SSN - Told I Can't Apply For One As Married on K1 Visa

[UK-USA-K1 128]

Sounds like SS is going to be a pain that we'll have to deal with. We are planning to be married the day after she enters the country and that is definitely too soon to apply for the SSN as her info will likely not be updated to any database yet. After reading this thread, is it correct to assume it would be best to go ahead and get married, but wait for 2 weeks after entry and apply for the SSN, then just order the marriage certificate (which won't be available for 2 weeks after the wedding anyway) and change the name after she gets the card? I was hoping to avoid having to deal with them twice, but if it's going to make things less of a pain, I think we might just go ahead and do it that way. Or maybe just wait until she gets her EAD. There really isn't a rush on her getting to work after she gets here, although she may be a little stir crazy after 3 months or so

Edited August 23, 2013 by UK-USA-K1

[Anna Grant 169]

Sounds like SS is going to be a pain that we'll have to deal with. We are planning to be married the day after she enters the country and that is definitely too soon to apply for the SSN as her info will likely not be updated to any database yet. After reading this thread, is it correct to assume it would be best to go ahead and get married, but wait for 2 weeks after entry and apply for the SSN, then just order the marriage certificate (which won't be available for 2 weeks after the wedding anyway) and change the name after she gets the card? I was hoping to avoid having to deal with them twice, but if it's going to make things less of a pain, I think we might just go ahead and do it that way. Or maybe just wait until she gets her EAD. There really isn't a rush on her getting to work after she gets here, although she may be a little stir crazy after 3 months or so

I'm stir crazy and I've been here just under 2 months!

Have you checked with the county that you're getting married in ti ensure that you don't need an SSN to be able to get married? In my county, it wasn't an issue. They just said that I had to provide an SSN, if I had one.

It is going to be 2 visits to the SSA office, I'm afraid. Visit once to get an SSN in the name that she entered the US on the K1 visa. Visit a 2nd time to update her name - either with her marriage certificate or with her EAD card (assuming she;s going to do AOS in her married name).

As you know, an SSN is useful for things other than work. Banks, insurance companies, DLs, etc - most ask for an SSN. You can usually argue that you don;t need to have one but it makes life so much easier if you do.

[UK-USA-K1 128]

I'm stir crazy and I've been here just under 2 months!

Have you checked with the county that you're getting married in ti ensure that you don't need an SSN to be able to get married? In my county, it wasn't an issue. They just said that I had to provide an SSN, if I had one.

It is going to be 2 visits to the SSA office, I'm afraid. Visit once to get an SSN in the name that she entered the US on the K1 visa. Visit a 2nd time to update her name - either with her marriage certificate or with her EAD card (assuming she;s going to do AOS in her married name).

As you know, an SSN is useful for things other than work. Banks, insurance companies, DLs, etc - most ask for an SSN. You can usually argue that you don;t need to have one but it makes life so much easier if you do.

Yes, we've already researched all the wedding plans. We were just waiting on the interview scheduling to semi-set a date. the SSN won't be an issue where we are getting married as it's only to be provided if you have one which she obviously won't. Originally we were going to not get married right away, but as the process dragged on, and we finally got our interview date, she got more and more excited to be married right away. I'll be happy either way just having her here, so if a quick marriage makes her happy, I'll do the extra SSA visit. In the long run it's a small price to pay.

[Anna Grant 169]

Yes, we've already researched all the wedding plans. We were just waiting on the interview scheduling to semi-set a date. the SSN won't be an issue where we are getting married as it's only to be provided if you have one which she obviously won't. Originally we were going to not get married right away, but as the process dragged on, and we finally got our interview date, she got more and more excited to be married right away. I'll be happy either way just having her here, so if a quick marriage makes her happy, I'll do the extra SSA visit. In the long run it's a small price to pay.

Ha! I know the feeling. If my husband had his way, he would have taken me straight from the airport to the chapel! He was so excited to be able to get married after a year long slog through this process, that he wanted to get married ASAP.

[Bayareaguy 156]

Our taxes and fees pay for these morons, their benefits, and lives with their families.

This stuff just makes me sick.

[NikLR 13,227]

So they should bow down? LOL They pay taxes too FYI Improperly trained people occur everywhere.

[M and C 32]

Glad you got you SS card already. I'm so sorry you had to go through some challenges, but thank God things worked out fine. I'm about to get my SSN today ad this thread sure gave me a picture of how things might turn out. Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm praying I will find someone at the SSA who knows what to do in a case like ours.

[Bayareaguy 156]

So they should bow down? LOL They pay taxes too FYI Improperly trained people occur everywhere.

Sure, and they should be fired and replaced with those who can do the job properly.

[NikLR 13,227]

Sure, and they should be fired and replaced with those who can do the job properly.

How about trained properly? Why would you fire someone when they haven't been trained properly? That makes so sense. It's not their fault they do not know. Shouldn't they just be trained better?

[Azsara 110]

We had exactly the same issue today.

I read the recent SSN post yesterday, spoke to my husband about it as Nich-Nick recommended we do not mention that we are married but we ignored that advice and went with my marriage certificate handy. Well the lady called her supervisor straight away and the supervisor told us we are now "K3" and it would be fraudulent and illegal to give us a SSN and we would need to wait till after my AoS to apply.

Really I couldn't help but laugh as she clearly didn't have a clue what she was talking about. This was THE SUPERVISOR. She told me we didn't need to get married so quick I could have got married within a year of entering....which really just shows their level of competence.

I should have followed the advice here but honestly I thought wed be ok with the marriage certificate.

[Darnell 8,478]

uh oh.

[Bayareaguy 156]

Feels good that your tax dollars are efficiently at work in this economy.

I wonder if you would get better service if they would lay off the bottom 10% each year? Then, employees might actually put effort into actually doing the correct job.

Oh, that's right, they need better training

[Anna Grant 169]

We had exactly the same issue today.

I read the recent SSN post yesterday, spoke to my husband about it as Nich-Nick recommended we do not mention that we are married but we ignored that advice and went with my marriage certificate handy. Well the lady called her supervisor straight away and the supervisor told us we are now "K3" and it would be fraudulent and illegal to give us a SSN and we would need to wait till after my AoS to apply.

Really I couldn't help but laugh as she clearly didn't have a clue what she was talking about. This was THE SUPERVISOR. She told me we didn't need to get married so quick I could have got married within a year of entering....which really just shows their level of competence.

I should have followed the advice here but honestly I thought wed be ok with the marriage certificate.

Go to another office and hope for better trained people.

P.S. You ignore Nich-Nick's advice at your peril (as I only know too well).

Edited November 12, 2013 by Anna Grant

[Lynkali 163]

Just a warning to those being told "just go to a different office" -- when we went to get our SSN (successfully, a few weeks ago) -- the security guard at the front door was checking addresses on all people coming in. If you don't live in the service area of the SSN office, he was not letting you inside -- people from 20 miles away were being told they had to go to the downtown office, not the one here in the suburbs. So you may not be ABLE to just "go" to another office, as I often see recommended here.

[Dazeline 1]

We've been told that we cant apply for ssn because we got married already, the same case with you guys. It happened yesterday.

So this morning, we tried our luck at different ss office, closer to our home, prepared and printed out some RM pages from ss website. We explained to the friendly lady there that we called ss yesterday and they told us to print this out. Then she asked for my marriage cert, minutes later she said that I will get the ss card in two weeks by mail.