thank you lana. actually i was hoping to save a couple of $$ by just changing my status and when we amended our income tax with a ss#(lost the earned income credit by me using a tax id #) then i would have applied for the ead. i really only wanted a ss# for tax and driving purposes. (my husband and i don't think it would be cost efficient for me to work at the moment and have to pay child care costs). In a few years, when our now 9 year old daughter would be old enough to stay home then i would like to work, and to be honest my husband has supported us for the last 11 years so a few more years aren't really going to hurt.