AOS in Alaska: First thing to do, get married or get SSN?

[stinkystover 0]

Hi. I'm still in the Philippines, but I will be going to U.S via K1 visa in December. I'm just wondering what's the best first thing I should do when I get there. I read some posts saying they got their SSN first before getting married because it's also a requirements for getting a marriage license, but is it possible to get married first and then get your SSN? I'm planning to use my husband's surname after being married so I'm worried I'd have to go back again to change my name on my SSN. Can you help me out guys?

[Hank_ 9,174]

Never heard of an SSN being required for a marriage license, I know in AZ for sure its not. We did the marriage first and then headed over to SSA a few days later and go the SSN handles.

[GlobeHopperMama 95]

A SSN is not a requirement to marry in the US, although those who DO HAVE them are required to supply them by law. Even when some local officials believe it is required, it's not. Example: international tourists get married in the US. They don't have SSNs. Even some rare US citizens make it to adulthood without a SSN. Anyway, those who have none can generally sign an affidavit stating that they do not have a SSN, and can instead present photo ID, birth certificate (bring a translation), and it's best to bring your passport just to be safe.

[Alaska2012 462]

You don't need the ssn to get married! I didn't have it.

Get married first then apply for ssn!

[Moomin 292]

The reason for a person arriving on a K1 being eligible to get ssn is that some states have required it in the past. Some might still require it. Call the country clerk's office of where you'll be applying for marriage license and ask them.

If you're not in a hurry to get married, you can go ahead and apply for ssn before marriage. Regardless of what you do, this way turned out to be smoothest for me since I got ssn in maiden name and the had no problems matching it with the name in database(despite the name was typed in wrong).

Personally, I'd advise get ssn, get state ID(if possible), married, get marriage cert., change last name on ssn, change name on state ID. All before the 90 days are up because you'll have everything taking care of when you get EAD(or greencard). You cannot start working until names on SSN and EAD match. If you're not in a hurry, then go about it in your own pace ofcourse.

[rlogan 2,036]

I hope you are not in the Fairbanks area. The social security office there is staffed with idiots and one very VERY malicious employee that will do her best to keep you from getting a SS#. It would be worth doing it in Anchorage instead of going through what we did. It took more than a year.

[Alaska2012 462]

I hope you are not in the Fairbanks area. The social security office there is staffed with idiots and one very VERY malicious employee that will do her best to keep you from getting a SS#. It would be worth doing it in Anchorage instead of going through what we did. It took more than a year.

They are not too clever in anchorage either!

[stinkystover 0]

They are not too clever in anchorage either!

OMG. I'd be getting one in Anchorage probably. I'd prefer the nearest one. Did you guys find a good and cheap Civil Surgeon near Anchorage you can refer to me?

[rlogan 2,036]

They are not too clever in anchorage either!

To answer the fellow's question about civil surgeon, no - I don't know of one.

I didn't go to the SS office in Anchorage but when we FINALLY got our social security number in Fairbanks it was because a brand new employee, a Russian Immigrant, simply put the instructions in front of herself and followed them. The senior employee who had smirked while demanding from us things we did not need before tried to stop her from giving us the SS #. The Russian girl stood her ground, showed her the instructions, and did the paperwork.

Before that they had an employee that did it wrong THREE TIMES. Lost our file, then when they found the file tried to get us to commit a felony by changing her I-94 stamp. They gave us one proof-of-receipt letter the first time we came in proving we had applied in time - and then sent us a letter that said we had applied too late. Our Sentator was of no use. What changed everything was having this Russian immigrant who wanted to help us. Because she was an immigrant herself. My wife already had a green card by then but we had trouble getting a bank account, she could not get Alaska ID without a SS #- it was a nightmare.

The USCIS service center in Anchorage failed to take her fingerprints correctly TWICE after putting us through a year of hell just to get a fingerprint appointment. Letter after letter we were told there were no appointments. It took Congressman Don Young's office opening an investigation just to get a fingerprint appointment. Three trips to Anchorage, 2,700 miles of driving.

My advice is you have to know the law better than they do when you go in there and you have to insist on a supervisor if they try to stop you, and you absolutely cannot assume they are trying to help you. They want to get rid of you. They do not want you in their office, and they do not want to work.

[Hank_ 9,174]

In comparision SSA here in Tucson was a breeze, I have heard more horror stories about getting the SS card so I was prepared for the worse, but all we did was bring our marriage license, passport with I-94 and the completed forms from online - two weeks later my wife had her SS card in her married name without any issues with her name (which I have heard a lot of people complain on) the Philippine way.

Banking, etc was another matter as they all wanted a photo ID with her address on it, so we had to wait until her EAD/AP card arrived so she could get her driver's permit then she was able to get the banking handling along with a few other things.

[Alaska2012 462]

To answer the fellow's question about civil surgeon, no - I don't know of one.

I didn't go to the SS office in Anchorage but when we FINALLY got our social security number in Fairbanks it was because a brand new employee, a Russian Immigrant, simply put the instructions in front of herself and followed them. The senior employee who had smirked while demanding from us things we did not need before tried to stop her from giving us the SS #. The Russian girl stood her ground, showed her the instructions, and did the paperwork.

Before that they had an employee that did it wrong THREE TIMES. Lost our file, then when they found the file tried to get us to commit a felony by changing her I-94 stamp. They gave us one proof-of-receipt letter the first time we came in proving we had applied in time - and then sent us a letter that said we had applied too late. Our Sentator was of no use. What changed everything was having this Russian immigrant who wanted to help us. Because she was an immigrant herself. My wife already had a green card by then but we had trouble getting a bank account, she could not get Alaska ID without a SS #- it was a nightmare.

The USCIS service center in Anchorage failed to take her fingerprints correctly TWICE after putting us through a year of hell just to get a fingerprint appointment. Letter after letter we were told there were no appointments. It took Congressman Don Young's office opening an investigation just to get a fingerprint appointment. Three trips to Anchorage, 2,700 miles of driving.

My advice is you have to know the law better than they do when you go in there and you have to insist on a supervisor if they try to stop you, and you absolutely cannot assume they are trying to help you. They want to get rid of you. They do not want you in their office, and they do not want to work.

Sucks to hear about your experience!

Knowing the law is a must for the whole process, with that said we did have an attorney helping us out since my husband was on the road working a lot during our visa process. I was just stressing out him not being home able to check his mail everyday. Our attorney was amazing, on top of everything and when it took to long she got in touch with senator beigich(?) who helped us out. Once we got over here she helped out when the ssn# was a mess. Now we entered on cr1 ad cr2 so we had a little easier route once here but her help was worth every penny! I'm pretty sure we will use her once its time to start dealing with the uscis again, thank god it's another year or so before we have to think about that!

Regarding the civil surgeon, see if your insurance company recommends any one special, who they work with etc.

[rlogan 2,036]

Don Youn'gs office is doing an investigation into the Anchorage office right now. USCIS is so incompetent they have listed a nonexistent Fairbanks office for ten years in a row on their website. Desperate people just like us have gone to the airport this whole time looking for that office - and they are directed to a customs window by the Airport Manager. Customs is tired of people coming to them to ask for the nonexistent office the last ten years.

Anchorage USCIS refuses to list its phone number because they would rather have desperate people fly in from Unalaska or Barrow at $1000 just to ask a question. You can't mail them, and the California office you send requests to does not talk to the Anchorage office. The guy who runs the office is a manipulative bureaucrat that will smile happily on your third trip for one set of fingerprints and say how lucky you are the weather is so nice for your third seven hour drive.

Oh, we screwed up your fingerprints again? Just come on down again tommorrow. Oh, you have a job? Just take two days off work again. See how easy this is?And if we screw them up again, just get certified police reports from everywhere you have lived the last five years. "Just, just, just..." Well how about listing the correct address, your phone number, and doing your job correctly in the first place?!