Could Fast Marriage lead to problems at AOS?

[mspain 1]

Hi everyone,

My fiance and I have been together since 2007 and have been chomping at the bit to get married since then. We´re also old fashioned and want to get married ASAP when he gets here. I´ve researched marriage licenses in my state and I understand that a SSN is usually required, but in our case he would just have to go in and sign a paper stating he is a citizen of another country and present other ID. I know most people wait for the SSN to come in the mail which usually takes about a month. We do not want to wait that long to get married. Will it cause us problems at AOS if we marry without a SSN and just apply for it later? Is a marriage less valid without a SSN?

Edited May 25, 2010 by meghan.spain

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

My daughter, who now lives in France, married her fiance, who lives in Germany, in Maui, Hawaii, which is in the United States of America. None of them have a SSN, 'cause they're tourists. Do you think their marriage is less valid now? Should I be worried and call them in Europe and ask them to get married again or get social security numbers?

[Vivi6 12]

Hi everyone,

My fiance and I have been together since 2007 and have been chomping at the bit to get married since then. We´re also old fashioned and want to get married ASAP when he gets here. I´ve researched marriage licenses in my state and I understand that a SSN is usually required, but in our case he would just have to go in and sign a paper stating he is a citizen of another country and present other ID. I know most people wait for the SSN to come in the mail which usually takes about a month. We do not want to wait that long to get married. Will it cause us problems at AOS if we marry without a SSN and just apply for it later? Is a marriage less valid without a SSN?

Here in CA they did not require a SSN, although I already had one because I had a J1 visa in 2008. You don;t need a SSN to file, although if you want to open joint accounts you probably need one. It will be useful if you get an interview to show further proof of bona fide marriage.

I got married 3 days after POE and so far no problems with AOS:-) I have my interview on 06/17.

[~ameriptian~ 54]

We didn't need my SSN to apply for our marriage license. We applied for it a day after we got married. You also do not need it to apply for AOS. You just need it to apply for a joint bank account and have more prrof for the AOS.

Aya

[katie & sifa 25]

We had applied for my husband's SSN when we got our marriage license but had not received the card so we applied for the license without it. No problem.

[baron555 934]

Is a marriage less valid without a SSN?

That's funny....a legal marriage is a legal marriage. If your local jurisdiction doesn't require a SSN, then they don't require a SSN.

[littlecrazyangel 1]

I got married without a Social security number. I didn't had any problems.

[Nik+Heather 121]

Nik didn't have his social security number yet when we got married (he hadn't even applied yet!) We were married just 9 days after he entered the country, and we completed AOS with absolutely no questions. Not even a raised eyebrow.

[~ameriptian~ 54]

Nik didn't have his social security number yet when we got married (he hadn't even applied yet!) We were married just 9 days after he entered the country, and we completed AOS with absolutely no questions. Not even a raised eyebrow.

How did you collect proof for the AOS without a SSN? What kind of proof did you attach to the AOS packet?

Aya

[Nik+Heather 121]

How did you collect proof for the AOS without a SSN? What kind of proof did you attach to the AOS packet?

Aya

We got married without the SSN, but we applied for AOS 2 months after that. We did have his SSN by that time, and for proof of relationship we had pictures from the wedding and other activities w/family members and friends, health, car and dental insurance in both names, shared credit card account and shared checking/savings account. You're right, all but the car insurance, credit card (did you know no SSN needed for authorized users??) and pictures required him to have a social security number.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Nik+Heather

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

YOU DO NOT NEED A SSN TO BE ADDED TO YOUR USC SPOUSE'S BANK ACCOUNTS.

Download Form W-8BEN from the IRS, complete it and take it to the bank with you.

[~ameriptian~ 54]

We got married without the SSN, but we applied for AOS 2 months after that. We did have his SSN by that time, and for proof of relationship we had pictures from the wedding and other activities w/family members and friends, health, car and dental insurance in both names, shared credit card account and shared checking/savings account. You're right, all but the car insurance, credit card (did you know no SSN needed for authorized users??) and pictures required him to have a social security number.

Thanks, Heather!

We've been waiting for my SSN since May 4th. My I-94 expires on June 12th. I understand you can apply for AOS even after the I-94 expires. We just don't want any trouble or delays with USCIS, and would really like to collect as much proof as possible.

Aya

[~ameriptian~ 54]

YOU DO NOT NEED A SSN TO BE ADDED TO YOUR USC SPOUSE'S BANK ACCOUNTS.

Download Form W-8BEN from the IRS, complete it and take it to the bank with you.

Thanks for the heads up, Bob!

Aya

[Nik+Heather 121]

Thanks, Heather!

We've been waiting for my SSN since May 4th. My I-94 expires on June 12th. I understand you can apply for AOS even after the I-94 expires. We just don't want any trouble or delays with USCIS, and would really like to collect as much proof as possible.

Aya

You don't need to send in any proof of relationship with the AOS filing, aside from the marriage certificate which is not so much relationship proof as evidence of complying with the legal requirements. You don't even need to have the social security number to send in the file. In my opinion, you are much better off preserving your status by ensuring you have the receipt notice before your I-94 expires, then spend the time between filing and interview (if you have an interview at all) gathering the proof of relationship evidence.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Nik+Heather

[~ameriptian~ 54]

You don't need to send in any proof of relationship with the AOS filing, aside from the marriage certificate which is not so much relationship proof as evidence of complying with the legal requirements. You don't even need to have the social security number to send in the file. In my opinion, you are much better off preserving your status by ensuring you have the receipt notice before your I-94 expires, then spend the time between filing and interview (if you have an interview at all) gathering the proof of relationship evidence.

We feel more comfortable with sending the AOS before the I-94 expires. Although, have you heard of an experience when the AOS process got delayed due to sending the packet after the I-94 expired?

Aya

P.S: Sorry for stealing the thread, Meghan. Hope the discussion is useful for everyone.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Aya&John