Help with SSN in California!

[Oly 0]

I have read in many posts about the SSN, what i know is that i can get it before the AOS, Im already married and my husband called the Social Security Office in Norwalk, CA to ask if we would need an appointment because he would have to take the day off and they told him that i cant get a SSN until i get my green card Is that possible? or what i need to do or go?? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks in advanced.

OLY AND DIDIER

[Boiler 45,511]

I have read in many posts about the SSN, what i know is that i can get it before the AOS, Im already married and my husband called the Social Security Office in Norwalk, CA to ask if we would need an appointment because he would have to take the day off and they told him that i cant get a SSN until i get my green card Is that possible? or what i need to do or go?? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks in advanced.

OLY AND DIDIER

You should have applied before you got married.

[Nikita2Charles 32]

YOu missed the Chance to get it before you got married, now you have to wait until you get to the AOS stages and your EAD comes through then you can take it to get your SSN.

Good luck

Edited May 26, 2006 by Nikita2Charles

[Oly 0]

But i have heard in one of the posts that i can get it anyway, showing my marriage certificate, or no?

[ladybutterfly 0]

Ditto

[Jonesie 1]

We got our card during the first month of my husband's arrival in the States, before we got married. But I believe that waiting until green card is correct, as your I-94 is technically void now and you're waiting to adjust status.

[Boiler 45,511]

But i have heard in one of the posts that i can get it anyway, showing my marriage certificate, or no?

You might get one by not showing your marriage cert.

[Oly 0]

Thanks so much for your answers, i think i will have to wait until i get my green card then. I dont have any other choice

OLY AND DIDIER

[I'm Gone 60]

I have read in many posts about the SSN, what i know is that i can get it before the AOS, Im already married and my husband called the Social Security Office in Norwalk, CA to ask if we would need an appointment because he would have to take the day off and they told him that i cant get a SSN until i get my green card Is that possible? or what i need to do or go?? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks in advanced.

OLY AND DIDIER

As long as you haven't been in the U.S. 76 days or more you can at least apply in your maiden name. If your marriage certificate has your age or date of birth you can also apply in your married name.

Generally, SSA offices don't schedule appointments for SSN applications. You can apply at another SSA that understands the procedures or go to that office and start yelling for the office manager if they won't take your application.

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An individual with K-1 status applying for a work authorized SSN must present evidence to establish his or her age, identity and current lawful employment authorized status.

An individual needs to provide at least two documents as evidence to establish age, identity and current lawful employment authorized status.

SSA will not assign an SSN or issue a card to an individual that is within 14 days of his or her alien status expiring. Until the 76th day after entry an individual with K-1 status only needs to provide an unexpired I-94 showing current K-1 status to establish employment authorized status for SSN purposes.

Once, an individual with K-1 status has been in the United States 76 days he or she will need another document, i.e. I-551, I-688B or I-766 to establish employment authorized status for SSN purposes.

RM 00203.500 Employment Authorization for Nonimmigrants:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203500#C1

RM 00203.410 Evidence of Alien Status for an SSN Card for an Alien Lawfully Admitted for Permanent Residence:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203410

Suggest that individuals with K-1 status apply for a corrected SSN card to update the SSN record when there has been a name change due to marriage.

The applicant may submit either:

-- One legal name change document showing both the old and new names

(e.g., a court order for a name change or a marriage document). The

document must also show either (1) a description or photograph of

the person or (2) biographical information that can be compared with

the Numident data; or

-- When the name change document does not show either a photograph of

the person or biographical information that can be compared with the

Numident data, then, in addition to the name change document, the

applicant must also submit two acceptable identity documents. One

of the submitted identity documents must show the old name (the name

on the latest Numident record) AND the other submitted identity

document must show the new name (the name to be shown on the

corrected SSN card). The identity documents submitted must show

either a photograph of the applicant or provide biographical

information that can be compared with the Numident data.

In all 50 U.S. States (this means the 50 States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa) the bride may take her husband's last name (surname or family name) as her new last name. (EXAMPLE: Jane Doe married John Jones and she may change her name to Jane Jones.)

Interim Guidance: If the bride wants to take her husband’s last name, accept the marriage document as a legal name change for the bride if the new name can be derived from the marriage document; even if the marriage document only shows each partner’s first names, the bride’s prior surname and husband’s surname.

Note: For a marriage document or marriage record to be acceptable as an identity document it must show, in addition to the applicant’s name, either the applicant’s age, date of birth or parents’ names and the marriage document alone can be accepted as evidence of identity for both the old and new names when it meets this standard.

When issuing immigration documents, the Department of State and DHS issue them in the person’s legal name. The legal name is also generally the name in which the foreign passport was issued.

When an alien applies for an SSN card, SSA presumes the name on the immigration document is the legal name unless the applicant presents evidence of a legal name change (e.g., marriage) that occurred after the immigration document was issued.

This is in addition to proof of current lawful employment authorized status.

You can find detailed information regarding changing SSN record (Numident) data on the SSA Website at:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210

When requesting an SSN card, the documents presented, as evidence must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. SSA cannot accept uncertified or notarized photocopies as evidence.

If a foreign-born person has the foreign birth certificate (BC) in his/her possession or can easily obtain a copy, he or she must submit it as proof of age. When a person is foreign-born, a BC may not exist, may not have been recorded shortly after birth, or the probative value of the document may not be high. In these situations, SSA can accept alternative evidence of age in order of probative value. The alternative evidence of age may be less than a year old, e.g., a DHS document or passport.

You can find detailed information regarding evidence that establishes age on the SSA Website at:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203110

The documents acceptable as evidence of identity are now based on three factors: (1) the applicant’s age, (2) the applicant’s citizenship/alien status, and (3) the relative probative value of documents.

Any document used to establish identity must meet the following criteria:

-- The document provides information the reviewer can compare with the

data on the form SS-5 (e.g., the person's name, as well as age, date

of birth, or parents' names) and/or

-- The document provides information the reviewer can compare with the

applicant (e.g., physical description, photograph).

NOTE: A non-picture identity document should have the person's name as well as information that can be compared to the SSN record, the applicant or other documents submitted (e.g., age, date of birth, or parents' names).

However, the acceptability of an identity document must be evaluated on a case by case basis by the office processing the application, taking into consideration the applicant's situation and exploring what evidence is available for the person.

You can find detailed information regarding evidence that establishes identity on the SSA Website at:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203200#E6

SSA will not accept an application filing receipt or notice of action as proof of current lawful employment authorized status.

Form SS-5, “Application for a Social Security Card,” is the appropriate form to request an original SSN and card or corrected card.

You can request Form SS-5 by calling our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 or it can be accessed on the SSA Website at:

http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.html

Normally, an SSN card should be received in the mail within two weeks after the application and document(s) have been received and verified.

When an alien requests an SSN or replacement/corrected SSN card, the SSA office will verify his or her documents and current status with the appropriate Bureau of the Department of Homeland Security. If verification is not available through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, the SSA office will send Form G-845 for manual verification.

RM 00203.720 Verifying Immigration Documents:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203720

Note: If the applicant has changed his/her name after an immigration document, i.e. I-94, was issued, e.g., married and is now using the married name, but has not obtained a corrected immigration document showing the new name; this is not a name discrepancy for enumeration purposes, i.e. SAVE clearance, if the applicant can provide an acceptable legal name change document to establish the new name.

The 14 day status expiration limit for assigning an SSN and/or issuing a card applies even if an individual submitted his or her application before being within the 14 day period and entered the 14 day period while waiting for his or her status to be verified.

All cards are mailed from Social Security Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland to the postal address provided on the Form SS-5.

[Oly 0]

Thanks so much mdyoung, your information will help me a lot. I will share it with my husband. Thanks so much again

OLY AND DIDIER

[Yodrak 7]

Oly,

You've been in the USA about 60 days? You have about 2 weeks left in which you still might be able to get a SS card as a K1.

Do as Boiler suggests and apply in your maiden name.

Yodrak

I have read in many posts about the SSN, what i know is that i can get it before the AOS, Im already married and my husband called the Social Security Office in Norwalk, CA to ask if we would need an appointment because he would have to take the day off and they told him that i cant get a SSN until i get my green card Is that possible? or what i need to do or go?? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks in advanced.

OLY AND DIDIER

[Oly 0]

Thank you Yodrak for your answer, i will do that then, but that wont cause me any problem later? i mean when i want to change my last name, they will see on my marriage certificate the date of my wedding. Do you think i will be in trouble for that? Thanks again for all your help.

OLY AND DIDIER

[VictorB 0]

We got SSN in California after marriage. We presented our marriage certificate and K1 visa (not expired, less than 76 days). Officer told us that we have a right to get SSN (because of K1 visa) but only with maiden name (because the name should be changed in the system by INS). So we applied and received SSN in about a week. We will apply for SSN with marriage name after receiving employment authorization.

If you stay in USA less than 76 days on K1, you have a right to get SSN. Officer may not know about this. Print any official document from the Internet that supports this and bring it to SS officer. Ask for his manager, if he refuses your application.

Good luck!

[I'm Gone 60]

Officer told us that we have a right to get SSN (because of K1 visa) but only with maiden name (because the name should be changed in the system by INS).

I'm pretty sure what the person in the SSA office was basing that on and it's being misinterpreted. The update POMS procedure for name changes softned the language.

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203735

RM 00203.735 Requesting Online (Primary) Verification By SAVE

E. PROCEDURE—ONLINE SAVE QUERY RESPONSE INFORMATION DOES NOT AGREE WITH

IMMIGRATION DOCUMENT

1. Name

e. Applicant Has Changed His/Her Name But SAVE Query Response Shows Old

Name

In some cases, the applicant may have changed his/her name after DHS

issued the immigration document (e.g., he/she has married and is now

using the spouse’s last name) but does not present an immigration

document showing the new name. In these cases, the DHS system reflects

the new name only when the person provided the name change information

to DHS and requested to have his/her immigration record changed to show

the new name.

When the SAVE query response shows the old name that is shown on the

immigration document presented and not the new name on the identity

document presented, do not consider this a name discrepancy for

enumeration purposes. See RM 00203.200 when the applicant presents an

identity document in the new name that is more recent than the

immigration document to determine if the identity document is

acceptable. Tell the applicant he/she must report the name change to DHS

so that DHS can update its records.

NOTE FROM ME: Procedure tells the SSA office to tell you to report the name change to DHS, not that the application can't be processed.

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210

RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Data

4. Name Change to a Name Different From Name on Immigration Document

The U.S. marriage document supports the legal name change and is acceptable evidence of identity in both the old name and the new name because it shows biographical data (date of birth) that can be compared to the Numident record. Further, the name to be shown on the SSN card agrees with the name on the additional identity document in the new legal name (the driver's license).

SSA can process the name change request. Process the SS-5 to have the name “Monica (first name) Mumma (middle name) Smith (last name) to be shown in the card and enter “Monica (first name) Mumma Stottlemyer (compound surname) as an “other name used.” The compound surname must be entered the same way it is shown on the immigration document. Advise the NH to also contact DHS to change her surname to “Smith” with that agency.

Note from me: This procedure just says advice to make the change, not must make and this was issue 03/06, where the other was issued 11/04.