According to the VJ K1 Flowchart and a lengthy phone call with the SSA regarding name change with SSA after marriage, all that would be needed is the SS card and marriage license. I happily took a day off of work (SSA office is not in my small town so more time is required) and headed down to get the name change accomplished armed with bride, State ID card, SS card and license.

Leave it up to me to get the 1 MF who absolutely insisted on having her Russian passport for ID. Lesson learned. When doing anything regarding any government agency, have all documents in the car with you.

Spent day at the beach instead!

Bill, I have all of Natasha and Vika's documents (passports, I-94s, certified birth certificates with notarized translations, social security cards, NOAs, etc) in a plastic accordion binder. This way, whenever we head out the door to anything officious, I just grab the binder from the safe. No muss, no fuss!

Beautiful photos of your beautiful wife! Thanks for sharing them!

Oh, yeah, always carry everything with you when you go to document related institutions. When I went to change my last name on SS card, I had everything but they asked only for work authorization paper and marriage certificate. However, when I went to take my driver's licence knowledge test, they asked for my hubby's American passport which we , of course, didn't have with us at the time . The lesson learnt, since then I take all doc's with me

Depending on what info is on the marriage certificate the MF might be right.

Only the marriage document is needed to establish the name change if it meets the following criteria:

-- The new name can be derived from the marriage document, i.e. bride
takes the groom’s last name, groom takes bride’s last name, compound
name (with or without hyphen) of each spouse’s original name for
either or both parties.

Note: The type of name change requested must also be allowable under state law, i.e. groom taking bride’s last name.

-- The marriage occurred within the past two years
-- The marriage document shows sufficient identifying information
(e.g., biographical data such as age, date of birth or parent's
names), and
-- The identifying information matches the information on his/her
Social Security number (Numident) record.

The applicant may need to submit an identity document in the old name along with the marriage document if:

-- The marriage occurred within the last two years and has biographical
information, e.g., age, date of birth or parent's names which does
not match our records, e.g., the SSN record.
-- The marriage occurred within the last two years, but does not show
biographical information, or
-- The marriage occurred over two years ago (with or without
biographical information.

The identity document used to establish the old name must match the name on the current SSN record. The identity document is acceptable even if over two years old or expired.

In name change situations when evidence of identity in the old name is required, e.g., name change occurred more than 2 years ago and the applicant does not have any acceptable evidence of identity in the old name with him or her at the time the SSN application is filed, we can request the following documentation to process the name change:

1. Name change document (e.g., marriage document) showing the old name that agrees with the name on the latest Numident record (Numident) (e.g., maiden name), and

2. Acceptable evidence of identity in the new name (name to be shown on the SSN card), excluding marriage document if it was submitted as the name change document and

3. Verification of identifying information (SSN, name(s) on latest Numident record, date of birth, place of birth, parents’ names) from the latest Numident record.

If these three documentation requirements are not met, the name change request cannot be processed under this new policy. Evidence of identity in the old name would need to be submitted per EM-06064.

Note: Refer the Social Security office personnel to EM-06064, which was issued 10/02/2006 and EM-07045, which was issued 07/03/2007 for the current procedures regarding name changes based on marriage.

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/public/refere...cttocategory=EM

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

SSA will not assign an SSN or issue a card to an individual that is within 14 days of his or her alien status expiring. Until the 76th day after entry an individual with K-1 status only needs to provide an unexpired I-94 showing current K-1 status to establish employment authorized status for SSN purposes.

Once, an individual that entered the United States with K-1 status has been in the United States 76 days he or she will need another document, i.e. I-551, I-688B or I-766 to establish employment authorized status for SSN purposes.

RM 00203.500 Employment Authorization for Nonimmigrants:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203500#C1

RM 00203.410 Evidence of Alien Status for an SSN Card for an Alien Lawfully Admitted for Permanent Residence:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203410

RM 00203.210 C. Procedure - Immigration Document as Evidence of Legal Name:

“When an alien applies for an SSN card, we presume the name on the immigration document is the legal name unless the applicant presents evidence of a legal name change, e.g., marriage, which occurred after the immigration document was issued.�

RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Name Data:

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. We cannot accept uncertified or notarized photocopies as evidence.

The documents acceptable as evidence of identity are now based on three factors: (1) the applicant’s age, (2) the applicant’s citizenship/alien status, and (3) the relative probative value of documents.

Primary Identity Evidence for an alien:

-- Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (includes temporary I-551
Stamp in combination with an unexpired foreign passport when the I-
551 Permanent Resident Card has not yet been issued)
-- Form I-94, Arrival/departure Record in combination with an unexpired
foreign passport
-- Form I-766, Employment Authorization card
-- Form I-688B, Employment Authorization card

Note: Document must be unexpired

Secondary Identity Evidence for an alien:

-- Unexpired valid U.S. driver’s license (excludes licenses known to be
suspended or revoked)
-- U.S. State issued non-driver identity card (issued by the same State
agency which issues driver’s licenses/State-level agency with
issuing authority over the State’s identity card and not expired)
-- Marriage document showing in addition to the applicant’s name
either the applicant’s date of birth ( DOB) or age
-- Certified copy of medical record (clinic, doctor, or hospital) or
letter providing extract data from the medical record showing in
addition to the applicant’s name, the applicant’s DOB or age
-- Health insurance or Medicaid card showing, in addition to the
person’s name, either a photograph of the person or his/her DOB
-- School identity card or record (for current school year) showing, in
addition to the applicant’s name, either a photograph of the
applicant or the applicant’s DOB
-- Life insurance policy for the person showing his/her age or DOB.

However, the acceptability of an identity document must be evaluated on a case by case basis by the office processing the application.

You can find detailed information regarding evidence that establishes identity on the SSA Website at:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203200