when she gets to the usa - apply for social security number 1st

[Lewis57 1]

word of advice  - if she comes to the usa on a fiance visa apply for a social security number first before you get married.   after you get married you lose your legal basis to apply until your temporary work permit gets approved - could take up to 5 or 6 months.   Without a social security number its harder to open joint accounts at banks, get drivers licenses etc   

Edited March 25, 2019 by Lewis57

[Hank_ 9,171]

1 minute ago, Lewis57 said:

word of advice  - if she comes to the usa on a fiance visa apply for a social security number first before you get married.   after you get married you lose you legal basis to apply until your temporary work permit gets approved - could take up to 5 or 6 months.   Without a social security number its harder to open joint accounts at banks, get drivers licenses etc   

You will have to explain that thinking a little further .. why does a person in the USA by means of a K-1 visa loose the right to apply for an SSN after marriage (and before obtaining an EAD or green card) ?

 

Are you saying SSA will not issue the SSN at that time or ?

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

38 minutes ago, Lewis57 said:

word of advice  - if she comes to the usa on a fiance visa apply for a social security number first before you get married.   after you get married you lose your legal basis to apply until your temporary work permit gets approved - could take up to 5 or 6 months.   Without a social security number its harder to open joint accounts at banks, get drivers licenses etc   

You do not lose your legal status to apply for a ssn after marriage. The problem is that a fair number of people want to wait until days 70 or 80 after arrival to get married. Then when they go to the social security office they can't get a ssn because it's too close to the end of their approved stay. 

 

I always say to get a SSN asap after arrival 

[Hank_ 9,171]

3 minutes ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

You do not lose your legal status to apply for a ssn after marriage. The problem is that a fair number of people want to wait until days 70 or 80 after arrival to get married. Then when they go to the social security office they can't get a ssn because it's too close to the end of their approved stay. 

 

I always say to get a SSN asap after arrival 

 

Exactly.     Use to be you couldn't do it within the 1st week or two and for sure didn't want to wait until there was only 2 weeks left on the I-94  (as this is what is granting legal status)

[Lewis57 1]

My wife came on a fiance visa in July of 2018 -  we got married about a week after she arrived in the USA.   About a week after we married we went to the social security office and they would not let her get a social security card.  They said since we had gotten married her legal status to enter the USA was no longer valid  - we would have to wait until the temporary work permit came through or the change of status is granted.  I thought it must be a mistake but there was no use to argue -  that was in North Dakota.  About 3 weeks later we moved to Florida  I went to a Social Security office there  I got the exact same answer and rationale.  Just wanted to put that in others minds that if they bring a fiance - go to the social security office first  - you can go back and change the name on it later.  Our problem is fixed now because she  was granted a temporary work permit in early March and she passed her change of status interview and got her first 2 year green card.  She actually got her green card before the temporary work permit.  the District office where we processed and interviewed at is ahead of the processing center that issues the temporary work permits and travel paroles.

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

3 minutes ago, Lewis57 said:

My wife came on a fiance visa in July of 2018 -  we got married about a week after she arrived in the USA.   About a week after we married we went to the social security office and they would not let her get a social security card.  They said since we had gotten married her legal status to enter the USA was no longer valid  - we would have to wait until the temporary work permit came through or the change of status is granted.  I thought it must be a mistake but there was no use to argue -  that was in North Dakota.  About 3 weeks later we moved to Florida  I went to a Social Security office there  I got the exact same answer and rationale.  Just wanted to put that in others minds that if they bring a fiance - go to the social security office first  - you can go back and change the name on it later.  Our problem is fixed now because she  was granted a temporary work permit in early March and she passed her change of status interview and got her first 2 year green card.  She actually got her green card before the temporary work permit.  the District office where we processed and interviewed at is ahead of the processing center that issues the temporary work permits and travel paroles.

Then you should have seen a supervisor because that isn't right. 

My wife came in to the USA and we got her SSN a week later in NC. We got married and moved to CA where we got her new married social security card a month later. 

[Lewis57 1]

1 minute ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

Then you should have seen a supervisor because that isn't right. 

My wife came in to the USA and we got her SSN a week later in NC. We got married and moved to CA where we got her new married social security card a month later. 

You are probably right but its water over the dam for us now.  Probably safest to go get it right away before marriage. It was a pain not having a social security card from July until March.    

[Rick & Apple 233]

My wife arrived Nov. 1, 2016. We got married Nov. 9. The next morning we went to the courthouse to record the marriage, then went to the SSA office. Her card arrived in the mail about a week later. She was added to my checking account Nov. 21.

[Hank_ 9,171]

1 hour ago, Lewis57 said:

My wife came on a fiance visa in July of 2018 -  we got married about a week after she arrived in the USA.   About a week after we married we went to the social security office and they would not let her get a social security card.  They said since we had gotten married her legal status to enter the USA was no longer valid  - we would have to wait until the temporary work permit came through or the change of status is granted.  I thought it must be a mistake but there was no use to argue -  that was in North Dakota.  About 3 weeks later we moved to Florida  I went to a Social Security office there  I got the exact same answer and rationale.  Just wanted to put that in others minds that if they bring a fiance - go to the social security office first  - you can go back and change the name on it later.  Our problem is fixed now because she  was granted a temporary work permit in early March and she passed her change of status interview and got her first 2 year green card.  She actually got her green card before the temporary work permit.  the District office where we processed and interviewed at is ahead of the processing center that issues the temporary work permits and travel paroles.

Was she applying in her married or maiden name?

 

She may not be allowed to get her SSN in her married name but she can get her SSN in the name in her passport & visa (and I-94).

 

 

[Lewis57 1]

5 hours ago, Hank_ said:

Was she applying in her married or maiden name?

 

She may not be allowed to get her SSN in her married name but she can get her SSN in the name in her passport & visa (and I-94).

 

 

We applied in full transparency  and said we were married already    I think if we had applied and didnt say anything about being married we would have been ok -  but then maybe later someone checks the dates?  Things with immigration seem pretty precarious already in the last year or so - so I didnt want to take a risk   If others have gotten it after being married then great.  

again I'm just saying from what we encountered it might be smart to go get your social security card filed for first 

[FilAm24 74]

1 hour ago, Lewis57 said:

We applied in full transparency  and said we were married already    I think if we had applied and didnt say anything about being married we would have been ok -  but then maybe later someone checks the dates?  Things with immigration seem pretty precarious already in the last year or so - so I didnt want to take a risk   If others have gotten it after being married then great.  

again I'm just saying from what we encountered it might be smart to go get your social security card filed for first 

well some ssa just seems do not know about k1's.

 

all applicants need to read more and more about any circumstances that they might have when they chose any type of visa. Im sure once you search about k1 visa and the waiting time you wont say that its a PAIN .

 

how do i know about not being able to work until gc/ead is in hand, not being able to drive, having a ssn,bank account etc. 

 

we should know all of this before we decide which visa will suit us.

 

 

background:k1/k2, entered last August 2018,aos October, interview January,gc January 17,2019. 

 

sometimes if i see a thread here whining about their situation and maybe regret the k1 i just laugh and say how stupid why didnt research this before lol

 

[Hank_ 9,171]

8 hours ago, Lewis57 said:

We applied in full transparency  and said we were married already    I think if we had applied and didnt say anything about being married we would have been ok -  but then maybe later someone checks the dates?  Things with immigration seem pretty precarious already in the last year or so - so I didnt want to take a risk   If others have gotten it after being married then great.  

again I'm just saying from what we encountered it might be smart to go get your social security card filed for first 

Ah .. so you applied using her married name .. SSA checks the SAVE database and that is what they go by for issuing an SSN.  Had you used her maiden name there would not of been an issue.   And no it would not of been a problem using her maiden name.  Once she received either her EAD or Green Card she could then update SSA, which should be done anyway once she receives her green card for sure, as they will issue a new card without the DHS statement of "not valid for employment ..."

[AmerFila 10]

Most of the time you will need a SSN card to get a marriage license.  I am not sure if this is different in other states but it is true here.  You don't lose you right to apply for a SSN after you get married but you will have restrictions on it if you do not have a work permit.  Be sure to file for your work permit and removal of conditions along with your adjustment of status so that you wont have to pay for them all separately.  this will save you some money.  

[pamawemo 78]

Our experience with SSA: my fiance arrived 3/8/19. We went to the SSA office 3/15 to apply in her maiden name. Got manual verification (so much for the new and improved electronic updating) so they told us it will be 4 weeks before she has a number/card.

 

Got married 3/25! Didn't need a SSN to obtain a marriage license. Added her to my health insurance w/o the SSN. Working on our AOS (almost done!) and will most likely not have her SSN before sending the package to Chicago. 

 

Once she gets her EAD (employment authorization document) in 4-6 months, we will take it back to SSA and have her SS card changed to her married name and remove the "not authorized to work" clause.

 

So far, she has had no need for the SSN but she "should" have a number/card in a couple more weeks.

 

NOTE: someone at SSA told us to make sure we file my wife's name at our local post office as a person living at our address as some mail carriers will not deliver mail, especially SSA mail, unless it is verified that person actually resides there. Not sure if that was BS but we did it anyway.

[payxibka 10,044]

5 hours ago, AmerFila said:

Most of the time you will need a SSN card to get a marriage license. 

Idaho is an exception not the rule.   Most states DO NOT require ssn for a marriage license 

Edited March 30, 2019 by payxibka