SSN, AOS

[timorito 1]

I have a question. My wife ( k1) opened a bank account here. they need her to file a w9 but has no ssn. we are already married. i have not send out the aos package. should i apply for a ssn for her? she doesnt want to change the name.

[Hypnos 6,576]

She will need to have at least 15 days of validity left on her I-94 to be able to apply for a social security card based solely on her K-1 status.

[timorito 1]

yes she does, her i 94 expires 9/20.

[Sukie 1,440]

Just so you know...there is no requirement to have a Social Security Number when opening a bank account in the United States. Many banks who do not deal with foreign nationals do not know this. When I worked for a bank, we used the SSN 888-88-8888 for a foreign national. If you are a US Citizen, and you wish to add your fiance/ee or spouse to your account, don't let them tell you that the foreign national must have a Social Security Number. It's just not true.

I am in a same-sex relationship with my (now) legal spouse. But at the time I added her to my bank accounts and my credit card, she did not have a Social Security Number. We're still in I-130 processing, so she STILL doesn't have an SSN. It was a little difficult, but we were pleasant, and our banker called her superiors, and we got it done.

What you WILL have to provide is something that shows the physical address of where your fiance/ee or Spouse lives in the United States, and his/her passport.

A visitor to the US can open a bank account - as long as they have a valid US address and can prove it. This usually means a lease/mortgage/utility bill.

Push back gently on your banker if he/she says the foreign national needs a Social Security Number.

I have been a bank teller and a bank lending officer.

Sukie

[Ron4 22]

She is right you do not need a SSN for a bank account, but you may run into problems with your insurance if you add her to your health insurance, so I would go ahead and get one, then she will have it all done before she needs it to work or something else.