No name change = no drivers license, because SS office "lost" application

[Toastbear 146]

I hope you guys can give me an advice.

 

So I went shortly after I arrived here to the Social Security Office to get my SSN. All of this was no problem, they told me they need manual verification and created a SAVE case. 2 weeks later I got my SS card in the mail with my maiden name. Everything until here went smooth.

 

Then me and my hubby got married and I went with the marriage certificate 1 day after our courthouse wedding to the social security office to apply for a name change. I applied for it on april 2nd and my i-94 was going to expire on may 5th. So i thought "they have 4 weeks, there should be no problem". After i didnt hear anything from them for 3 weeks, i called them and they told me "its still processing". I waited one more week and called again. The person i was talking to on the phone said she cant find my case and i should go to my local SS office. Which I did, 2 days before my i-94 was going to expire.

 

So i sit there and get handed to 3 different people, because they cant find my application and they dont know what happened to it, but they also cant let me apply again since my i-94 was about to expire.

 

I was like: great. I know you can go to your SS office with the EAD to get your name changed, but the reason why i wanted to get my name changed before that was to get my drivers license since driving with my german license is kind of a gray zone. Some say: "only 60 days for new residents in VA" and another DMV call center person said: "you can drive as long as you cant get your virginia drivers license". Well I dont want to get into an accident and then the insurance says "no valid license", just because some DMV person said "its ok". 

 

Is there any way to get my license and my name changed now? The SS office person said "you might get a new i-94 with your NOA1 of the AOS", but afaik this is not how it is.

[Loren Y 2,731]

You already have a SS card, so I don't believe the I94 expiration applys anymore in your case. It matters when you first get your card because you have to be verified, but you have already done that with your first SS card. You are just doing a name change now, and your marriage certificate acts as a legal name change document. I would go back to the office and just apply again for a name change, or if they are complete idiots there ( good possibility) maybe you have another office not to far away you could try a visit to and hopefully get someone more familiar with the process. 

[Toastbear 146]

Just now, Loren Y said:

You already have a SS card, so I don't believe the I94 expiration applys anymore in your case. It matters when you first get your card because you have to be verified, but you have already done that with your first SS card. You are just doing a name change now, and your marriage certificate acts as a legal name change document. I would go back to the office and just apply again for a name change, or if they are complete idiots there ( good possibility) maybe you have another office not to far away you could try a visit to and hopefully get someone more familiar with the process. 

Sadly they need to verify it again, because my friend is from denver and they did the same for her and she got the name change done the same way. The person that works at her office even said: i know how this works because my wife came here on a k1 too. 

 

The person at my office even said: it doesnt let me go further without the expired i-94

[Lemonslice 4,549]

Get your driver's licence in your maiden name for now, no?

[Toastbear 146]

Just now, Lemonslice said:

Get your driver's licence in your maiden name for now, no?

You need to have the NOA1 from the AOS, which i filed with my married name. 

 

From what I know you need to have the NOA1 and the security card in the same name, or the DMV wont accept them as "proof"

[Loren Y 2,731]

43 minutes ago, Toastbear said:

You need to have the NOA1 from the AOS, which i filed with my married name. 

 

From what I know you need to have the NOA1 and the security card in the same name, or the DMV wont accept them as "proof"

Depends on the state, but here in Nevada they wouldn't let my wife extend her state ID card with just the NOA 1 from AOS. Had to wait for EAD AP card. They said NOA 1 doesn't give any immigration benefits, it even says so on the document. Hopefully they are better at your DMV, and they understand, but most States won't do anything until EAD arrives.

[Toastbear 146]

2 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

Depends on the state, but here in Nevada they wouldn't let my wife extend her state ID card with just the NOA 1 from AOS. Had to wait for EAD AP card. They said NOA 1 doesn't give any immigration benefits, it even says so on the document. Hopefully they are better at your DMV, and they understand, but most States won't do anything until EAD arrives.

yeah i heard that too, but I thought i had a slight chance with atleast having noa1 and ss card :(.(Since it worked well for my friend in denver)

 

At the end it does not really matter, I just wanted to be on the safe side when i drive. Not that i have an accident, but just someone bumping into me and they saying "your license is not valid" is reason alone to be scared.

Edited May 15, 2019 by Toastbear

[RLA 323]

On 5/15/2019 at 6:39 PM, Loren Y said:

Depends on the state, but here in Nevada they wouldn't let my wife extend her state ID card with just the NOA 1 from AOS. Had to wait for EAD AP card. 

OP lives in Virginia where NOA1 is sufficient.  

 

@Toastbear I suggest you go to the DMV with your SS card, passport, I-94, NOA1, and marriage certificate (as evidence of name change).  I think you should be able to get a DL that way.  You could also bring your German DL if you don't want to do the test. 

[Toastbear 146]

2 hours ago, RLA said:

OP lives in Virginia where NOA1 is sufficient.  

 

@Toastbear I suggest you go to the DMV with your SS card, passport, I-94, NOA1, and marriage certificate (as evidence of name change).  I think you should be able to get a DL that way.  You could also bring your German DL if you don't want to do the test. 

Oh awesome you give me some hope. I just figured they might not wanna do it since my SS is not updated.

 

THank you so much, Ill just try it and yes im bringing my german DL. Do you know if they gonna take that from me? I heard sometimes they take your german one.

[RLA 323]

4 minutes ago, Toastbear said:

Ill just try it and yes im bringing my german DL. Do you know if they gonna take that from me? I heard sometimes they take your german one.

I got to keep mine.