i was wondering how people applied for SSN before EAD, I called the SS office and they told me that they needed my husband's EAD papers first but I have noticed so many people received their SSN. Was i misinformed by the SS worker?

K-3's require EAD papers. K-1's don't.

Thanks Krikit, that answers my question. i dont understand why they let K1 apply for SSN and they make the spouse wait until they receive their EAD, it doesnt make any sense but i must remember that this is the government making the rules..lol

72maureen,

Who do you mean by "they"?

Yodrak

You can only get a SSN until he has the EAD because when you get the SSN card it will say he will be allowed to work with UCIS authorization. but you do need to first obtain the EAD. She is correct

For some strange reason for sure the SSA believes that K-1's are work authorized (? maybe at one time they were without a stamp) so for that reason they issue SSC's to K-1 visa holders. However, K-1's unless they have some form of EAD (stamp or card) cannot actually legally work. The spouses on a K-3 visa definatly have to wait until they have EAD or GC to get a SSC unless they had been issued a SS# previously on a different visa in which case the SS# remains the same.

StormnRolly,


The "strange reason" is the INA.


Yes they can actually legally work. Their problem is that an employer cannot legally hire them. The difference is subtle but significant.

Yodrak

My husband got his SSN after our marriage and before he got his EAD. The first office caused a huge stink about it (because he was married, they tried to say that his visa was invalid now and he was ineligible for a SS card until EAD or AOS went through). The second office had no problem with it.

Anyway, if the SSN isn't needed for now, I'd wait until EAD if you're a K1. The reason he got his right away was to open a bank account in the US - Washington Mutual required a SSN.

Tell me about it, it took us 3 hours at Secretary of State for a Drivers License! I guess it all depends which representative you have. The SS office still insists that he must have his EAD papers to apply for SSN. So i guess we wait until we get his EAD papers ( hopefully soon!!!)

72maureen,

As you've already been told in this thread, the SSA office is correct - he does need to have his EAD (it will be a credit card size ID card, not papers) before he can be issued a SS card.

Yodrak



cellarlily,

How did the SSA people know that he was married? The application does not ask for marital status.

Yodrak

UMM- I was just replying to a previous post - I try to acknowledge and thank the people who have replied to my post Yodrak, I am not double threading (LOL)

The SS office knew he was married cuz when I talked to the lady I said...Can my husband apply for SSN-so that is how they knew.

No, the application does not ask for it, but the SS officer did. He wasn't about to lie to a government official, so he said that, yes, he was married the week before. That's when the SS officer said that he was ineligible to apply for a SSN despite his K1 visa being 2 months from expiring.

He went to another office in Chicago, they did not ask about marital status so he didn't divulge the information and he was approved no problem.

cellarlily,

Thanks for sharing the details - truly a case of another improperly trained person.

Yodrak