Andrew Roberts

I'm a US Citizen. My wife and I married this July with a K1 Visa. I filed my taxes already, since it was pretty simple, only I had income to claim, she didn't have any foreign or US income for 2010. She got her GreenCard in December and then went to the Social Security Office to have her last name changed to mine. That new card still hasn't arrived.

Well I've received a notice from Turbo Tax that her name and SSN don't match. What should I do? She probably needs to go to the SS office again to see what's going on, but should I just 'Fix' the error by putting down her maiden name for right now to get my return processed right away?

Any specific things we need or tips to give about getting a DC drivers license for a German Citizen on a K1 Visa? My wife and I married on July 10th. She got here on June 3rd, with our lease dated on that same date with both our names and signatures (in her maiden name). We've applied for her AOS already (in her married name). She just got her SSN number (in maiden name, we were going to change it soon). She just got a Bank Account (with her Maiden name, changing to Married after getting a DC ID) so that has check and will have a statement with this new address.

So is it too soon? Do we have to wait longer? What do we need? What kind of testing can we expect (she has an unexpired German Drivers License and an International Drivers License). DC's site says certain restrictions or requirements may be applied or waved depending on the type of Visa and the country, but they don't get into any other specifics. Any experiences people can share?

Just for future people reading this, we went in and got her SSN with no problems. I called the SSA main phone number first to verify and told them we got married, she had 20+ days left on her Visa status, etc. They said it was no problem. According to the main office, the Visa was still perfectly Valid. The SSA local office should issue an SSN number, and once it goes through in the system, they can then issue a change of Name application right away before the Card is issued.

When we went in, we were honest that we had been married and I told him of my conversation with their main office. It did confuse the guy a bit and he checked with his supervisor. They told him that he had to issue us her SSN number under the old name, and that since it could take up to 3 days to process, he couldn't do the name change yet. But we could come back in before she gets her cared and request the name change. All-in-all we got the SSN post-wedding, and did so with the Main SSA's approval to do so, so no worries about them officially denying you, and no worries about omitting that you've already been married.

She's been here for 62 Days. She also got one of those rare EAD stamps on her visa when she came into JFK. But from what little I could find was that she can't get an SSN after getting married on a K1, and has to wait for her new EAD (which we recently sent in with her AOS) gets approved, and then it could take up to 2 months after that! But is that wrong and can she go get her SSN now? And if so, can she get a SSN in her new name, or does it have to be an original. And even if you don't tell the SSA office about the new name, do they figure that out when it's being processed and mailed, and deny her then?

EDIT: I also found this post in the visajourney forum, and if you scroll down to semi-retired's response it seems to imply that you can still do it after marrying on a K1 visa, but before the new EAD comes in.

Oh, it looks like I Quit (You) was the one that made that posting. So is it possible?

How long has she been in the U.S.? It's 76 days after entry that SSA will not assign an SSN based on K-1 status, not when the K-1 status expires.

90 days is the length of the K-1 status, not the length the visa is valid. K-1 visae are valid for 6 months.

She's been here for 62 Days. She also got one of those rare EAD stamps on her visa when she came into JFK. But from what little I could find was that she can't get an SSN after getting married on a K1, and has to wait for her new EAD (which we recently sent in with her AOS) gets approved, and then it could take up to 2 months after that! But is that wrong and can she go get her SSN now? And if so, can she get a SSN in her new name, or does it have to be an original. And even if you don't tell the SSA office about the new name, do they figure that out when it's being processed and mailed, and deny her then?

EDIT: I also found this post in the visajourney forum, and if you scroll down to semi-retired's response it seems to imply that you can still do it after marrying on a K1 visa, but before the new EAD comes in.

Is there any issue that my Wife is only now going to get a SSN after getting married. She came on a K1 visa, and we're worried that they may deny her on the grounds that the Visa has expired (even though it hasn't reached 90 days yet). Can she also show our marriage license and get it with her new last name?

The DS-2053 is accepted by the USCIS in lieu of the I-693 if the medical exam was done less than one year ago when filing for AOS. This is standard for all "K" AOS applicants. Vaccinations (ds-3025) are sometimes something else all together. I would submit what you have and see if they need the vaccinations info at which time you can go to a CS and only have the vaccination part done.

Thanks for the quick reply, but we're still hazy on this.

So the I-693a which is a supplementary form for just the DS-3025 vaccination may or may not be included in this envelope, and we may or may not have to go to a CS to get her DS-3025 form from Germany that an authorized Panel Physician already signed?

So usually you take your Vaccination sheet to a CS and have a supplementary I-693a filled out and sealed. And we have a vaccination sheet that's been signed by an authorized Panel Physician, which my understanding is that they are the same as a CS but outside of the US. So if that's the case, and it's in the sealed envelope, then a CS isn't needed. Unless the Civil Surgeons have a lobby group and lobbied congress to still require all of this redundant visits so they can make more money, lol.

It contains your DS-2053 & DS-3025... I would submit with the I-485

Great, but do we need to do the whole I-693 and find a Civil Surgeon? If these are sealed and to be opened by the USCIS, then it be an issue if this CS needs to open them up to see them. Is the I-693 exempt for us? Can we forget about all that info that goes along with the 693 and just send this sealed envelope in?

My Fiancee and I are applying for our AOS from a K1 Visa. Our question is do we really need to find a CS at all and have a 693 validated? She did all of her medicals AND vaccinations in Germany. After taking all of this to the consulate in Frankfurt, she got her brown envelope (which she handed over at the POE) and another white envelope from the consulate general. On the front is says "Do Not Open This Envelope; Please provide it to the USCIS when the medical examination is requested in conjunction with your adjustment of status (This envelope contains a copy)" and on the back is a sticker over the opening that says "DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE - it contains a copy of your medical examination. Please provide it to the USCIS when requested in conjunction with your adjustment of status."

So do we do anything? Do we not fill out a I-693 and have to pay for it to be validated form a CS and just send this sealed envelope in? Do we hold on to this envelope incase it got lost in the forwarded brown envelope and we get a RFE? What's the deal here, because none of the posts I've found so far on here or elsewhere has talked about having one of these sealed envelopes.