Getting a SSN card after a K1 marriage

[Mer20250 2]

Hi, can we schedule an appointment at a SSA office for a SSN card before we get married? Otherwise we may plan to schedule it after we get our marriage certificate. We are fully not sure the process of getting a new SSN card. If someone applied from Maryland I’d appreciate hearing about your experience from those offices, thanks      

[rbv_shard 7]

And yes, get it before the wedding, because the K-1 visa expires upon marriage.

Edited Tuesday at 12:41 AM by rbv_shard

[Boiler 47,763]

First thing I did was get a SSN.

[TBoneTX 47,744]

Thread is moved from the K-1 Case Progress subforum to the Social Security Numbers subforum.

[smilingstone 709]

9 hours ago, rbv_shard said:

And yes, get it before the wedding, because the K-1 visa expires upon marriage.

 

The K1 expires upon entry, often long before marriage happens. 

 

OP, you can get SSN before or after marriage but be aware that if the beneficiary will be changing their name after marriage, they will likely struggle to do this on their SSN before they have received their EAD. 

[Dashinka 26,057]

My wife did it after the wedding as we got married two weeks after she entered on her K1.  Yes, she could not change her name since her only form of ID at that point was her Russian passport which matched her entry (I94) record, but that is not a huge deal, once she got her GC, we went back and updated her name with the SSA.  The main point is to get your SSN early in the 90 day period authorized by the K1 entry regardless of the wedding date as if you wait until near the end of the 90 day period, the SSA may not issue it.

 

Good Luck!

[P055UM 342]

You can get SSN before or after marriage. I got it after K-1 marriage but before EAD/AP/GC.

 

It is definitely easier before, but still possible (and permitted) after. 

[Mer20250 2]

On 8/25/2025 at 9:25 PM, Boiler said:

First thing I did was get a SSN.

Thanks

 

13 hours ago, P055UM said:

You can get SSN before or after marriage. I got it after K-1 marriage but before EAD/AP/GC.

 

It is definitely easier before, but still possible (and permitted) after. 

Thanks

[Mer20250 2]

13 hours ago, P055UM said:

You can get SSN before or after marriage. I got it after K-1 marriage but before EAD/AP/GC.

 

It is definitely easier before, but still possible (and permitted) after. 

 

On 8/25/2025 at 8:40 PM, rbv_shard said:

And yes, get it before the wedding, because the K-1 visa expires upon marriage.

Thanks

[Mer20250 2]

13 hours ago, P055UM said:

You can get SSN before or after marriage. I got it after K-1 marriage but before EAD/AP/GC.

 

It is definitely easier before, but still possible (and permitted) after. 

 

Just now, Mer20250 said:

 

Thanks

 

13 hours ago, P055UM said:

You can get SSN before or after marriage. I got it after K-1 marriage but before EAD/AP/GC.

 

It is definitely easier before, but still possible (and permitted) after. 

 

15 hours ago, Dashinka said:

My wife did it after the wedding as we got married two weeks after she entered on her K1.  Yes, she could not change her name since her only form of ID at that point was her Russian passport which matched her entry (I94) record, but that is not a huge deal, once she got her GC, we went back and updated her name with the SSA.  The main point is to get your SSN early in the 90 day period authorized by the K1 entry regardless of the wedding date as if you wait until near the end of the 90 day period, the SSA may not issue it.

 

Good Luck!

 

13 hours ago, P055UM said:

You can get SSN before or after marriage. I got it after K-1 marriage but before EAD/AP/GC.

 

It is definitely easier before, but still possible (and permitted) after. 

Thanks😃