Hi Everyone,

My fiancee' has finally arrived. We will be getting married at the end of September and then we will start our AOS proceedings.
I was just wandering....I have heard it is better for her to get a Social Security card before we get married. As I understand you wait two to three weeks after she arrives and go apply for her a card. So is it better to get the card before or after the marriage? Or is it just easier to get before the marriage?
Thanks for your inputs.

reach449

It worked out good for us to get Claudeth her card after she had been in-country for two weeks.

we got an ss card for him about 2.5 weeks after he arrived and it was no trouble at all. card arrived in the mail exactly 7 days later.

When we went to try to get my husbands social security card, they wouldn't let him have one because he had to have something saying that he'd be able to work. She absolutely wouldn't accept his passport with visa. I'm not sure why though, a lot of people seem to be getting theirs with no problem. Good luck.

It depends on when you went to try and get it. If your hubby's I 94 was 70ish days older (or more) by that point, that's probably why.

It can also depend on how informed your SSA office is about K1s receiving SSNs. Sometimes you have to educate them yourself (trust me, I know). See my sig...!

Try on or about the 18th day....

The SSA person did not recognize a K-1 as being employment authorized. A simple educating would have gone a long way to solve your problem... but it is too late now....

We went about the perfect timing that everyone says to go. I understand it was about them not being educated and I never took the time to go educate them. Although I didn't have the paper saying exactly what is able to happen for my hubby, I tried to explain, but they weren't into listening. Once I found out that we didn't have to have a SSN for the AOS and EAD, I wasn't too worried about getting him one.

Thanks for all the help everyone! I have heard that it is easier and faster to get a card before you get married? Is this true and if it is...why? If she does get it before we get married how hard is it to change to her married name?

Thanks again

reach449

Wait to change her name with SSA until after you have recorded the change of name with USCIS...

How do you record the name change with USCIS? I haven't reached this stage yet, but have been planning for some time, and notifying USCIS of the name change on marriage wasn't what I was currently planning to do. I was simply going to file the AOS with her married name (providing the proof of the legal name change (marriage certificate)), but from your post it appears that I need to add a new step to my process.

I applied for my ssn 2 weeks after arrival. I received ssn 10 later. Once married I changed my card to my married name and received new card 10 days later. For me it was an easy experience, just take your marriage certificate with you.

You change update the name via AOS... no additional step

Thanks. So if I understand you correctly, your suggestion is the get the SS Card in the married name after the NOA1 from AOS? or is it after the AOS is completed?

Get the SSN card in your married name as soon as you are married, if that's the name you are going to use for work, filing taxes, driver's license, etc. Remember you only have 76 days after entry to use your I-94 to be issued an SSN card. After that point you are going to need an EAD or I-551 and that applies even if you apply before the 76th day and it passes waiting for your status to be verified.

Now atter the 76th day you can still correct the name on your SSN record, but you can't be issued a card. In that caes ask for an SSN Verification Printout in the married name. That will give you some proof until you are eligible to be issued a card. Then you only need to apply for a replacement card because the SSN record has already been corrected.


http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203510 RM 00203.510
Alien without Work Authorization - Nonwork Need for an SSN

D. PROCEDURE - SSN CARD REQUEST BY ALIEN NOT AUTHORIZED TO WORK

4. Correcting Numident Data When a Replacement Card Cannot Be Issued If the alien does not provide evidence of work authorization or a valid nonwork reason, explain that no replacement card can be issued.

Although a replacement card cannot be issued, the Numident can be corrected if the alien has provided documentation supporting the change (e.g., a name change).

If the alien provides documentation supporting the change, process the SS-5 to update the Numident information but suppress the issuance of a card. (suppress issuance of the card, and see RM 00202.320 for providing SSN Verification Printouts.)

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100202320
RM 00202.320 Issuing Numidents and SSN Verification Printouts

B. POLICY Under the Privacy Act, an individual has the right to a copy of his/her SSN information, including the Form SS-5 or systems-generated application, and the Numident printout.

A non-U.S. citizen NH with a valid SSN who does not have current legal immigration status or work authorization from DHS also has the right to a copy of his/her SSN information under the Privacy Act. While a replacement card generally cannot be issued to a NH who does not have current work authorization or a current valid nonwork reason, the SSN verification printout may be provided after the identity of the requester has been established and, if necessary, any corrective action has been completed to update the Numident...

I'm not sure what is best. I had a ssn in my maiden name and now I have one in my married name before sending away my aos. I am still waiting for NOA1 for ead and aos. I know I am not legal to work but at least I have something official identifying me with my change of name.

Hmmm... apply for SSN before or after marriage? I'd say it's more important to think if it's before or after your I-94 expires... before your 90 days are up.

If you get married soon after arrival of your fiance, you might have enough time to apply for SSN in her married name before 90 days are over. You can apply for SSN with valid I-94 even if you don't have EAD yet. Once 90 days are up, your I-94 becomes invalid and you are stuck without SSN untill you receive EAD and can apply for SSN then!

Change of name with USCIS? I just filled AOS, EAD and AP application with my married name and got NOAs in my married name. I guess that's what fwaguy meant by "no additional step"? At the biometrics appt they only asked to see marriage cert.