ok what next?

[bethnash 0]

hey! ive arrived in america on my K-1 Visa..... ive been here a week. What do i do now?? Can i apply for a SSN yet? Do i apply for EAD now or do i wait till i file AOS?? Im confused!!! Any help in what i need to do now would be greatly appreciated!

[raymaga 25]

You can go to your local SSA office to apply for your SSN card after you have been in the US for at least 2 weeks. It takes this long for you to show up in the SAVE system, so don't go before 2 weeks.

Now that you have entered the U.S., you have 90 days to get married, and then after marriage, you can submit your AOS application (along with EAD and AP if desired).

Good luck with the process.

Edited June 30, 2006 by raymaga

[greg2005 0]

hey! ive arrived in america on my K-1 Visa..... ive been here a week. What do i do now?? Can i apply for a SSN yet? Do i apply for EAD now or do i wait till i file AOS?? Im confused!!! Any help in what i need to do now would be greatly appreciated!

This is what I did and it worked out very well. I went to the SS office and asked for a letter of denial. Basically this states your fiancee doesn't have a SS number yet. Then you can go get a marriage license showing this letter, and get married without a SS card. After your married, go back to the SS office with a certified copy of your marriage license from the county recorders office, along with other id (passport/visa, etc..) and apply for the SS card.

I would only recommend this proceedure if you get married in the first month of being in the US or not much latter.

You dont need to change your name at the SS office using this method. You can also open a bank account on K-1 visa without a SS number. You dont need the SS number to get an ID card after you marry on K-1 (check with your Department Of Motor Vehicles)

The hardest part for us was getting the Vaccination supplement done. Most doctors offices will just tell you you need a physical. Dont listen to them. Show them the link on the USCIS website.

We were able to file our AOS in the 6th week without any pressure. The problem with getting your SS number first is you have to wait for your card to be married.

Although this might work out ok for you, if after two weeks you go down and apply for SS number, and get it in the mail within two weeks, thats good. But if you dont get right away, I dont know if you can get a marriage license without it, I may be wrong on this.

You need to do research

[Jaylen Brit 0]

States vary as to having an SS# to get married - TN for example don't require it providing you have other documentation (like a K1 in your passport); NC as far as we can work out DO require one - tho again it can vary county to county, depending if they have any experience with K1 holders, according to a phone call we made - which isn't really that helpful

AFAIK, and if I've understood Mike's helpful posts correctly, you CAN apply to SSA after 10 days of arrival as you SHOULD be on the SAVE system by then tho there's no guarantee - if not they have to check with immigration (which involves forms being sent back and forth between them and immigration). That's what I'm gonna do - wait at least 10 days then apply, as we do want to get married asap after I arrive.

I hadn't heard about the getting a letter of denial idea before - that might be an option if all NC counties require an SS# in order to get a marriage license; I'm just a bit concerned that a denial would cause issues later. Tho obviously for you that wasn't the case.