sql server invalid object name - but tables are listed in SSMS tables list

Try:

Edit -> IntelliSense -> Refresh Local Cache

This should refresh the data cached by Intellisense to provide typeahead support and pre-execution error detection.

NOTE: Your cursor must be in the query editor for the IntelliSense menu to be visible.

Ctrl + Shift + R refreshes intellisense in management studio 2008 as well.

Make sure that the selected DB is the one where the table is. I was running the Script on Master. In my case, I had to switch to hr_db.

Rookie mistake but, could help someone.

once you create a new SQL Server object, your newly created object does not get updated in the IntelliSence Local Cache and due to this, it shows red line underneath that object. So you just need to refresh SSMS IntelliSence Local Cache and once you refresh it, IntelliSence will automatically add newly created object in the cache and the red line will disappear. try this

Edit -> IntelliSense -> Refresh Local Cache or Ctrl + Shift + R

In my case, the IntelliSense cache was listing object information for an entirely different database. If I clicked the "New Query" button in SSMS, it would open a query to my default catalog on the server and that query editor would always only use that database. Refreshing the cache didn't change anything. Restarting SSMS didn't change anything. Changing the database didn't change anything.

I ended up creating a query by right-clicking on the database I actually wanted to use and choosing "New Query" from that context menu. Now SSMS uses the correct objects for IntelliSense.