Any harm in asking for EAD at POE (JFK)?

[Loren Y 2,732]

I'll be bringing my fiancee back thru LAX November 20th. In order to help out fellow VJ'ers, I will ask at LAX if that is allowed. No problem for me to ask, I'm a USC, so I'm guaranteed entry, so I'll ask on my fiancees behalf as a just out of curiosity type question, and will report back.

[SafeTravels 42]

POE is done! Update for those who asked:

As expected, I did not get an EAD stamp. More interestingly, when I asked about it, the answer I got was "You can't get one because K1 is only a visa for you to marry, you will have to go home again afterwards and apply for another visa anyway". Needless to say I was pretty dumbfounded as this is utterly wrong (imagine waiting a year for K1 then going home after 90 days and then waiting another 18 months for CR1!) but I didn't want to make this any more difficult than it had to be, so after getting no clear response to my question about the temporary 90-day EAD I didn't press the point with the CPB officer and just blithely nodded along and said "hmm." 

 

I was sent to secondary (officer was unsure about whether K1s get sent or not, a colleague told her they do), which lasted about 3 minutes, the secondary officer opened my packet, thumbed through without looking at anything, told me I have 90 days to get married and sent me on my way. The process was painless but I was pretty surprised that the first officer knew nothing about the K1/AOS process and confidently gave false information.

Now we're getting married tomorrow, waiting for 2 weeks before applying for the SSN and then AOS after that!

[payxibka 10,044]

31 minutes ago, SafeTravels said:

POE is done! Update for those who asked:

As expected, I did not get an EAD stamp. More interestingly, when I asked about it, the answer I got was "You can't get one because K1 is only a visa for you to marry, you will have to go home again afterwards and apply for another visa anyway". Needless to say I was pretty dumbfounded as this is utterly wrong (imagine waiting a year for K1 then going home after 90 days and then waiting another 18 months for CR1!) but I didn't want to make this any more difficult than it had to be, so after getting no clear response to my question about the temporary 90-day EAD I didn't press the point with the CPB officer and just blithely nodded along and said "hmm." 

 

I was sent to secondary (officer was unsure about whether K1s get sent or not, a colleague told her they do), which lasted about 3 minutes, the secondary officer opened my packet, thumbed through without looking at anything, told me I have 90 days to get married and sent me on my way. The process was painless but I was pretty surprised that the first officer knew nothing about the K1/AOS process and confidently gave false information.

Now we're getting married tomorrow, waiting for 2 weeks before applying for the SSN and then AOS after that!

Remember that you need to apply for the ssn in the name on your uscis documents.   If you plan a name change you should apply before you change your name 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

3 hours ago, SafeTravels said:

Now we're getting married tomorrow, waiting for 2 weeks before applying for the SSN and then AOS after that!

You don't have to wait 2 weeks. And whatever you do, don't tell SSA you got married. Like your experience with POE, many SSA workers have no clue about K1s. More than a few have been told "you got married so now you're a K3 which can't get a SSN." Ummm...no, the visa can't change. Just say you are a K1 and use the exact name on your I-94.

[SafeTravels 42]

14 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

You don't have to wait 2 weeks.

I read on the immigration guide here and elsewhere that not waiting means the i94 might not be in the SAVE database and cause weeks of delay with manual paperwork being filed?

 

Would you suggest not getting married at all before SSN has been applied for? I'm not changing my name.

[Boiler 43,433]

Things change

 

Now done electronically

 

Best to get it before you marry.

 

 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

26 minutes ago, SafeTravels said:

I read on the immigration guide here and elsewhere that not waiting means the i94 might not be in the SAVE database and cause weeks of delay with manual paperwork being filed?

 

Would you suggest not getting married at all before SSN has been applied for? I'm not changing my name.

That is old news like your EAD stamp at POE. When paper entry cards were filled out on the plane, then collected, sent to data entry, and manually entered into a database, it could take some time.

Your passport scan does all that now. If you have an I-94 online, then your entry is recorded already.

 

I would not delay marriage. Just don't walk in SSA saying "I got married"  because marriage has nothing to do with getting a K1 SSN. I was marriedand had sent off AOS before I got my SSN, but I was pre-automated and had the old I-94 card to fill out so didn't go to SSA until Day 9 or so.

Edited October 30, 2018 by Wuozopo

[aminkowz 105]

On 10/30/2018 at 11:42 AM, Wuozopo said:

That is old news like your EAD stamp at POE. When paper entry cards were filled out on the plane, then collected, sent to data entry, and manually entered into a database, it could take some time.

Your passport scan does all that now. If you have an I-94 online, then your entry is recorded already.

 

I would not delay marriage. Just don't walk in SSA saying "I got married"  because marriage has nothing to do with getting a K1 SSN. I was marriedand had sent off AOS before I got my SSN, but I was pre-automated and had the old I-94 card to fill out so didn't go to SSA until Day 9 or so.

Thanks for clarifying this, my finance is coming on Thursday and we were planning to go to SS office on Monday to apply. Hopefully that is not too soon

[Wuozopo 4,285]

1 hour ago, aminkowz said:

Thanks for clarifying this, my finance is coming on Thursday and we were planning to go to SS office on Monday to apply. Hopefully that is not too soon

Apply in the name exactly as written on the I-94.  Even if it says MaryJane instead of Mary Jane. You can sort the names later. Get the number, sort later when she has an EAD card saying MARY JANE [New last name]. Then the database will be updated to read the same as the EAD was issued. They will find that name and change the records, but not the number assigned.

[aminkowz 105]

16 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

Apply in the name exactly as written on the I-94.  Even if it says MaryJane instead of Mary Jane. You can sort the names later. Get the number, sort later when she has an EAD card saying MARY JANE [New last name]. Then the database will be updated to read the same as the EAD was issued. They will find that name and change the records, but not the number assigned.

Thanks much, we are not planning name change, she will keep her full name even after marriage.

[Ontarkie 13,915]

~~Thread locked to further replies. The OP has updated her post and this thread is now going off topic for another forum.~~