When to apply for SSN around a quick K1 wedding?

[nekotakacho 60]

My fiancee will arrive (POE) on February 26th (Tuesday) with her K1 visa. We intend to get married very soon, on March 3rd (Sunday). We will apply for our marriage license on Feb 26 or 27th.

 

We also need to apply for her SSN, but I am unsure when its best to do that? I read things that say to have SSN prior to the marriage. I also read here on the visajourney K1 flowchart, to apply for SSN, get married and then go back to SSA office and change the name on the SSN card?

 

I also see many people say to wait 1-2 weeks before applying for SSN because it won't be in the system yet. But we intend to have our marriage ceremony within one week of her arrival, so I am a little confused on the process forward.

Should we just wait to apply for SSN after the wedding, and bring the wedding documents to show proof of her name change?

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Crazy Cat 39,220]

This topic was thoroughly discussed a few days ago here:

 

[nekotakacho 60]

On 2/4/2019 at 4:05 PM, missileman said:

This topic was thoroughly discussed a few days ago here:

 

Thank you, I read through it and became even more confused as everybody has different answers.

 

So, do you know, do we apply for SSN the day she lands at POE? We are in a hurry. How many days after POE do we wait to apply for SSN?

[Crazy Cat 39,220]

7 minutes ago, nekotakacho said:

Thank you, I read through it and became even more confused as everybody has different answers.

 

So, do you know, do we apply for SSN the day she lands at POE? We are in a hurry. How many days after POE do we wait to apply for SSN?

You don't have to wait since the records are now electronic.  There have been posters who successfully applied for a SSN a day or so  after POE.  

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

On ‎2‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 4:35 PM, nekotakacho said:

My fiancee will arrive (POE) on February 26th (Tuesday) with her K1 visa. We intend to get married very soon, on March 3rd (Sunday). We will apply for our marriage license on Feb 26 or 27th.

 

We also need to apply for her SSN, but I am unsure when its best to do that? I read things that say to have SSN prior to the marriage. I also read here on the visajourney K1 flowchart, to apply for SSN, get married and then go back to SSA office and change the name on the SSN card?

 

I also see many people say to wait 1-2 weeks before applying for SSN because it won't be in the system yet. But we intend to have our marriage ceremony within one week of her arrival, so I am a little confused on the process forward.

Should we just wait to apply for SSN after the wedding, and bring the wedding documents to show proof of her name change?

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Just wait 2-3 days then go get a SSN

[C90 376]

On 2/4/2019 at 4:35 PM, nekotakacho said:

My fiancee will arrive (POE) on February 26th (Tuesday) with her K1 visa. We intend to get married very soon, on March 3rd (Sunday). We will apply for our marriage license on Feb 26 or 27th.

 

We also need to apply for her SSN, but I am unsure when its best to do that? I read things that say to have SSN prior to the marriage. I also read here on the visajourney K1 flowchart, to apply for SSN, get married and then go back to SSA office and change the name on the SSN card?

 

I also see many people say to wait 1-2 weeks before applying for SSN because it won't be in the system yet. But we intend to have our marriage ceremony within one week of her arrival, so I am a little confused on the process forward.

Should we just wait to apply for SSN after the wedding, and bring the wedding documents to show proof of her name change?

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

She probably has to apply for SSN in her maiden name (even after marriage) and when that comes in she can re-apply in her married name. There are people who tried to do it in married name right away and got denied, since her immigration records are in her maiden name.

 

She can go soon after arrival. Worst case scenario she has to go through manual verification (what's at this point more common then uncommon since USCIS went over to a new system that doesn't communicate well with SSO), that usually takes 3-4 weeks. If she goes asap she should have enough time to overcome manual verification before her I-94 or K1 expires.

[nekotakacho 60]

So she arrived yesterday at 1 AM. We went to the SSA office, with her I-94, to apply for her SSN at 9 AM. The I-94 is available online immediately. I checked when she went through POE at JFK, it was there online (the I-94).

 

They told us they would have to contact DHS to verify her and it could take time, so we should come back in 10 days. The girl at the SSA office didn't seem to know about any of this or what to do. I have a feeling 10 days waiting is excessive because she just made that number up.

 

We did go get a marriage license though, so atleast the government let us do something.

Edited February 27, 2019 by nekotakacho

[nekotakacho 60]

On 2/8/2019 at 11:51 AM, missileman said:

You don't have to wait since the records are now electronic.  There have been posters who successfully applied for a SSN a day or so  after POE.  

We waited 8 hours after POE and it did not work. They said come back in 10 days, but that was just a guess.

 

I think its a little ridiculous that there is no straightforward answers to applying for SSN on a K1 visa. Especially when you only have 90 days to complete everything, when the government isn't even ready for it. We will be married in 3 days, so I think it will be even more complicated to get the SSN application right.

Edited February 27, 2019 by nekotakacho

[K1visaHopeful 2,661]

3 minutes ago, nekotakacho said:

We waited 8 hours after POE and it did not work. They said come back in 10 days, but that was just a guess.

 

I think its a little ridiculous that there is no straightforward answers to applying for SSN on a K1 visa. Especially when you only have 90 days to complete everything, when the government isn't even ready for it. We will be married in 3 days, so I think it will be even more complicated to get the SSN application right.

The i94 records are electronic but that doesnt mean your POE record will be updated immediately with DHS. THAT'S why you were told you are undergoing Manual Verification and that's why you should wait 10 to 14 days before applying for an SSN. Not because your I94 wont be updated but because your DHS record might not be. 

You could also have a name mix match. Look at your passport and I94 record and see if either of them has your separate first name and seperate middle name as one combined "given name". If either do that's why you are undergoing MV. 

[nekotakacho 60]

2 minutes ago, K1visaHopeful said:

The i94 records are electronic but that doesnt mean your POE record will be updated immediately with DHS. THAT'S why you were told you are undergoing Manual Verification and that's why you should wait 10 to 14 days before applying for an SSN. Not because your I94 wont be updated but because your DHS record might not be. 

You could also have a name mix match. Look at your passport and I94 record and see if either of them has your separate first name and seperate middle name as one combined "given name". If either do that's why you are undergoing MV. 

 

Russian passports do not have a middle name. Thanks for the info. 

[K1visaHopeful 2,661]

4 minutes ago, nekotakacho said:

 

Russian passports do not have a middle name. Thanks for the info. 

Right but did you give USCIS a middle name when you applied for your I129F/K1 Visa?

If you did, then that's why you have a name mix match. Your passport name and I94 name do NOT match what is on file with DHS. Your case will be sent to MV to confirm which name should be used on your SSN. 

 

Edited February 27, 2019 by K1visaHopeful

[nekotakacho 60]

On 2/27/2019 at 11:36 AM, K1visaHopeful said:

Right but did you give USCIS a middle name when you applied for your I129F/K1 Visa?

If you did, then that's why you have a name mix match. Your passport name and I94 name do NOT match what is on file with DHS. Your case will be sent to MV to confirm which name should be used on your SSN. 

 

This makes the most sense. We did have a typographical error and submitted a name change during the NOA1-NOA2 phase. This could be part of our problem, but I am still unsure.

 

Everytime we go to the SSA office they are not able to find her in the DHS system. They keep saying she will need "manual" verification if she does not appear. It is a good idea to use the mis-spelled name and see if it comes up.

 

We will go today and I will find out for sure. Thank you for this advice!!

Edited March 11, 2019 by nekotakacho

[K1visaHopeful 2,661]

39 minutes ago, nekotakacho said:

This makes the most sense. We did have a typographical error and submitted a name change during the NOA1-NOA2 phase. This could be part of our problem, but I am still unsure.

 

Everytime we go to the SSA office they are not able to find her in the DHS system. They keep saying she will need "manual" verification if she does not appear. It is a good idea to use the mis-spelled name and see if it comes up.

 

We will go today and I will find out for sure. Thank you for this advice!!

SSA cant change your name though. They have to input it exactly as it appears on your I94. If that doesn't match your DHS name you will have to undergo MV anyways. But if you are too close to your I94 expiring they wont processi it anyways and you will have to await your EAD to apply.

[nekotakacho 60]

22 hours ago, K1visaHopeful said:

SSA cant change your name though. They have to input it exactly as it appears on your I94. If that doesn't match your DHS name you will have to undergo MV anyways. But if you are too close to your I94 expiring they wont processi it anyways and you will have to await your EAD to apply.

 

The expiration date is 5/25/2019,  so its not close to expiring.

 

The I94 matches her passport and the corrections we filed for our K1 application.

 

I dont understand why this is so difficult for us, still. I mean, we know plenty of US/Russian couples who have not experienced this, and they all have passports without middle names.

Edited March 12, 2019 by nekotakacho

[nekotakacho 60]

Sorry, the expiration date on the I-94 is actually 3/31/2019.