My fiance is going to go for her SSN tomorrow and have her name changed to her married name on the card. she would also like to add one letter to her first name to make a more common spelling. we listed it in the "other names used" category on all prior documents for immigration. will there be any problem in the future involving immigration, if it differs from the name on her marriage license by one letter and all her other documents like birth certificate, etc?

We are trying to decide whether it would be better to change it now or after the immigration process..

also, what all should we take to the social security office?

thanks in advance!

Your time-line is woefully out of date. I don't know when your wife came here, but she may not be able to change anything on her card unless she's within two weeks of her I-94 expiry date. You'll then not be able to change SSN card until she has her GC or EAD. You might want to start filling in your EAD, AOS papers with her new way of spelling of her first name. If you want all her documentation filled out with her new married name, then do so when filing as well. I'm really unsure if you can just change the spelling of her first name at this process though. Personally I'd wait until everything is done, papers are in hand, and then change her first name. You might want to check into how you do that anyway, since it may require filling out forms to change her name to a different spelling. Or you can decide then if it's really important.

Carla

Thanks for your response. No we really are fine, her I-94 does not expire until June 30th. Does anyone else have any suggestions or experience with this? She wants to change her first name from Jenifer to Jennifer since everyone has been misspelling it her entire life. I thought I read about someone else doing it in the archives a while back but cannot find the post again, possibly because it was so dated. and like I said, on every form she has added "Jennifer" to the addditional names used part of each form so it wont be new to them.

anyone? We are going up next wednesday instead, so if anyone can give me some advice on this before then, i would really appreciate it.

As far as I know in the SAVE system they will need to verify her name with what is DHS's system. You can always ask them at SSA, it might be that you have to file the papers for AOS with her name the way you want it to appear and then going to SSA afterwards. I am waiting until I get my GC to change my name and hopefully have the card arrive at our place.
I Quit is our own little SSA guru hopefully they will be around sometime soon to answer your questions more clearly.
Good luck,
Kristina

Only the marriage document (foreign or domestic) 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: State law must also allow the type of name change wishing to be made
-- 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 current Social Security
number record.

The applicant will 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.

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

You can refer SSA office personnel to EM-06064 for current procedures for a name change due to marriage.
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If you want to make other changes to the name on your SSN record other than what the state allows through marriage you will need a legal name change or have an immigration document issued to you in that name.

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.

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 NH’s legal name.

https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210
RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Name Data