Which Order?: Getting Married, Getting Social Security Number, Filing AOS

[avrora9002 21]

29 minutes ago, Emmak1 said:

Hey guys! Just wondering if anyone would know the answer to this: 

I got a SSN in 2015 when i went to the US on a J1 Visa for the Summer. Will I need to apply for a new SSN or will my initial one be valid? 

No, you don't need to apply for a new one.

 

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

5 hours ago, payxibka said:

What kind of AOS issues will the SSN cause?

Get the SSN ASAP upon entry into the USA. We did that without any problems and then went back to change the name after we got married. 

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

7 hours ago, heartinKorea said:

I've read conflicting things about this, so I just want to clarify. I (the US petitioner) am female and my fiance is male, and we want to clarify which order we need to complete these steps once he arrives in the states. 

 

Can we get married first within the first 2 weeks and then file for his SS #? I read before that a lot of people had trouble when they got married and/or filed for AOS before getting their social, so I just want to clarify. We would like to get married and file as soon as possible after her arrives, but want to make sure we do everything correctly. 

Get the SSN ASAP after entry into the USA. Then you can get married and then change the name from the maiden name to the married name once you have the marriage license in hand. We did this for my wife and there was no issue at all. We got married within 10 days after her arrival. 

[Scandi 3,970]

Definitely SSN first, there's no reason not to. Even if you plan on changing your name when you get married it's still better to at least have an SSN as soon as possible after arriving. Changing the name can be done at a later date, not as important as actually having a SSN.

 

Some SSA emåloyees even think that the rules change if you get married, meaning they won't even issue you a SSN after you got married DESPITE having enough time left on your i-94, they won even give you a SSN in your maiden name.

 

It's up to you if you're willing to risk having to wait several months to get your SSN (getting the EAD can take up to 6 months right now), I know I wouldn't. No reason not to apply for a SSN asap. Personally I waited until my 4th day in the US to apply for a SSN.

[BVGApeach 288]

16 hours ago, cyberfx1024 said:

 then went back to change the name after we got married. 

I just want to piggyback on this and say for any non-US citizens who are coming to our country, that if you are female you do not have to change your last name to your husband's. This is entirely your choice if you want to change your name or keep your maiden name. It was the traditional thing to do, but in the United States traditions are changing to reflect our increasingly diverse and multicultural population.

 

You actually have a lot of options - you can change your last name, he can change his last name to yours, or you can both change your last names to something entirely new! Or just don't change it all I know a lot of women who keep their maiden names because they have been using them professionally for so long, it doesn't make sense for them to change. Or the couple uses a double barreled last name (Jane Smith and Joe Johnson become Jane and Joe Smith-Johnson). 

 

Personally, I am going to change my last name to my FI's because I am not so attached to my last name and his is much cooler than mine  

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

3 minutes ago, BVGApeach said:

I just want to piggyback on this and say for any non-US citizens who are coming to our country, that if you are female you do not have to change your last name to your husband's. This is entirely your choice if you want to change your name or keep your maiden name. It was the traditional thing to do, but in the United States traditions are changing to reflect our increasingly diverse and multicultural population.

 

You actually have a lot of options - you can change your last name, he can change his last name to yours, or you can both change your last names to something entirely new! Or just don't change it all I know a lot of women who keep their maiden names because they have been using them professionally for so long, it doesn't make sense for them to change. Or the couple uses a double barreled last name (Jane Smith and Joe Johnson become Jane and Joe Smith-Johnson). 

 

Personally, I am going to change my last name to my FI's because I am not so attached to my last name and his is much cooler than mine  

Totally agree with this but my wife wanted to change her name so I didn't stop her. I have a friend of mine who changed HIS name when he got married to her name. I think the reason for that was that he wanted to make her happy.

[heartinKorea 175]

On 1/7/2018 at 10:32 AM, Scandi said:

Definitely SSN first, there's no reason not to. Even if you plan on changing your name when you get married it's still better to at least have an SSN as soon as possible after arriving. Changing the name can be done at a later date, not as important as actually having a SSN.

 

Some SSA emåloyees even think that the rules change if you get married, meaning they won't even issue you a SSN after you got married DESPITE having enough time left on your i-94, they won even give you a SSN in your maiden name.

 

It's up to you if you're willing to risk having to wait several months to get your SSN (getting the EAD can take up to 6 months right now), I know I wouldn't. No reason not to apply for a SSN asap. Personally I waited until my 4th day in the US to apply for a SSN.

But you need to wait 2 weeks at least for the I-94 to be in the system. So my question was would it make sense to get married during these 2 weeks while we are waiting, and then apply for the SSN before we file for AOS.

[yuna628 9,530]

5 minutes ago, heartinKorea said:

But you need to wait 2 weeks at least for the I-94 to be in the system. So my question was would it make sense to get married during these 2 weeks while we are waiting, and then apply for the SSN before we file for AOS.

Hi there,

 

You do not have to wait two weeks. That was the old recommendation. In our case, we did wait just to be 100% sure. But if your I-94 is in the system it should be in the system on their end. Many have successfully gone immediately within a few days to the SSA and applied. I'd recommend getting the SSN before marriage.

[geowrian 22,335]

Right, the 2 week recommendation is outdated. The I-94 should be put into the system much more quickly nowadays (typically within 24 hours). Check it first (https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/), then you should be fine to go to SSA.

[ineedadisplayname 443]

I am still far from getting the approval, but this thread is interesting.

It is legal to apply for SSN, then go get the marriage license and declare that I don't have SSN? So basically do stuff concurrently. With these timelines doing it concurrently would have some advantages. (Less waiting for SSN and marrige certificate before filing AOS) Not every state requires an SSN for marriage. 

Edited January 9, 2018 by ineedadisplayname

[John & Rose 7,237]

Check this out too.  Combined SSN and EAD process...

 

https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/new-uscis-form-streamlines-process-obtain-work-authorization-document-and-social-security-number-simultaneously

[John & Rose 7,237]

3 minutes ago, ineedadisplayname said:

I am still far from getting the approval, but this thread is interesting.

It is legal to apply for SSN, then go get the marriage license and declare that I don't have SSN? So basically do stuff concurrently. With these timelines doing it concurrently would have some advantages. (Less waiting for SSN and marrige certificate before filing AOS) Not every state requires an SSN for marriage. 

Don't you walk out of the SSN office with a temp card with your numbers?  The permanent card gets mailed but I think the number is assigned right away.

[ineedadisplayname 443]

1 minute ago, John & Rose said:

Don't you walk out of the SSN office with a temp card with your numbers?  The permanent card gets mailed but I think the number is assigned right away.

Have no idea Never had SSN before The only thing I knew that they would send the card in the mail in a few weeks. Will check it. Thanks so much!

[geowrian 22,335]

2 minutes ago, ineedadisplayname said:

I am still far from getting the approval, but this thread is interesting.

It is legal to apply for SSN, then go get the marriage license and declare that I don't have SSN? So basically do stuff concurrently. With these timelines doing it concurrently would have some advantages. (Less waiting for SSN and marrige certificate before filing AOS) Not every state requires an SSN for marriage. 

That's what my wife did. The marriage license application requested the SSN if she had one. At the SSA you only "apply" for one, but none is issued yet. We walked straight from the SSA to the courthouse.

No state requires SSN for marriage (if you don't have one already). Undocumented immigrants (or whatever term people prefer now) can marry fine.

 

Just now, John & Rose said:

Don't you walk out of the SSN office with a temp card with your numbers?  The permanent card gets mailed but I think the number is assigned right away.

Nope. At least not here...we walked out with a paper that said we applied for it and it should arrive in the mail within a couple weeks.

There is an exception to this for certain religious groups and such that are except from SS altogether (no taxes & no disbursements), in which they technically get an SSN as required to do so, but never have a card produced and just enter the number on a form that excludes them from having to participate in SS.

[John & Rose 7,237]

20 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Nope. At least not here...we walked out with a paper that said we applied for it and it should arrive in the mail within a couple weeks.

There is an exception to this for certain religious groups and such that are except from SS altogether (no taxes & no disbursements), in which they technically get an SSN as required to do so, but never have a card produced and just enter the number on a form that excludes them from having to participate in SS.

Thanks.  I really wasn't sure.  I remember walking into the SSN office at probably 3 or 4 years old but I do not recall much else.  It certainly isn't something we do everyday.