SSN Name Change

[dhyatt 0]

My wife and I just got married and she needs to change her name first with the department of homeland security before we can change it at the SSN office. How would we change it with homeland security ?

[Scott and Mhay 57]

It should be changed with them. You filed the AOS in the married name right? I would call them and see if you can update it. It's not super pressing to change the name on the SS card, but if you want it changed now, you will have to contact the DHS. Personally I would just wait until your wife received her greencard or EAD if you applied for it. I am assuming you have the blurb on there about not valid for work right?

On edit, you should be able to change the name on the card with just the marriage certificate...if not, I dont know.

Edited March 16, 2010 by Scott and Mhay

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

My wife and I just got married and she needs to change her name first with the department of homeland security before we can change it at the SSN office. How would we change it with homeland security ?

File for the AOS in her married name. Wait for the EAD or Green card to arrive and go back to the SS office. There is no rush to do this. The SSN will not chnage, only the name.

[TracyTN 237]

Moving thread from K1 forum to 'working here' forum.

[I'm Gone 60]

My wife and I just got married and she needs to change her name first with the department of homeland security before we can change it at the SSN office. How would we change it with homeland security ?

At this point she does not need to to change it with immigration to have the SSN record corrected and be issued a card in the married name, but she is fast running out of time.

Based on your timeline she arrived 01/01/2010 and as of 03/16/2010 she's been her 74 days, so if you are very very lucky she could go into an SSA office with her I-94, passport and marriage certificate and do the name change and be issued a card. In two more days she needs either an EAD card or I-551 stamp or card along with the passport.

We accept all marriage documents issued within the 50 United States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

RM 10212.025 Evidence of Name Change based on a US Ceremonial Marriage:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212025

We can accept a name change document based on marriage as evidence of the new name to be shown on the card, if the new name can be derived from the marriage document.

Any of the following changes to the last name, using the names shown on the evidence, are permitted:

-- bride takes the groom’s last name;

-- groom takes bride’s last name;

-- spouse or partner takes the other parties’ last name;

-- spouse or partner takes one part of the other parties’ compound

surname;

-- compound name (with or without hyphen) of each spouse’s or partner’s

original surname for either or both parties

Example:

Lisa Foster submits evidence of the name change event, her US ceremonial marriage to Bryan Lee-Walsh. She wants to change her surname to a compound surname, Foster Lee, with only part of Bryan’s surname. Since this new name can be derived from the prior names shown on the marriage document, the marriage document is acceptable evidence of the new name. We may also change Lisa’s surname to one of the following if she requests it:

-- WALSH,

-- LEE-WALSH (or reverse, with or without space or hyphen),

-- LEE FOSTER (with or without space or hyphen, Foster Lee could also

have a hyphen or not have a space)

-- FOSTER WALSH (or reverse, with or without space or hyphen)

-- FOSTER LEE WALSH (in any order, with or without spaces or hyphens)

The marriage document can also be used as acceptable evidence of identity, if it shows Lisa’s prior name (Lisa Foster) and either her age, birth date, or parents’ names, that matches the data on the SSN record, and the marriage took place within the prior two years.

RM 10212.055 Evidence Required to Process a Name Change on the SSN based on Marriage, Civil Union and Domestic Partnership:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212055

Generally, a foreign-born person’s legal name is the name shown on his or her immigration document, for example, Form I-766.

When the name shown on the immigration document differs from the name shown on other evidence submitted for an SSN, we process the application in the name on the immigration document as long as the name can be derived from the other evidence, for example, a foreign passport.

If the required documents show clearly different names, we cannot accept the evidence to process the application. In these situations, the applicant must submit evidence showing the same name, or submit evidence of a name change that occurred after the immigration document was issued.

RM 10212.001 Defining the Legal Name for an SSN:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

[alex and astrid 38]

I was able to change my name on my Social Security Card by showing my passport and the marriage certificate. There was nothing mentioned about changing my name anywhere else first.

[I'm Gone 60]

I was able to change my name on my Social Security Card by showing my passport and the marriage certificate. There was nothing mentioned about changing my name anywhere else first.

At this point she will need to change the name with immigration and get her passport corrected to be issued an SSN card with the married name. If you did the name change with SSA based on K-1 status, you could do it without changing it with immigration, since the name change happened after the immigration document (I-94) was issued. I'm sure they looked at the I-94 in the passport along with your marriage certificate. An individual can be issued an SSN card based on K-1 status up until they have been here 76 days. Based on her timeline that was today., so she will need an EAD card or I-551 to be issued an SSN card, Since the marriage will have happened before the immigration document was issued, SSA will consider the name on the immigration document her legal name.

RM 10212.001 Defining the Legal Name for an SSN

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

B. Evidence of legal name

2. Foreign born individual

A foreign-born person’s legal name is the name shown on his or her immigration document (includes hyphens and apostrophes).

The only time you may process an SSN application in a name that does not agree with the name shown on the immigration document is if the person legally changed his or her name after the immigration document is issued. In these situations, the legal name is the name shown on the evidence of the name change.

a. Name on immigration document and other evidence for an SSN are different

When the name shown on the immigration document differs from the name shown on other evidence submitted for an SSN, process the SSN in the name on the immigration document as long as the name can be derived from the other evidence (e.g., foreign passport).