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 originally went) and filed 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 be a bit of a pain....

PS... I piggybacked this the SS Card rant posted a few posts back and got no replies so I decided to give it it's own post here....

Wait until you get EAD or better yet when you have the green-card and just get name changed on the SSN card at same time that you get the "Valid with DHS auth.." disclaimer removed.

2 year conditional green-card IS permanent residence, it just has conditions that need to be removed at the 2 year point. An LPR is an LPR conditional or not. The "P" in LPR means PERMANENT.

SSA has to see the actual document, you can't use any type of approval notification or filing receipt. The EAD card if in her married name so do it.


RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Name Data:

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210

C. Procedure - Immigration Document as Evidence of Legal Name

In cases where an alien applies for a replacement SSN card and submits an immigration document showing a name that is different from the name on the prior Numident record, accept the immigration document as evidence of the legal name. In these cases, the prior SSN card may have been issued in a name that was not the number holder’s legal name.


Once again DO NOT DO NOT give up the old card until you get the new. Say you lost it or the dog ae it.

Now if you are only interested in getting the name corrected on the SSN record, but not be issued a card that can be done without the EAD card.
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http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203510
RM 00203.510 Alien without Work Authorization - Nonwork Need for an SSN

D. PROCEDURE - SSN CARD REQUEST BY ALIEN NOT AUTHORIZED TO WORK

4. Correcting Numident Data When a Replacement Card Cannot Be Issued

If the alien does not provide evidence of work authorization or a valid
nonwork reason, explain that no replacement card can be issued.

Although a replacement card cannot be issued, the Numident can be
corrected if the alien has provided documentation supporting the change
(e.g., a name change).

If the alien provides documentation supporting the change, process the
SS-5 to update the Numident information but suppress the issuance of a
card. (suppress issuance of the card, and see RM 00202.320 for providing
SSN Verification Printouts.)
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http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100202320
RM 00202.320 Issuing Numidents and SSN Verification Printouts