SSN and Name Change

[missaero 7]

All, I'm on the AOS road like many of you. We filed our paperwork in December and at that point I had thought I wished to keep my maiden name so that is what we used on all of the paperwork. After some months, I changed my mind and would like to take my husband's last name. I already received my EAD and am waiting to hear about our interview. I had thought about going to the SS office to update my name but I realized that since my EAD is in my maiden name they won't let me do this. Does anyone know if it is possible to ask the IO in the interview to have the GC produced in the married name? Then I know I can use that at the SS office.

Thanks!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

You can try, they MIGHT do it, but if they don't you will need to either:

1. Wait for ROC

2. Pay the $455 (ish) to get a new GC in your married name.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

You have EAD. You are lawfully present in the US. You are authorized to work. You have a SSN and SS card.

You have changed your name, so you have a right and -- more so -- a legal responsibility to have the SSA correct its records to this effect.

Legally, you should not encounter any problems. In real life the problem you may encounter is a SSA employee with the IQ of a turtle and the enthusiasm of a lobotomized monkey. Don't take no for an answer.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

You have EAD. You are lawfully present in the US. You are authorized to work. You have a SSN and SS card.

You have changed your name, so you have a right and -- more so -- a legal responsibility to have the SSA correct its records to this effect.

Legally, you should not encounter any problems. In real life the problem you may encounter is a SSA employee with the IQ of a turtle and the enthusiasm of a lobotomized monkey. Don't take no for an answer.

They won't let her change it. Her EAD is in her maiden name so when they validate her status it will be in her maiden name. She needs to change the EAD/GC first. My GC was in my married name but USCIS hadn't changed me on the system so the SSA had to do manual verification... they couldn't change my SSN when the system had me in maiden name.

[missaero 7]

I will ask at the interview for the change to be made and explain why I didn't do it at the very beginning when I filled out AOS forms. The worst they can say is no.

If no, then my name with my employer and SS office will be different for a short period of time. From a tax perspective, this needs to be rectified before the generation of W-2 for the 2011 tax year.

[Dave&Roza 748]

I do not understand why SSA is so dense. If a USC gets married and wants to change their name they fill out the SS-5 form. Take in their SSN and a photo ID, say a passport or DL and their marriage license as proof of the name change. If the photo ID is in the maiden name do they make you change that first?

So why cannot the non-USC go to the DMV and get a DL in the married name and use that as the photo ID with the marriage certificate as additional proof of name change. Why do the people in charge make this harder then it needs to be? I am just glad Roza is using her maiden name up to the citizenship phase and maybe beyond.

I think this deserves a very deep *SIGH*

Dave

Edited March 14, 2011 by Dave&Roza

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I do not understand why SSA is so dense. If a USC gets married and wants to change their name they fill out the SS-5 form. Take in their SSN and a photo ID, say a passport or DL and their marriage license as proof of the name change. If the photo ID is in the maiden name do they make you change that first?

Dave

I do not even want to try explaining why the people at the SSA are the way they are, but I will answer your question anyway.

Due to ever increasing security concerns, the SS-5 form needs to be accompanied by accepted proof of legal presence and accepted proof of identity. The actually have lists of which documents fulfill either one requirement or the other, or even both, such as a US passport or book. Note in this regard that even the Certificate of Naturalization is not even accepted anymore as proof of US citizenship when it comes to the I-9 form. Only the passport will do, probably because it would be easy to switch a photo on the certificate.

The California DMV will not issue a new driver license or ID without checking the SSA's database and getting a match. Therefore, at least in California, no ID will be issued as long as the applicant hasn't done the SSA chore.

[missaero 7]

Yeah the big problem here is that the immigration document is what they use to determine your name. The exception to this is if you have changed your name AFTER the EAD or GC was issued. E.g. if you had a GC based on work then later on got married. Then the marriage cert. trumps the name on the GC.

My situation is that I applied for AOS with my maiden name as I had not planned on taking my husbands name. A few things changed and I decided (mid-AOS and post EAD issuance) that I would like to take his name after all. So according to SS policy on this, my EAD name trumps my marriage certificate. Completely retarded, but that's the way it is.

I did see with searching that some people have asked for a name change during interview and have had it accepted so I will give it a try.