I think we screwed up...

[GDHB 3]

Okay, so hold on -- I CAN get a SSN? I was told by several people that I cannot get one with a K-1 visa and that I am only eligible when I have a valid work permit, a US photo ID of some sort or a green card with my legal (married) name on it. I have no US ID of any kind or anything that has my married name on it yet. I don't drive so no driver's license and I don't qualify for a Texas state ID. The bank didn't let me change my name on our account without a photo ID, even though we brought our marriage certificate...

Also, I was under the impression that everyone had interviews, but you're all saying "if" we have one? So some people get approved without an interview? My mind is blown. How common is that?

SSN - see this VJ page - http://www.visajourney.com/content/ssn

Interviews - We had no interview, no RFE, just approval letters/e-mails and cards in the mail.

Just be careful to pay attention to the details and you should be fine.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Oh wow, thanks everyone for replying! I'm relieved to know that not having a big wedding isn't a problem. Also glad that we weren't the only ones who got married in jeans!

Okay, so hold on -- I CAN get a SSN? I was told by several people that I cannot get one with a K-1 visa and that I am only eligible when I have a valid work permit, a US photo ID of some sort or a green card with my legal (married) name on it. I have no US ID of any kind or anything that has my married name on it yet. I don't drive so no driver's license and I don't qualify for a Texas state ID. The bank didn't let me change my name on our account without a photo ID, even though we brought our marriage certificate...

Also, I was under the impression that everyone had interviews, but you're all saying "if" we have one? So some people get approved without an interview? My mind is blown. How common is that?

Oh, and I don't have a timeline because I'm a little paranoid about posting personal information online and it asked for our full names etc. I got my visa on July 21st, arrived here Aug 16th, married Sept 19th and my I-94 expires November 14.

Thank you all for the replies, I feel much better now!

I was ina similar position to you - I did not drive and thus did didn't have any former drivers license.

So - it's been a month since you arrived and a week since you married - when will you have copies of your marriage certificate? If you filed it yourself at the local courhouse, you should already have it. Get a few copies as you have to send them at various stages of the immigration process - I got 6 for about $10 at the local courhouse, all stamped and official looking

Once you have your marriage cert (which shows your husband's last name, ie: your new name) and your passport (which has the VISA in it) you can go down to the SSN office and apply for your SSN (in your married name if that's what you want). The marriage cert is the doc which validates the name change. Read the guides on VJ - there is plenty of good info on what to bring to the SSN office. Frequently the first SSN card has verbiage indicating it cannot be used for work unless the person also has a valid work authorization. People can have an SSN for Tax purposes before they are authorixed to work.

Not all AOS folks have an interview - it's random so you won't know if you'll have one until you get an interview letter.

Apply for your AOS in your married name and all subsequent documentation from USCIS will arrive under your new name (including your EAD, AP and GC). Again, your marriage cert will be proof of that change.

Please DON'T post personally identifying info in your timeline - the VJ timeline doesn't require personal information.

Once you have a SSN and GC from the AOS, you should be able to apply for State id...good luck!

READ READ READ

Edited September 28, 2011 by Udella&Wiz

[sethmichael22 0]

What is SSA where you would get your social security #?

[bigdog 376]

Go get your SSS card, before your K1 visa expires and file your I485. Good Luck.

[Ben and Jill 37]

Most people marry in the court in regular clothes and then have a cheap dinner.

We went to buffalo wild wings with friends after our wedding. We never included not 1 photo with AOS. We never were RFEd or asked for photos at all and approved without interview.

I saw a couple married at the court house ( a USC and a Mexican citizen) in regular clothes who said they were having their " reception " at subway...

You are over thinking it.

I'm sitting at my desk at work and I just laughed out loud at the "reception at subway" How stinking cute is that? Yeah, we all tend to take it easy after getting our SO's here. I can only speak for myself, but...I would have been happy to get married in jeans, a t-shirt, and then went out to Burger King for a Whopper...this process is so draining that by the the time you get married, you have no energy left! Everyone here is right....don't worry too much. Relax, we all deserve that at this point. God Bless.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

What is SSA where you would get your social security #?

It's the US equivalent of your SIN in Canada - used for taxes etc.

Once you arrive here and marry you can go apply (see all the posts above)

[Mhayonaise 14]

Good luck with the process and jsut like other said here, you can get you SSN card under your married name, just bring along with you your marriage cert and passport with attached I-94.

[dindo and patty 20]

Oh wow, thanks everyone for replying! I'm relieved to know that not having a big wedding isn't a problem. Also glad that we weren't the only ones who got married in jeans!

Okay, so hold on -- I CAN get a SSN? I was told by several people that I cannot get one with a K-1 visa and that I am only eligible when I have a valid work permit, a US photo ID of some sort or a green card with my legal (married) name on it. I have no US ID of any kind or anything that has my married name on it yet. I don't drive so no driver's license and I don't qualify for a Texas state ID. The bank didn't let me change my name on our account without a photo ID, even though we brought our marriage certificate...

Also, I was under the impression that everyone had interviews, but you're all saying "if" we have one? So some people get approved without an interview? My mind is blown. How common is that?

Oh, and I don't have a timeline because I'm a little paranoid about posting personal information online and it asked for our full names etc. I got my visa on July 21st, arrived here Aug 16th, married Sept 19th and my I-94 expires November 14.

Thank you all for the replies, I feel much better now!

The people who told you you couldn't get an SSN on a K-1 visa were obviously wrong. The guides here on VJ are very clear about being eligible for an

SSN with a K-1 visa. My fiance arrived September 2 and applied for an SSN Sept 12 and SSN card in hand Sept 17 with the note of "only valid for work

with DHS authorization", meaning you must have an EAD or your green card to work.

We did a civil ceremony September 22 and went back to the local SSA office and applied for a name change on her SSN card yesterday and her SSN card

with her married name will arrive within 10 days. We were instructed by the SSA clerk to come back upon receipt of EAD and/or green card to update

her SSN information ( I am assuming to get a new SSN card without the work restriction on it ). Then come back again when she gets her 10-yr green card.

We will be going to a Civil Surgeon today and then onto filing our AOS.

Good luck!

[BlueBonnet 84]

We too got married in the courthouse, he did wear a nice suit, but I wore a summer dress. Dinner was Fondue at his sisters house with a bunch of friends. I have seen a picture from this dinner, but for the life of me, I cant find it. I only printed off half a dozen pictures from the courthouse.

As for the name change, I know. I went on his bank account under my last name, even though we were married, and legaly my name became his. But the bank wouldnt accept just a marriage licence, they wanted US government photo issued ID with my married name on it. I had to wait for my EAD to arrive. My SSN just showed up last week, and our interview is this Friday ... Im kinda freaking about lack of evidence here too.

But on the other hand, 2 things have been said to me to ease my mind.

1, The US wouldnt issue me a visa just to send me home.

2, The interview is to ensure that we have fulfilled the requirements of the visa, and to ensure that we are living as a married couple. Which we are.

I think its only natural to sweat this though, our entire future is held in the hands of someone who doesnt know us at all. That is scary. But on the other hand, our marriage is real, we are happy, and if they dont believe us, and I get sent back to Canada, Ill just take him with me.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I know one couple that forgot about witnesses until the last minute. They picked up a homeless guy on the way to the courthouse, and bought him lunch later. The piece of paper is what matters. Proof of income seems to be the biggest hurdle at the AOS stage.

[Blumchen 0]

My fiance and I plan to do the same thing, because a) we need to recover our finances while I'm without a work permit and b) 90 isn't enough time to really gather his family together for a wedding, our ceremony won't be until next year sometime. But you don't have to have a wedding to get married, and not everyone has the same perceptions of what a wedding should even be like. Don't sweat it.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Hi guys,

We got married on the 19th at the local county courthouse, in jeans and sneakers and t-shirts, and only his mother was present. The reason for that was that we are just not able to have a "real wedding" right now, because we are extremely broke -- we literally had to borrow money for the license and marriage fee, that's how bad things are -- and since we're not religious, it didn't feel like a big deal to us to just have it done this way now and just worry about an actual ceremony when and if we can afford it. Things are just... really bad here and I need to be able to start working ASAP so we kind of rushed it for that reason too.

Of course we look extremely happy and in love on the photos, but I just realized that the way we were dressed and the fact that we didn't have a party (we went to a fancy restaurant with my MIL afterwards to celebrate, but there were no other guests) might make people think that we didn't care about our wedding or something. Am I wrong to assume that we may have accidentally created a red flag for my AOS by not dressing up and having a "proper" wedding? If so, what can we do to fix this problem? We don't have plans for a ceremony anytime soon, for obvious reasons.

I came here on a K1 and we have not yet started the AOS because we're now very concerned about this.

Also, I have a couple more questions:

1. I've decided to take his last name, but I don't have any documents with my new name yet. Will I receive anything before the AOS interview that has my new name on it, which I can use to change my name on our joint account? I understand that having a joint account is good evidence and we do have one, but I've got my maiden name on it since I didn't have photo ID with my legal name when we opened it.

2. We are (as I mentioned above) fairly poor at the moment. My husband is permanently disabled (we have a co-sponsor, that's why I had no problem getting the visa) and I can't work yet. We don't drive, so we don't have a car (or car insurance), and we rent, so we have no property or anything else that might have both of our names on it. I want to include my name on the lease for the apartment, but they refuse to do it because I don't have a SSN yet and as far as I understand it, I cannot get one yet. My question is, what can we bring as evidence in a situation like this? The only thing that has both of our names on it is the bank account, and I can't change my maiden name on it until I have some sort of photo ID that has my new name on it...

Sorry if this is all very complicated. I'm just really clueless and we don't know what to do. Oh, I'm in Texas. Not sure if that's relevant or not.

Not to worry on the wedding and how you were dressed. We married in Colorado, last 20th, and it was just her, I and the tripod with the camera taking the pictures (in CoOlorado, couple can solemnize themselves). We do have the certificate of course and that is what matters.

As for your name, we just got her SS card yesterday (and we are in Houston) with her new married name, no problems.

Next stop is at the Dept Public Safety for the id (she does not drive either) and then the banks for accounts

You need to the SS card first, in TX they are quite picky about using the SSN as the proof that you are legally here; from there it will all go smooth. The SSA office we went is by the Beltway and 290 (North West end), took us 15 min. They are opn only 'til 3:30pm BTW.

Edited September 28, 2011 by Gosia & Tito

[Channah&Aaron 51]

; OP, you DO NOT have to wait on your EAD to get your own Social Security Card!!

As a matter of fact, get one TODAY!

Take your passport (with your I-94) and your Marriage Certificate. You can show them that you are married and also tell them you want your current/new last name on your SSCard

As soon as you have your SScard, go to your Landlord and tell her/him that you'd like to be on the lease and tell her you want to have the contract where your name is written on it.

There is nowhere or nobody telling you how expensive your wedding has to be or what you have to wear, you can even wear your bikini or whatever you want to wear. You got married in a Court House and that is all that matters Relax and enjoy your ride through the AOS process!!

Things will be fine, GOOD LUCK

Edited September 28, 2011 by Channah&Aaron

[Daniel and Laura 1]

If you want to get both of your names on your lease, all you need is that Social Security Card. BUT be prepared for them to require an additional deposit We did that when my husband applied to be on the lease. He has 0 credit because he just got here, so they wanted a hefty deposit. If its finacially possible for both of you to be on the lease, I would suggest doing it when you can. Not only as a proof of your living together but its an opportunity for you to start building credit in your own name which will definitely be useful in the future.

I'm the USC and they wouldn't change my name either at the bank without a photo ID with my new name. crazy. red tape sucks! Getting the social security card for my husband has been the EASIEST thing so far! and its one of the few things thats FREE in this process! Go get it!

[JoannaV 174]

Don't worry if some of your evidence is in your married name and some in your maiden name. That's only to be expected.

You can ask again about the lease once you have your SSN. Places vary: my husband's apartment actually put me on the lease without us asking, because I happened to be with him at the time, despite the fact that at the time I was living in the UK still! And they didn't run my credit or anything. But if you end up being unable to get on the lease, don't sweat. Just do what you can and don't worry about the things you don't have. For now just get your SSN and focus on getting the AOS application in the mail. IF you have an interview you can bring extra evidence from the months between now and then.