as the embassy just provided the necessary docs back which was a certified/notarized copy of the original docs.  Took about 20 minutes.  Then the certified/notarized docs were mailed to Manila.  

[taxout]

Yes, they presented me a bill once and I presented them an excerpt from the Foreign Affairs Manual proving the notarization was free.

 

You may need to do the same. Refer them to 7 FAM 530(a)(2). They'll know what it means.

 

Perhaps they'll want some proof it's for Social Security, so bring your correspondence.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by taxout

[steveb6]

Thanks everyone for all your valuable information this is the email that I received.

birth certificate and marriage certificate are both originally in Thai translated in English from the district office. Is the English translated version enough and must this be certified by the embassy also? – we can only accept translations coming from the custodian of the record. If the originals are in Thai, we need the certified copies by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Both of your  valid / current passport is the one that I asked for clarification. I cannot understand she is requesting only my passport or my son passport also when I asked for clarification I got an email stating please comply with my email

[ubonjoe]

35 minutes ago, steveb6 said:

Thanks everyone for all your valuable information this is the email that I received.

birth certificate and marriage certificate are both originally in Thai translated in English from the district office. Is the English translated version enough and must this be certified by the embassy also? – we can only accept translations coming from the custodian of the record. If the originals are in Thai, we need the certified copies by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Both of your  valid / current passport is the one that I asked for clarification. I cannot understand she is requesting only my passport or my son passport also when I asked for clarification I got an email stating please comply with my email

The embassy will only certify copies of a document from the US and those are limited as to what they will do.

The will certify copies of your passports.

The Consular Affairs Department will certify the translations and copies of the originals. The certifications will be done in English. I am sure that the SSA will accept the certifications.