About a month ago, I took my wife to our local SS office. We applied for her SS Card before her I-94 expired. Even though we took the receipts of the AOS and EAD with her new married name, they objected to printing her card with her married name. The worker there said that it's just a receipt and not an approval. You have to keep your maiden name on the card until you get your green card. So she has a SS card with her maiden name.
Since then, my wife's EAD arrives with her married name. We went to the CA DMV so she can apply for a Drivers License. They made her write down her SS# which caused the DMV to not let her take her DL test. They said that the SS number last name (maiden) did not match with the Work Authorization last name (married). I mean really, we had our marriage certificate, her passport, birth certificate, and her work authorization. It is obvious who she is. There are even fingerprints on her EAD card and they do take fingerprints at the DMV. I did not know that California lets the Federal Government (SS system) run their DMV system.
Do you see the irony here? We are talking about California, the same state that makes marajuana legal when it is a federally banned drug.
We are going to go back the the SS office to change her name to match her work authorization. Hopefully, they won't give us a hard time. After that, we will go back to the DMV. It's OK... I do have a real job, but I love wasting more time and money with all of the red tape bull#$% (especially between the hours of 9-4)!
Full Version: CA DMV- SS Card Last Name vs. EAD Last Name
VisaJourney.com > General Family Based Immigration Topics > Working & Traveling prior to getting a Green Card
Person at SSA office gave you incorrect information.
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.
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.
RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Name Data:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210
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.
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.
RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Name Data:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210
QUOTE (I Quit @ Jul 21 2008, 08:18 AM) 
Person at SSA office gave you incorrect information.
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.
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.
RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Name Data:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210
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.
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.
RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Name Data:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210
Thank you, I QUIT, for your help. I am going to print this information and go to the SS Office this afternoon. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks again!!!
You mentioned that when you got your letters of approval for the EAD you took those letters...then mentioned later that when the EAD card came in...
When your EAD card came in, you should take THAT, not the letter saying your approved, down to the SS office, and they'll change if for you.
When your EAD card came in, you should take THAT, not the letter saying your approved, down to the SS office, and they'll change if for you.
QUOTE (Carlawarla @ Jul 22 2008, 05:45 AM)
You mentioned that when you got your letters of approval for the EAD you took those letters...then mentioned later that when the EAD card came in...
When your EAD card came in, you should take THAT, not the letter saying your approved, down to the SS office, and they'll change if for you.
When your EAD card came in, you should take THAT, not the letter saying your approved, down to the SS office, and they'll change if for you.
No, we just had the USCIS receipts and the I94 stamp in her passport the first time we went to SS office. Yesterday, I left work early to take my wife to SS Office before 4:00. I printed the link that I QUIT gave me yesterday that listed all the infromation required from SS to change a name (just in case they gave us a hard time).
We showed her EAD card, Brazilian Passport, and our marriage certificate. They changed her name, so now we are good to go!
Thank you both for your responses to my post. I really appreciate all of your help and feedback!!!
QUOTE (Dias Melhores @ Jul 22 2008, 10:13 AM)
QUOTE (Carlawarla @ Jul 22 2008, 05:45 AM)
You mentioned that when you got your letters of approval for the EAD you took those letters...then mentioned later that when the EAD card came in...
When your EAD card came in, you should take THAT, not the letter saying your approved, down to the SS office, and they'll change if for you.
When your EAD card came in, you should take THAT, not the letter saying your approved, down to the SS office, and they'll change if for you.
No, we just had the USCIS receipts and the I94 stamp in her passport the first time we went to SS office. Yesterday, I left work early to take my wife to SS Office before 4:00. I printed the link that I QUIT gave me yesterday that listed all the infromation required from SS to change a name (just in case they gave us a hard time).
We showed her EAD card, Brazilian Passport, and our marriage certificate. They changed her name, so now we are good to go!
Thank you both for your responses to my post. I really appreciate all of your help and feedback!!!
You're most welcome! I'm so glad things worked out for you and for getting back to us. It's good to know the outcome when helping others now.
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