New Rules Regarding Obtaining SSN (K1)

[Sungtory 4]

Went to a local SSA office (los angeles) to apply for ssn for my wife (entered as K1) and was denied.

For background info, we provided the folllowing:

- k1 (stamped)

- passport

- i-94 (valid and unexpired)

- certified marriage certificate

Reason for denial: (I read so many postings and all had different answers so here is my "answer" I received)

- Rules have changed, in other words, they are more strict on K1 visa holders. Thus, ssn cannot be issued without a green card. (Completely different info provided on this website)

- they advised because her married last name differs from passport ssn cannot be issued

- require her to apply before getting legally married or after getting her green card

I'm not sure of this office was full of ####### but that's the word. We followed guidance posted on VJ but guess we weren't so lucky.

Does this mean we have to apply for gc then subsequently apply for ssn?

Hope this save some folks time and money.

[Ontarkie 14,234]

~~Moved to Social Security Numbers, from Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from Family Based Visas~~

[kehills 217]

How much time is left on the I-94? Is your wife changing her last name?

[Marco&Bettina 502]

OP, please read this thread: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/508578-im-on-k-1-visa-got-married-2-weeks-later-went-to-apply-for-ssn-but-was-rejected-help/

[jerod_gavel 16]

Apply for ITIN until the green card comes in. They just need proof of marriage (Certified) and a couple forms of id (Certified). Afterwards she will get the ITIN number. This can be used in place of her normal SSN until she is granted a SSN.

[CowBoE 429]

Went to a local SSA office (los angeles) to apply for ssn for my wife (entered as K1) and was denied.

For background info, we provided the folllowing:

- k1 (stamped)

- passport

- i-94 (valid and unexpired)

- certified marriage certificate

Reason for denial: (I read so many postings and all had different answers so here is my "answer" I received)

- Rules have changed, in other words, they are more strict on K1 visa holders. Thus, ssn cannot be issued without a green card. (Completely different info provided on this website)

- they advised because her married last name differs from passport ssn cannot be issued

- require her to apply before getting legally married or after getting her green card

I'm not sure of this office was full of ####### but that's the word. We followed guidance posted on VJ but guess we weren't so lucky.

Does this mean we have to apply for gc then subsequently apply for ssn?

Hope this save some folks time and money.

Man that stinks.

So I guess, I will do this...to play safe.

1. Wait 2 weeks after POE

2. Apply for SSN

3. Get married

Hopefully there is a way to get SSN for your fiancee soon.

Good luck.

[mymarley 14]

never got denied..i have the same requirement as yours... but i appliaed two weeks before my i94 expire

[Sungtory 4]

How much time is left on the I-94? Is your wife changing her last name?

Expires in November and she officially changed her last name when we filed for our marriage license.

I was under the impression (based on VJ stories) that applying for ssn before marriage is quasi-redundant since she would have to apply for a new one upon getting a new last name.

Like I said, I can't argue the "new rules" so we'll just apply for gc and go from there.

[Zedayn 485]

Went to a local SSA office (los angeles) to apply for ssn for my wife (entered as K1) and was denied.

For background info, we provided the folllowing:

- k1 (stamped)

- passport

- i-94 (valid and unexpired)

- certified marriage certificate

Reason for denial: (I read so many postings and all had different answers so here is my "answer" I received)

- Rules have changed, in other words, they are more strict on K1 visa holders. Thus, ssn cannot be issued without a green card. (Completely different info provided on this website)

- they advised because her married last name differs from passport ssn cannot be issued

- require her to apply before getting legally married or after getting her green card

I'm not sure of this office was full of ####### but that's the word. We followed guidance posted on VJ but guess we weren't so lucky.

Does this mean we have to apply for gc then subsequently apply for ssn?

Hope this save some folks time and money.

Rules have not changed, they fed you a line of bull. A K-1 visa holder does not need to wait for the green card in order to get an SSN. My fiancée applied for her SSN and its already on the way in the mail to us.

When you apply for the SSN, your wife will be in the system under her maiden name and as such it would be easier to apply for the SSN under her maiden name. Once your wife receives her EAD with her married name, then you can change her name on the SSN because the system would now have her married name. It doesn't matter if you apply before or after you are married. The only thing that does matter is if your I-94 is expired or near expiration, you would have to wait until she has the EAD to apply.

If you have at least a couple weeks remaining on the I-94, then go to a different SSA office and apply for a SSN under your wife's maiden name. Make sure you mark on the question that asks that she is a legal alien allowed to work.

If the I-94 is close to expiration, then apply for the green card along with EAD. Once you have the EAD, go back to the SSA office and apply for a SSN under your wife's married name.

When we went to the SSA office, the lady tried to tell us at first that my fiancée needed her EAD at least because as a K-1 visa holder she couldn't work without it...and therefore was ineligible to receive the SSN. I explained to her that it wasn't true, she IS eligible, and after she tried to tell me again that wasn't the case, I simply told her to look up my fiancée's information in the computer and she could see for herself that she was eligible. A few minutes later, after checking her system, she smiles to me and says everything is verified she'll get the card in the mail in about 10 days.

Sometimes the people that work there don't know the rules, and won't bother to even check their systems. You need to make them check their systems, or get a supervisor that will help you better. Or go to a different SSA office.

[templeton 120]

Yeah, sadly if you talk to 10 different people at the SS office it seems you'll probably get 10 different answers.

I went to the St. Paul office yesterday after coming in on a K-1 a little over a month ago, where the gentlemen helping me told me that my K-1 gives automatically gives me authorization to work immediately. When I told him I was under the impression that a K-1 can't work until getting the EAD, he said that the EAD was only so that I could keep working between the time the visa expired (in December) and getting the GC. Obviously this was wrong, as the K-1 expires the minute you use it. He was adamant that he "processes these kind of applications all the time" and knew what he was doing, but I didn't feel it would help the situation to tell him he was full of *&$@*! and had no idea what he was talking about. I only hope he hasn't done anything to screw up the process.

Edited August 13, 2014 by templeton

[CowBoE 429]

Expires in November and she officially changed her last name when we filed for our marriage license.

I was under the impression (based on VJ stories) that applying for ssn before marriage is quasi-redundant since she would have to apply for a new one upon getting a new last name.

Like I said, I can't argue the "new rules" so we'll just apply for gc and go from there.

Since this is coming up for us in the near future, I had been reading up on it myself,

and I did recall seeing something about getting the SSN before marriage,

and then going back to change the last name, so I looked around the VJ site, and found this.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1flow

Not saying this is the only way...but rather just another info.

[Marco&Bettina 502]

Make sure you mark on the question that asks that she is a legal alien allowed to work.

What do you mark it? In our cases, the beneficiary is a legal alien but not allowed to work yet.

[corvusheart 163]

Yeah, sadly if you talk to 10 different people at the SS office it seems you'll probably get 10 different answers.

I went to the St. Paul office yesterday after coming in on a K-1 a little over a month ago, where the gentlemen helping me told me that my K-1 gives automatically gives me authorization to work immediately. When I told him I was under the impression that a K-1 can't work until getting the EAD, he said that the EAD was only so that I could keep working between the time the visa expired (in December) and getting the GC. Obviously this was wrong, as the K-1 expires the minute you use it, and gives you permission to work. He was adamant that he "processes these kind of applications all the time" and knew what he was doing, but I didn't feel it would help the situation to tell him he was full of *&$@*! and had no idea what he was talking about. I only hope he hasn't done anything to screw up the process.

I swear you guys must've gotten the same guy we did.

My husband and I went to the social security office in St. Paul a few weeks ago to change my last name with SSA. We weren't intending to get him a SS number until after he had received his EAD. However after the three hour wait we got this real happy guy. He asked my husband where he was from noticing his accent and said England. And he said "You need social security number?" We explained he was on a K-1 Visa and that we were planning to come back and get him one after getting his EAD in a few months.

And he said "Oh no he can get social security number now!" and practically threw a app and pen at him in a humorous friendly way. He also gave us the impression he could work after getting that SS card. But we knew better. We knew that he CANNOT work until he gets his EAD. We didn't bother arguing though just thankful he was getting a SS card.

When he got the SS card on it it read "For Work only with DHS Authorization" meaning you need your EAD to work.

Also the man who helped us had quite the accent so it was hard to understand a lot of what he said.

[CowBoE 429]

I swear you guys must've gotten the same guy we did.

My husband and I went to the social security office in St. Paul a few weeks ago to change my last name with SSA. We weren't intending to get him a SS number until after he had received his EAD. However after the three hour wait we got this real happy guy. He asked my husband where he was from noticing his accent and said England. And he said "You need social security number?" We explained he was on a K-1 Visa and that we were planning to come back and get him one after getting his EAD in a few months.

And he said "Oh no he can get social security number now!" and practically threw a app and pen at him in a humorous friendly way. He also gave us the impression he could work after getting that SS card. But we knew better. We knew that he CANNOT work until he gets his EAD. We didn't bother arguing though just thankful he was getting a SS card.

When he got the SS card on it it read "For Work only with DHS Authorization" meaning you need your EAD to work.

Also the man who helped us had quite the accent so it was hard to understand a lot of what he said.

Welcome to American government workers ...

[templeton 120]

Welcome to American government workers ...

Trust me, government worker ineptitude is not unique to America.