Wife has GC but can't change last name on SSN?

[ErKru 0]

My wife received her first green card in the mail about two weeks ago. She was an au pair before and after she finished her programm and went back to her homecountry I applied for the fiancee visa for her (she fot the SSN when she was an au pair). Since she received her GC she tried to change her last name on SSN twice yet everytime she goes to the SSO they can't go through with it because the system says there is a name mismatch. Has any of you had a problem like this? I've read about people having a similar problem but they didn't have the green card yet. She has it yet the system still won't let her change her name on the social security card :/What should we do?

Edited July 9, 2010 by ErKru

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I Quit is the SSN guru. Hopefully they can help you out.

** moved from "Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from Family Based Visas" to " Working & Traveling During US Immigration" as this is relating to a SSN and isn't an AOS process qn**

[I'm Gone 60]

First off the name on the green card (Form I-551) is her legal name, unless she has had a legal name change after the I-551 was issued.

RM 10212.001 Defining the Legal Name for an SSN

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

B. Evidence of legal name

2. Foreign born individual

A foreign-born person’s legal name is the name shown on his or her immigration document.

Is her married name om the I-551?

Did they not take an application from her or took the application and are unable to verify her immigration status due to the name mismatch?

If they won't at least take the application, I would be talking to a manager.

If they took the application and the initial verification request didn't verify her immigration status due to a name mismatch, I would ask how did it not match, since the name can be off by one letter and still be considered a match.

If it's off by more than one letter, I would ask if they submitted the secondary electronic verification.

If they did, has it come back. If the response was that immigration wants to see a copy of the I-551, did they send the photocopy of the document along with Form G-845.

If a G-845 was sent, has it been over a month since it was sent with no response.

[ErKru 0]

First off the name on the green card (Form I-551) is her legal name, unless she has had a legal name change after the I-551 was issued.

RM 10212.001 Defining the Legal Name for an SSN

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

B. Evidence of legal name

2. Foreign born individual

A foreign-born person’s legal name is the name shown on his or her immigration document.

Is her married name om the I-551?

Did they not take an application from her or took the application and are unable to verify her immigration status due to the name mismatch?

If they won't at least take the application, I would be talking to a manager.

If they took the application and the initial verification request didn't verify her immigration status due to a name mismatch, I would ask how did it not match, since the name can be off by one letter and still be considered a match.

If it's off by more than one letter, I would ask if they submitted the secondary electronic verification.

If they did, has it come back. If the response was that immigration wants to see a copy of the I-551, did they send the photocopy of the document along with Form G-845.

If a G-845 was sent, has it been over a month since it was sent with no response.

They took an application from her but were unable to do anything because when they entered all her information into the computer and tried to do the name change (from her maiden name to her married name) the computer wouldn't allow them to do it. a message came up on the screen that there was a name miss match. the social security people said they couldn't do anything and told her to come back in two weeks, after two weeks the same thing happened and all they told her was to call USCIS and find out if USCIS updated their info.

she did that and the rude lady on the phone asked her (almost sarcastically) "and what do you want me to do for you?" mind you she already has her green card with her married name on it. She never received a G-845 form.

[I'm Gone 60]

They took an application from her but were unable to do anything because when they entered all her information into the computer and tried to do the name change (from her maiden name to her married name) the computer wouldn't allow them to do it. a message came up on the screen that there was a name miss match. the social security people said they couldn't do anything and told her to come back in two weeks, after two weeks the same thing happened and all they told her was to call USCIS and find out if USCIS updated their info.

she did that and the rude lady on the phone asked her (almost sarcastically) "and what do you want me to do for you?" mind you she already has her green card with her married name on it. She never received a G-845 form.

You need to go back to the SSA office and speak with a manager. They are supposed to take the application and there are procedures ti verify the name when there is a mismatch on the initial verification request. Plus as I said if it's only a mismatch of one letter in the name, that can be counted as verified.

Is her married name in her passport too?

[Harsh_77 716]

Changing name on SSN is a painful process, even my wife had hard time getting it changed even though she is a US citizen.

She had to ask for the manager, when the front desk person was not much helpful.

[arya 22]

In my case, I'm not in SAVE database and my green card is not verifying. I'm going to wait a week and see if it will verify then, if not I may just give up on Social Security! But of course I can't, because I need my driver's license! So frustrating! I hope you get yours worked out soon. Let us know how it goes

[TexPol 1]

I know what you mean about issues with the SSN office.. They first messed up her name (wrong first name and last/maiden name order)before we got the GC. Went back to the SSA office to get that fixed, and then they said they could not verify her immigration status in the SAVE database (even though they had already issued a SSN!) Was told to go home and wait till she got the GC and then come back and fix the name and update as well with married name. Waited a couple of months..Got the GC , went back to the SSA office and re-applied. Was informed that we should get the SS card in 3 weeks....well, it's been 6 weeks now and still no word on the SSN.... The waiting game never seems to end... :-) Best thing is to get in touch with a manager there.

[Lu & Keith 0]

My wife received her first green card in the mail about two weeks ago. She was an au pair before and after she finished her programm and went back to her homecountry I applied for the fiancee visa for her (she fot the SSN when she was an au pair). Since she received her GC she tried to change her last name on SSN twice yet everytime she goes to the SSO they can't go through with it because the system says there is a name mismatch. Has any of you had a problem like this? I've read about people having a similar problem but they didn't have the green card yet. She has it yet the system still won't let her change her name on the social security card :/What should we do?

ErKru,

OMG, the same happened with me today!!

I went to the SS Office but it showed a name mismatch on their system.

I received my GC on July 12th. It has my married name on it, as well as my EAD and all the letters I've been receiving from USCIS. My only document with my maiden name is the SS Card... And I can't change it. Therefore, I can't have a DL...

Now, how can they issue us a document and not have our names in their system?? :blink:

The lady was very nice and even tried to run my maiden name on the system but it showed the same thing: "name mismatch"... Sooo, I was wondering how am I registered on the system?? What name shows up when they type my A# OR SSN??

Have you heard anything from them yet?

Good luck to all of us!

Lu

Edited to add: BTW, the lady at the SS also told me to wait about 2 weeks for some kind of feedback... But as I can see, I'll have to wait longer...

Edited July 22, 2010 by Lu & Keith

[h1a1 5]

I couldn't even get a SSN before my I-94 expired because my name wasn't in the SAVE database. I don't hold out much hope on getting one with ease after my EAD and even my GC arrives (whenever that may be).

[Mloda88 0]

I'm Erkru's wife.

a little update: I went to the SS ofice again, and there was this name mismatch in the system again. I told them what I Quit told me, and the lady said she will make copies of everything I have plus she also took my SS card (is that normal? she said they have to take it, and I will just receive a new one :| )and said she will fax it to some office, I'm not sure whether she was talking about immigration or other SS office. I received a 'receipt' from the lady and that's basically it. I just have to wait now. The only thing thatbothers me is the fact that she took the Social Security card. This stresses me out, what if somebody else will use it? DO they always take the card if somebody wants to replace it??

[Mloda88 0]

ErKru,

OMG, the same happened with me today!!

I went to the SS Office but it showed a name mismatch on their system.

I received my GC on July 12th. It has my married name on it, as well as my EAD and all the letters I've been receiving from USCIS. My only document with my maiden name is the SS Card... And I can't change it. Therefore, I can't have a DL...

Now, how can they issue us a document and not have our names in their system?? :blink:

The lady was very nice and even tried to run my maiden name on the system but it showed the same thing: "name mismatch"... Sooo, I was wondering how am I registered on the system?? What name shows up when they type my A# OR SSN??

Have you heard anything from them yet?

Good luck to all of us!

Lu

Edited to add: BTW, the lady at the SS also told me to wait about 2 weeks for some kind of feedback... But as I can see, I'll have to wait longer...

Do what I did- what I Quit told us to do. If they don't take an application from you talk to the manager and explain everything. You will be waiting forever, because even after a month and a half there still was a name mismatch in my case... Nobody in the office knew why!

[arya 22]

I'm Erkru's wife.

a little update: I went to the SS ofice again, and there was this name mismatch in the system again. I told them what I Quit told me, and the lady said she will make copies of everything I have plus she also took my SS card (is that normal? she said they have to take it, and I will just receive a new one :| )and said she will fax it to some office, I'm not sure whether she was talking about immigration or other SS office. I received a 'receipt' from the lady and that's basically it. I just have to wait now. The only thing thatbothers me is the fact that she took the Social Security card. This stresses me out, what if somebody else will use it? DO they always take the card if somebody wants to replace it??

When I went to apply to change my name on my SSN card, she asked me if I wanted her to shred my old card of if I want to keep it. I said I want to keep it and she let me. That is weird that she would take it like that!

You should ask them to do the electronic verification, which comes back in a few days, instead of them making copies of everything and sending it. That takes about a month. I'm not sure if for you case it's not possible to do electronic verification, or not. But it should be

[I'm Gone 60]

You should ask them to do the electronic verification, which comes back in a few days, instead of them making copies of everything and sending it. That takes about a month. I'm not sure if for you case it's not possible to do electronic verification, or not.

The secondary electronic verification is what they are supposed to do if the intital verification does not verify. You don't get the sending copies of document along with the Form G-845 unless the response to the secondary electronic verification is immigration needs to see a copy of the immigration document.

The secondary electronic verification response normally comes back within a week and the SSA offices are supposed to receive the G-845 back within a month. If they tell you to wait long for either, it's BS.

I think it's standard procedure in most offices to tell you it's going to take the time for the complete verication process to be done, when it might just take another week to keep you out of the office.

Edited July 23, 2010 by I Quit

[arya 22]

The secondary electronic verification is what they are supposed to do if the intital verification does not verify. You don't get the sending copies of document along with the Form G-845 unless the response to the secondary electronic verification is immigration needs to see a copy of the immigration document.

The secondary electronic verification response normally comes back within a week and the SSA offices are supposed to receive the G-845 back within a month. If they tell you to wait long for either, it's BS.

I think it's standard procedure in most offices to tell you it's going to take the time for the complete verication process to be done, when it might just take another week to keep you out of the office.

I understand now that electronic verification is what they're supposed to do, but for me that's not what they did. When I got my EAD, the first step wasn't verifying, and he immediately took copies and said he'll send the G845 and it will take about a month. He never said anything about second step for electronic verification. My EAD never produced my change of name. Only after I got the green card, and it wasn't verifying again and they were going to send another G845, I asked to speak to the manager and he's the one that told the worker to do the electronic verification step. I got approved in 2 days.