Ok, my wife came here on a K-1 on November 24th, 2006. We got Married on December 15th, 2006. SHe went to the Social Security Office and applied for her number. THe woman told her to come back in a few days with our marriage certificate, and she can change her name to include my last name as well as an american middle name. Well, she received the original SS card in her maiden name. We waited a few days for the new card with her new name and never received it. Well, she called and they told her to come in the office, because the system must have kicked it out. Well after returning to the office and getting all the facts together, the very nice woman said she would call us later, that she needs to call the main office to see how she can change her name. Well, she called back and said that since she came here on a K-1 she has to contact the INS office to notify them that we got married and change her status. Then she can change her name. Is she talking about AOS, or just an update? ANy one familiar with this? Also if we have to wait, can I put her on my Health Insurance at my work with her maiden name and SS number?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

I do not see why not

Hello Mike,

I also came on a K-1. I first applied for a SSN before we got married and had no problem getting my card. After the marriage I went back to the Social Security Office to have the name on my card changed to my married name. I just brought with me a certified copy of my marriage certificate and filled out the SS-5 form again. There was no problem with that, and I got my card in the mail a week later.
Maybe you can try another Social Security Office and see what happens.

Audrey

Claudeth had to wait until she received something from the USCIS with her married name before they would process a new card for her. Fortunately she got her EAD and they accepted that as an offical document from USCIS. It still took about six weeks to get her new card with her married name.

Thanks for the advice so far. We are in the process of filing for her AOS, and from what I have read I need to wait until the AOS is pending before filing for EAD. What else would I get from USCIS stating we are married? I called my local office, and unable to contact a person. I emailed them but who knows how long before I get a response. Why is every step have to be so difficult. Shouldn't there be a set standard of exactly how things are done.

Most people here file EAD together with the AOS. And, you only need a certified copy of your Marriage certificate to establish that you are married for the AOS. Or are you needing this to include your wife in your insurance (as you mentioned in your previous post)? If this is the case I don't know how others did it, but my husband just filled out the forms in my married name with my SSN and gave them a copy of our marriage certificate. I got included in his medical coverage without a problem. Hope this helps.

Audrey

The problem is we haven't filed for AOS or EAD yet. So when we fill out these papers for AOS and EAD can we write the name she wants to have? I just want to make sure that she is on my insurance with the correct name and we use the correct name on the papers. I want her social security card to have the same name as what will be on our papers and my insurance. Someone please make sense of this!

It's really not that confusing at all.
If your wife wants to use your last name(married name), then complete the AOS, EAD, AP forms using her married name.
Add your wife to your health insurance by filling out the proper forms with your employer using her married name, SS#,
(her SS# will not change, even though she will changer her name), and a copy of the marriage certificate (if they ask for it).
She should be able to change her name at SS office with the name change form and the original certified marriage certificate.