Well back to square 1 , I still have no notice reguarding my damn SSN went to office first time Dec 10 they gave some story about not being able to file SSN with K1 cause I got married on Dec1
they gave some letter stating that am not elegable to recieve SSN until confirmation from DHS of status change , so my husband and I gatherd all documents we could find ( all the advice from here with explanations to elegability on SSN and printed it out
went back to the office dec 17 , just to hear they will send a request for change of status to DHS ,
and to call back in 2 weeks , well 2 weeks past and I tryed to call them for the last week without success ( busy signal all day long , I bet a Rat ate theyr Phoneline )
anyhow finaly found the 1 800 # called them , the lady now tells me there is nothing they can do the process to hear from DHS takes about 6 weeks I will have to waite a bit longer , if I dont hear nothing within 6 weeks to call the local office , told her well thank y7ou for your help but I belive a Rat ate my locals office phoneline cause I been trying to call them since the last week everyday without any luck , will just go there in a few weeks and request a update on my file , geez I know am elegable to get SSN why cant they hire people who know the rule grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
sorry had to vent a bit

Go to another SSN office and start from stratch!

Wont they denie me too , since they have all the information at my local SSOffice and already got my aplication there , cant they see that I got Refuesed in theyr system ??

Not sure about another office, Lona, but here's our story: they TRIED to give us a hard time, but I printed a letter I found on VJ (can't find it on the site, but I have a copy at home....I'll post it later) stating K1's are eligible or something like that....dumb girl at counter tried to tell me it was old and I needed to provide something more current....I got indignant (I'm the USC, this is my country, and I wasn't going down with a fight HA HA) and told her "it's your letter, and it's up to you to prove to ME this isn't valid anymore"...she got her Supervisor, we were approved and out of the office 20 minutes later....

One thing that helped us TREMENDOUSLY was the SS Guide instructions, which included a tip about not only waiting like 2 weeks to make sure we were in the system, but also NOT to let them open a DHS inquiry for that very same reason....it delays processing, and you wouldn't have to do this if you wait until you're in their system... (refer to the SS Guide on VJ). Many offices just don't understand the K1 Visa...hope you don't take this as criticism, and wish you the best of luck!

I don't see how they can track you if you dont have a SSN. Besides, at this point it couldn't hurt. I also agree with the above post. I would start at a new office and do not take no for answer. Print out the letter found in the SSN section of the guides and take it with you. Refuse to move until they process your request. They will do it. It is such a shame that some people have such problems - we were lucky and had no issues, but I came prepared for a fight!

Good luck!

Wow....we've been on the same timeline roughly since we started the K1 process and i'm sorry to hear the SS Office is full of jerks

The lady we dealt with simply needed my marriage license to prove that I had validated the K1 by being married and she was very pleasant and straight forward. totally understood that I could get a SSN and reminded me that I could only work once I received my EAD. I had printed off that doc about how K1's are allowed to get a SSN, but didn't need it. Was the most painless part of this process yet. I received it in the mail a couple weeks later in my married name and sure enough it indicates that it is valid for work only with DHS Authorization...which is correct, no worries!

The one issue for you is that the SS Office will be iffy about giving you one if it's close to the 3 months on the I 94, but since you have a marriage cert, you wouldn't think it would be a problem.

Good luck

If there is an application pending you can't go to another office and apply again.

Thats what I thought since they got all my new info in the system waiting for confirmation already , Wiz glad you got yours without any trouble , you been trough a lot with this stuff glad to hear one thing went smooth for you , congrats
I already mailed them an e mail got a automated response that someone will be looking at it
( when ever that will be ) I guess I will have to waite till I get my EAD arrives and go back again ,
since I tryed everything there is , I presented them with all the documents I found concerning the elegability applying for SSN with K1 and valid I 94 ,
I gave them a whole print out of the SSN guide here ,
I talkd to a supervicer and cant do nothing till DHS aproves it , I guess just another waite now

my advice for anyone who arrives on K1
GO APLY FOR SSN BEFORE YOU GET MARRIED
Thanks so much for the suport

We followed the guidelines exactly (on the SS guide here on VJ). I printed the SS policy out (notice that it is located on THEIR website!) and brought it with us. We waited for several hours and finaly got up front. The lady that was helping us kept getting pulled off to help someone else, but I made a joke about not wanting to go back to work and it seemed ok. She didn't even blink when she wrote up the paperwork. I never had to show her the policy, but I had it sitting in plain sight on the counter. We had the SSN within 4 weeks. Info in hand: Marriage Cert, Passport (with I-94), Birth Cert and SS policy.

So just act like you don't know what they are talking about. Go bring that letter stating you are entitled to it. You can't call/send emails - you have to go in person and demand they take care of this - you are in the US now, you have to learn to speak up for yourself.

hmmm like I said the previouse post above I did show them evrything i found including the guideline
and this
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10096.html#immigration
and about 4 other documents that proves my elegability
as to your comment about being in the US and to learn to speak for my self ,
not that its any of your consern but I do know how to stand on my feet
I have been sine I was 17 ,
wich is many many moons ago , so I will desreguard your rude command ,
I came here for advice not to be told I have to learn to speak up for my self ,
maybe things run just a hint differant here in Mass then they do where you are ,
but thats beside the point
so please in the future remember an old saying I belive every MOM tought theyr child ,
it goes something like that
" If you cant say something nice , dont say nothing at all "
but thanks for the advice ( smile )

With that said , I like to make it noticed that I will just waite now till I hear something from my SS office or get my EAD card and then apply again , so end of this conversation ,
however I realy do apriciate all the help thanks everyone

SS Policy Instruction EM-00154 is self explanatoryClick to view attachment. This policy amendment is referenced in RM 00203.500. It also advises a regional contact if the local office personnel have issues.

I didn't mean for it to come off as rude, but you just can't take no for an answer. I know a lot of people that are from other countries are not as forward or as aggressive as they need to be when it comes to getting things done. These people on power trips who think they know everything there is to know about SSN - have our lives in their hands. Obviously depending on the state, but here we need to the SSN for the driver's license, bank account, and even if you get your EAD tomorrow - no employer will hirer you without your SSN. So why should you suffer because these people don't know what they are doing?! All I'm saying it is that it is a lot harder to ignore someone if they are standing there in front of you.

ok let me just say this , I never backdown from getting what I want ,
both times we where there talking to supervicers for over 2 hours ,
i showed them all the print outs ( wich where around 10 pages ) I had highlighted all the important things , like legalaly able to apply with valid I 94 and K1 ,
legaly able to aply with prove of name change ( marriage cert )
I had print outs from 5 sites proving I am elegable to apply I had print outs from people showing theyr posts and how they got the SSN after arriving with K1 and after marriage ,
I had everything you can imagine , and was talking my ears off
all they kept repeating was yes your I 94 and K1 is valide to apply but the save system shows its for fiance , and not spouse and since I was a spouse even thou I have prove of name change ,sorry nothing we can do , we will send a request for status change to DHS and name barrification ,
anyhow ....... enough

They obviously don't understand that the K1 is for ENTRY, and you did enter the country unmarried. Once you enter, the K1 becomes null and void and your status is derived off the I 94.

I'd lodge a complaint on the SSA's website about this particular office and explain the situation. They need to understand their job a bit better.

I hear ya about them not knowing about the K1 rules
i already send a complain on the website about this office
so unless anyone here knows of a true fact that I can aply on another office without any consequances , or that I could go back and use my AOS biometric apt letter as prove of status change , and have a 100% garanty to aproval , lets just forget this thread ,

People here were just trying to help you, but if you'd rather forget the thread and not have help, then have the thread locked.

I do apreciate all the help I could get here , but since I did all the advice given to me here ,
( accept going to another office , since I dont know the consequances it could have when my application is already pending at my local office)
yes I would apriciate this treat to be closed ,
but thank you everyone I do apriciate the help

Then PM a moderator.

Wait, before you close this allow me to throw a question into the mix...
When my (now) wife entered the country on a K-1 visa we went to our local SS office and after a little bit of confusion got a SS card ordered. She recieved that a couple of weeks later.
Once we got married and sent in the AOS paper work in her married name we went back to our local office (albeit different from the one where we origionaly went) and filled in a name change application.
After a month without hearing anything we went back in and the woman who we had talked to before said that they denied the name change based on my wife's immigration status.
Just a couple of days ago we recieved an email from CRIS stating that the EAD card production was ordered so we went back in and the person working had us fill out another name change application. Seeing a printout of the email from CRIS stating that the EAD had been issued he said that there shouldn't be a problem now.
This morning we recieved a voice mail from the guy at the SS office telling us that SS won't issue a card until "permanent residence is granted". And the thing that gets me is that the way he said it was that that decision did not come from the local office but from where ever they send the information at some higher up internal office. So it's not like some kook at the local office doesn't know what's going on.
What's more, I don't think the 2 year Green Card is considered "permanent residence".

This makes no sense to me. All we want is a name change so that my wife doesn't have to carry around a marraige certificate when applying for jobs. The problem is that now she has her DL in her married name and the EAD will come in her married name but he SS card still has her unmarried name and I'd imagine might cause some problems....

Your situation is a bit different, from your timeline your wife's I-94 has long since expired, so she needs an EAD card or I-551 to be issued a card in the married name This woman's I-94 has not expired, but the SSA office says he is no longer eligible because she's now married. Hopefully, he will be assigned and SSN before the I-94 is within 14 days of expiring.

Oh,hoho,good luck!

Yes - and hamburgapples, your 2 year green card IS considered 'permanent residence'...!

Thanks for that TracyTN. Well, the EAD card showed up in the mail today. As this EAD card was obviously approved at least 3 days ago (and therefore approved at the time that we last requested the name change) I have no idea why it was declined. I mean the guy who we spoke to had no problem running the application with the evidence that we gave him and only found out later on when he tried to push it through the system. It all makes very little sense to me.
Well, anyway I guess we might as well wait till we have the GC as then it won't have any restrictions on that card...

"Oh,hoho,good luck!"... If that was for me, I don't get it steve13.... ?

Its all about timing - what the SSA's system could see and what the USCIS' system had at that time. If the two didn't jive (obviously they didn't), therein lies the problem.

Read my lips, the SSN application was denied, because the EAD card was not provided to the SSA office as proof of authorization to work. SSA will not accept a filing receipt ot NOA in place of an immigration document.

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203450
RM 00203.450 Evidence of Nonimmigrant Status for an SSN Card

A. Policy - General

Each alien lawfully admitted as a nonimmigrant should have an unexpired immigration document as evidence of his/her status. A letter from U.S. immigration authorities, receipt, copy of an application form or any immigration document not listed in this subchapter is not acceptable evidence of alien status in lieu of the appropriate immigration document.

You may have to wait until you get the GC before you can file for Social Security card or change name on it. Sometimes some offices are sticklers if you get married less than two weeks before you K1 expires in USA, they will not issue a social security card or let you change it, happened to us. We were able to file for one within about 3-4 weeks of arrival, even then there was no packet data in the data base from point of entry so had to keep calling local social security office couple of times a week to remind them to keep checking the SAV system for our data entered so they could issue card, then get card and get married more than two weeks before K1 expires but went on 2 week honeymoon and get back and go to change name on it and SS office rejects our request after waiting in line for about hour to tell us they cannot until we come back with GC. We only had like 3 days left until K1 expired, so they said no, sounds like this happened to you also. I would go back after GC arrives they did it within minutes that day no problems when we presented it. Good luck.

I'm sorry, but that is just flat wrong. From a post by our resident SSN expert (I Quit):

"Suggest that individuals apply for a corrected SSN card to update the SSN record when there has been a name change due to marriage.

The applicant may submit either:

-- One legal name change document showing both the old and new names
(e.g., a court order for a name change or a marriage document). The
document must also show either (1) a description or photograph of
the person or (2) biographical information that can be compared with
the Numident data; or

-- When the name change document does not show either a photograph of
the person or biographical information that can be compared with the
Numident data, then, in addition to the name change document, the
applicant must also submit two acceptable identity documents. One
of the submitted identity documents must show the old name (the name
on the latest SSN record) AND the other submitted identity
document must show the new name (the name to be shown on the
corrected SSN card). The identity documents submitted must show
either a photograph of the applicant or provide biographical
information that can be compared with the Numident (SSN record)
data.

In all 50 U.S. States (this means the 50 States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa) the bride may take her husband's last name (surname or family name) as her new last name. (EXAMPLE: Jane Doe married John Jones and she may change her name to Jane Jones.)

Interim Guidance: If the bride wants to take her husband’s last name, accept the marriage document as a legal name change for the bride if the new name can be derived from the marriage document; even if the marriage document only shows each partner’s first names, the bride’s prior surname and husband’s surname.

Note: For a marriage document or marriage record to be acceptable as an identity document it must show, in addition to the applicant’s name, either the applicant’s age, date of birth or parents’ names and the marriage document alone can be accepted as evidence of identity for both the old and new names when it meets this standard.

When issuing immigration documents, the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security issue them in the person’s legal name. The legal name is also generally the name in which the foreign passport was issued.


When an alien applies for an SSN card, SSA presumes the name on the immigration document is the legal name unless the applicant presents evidence of a legal name change (e.g., marriage) that occurred after the immigration document was issued.

This is in addition to proof of current lawful employment authorized status.

You can find detailed information regarding changing SSN record (Numident) data on the SSA Website at:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210

When requesting an SSN card, the documents presented, as evidence must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. SSA will not accept uncertified or notarized photocopies as evidence."



If 'offices' are sticklers, make them do their job. Its to your benefit not to roll over and take it. Learn what their rules are and make them play by them.

Well I admire your spunk, but it is what it is, and we did what we had to in order to work through it and get it done, and you may be right, it may suck it may be wrong they may need to do their job, but in my example I do think they are right at SS office per the laws and rules shown to us, they do have to have name change or application for SS card done before 10 days or 2 weeks before K1 expires, seems like I read that somewhere on USCIS website or SS site a year or two ago. Or maybe you misunderstood what I was trying to explain or I confused you, so best of luck to them, once they get GC it will be academic point anyway, for they can suddenly get just about anything they want and this whole process gets so much eaiser.

LOL whatever you say!