How to get a Social Security number on the K-1 Visa.

[no one 2 0]

Hi all,

I have done some looking but there is so much information to sift through and i can't seem to find the specific things i need for our situation.

My fiance will be coming in on the K-1 visa obviously and he wants to get his name in the system as soon as possible. Plus the bank we want to use and some other things we want his name on have already told us that he needs a ss number to add him. These things are seeming more and more important for the AOS process as i read posts that we need to show as much evidence as possible that we have joint accounts together. We have a unique situation and the only bills we have are a cell phone and car insurance. (we don't pay rent, utilities, water, or have a car loan.) That leaves a bank account as the only other thing that we can show that we have together. For our own reasons we would like to get his name on these things a couple months before we are married.

I have looked on the SS web site and it says that they issue three types of cards. They say:

"The third type of card shows your name and the number and notes, 'NOT VALID FOR EMPLYMENT.' We issue it to people from other countries: -who are lawfully admitted to the US without work authorization from DHS, but with a valid nonwork reason for needing a SS number or, -who need a number because of a federal law requiring a SS number to get a benefit or service."

The part in bold above sounds like our situation however i have read posts where people still have trouble getting the SS number for various reasons. So I also called the SS office and was told that he would need to bring the application, his visa, passport, and any visa paperwork he had. But this was only after i was told that my fiance couldn't get a SS number before going through the AOS and filing the EAD because then they would issue him a second number and that he can't have two SS numbers. (The AOS paperwork does ask for his SS number if he has one so he must be able to get one some way before that stage.) The guy at the SS office didnt' seem to know much about what he was talking about and i think he might have just told me those things to get me off the phone and that we might have problems when we actually go in.

So here are my questions:

1-Is it true that these are the only documents we need to take to the SS office?

2-Can he apply for the SS number before we are married?

3-If they refuse to give him one what can we show or say to convince them? I know it depends on the reason they give but any real life experience would be welcome here.

Thanks for your time.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

http://www.visajourney.com/content/ssn

A K-1 is entitled to a SSN. Yes, he can get it before marriage; that's the point.

He does not need one for AOS. You talked to someone who was making stuff up.

Edited May 25, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[cathy2904 97]

Have you seen this?

http://www.visajourney.com/content/ssn

[JohnR! 5,495]

Wendy, he will need to apply for AOS before he can have an unrestricted SSN. Having said that, there are two options: He can get the SSN with employment restriction - which when he becomes a full-time resident can be replaced by another card with the same number but without the restriction, i.e. his SSN will not change and he will not end up with two SSN as a result. Behind door nbr 2 you have the ITIN option. The ITIN is a nine-digit number - very much like the SSN - and it serves the same purpose as the SSN for bank accounts and other endeavors.

Once he becomes a resident he can then apply for a SSN, his ITIN bearing no prejudice on the latter.

You may want to read some more about it on the page below:

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=96696,00.html#itin

Good luck!

[no one 2 0]

Perfect! Thank you all!

Edited May 25, 2012 by Glenn & Wendy

[Dave&Roza 748]

Wendy, he will need to apply for AOS before he can have an unrestricted SSN. Having said that, there are two options: He can get the SSN with employment restriction - which when he becomes a full-time resident can be replaced by another card with the same number but without the restriction, i.e. his SSN will not change and he will not end up with two SSN as a result. Behind door nbr 2 you have the ITIN option. The ITIN is a nine-digit number - very much like the SSN - and it serves the same purpose as the SSN for bank accounts and other endeavors.

Once he becomes a resident he can then apply for a SSN, his ITIN bearing no prejudice on the latter.

You may want to read some more about it on the page below:

http://www.irs.gov/b...96,00.html#itin

Good luck!

I always cringe when I see this advice. As a K-1 you can get a SSN usually after waiting 2 weeks so your entry is entered into the system (there are some who have gone in the next day and had no problems getting a SSN). As long as the I-94 has more than 2 weeks before it expires you can get a SSN using the K-1 visa, the I-94 and your foreign passport. The ITIN is for those that cannot get a SSN or are not eligible. Since you are eligible for a SSN I would not waste the time on the ITIN and waste it on getting the SSA to give you a SSN. If you have problems you can e-mail the main office listed on the website and they usually give you an e-mail you take to the local office to straighten them out.

Having a SSC with "Valid for work with DHS authorization only" only means that you have to show the GC or EAD card to prove you are eligible to work. Since the GC is a List A item for the I-9, why not just show your employer that rather than having to show them the SSC and then the GC and a DL. I have never used my SSC to prove I am eligible to work, I always use my US passport so no one has seen my SSC which has written on it "NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION FOR TAX PURPOSES ONLY" and you can see that we now do not pay attention to that.

So have you husband go to the local SSA office and apply for the SSC sooner rather than later as this is one document you need in order to have less hassles in the US.

Dave

Edited May 25, 2012 by Dave&Roza

[no one 2 0]

I always cringe when I see this advice. As a K-1 you can get a SSN usually after waiting 2 weeks so your entry is entered into the system (there are some who have gone in the next day and had no problems getting a SSN). As long as the I-94 has more than 2 weeks before it expires you can get a SSN using the K-1 visa, the I-94 and your foreign passport. The ITIN is for those that cannot get a SSN or are not eligible. Since you are eligible for a SSN I would not waste the time on the ITIN and waste it on getting the SSA to give you a SSN. If you have problems you can e-mail the main office listed on the website and they usually give you an e-mail you take to the local office to straighten them out.

Having a SSC with "Valid for work with DHS authorization only" only means that you have to show the GC or EAD card to prove you are eligible to work. Since the GC is a List A item for the I-9, why not just show your employer that rather than having to show them the SSC and then the GC and a DL. I have never used my SSC to prove I am eligible to work, I always use my US passport so no one has seen my SSC which has written on it "NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION FOR TAX PURPOSES ONLY" and you can see that we now do not pay attention to that.

So have you husband go to the local SSA office and apply for the SSC sooner rather than later as this is one document you need in order to have less hassles in the US.

Dave

Dave

I see what your saying but we want to get this SSN before his EAD is even filed. We will file the EAD with AOS but want to get his name on things before we are even married and so want to get the SSN before we are married. And we can't file AOS or EAD until after we are married. So is there any reason we can't do this?

At this point we are not wanting it for employment purposes at all so it doesnt' matter if there is something on it that says "not valid for employment" or similar.

Edited May 25, 2012 by Glenn & Wendy

[Dave&Roza 748]

Dave

I see what your saying but we want to get this SSN before his EAD is even filed. We will file the EAD with AOS but want to get his name on things before we are even married and so want to get the SSN before we are married. And we can't file AOS or EAD until after we are married. So is there any reason we can't do this?

At this point we are not wanting it for employment purposes at all so it doesnt' matter if there is something on it that says "not valid for employment" or similar.

As I said, get thee to the SSA office nearest you after arriving and waiting the two weeks just to be safe. Apply for the SSN using the K-1 Visa, I-94, and foreign passport--you may want to take a long the BC just to be safe. Fill out the SS-5 form and wait. Take notes about your visit--day, time person's name did you ask for a supervisor and that person's name, etc--this is for the e-mail should you get any ####### about not being eligible for a SSN. If they say they cannot verify your husband's immigration status and want to to an inquiry with the USCIS, tell them you would rather not and leave and come back a few days later. That verification will take a month or more. After getting the application submitted, you can come back a few days later and get a printout of the actual number and begin using it--the card will arrive in a few days--just make certain your husband is receiving mail at your address. That one bite us as the USPS sent my wife's SSC back as she was not on the mailbox.

We filed for AOS with a SSN and put that on the application so I know what you want to do and have done it.

Good luck,

Dave