SSN: Name Change

[mariapoe 0]

Friends --

Could you please clarify one thing for me? If I came to the U.S. on K-1 visa, I’m eligible to apply for a SSN, right? How soon? I remember reading here and there that people advise to not do it before two-three weeks after the admission because the information on you may not be in the system yet, but I never read that one cannot apply for SSN before filing for AOS/EAD? Is that correct or I understood it all wrong?

I was issued a SSN in 2002 when I started grad school in US. Now, after I got married, I tried to change my last name on a card and they wouldn’t do it. First, I was told that I have to file for AOS before trying to change the name on SSN because they’d need to call USCIS to check on my current status. That’s fine. So, we filed few weeks ago; I waited for my NOAs, took everything (including NOAs) to my local SSN office two days ago and, after checking all my documents and something on a computer, a very nice lady told me that she had no reason to not proceed with changing the name on the SSN. Unfortunately, that day I forgot to take my original marriage license (I only had a photocopy,) so I had to come back later. Today, two days later, I go back with all the same documents, I walk up to the window, and it’s a different woman there and she tells me that she cannot do anything before I get my green card or EAD.

My question is: If it’s true, why I’d be able to apply for a SSN (if I never had one) even before filing for AOS but to change my last name I have to wait for my EAD/GC??? These all makes no sense to me. Tomorrow I’m going to try in another SSN office (only 15 min drive from our house,) and may be I’ll have more luck there! May be not, but we had a similar problem when applying for our marriage license when a closest City Hall clerk wouldn’t accept our application because I didn’t have my birth certificate translated in the US; almost right away we went to another one, the second closest City Hall, and had it done in five minutes with the same documents in hand.

Thank you .

Masha

[angelangels 0]

You can apply for your SS card 2 weeks after you arrive in the US, with the production of your unexpired I-94 or you can apply once you have your EAD.

Name change can only be done if you have your GC approval letter or GC, (this is what I was told)