Social Security Number for the visa recipient?

[NickandGwen 1]

Hi everyone, very happy to say that I arrived in America just the other day so we're all go for planning our wedding and sorting the paperwork.

 

Something that came up however was a lot of conflicting ideas about social security numbers.

At first it seemed like a SSN was required to get married, but further research suggested this is probably not true (will call this coming week and see what the marriage license guys say). But I saw a lot of posts from forums like this where people were discussing when the earliest you can reasonably apply for a SSN is. The confusion is that the SSA website says that you can not apply for a SSN unless:

 

A federal law requires you to provide your Social Security number to get a particular benefit or service; or
A state or local law requires you to provide your Social Security number to get general assistance benefits for which you already have qualified.

 

So I was wondering what other people were doing about their SSN?

[payxibka 10,044]

5 minutes ago, NickandGwen said:

Hi everyone, very happy to say that I arrived in America just the other day so we're all go for planning our wedding and sorting the paperwork.

 

Something that came up however was a lot of conflicting ideas about social security numbers.

At first it seemed like a SSN was required to get married, but further research suggested this is probably not true (will call this coming week and see what the marriage license guys say). But I saw a lot of posts from forums like this where people were discussing when the earliest you can reasonably apply for a SSN is. The confusion is that the SSA website says that you can not apply for a SSN unless:

 

A federal law requires you to provide your Social Security number to get a particular benefit or service; or
A state or local law requires you to provide your Social Security number to get general assistance benefits for which you already have qualified.

 

So I was wondering what other people were doing about their SSN?

As a K-1 you are eligible to apply for a SSN within 75 days of arrival, after 75 days your application will not be accepted.  SSN application needs to be in the name on your USCIS documentation.  So if a name change is planned do it before you change your name

[Crazy Cat 39,195]

12 minutes ago, NickandGwen said:

Hi everyone, very happy to say that I arrived in America just the other day so we're all go for planning our wedding and sorting the paperwork.

 

Something that came up however was a lot of conflicting ideas about social security numbers.

At first it seemed like a SSN was required to get married, but further research suggested this is probably not true (will call this coming week and see what the marriage license guys say). But I saw a lot of posts from forums like this where people were discussing when the earliest you can reasonably apply for a SSN is. The confusion is that the SSA website says that you can not apply for a SSN unless:

 

A federal law requires you to provide your Social Security number to get a particular benefit or service; or
A state or local law requires you to provide your Social Security number to get general assistance benefits for which you already have qualified.

 

So I was wondering what other people were doing about their SSN?

Have you read this guide?  https://www.visajourney.com/content/ssn

 

[Alabamak1 688]

we didn't wait for SS#. first thing we did was go to SSA before getting married. Applied for it and got manual verification anyways. It took 4 weeks for us.

 

Myth: Wait 14 days before you even consider going to SSA to get SS#, so by this you just wasted 14 good days of doing nothing and John Doe got his SS# in 10 days as was the case of another K-1 in the month we applied

 

Manual verification can/will happen. You have no control over it. Go there Monday and get it over with. Just my opinion

[Hypnos 6,576]

No US state requires you to have a SSN to receive a marriage license, but if you do have a SSN then you are required by federal law to provide it when you make the application. 

[Ryan H 3,790]

Moved from K1 Process & Procedures to Social Security Numbers forum.

[Diane and Chris 651]

I would highly recommend getting your ss# ASAP. It will make things much easier, such as getting bank account, drivers license or state id etc.  Change your name on social security after marriage if you plan to change it once married. Good luck and congratulations on your visa and upcoming marriage!

[NickandGwen 1]

Thanks so much for all the responses guys, it might be the jet lag but I was really struggling to understand before reading these.

 

Just for the sake of absolute clarity, and hopefully for anyone else that searches the forum for info, I have another question before I head to the SSA office tomorrow. The K1 visa does not permit work unless I fill in some more paperwork, so when the SSA officer reads that I don't have a work visa will showing them that the K1 is listed on this memo (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0110211530) really make it clear that I am entitled to a SSN? Everywhere I look on the SSA website really pushes the "if you're not working you don't /really/ need a SSN" angle and there's zero info on K1 visas as far as their search tool tells me. Just wondering if there's anything else official I can reference in case I get someone at the office who's unfamiliar with K1s.

[Hypnos 6,576]

The POMS document is generally all you require to badger a recalcitrant SSA employee into understanding that a K-1 with at least 14 days of validity remaining on their I-94 is entitled to a SSN as a matter of course. 

 

I echo the above advice to obtain a SSN asap. It will make your life a great deal easier, since it's a de facto national identity number at this point.

 

Don't forget to take a certified copy of your birth certificate with you also. Some people are asked for it (I was, and they made a copy of it too).