Obtaining SSN# after Marriage but before Green Card

[Buzz15 3]

Hi,

 

My wife and I got married and we were not aware that it would be best to get her SSN# two weeks after arrival under the K-1 but before the marriage ceremony. She has decided to change her last name.

 

Since we filed her Green card docs a few weeks ago in her new name (have not received any notification yet from USCIS), should we then obtain a social security number under her new name or old name?

 

Also, what set of documents would be best to bring? Her I-94, passport and birth certificate all show her maiden name while her new name appears officially only on our marriage certificate.

 

Thanks.

[Becci391 339]

https://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/ss5doc.htm

This is where she finds all the documents she needs.

 

 

https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf

You can either complete the form at home and bring it to the SS office or fill out the document there.

 

I had to go to the SS office twice because I only could get the SSN in my maiden name. After I received NOA1 in the mail, I went back there and could get the last name change.

[Scandi 3,972]

She might not be able to get a SSN at all at this point since you two are already married and she had a name change. You should give it a try though and bring the docs you already mentioned. If they refuse you have to wait for the EAD before going back there again.

[Buzz15 3]

Assuming she can't get a SSN# before the green card, what evidence did people use as proof of a legit relationship that doesn't require a SSN#? (excluding banks).

Becci391, so did you get married first like we did before the SSN?

 

 

[Scandi 3,972]

You can probably open a joint account at Bank of America, they didn't require an SSN in our case. But I was added to my husband's account, might be different. 

 

Either way, you just need to wait for the EAD to get a SSN if you can't get one right now. No need to wait for the actual greencard.

[Becci391 339]

20 minutes ago, Buzz15 said:

Assuming she can't get a SSN# before the green card, what evidence did people use as proof of a legit relationship that doesn't require a SSN#? (excluding banks).

Becci391, so did you get married first like we did before the SSN?

 

 

Yes.

We got married and when I had the certificate marriage certificate I went to the SS office and applied for a SSN. Apparently that office normally doesn't deal with K1-visa holders a lot. The office clerk told me that I would have to come back with my EAD to get my name on the card changed. But I went back on the same day when I received NOA1 in the mail. 

Make sure you apply within the time frame when your I-94 is still valid because if it's expired you have to wait until the EAD is in the mail.

 

Your marriage certificate is enough proof for a legit relationship. They don't want to see proof of residency. 

I showed them my marriage certificate,copy of the I-94, a copy of the international birth certificate and the passport with the visa in. I had no problems applying for a SSN. I just had to come back to get the name changed.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Becci391

[Becci391 339]

15 minutes ago, Scandi said:

You can probably open a joint account at Bank of America, they didn't require an SSN in our case. But I was added to my husband's account, might be different. 

 

Either way, you just need to wait for the EAD to get a SSN if you can't get one right now. No need to wait for the actual greencard.

My husband and I had to show the bank clerk that we both have a SSN when we wanted to open a joint savings account with Bank of America. 

Like you said, it might be different if your husband already has an account with them.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Becci391

[DanniColes 13]

Hi,i went to the SS office after we got married and they let me use my husbands name on my SSN card.They only asked for the marriage certificate,along with the I-94 and passport.It could be different in every state though.

[Mollie09 1,543]

8 hours ago, DanniColes said:

Hi,i went to the SS office after we got married and they let me use my husbands name on my SSN card.They only asked for the marriage certificate,along with the I-94 and passport.It could be different in every state though.

It shouldn't since Social Security is federal - the rules are the same in every state.

Doesn't mean their knowledge of the rules doesn't vary from office to office. I had to find their own internal manual to point to them that my last name change was valid even if it wasn't on my marriage certificate.

[zilchfox 296]

As long as you're still within 75 days of POE, you should be fine. Have your foreign passport, K-1 visa, I-94, and Marriage certificate in hand. They might only issue you an SSN with your maiden name until you have your EAD, but that's fine as you can get it changed later, the SSN number itself is more important as it never changes.

[Pennycat 880]

You need to apply for the SSN two weeks before the I-94 (the "90 days") expires, doesn't matter when you're married. As long as you're within this window, if you bring your marriage certificate and her passport etc, she should be able to get an SSN in her married name. The fact that she wants to change her name is a good reason to NOT have applied for one before you were married-- just another trip to the office for something you were able to do without for a few weeks.

 

Also, you should be able to get her on a joint bank account without an SSN. 

[Becci391 339]

11 minutes ago, CatherineA said:

You need to apply for the SSN two weeks before the I-94 (the "90 days") expires, doesn't matter when you're married. As long as you're within this window, if you bring your marriage certificate and her passport etc, she should be able to get an SSN in her married name. The fact that she wants to change her name is a good reason to NOT have applied for one before you were married-- just another trip to the office for something you were able to do without for a few weeks.

 

Also, you should be able to get her on a joint bank account without an SSN. 

I wasn't able to get my SSN with my new last name on the card although I was already married and brought the marriage certificate with me. The office clerk told me that they cannot change the name on the card until I have my EAD. Went back to the office on the same day when NOA1 was in the mail. Received the card with the new last name in the mail about 2 weeks later.

It depends on where you go. Some people might process the application and the marriage certificate is enough proof, others tell you to come back with the EAD to get the name changed.

 

My husband and I went to BoA to open a joint savings account and both of us had to show our SSN. I would call the bank and ask if they require a SSN in order to open a bank account.

[Pennycat 880]

Just now, Becci391 said:

I wasn't able to get my SSN with my new last name on the card although I was already married and brought the marriage certificate with me. The office clerk told me that they cannot change the name on the card until I have my EAD. Went back to the office on the same day when NOA1 was in the mail. Received the card with the new last name in the mail about 2 weeks later.

It depends on where you go. Some people might process the application and the marriage certificate is enough proof, others tell you to come back with the EAD to get the name changed.

 

My husband and I went to BoA to open a joint savings account and both of us had to show our SSN. I would call the bank and ask if they require a SSN in order to open a bank account.

Mmm, sorry. But they handled it incorrectly. Personally, I don't think it's a big deal and we waited for EAD (we had to because we missed the 75 day window for looong story involving borrowing a car and a blizzard etc), but we weren't in a huge rush to get my husband anything that he needed an SSN for (driver's licence in our state, really, is the only thing). But you could have gone back with the SSA policy/tried a different office with people who know what they're doing etc if you'd really needed it. Again, I don't really see the giant rush to have an SSN when EAD is already on the way, but each person's situation is different.

 

I think each bank is different. But Wells Fargo allowed it no problem. My husband had a joint account with me within a week of his arrival, and months before he had an SSN. I don't know if it is bank policy, or the fact that our banker just happened to have a husband who came over on K1 herself and she therefore knew the policy where other people don't... but it was easy-peasy.

[khristine0509 2]

15 hours ago, Buzz15 said:

Hi,

 

My wife and I got married and we were not aware that it would be best to get her SSN# two weeks after arrival under the K-1 but before the marriage ceremony. She has decided to change her last name.

 

Since we filed her Green card docs a few weeks ago in her new name (have not received any notification yet from USCIS), should we then obtain a social security number under her new name or old name?

 

Also, what set of documents would be best to bring? Her I-94, passport and birth certificate all show her maiden name while her new name appears officially only on our marriage certificate.

 

Thanks.

I got my SSN before I applied the AOS, they issued me an SSN under my name before marriage even though I got marriage certificate. They said change it after I get my Green card.

 

Bring the following when you applied SSN . your wife passport and photocopy of her K1 visa, I-94 and a photocopy of marriage certificate.

 

[khristine0509 2]

16 minutes ago, Becci391 said:

I wasn't able to get my SSN with my new last name on the card although I was already married and brought the marriage certificate with me. The office clerk told me that they cannot change the name on the card until I have my EAD. Went back to the office on the same day when NOA1 was in the mail. Received the card with the new last name in the mail about 2 weeks later.

It depends on where you go. Some people might process the application and the marriage certificate is enough proof, others tell you to come back with the EAD to get the name changed.

 

My husband and I went to BoA to open a joint savings account and both of us had to show our SSN. I would call the bank and ask if they require a SSN in order to open a bank account.

I agree with you, also got the same situation with SSN. They followed the name on the passport even though I got marriage certificate.