Do i have to make another SSN after having the work permit EAD, since i have SSN before from J-1 visa (temporary work permit)

[Nguyet T Cutting 0]

Hello everybody,

I am new to the website. I live in Texas with my husband. I got married last year and we sent all the papers to Chicago. I got my finger print done last month and now waiting for the work permit. I wonder if i have to make another Social Security Number after having work permit. The thing is i used to have a SSN before when i worked as an au pair last year in Boston. The SSN saying its the temporary one. I am very confused if i have to make another one after having the work permit from the form I-765. If anyone knows about this, please help me. Thank you so much!

[SparklePony 238]

You SSN is yours for life. You don't change it. Just get a new card with your married name.

[Nguyet T Cutting 0]

You SSN is yours for life. You don't change it. Just get a new card with your married name.

Thank you for answering. So i should go to the SSN office and ask them to change it?

[SparklePony 238]

Take your passport, marriage certificate, the latest correspondence from USCIS regarding your AOS case and go down to the SSA office to get the name on your card changed.

[Nguyet T Cutting 0]

Take your passport, marriage certificate, the latest correspondence from USCIS regarding your AOS case and go down to the SSA office to get the name on your card changed.

Great, as what i thought. So the last name will be changing to husband last name, the green card name will be changed like that automatically too right? Is it effecting anything if i want to travel back home with my country passport? Sorry to ask too much, i am just confused thank you so much!!!

[YouAndMeForever 1,022]

Great, as what i thought. So the last name will be changing to husband last name, the green card name will be changed like that automatically too right? Is it effecting anything if i want to travel back home with my country passport? Sorry to ask too much, i am just confused thank you so much!!!

IF you have applied for AOS/EAD in your maiden name you will receive both your work permit and your green card in your maiden name. Accordingly, IF you have applied for AOS/EAD in your married name, both documents will be in your married name. There is no such thing as "automatically change".

Once you receive your green card in your maiden name and you still wish to change your name, it is a more complicated process. That is why it is strongly advised to apply for AOS/EAD already using the married name.

I assume your passport is in your maiden name. IF your green card will be in your maiden name as well, you can travel to Vietnam simply with your valid foreign passport and your green card. However IF you have your green card in your married name, you will have to take a certified copy of marriage certificate with you as well, as a proof of name change. A certified copy of marriage certificate is the proof that both names belong to you.

Edited June 2, 2015 by YouAndMeForever

[SparklePony 238]

What YouAndMeForever said.

[Nguyet T Cutting 0]

IF you have applied for AOS/EAD in your maiden name you will receive both your work permit and your green card in your maiden name. Accordingly, IF you have applied for AOS/EAD in your married name, both documents will be in your married name. There is no such thing as "automatically change".

Once you receive your green card in your maiden name and you still wish to change your name, it is a more complicated process. That is why it is strongly advised to apply for AOS/EAD already using the married name.

I assume your passport is in your maiden name. IF your green card will be in your maiden name as well, you can travel to Vietnam simply with your valid foreign passport and your green card. However IF you have your green card in your married name, you will have to take a certified copy of marriage certificate with you as well, as a proof of name change. A certified copy of marriage certificate is the proof that both names belong to you.

WOW thank you this is really useful. Both my husband and I did not know about this thing. WE got married last year and on the marriage certificate, the name is still my full name with maiden name. The officer working in the courthouse did not say anything about this too so we thought if i want to change into his last name, we can do later. The office lady at the courthouse also told me should not change the last name now if i want to travel back home to Vietnam, since i still use my country passport to travel ( it is still valid 3 years more). So everything paper works that we sent to Chicago, all are my maiden name. So I still have to go to the SSA office to do my new SSN? ...So it is really complicated to change name later as you said? Like i have to wait till i can become the US citizen to do that or something?

[YouAndMeForever 1,022]

WOW thank you this is really useful. Both my husband and I did not know about this thing. WE got married last year and on the marriage certificate, the name is still my full name with maiden name. The officer working in the courthouse did not say anything about this too so we thought if i want to change into his last name, we can do later. The office lady at the courthouse also told me should not change the last name now if i want to travel back home to Vietnam, since i still use my country passport to travel ( it is still valid 3 years more). So everything paper works that we sent to Chicago, all are my maiden name. So I still have to go to the SSA office to do my new SSN? ...So it is really complicated to change name later as you said? Like i have to wait till i can become the US citizen to do that or something?

Of course the name on your marriage certificate is your maiden name! At the time you applied for it, that was your name. But like I said, the marriage certificate is the proof that allows you to use both names. It shows that you are legally married to your husband and you are authorized to use his last name if you wish. All one has to do is to simply decide which one to use and stick with it.

The office lady at the courthouse was wrong. You COULD travel with green card in married name but passport in maiden name. All you would have to do is to carry a certified copy of marriage certificate with you... to prove that both names belong to you.

I'm really sorry that you didn't know about all this before and you sent off all the paperwork in your maiden name. No, you don't have to wait until citizenship, but you will have to request a new green card once you get your original one, and that's hundreds of $$.

Here is the link: http://www.uscis.gov/i-90 The fee is $450.

Edited June 2, 2015 by YouAndMeForever

[Nguyet T Cutting 0]

Of course the name on your marriage certificate is your maiden name! At the time you applied for it, that was your name. But like I said, the marriage certificate is the proof that allows you to use both names. It shows that you are legally married to your husband and you are authorized to use his last name if you wish. All one has to do is to simply decide which one to use and stick with it.

The office lady at the courthouse was wrong. You COULD travel with green card in married name but passport in maiden name. All you would have to do is to carry a certified copy of marriage certificate with you... to prove that both names belong to you.

I'm really sorry that you didn't know about all this before and you sent off all the paperwork in your maiden name. No, you don't have to wait until citizenship, but you will have to request a new green card once you get your original one, and that's hundreds of $$.

ohhh i got it too late. So the fact i can simply decide which one to use is when i file the forms right? Thats the time i can choose like his last name and write in the forms right? So that means all the name gonna be my maiden name now on the green card and social security number? So do i have to go to the Social Security Agency to inform them about the work permit EAD i hold soon now? (before i was an au pair working with J-1 visa, i got the SSN which i made in Boston, it wrote temporary one). ugh hundreds of $$ lol, so maybe i think we can still do that when i have citizenship right?

[YouAndMeForever 1,022]

ohhh i got it too late. So the fact i can simply decide which one to use is when i file the forms right? Thats the time i can choose like his last name and write in the forms right? So that means all the name gonna be my maiden name now on the green card and social security number? So do i have to go to the Social Security Agency to inform them about the work permit EAD i hold soon now? (before i was an au pair working with J-1 visa, i got the SSN which i made in Boston, it wrote temporary one). ugh hundreds of $$ lol, so maybe i think we can still do that when i have citizenship right?

Yes, exactly. What matters is what you use when you file those forms because that is what determines the name that will be on the cards. So yes, unfortunately all this means that your work permit and green card will be in your maiden name.

The Social Security Card is a separate thing. Your old Social Security Card is in your maiden name. If it says "Valid for work only with DHS authorization" it is fine and you don't have to apply for a new card. Your EAD (work permit) is the DHS authorization itself. The good thing is that at least now you have/will have all the documents in your maiden name, so they all match.

No, you don't have to wait until citizenship. 2 years (minus 90 days) after getting your greencard you will have to file for ROC (Removal of Conditions) to receive the 10-year greencard, instead of the 2-year conditional one. When you apply for ROC, you can fill out the forms using your married name, and voila... you will receive your 10-year green card in your married name as well. Then all you will have to do is to change your name on your other documents as well (with the help of the certified copy of marriage certificate) and then you are all set!

Edited June 2, 2015 by YouAndMeForever

[Nguyet T Cutting 0]

Yes, exactly. What matters is what you use when you file those forms because that is what determines the name that will be on the cards. So yes, unfortunately all this means that your work permit and green card will be in your maiden name.

The Social Security Card is a separate thing. Your old Social Security Card is in your maiden name. If it says "Valid for work only with DHS authorization" it is fine and you don't have to apply for a new card. Your EAD (work permit) is the DHS authorization itself. The good thing is that at least now you have/will have all the documents in your maiden name, so they all match.

No, you don't have to wait until citizenship. 2 years (minus 90 days) after getting your greencard you will have to file for ROC (Removal of Conditions) to receive the 10-year greencard, instead of the 2-year conditional one. When you apply for ROC, you can fill out the forms using your married name, and voila... you will receive your 10-year green card in your married name as well. Then all you will have to do is to change your name on your other documents as well (with the help of the certified copy of marriage certificate) and then you are all set!

Woah! i just remember the forms i used to file, asking "last name, given name, middle name" and other names including maiden name! It makes sense now ! haha i should have signed in this website earlier few months ago! )

Thats true, the SSN card says like you said, so thats great that i dont have to make a new one. Your right the good thing is i can travel without bringing the marriage certificate?! Meaning i dont have to ask for visa to come back home, and i think my husband can apply to go back to my country without visa since he is my spouse, thats what i am assuming..

Ah i got it, after 2 years ( minus 90 days) i will apply that ROC, then i can fill out married name and other name including maiden name as the forms before asking.

Is that true that after 3 years you can apply for being citizenship?

Thank you so much your information is so priceless!!! I am really happy about it

[YouAndMeForever 1,022]

Woah! i just remember the forms i used to file, asking "last name, given name, middle name" and other names including maiden name! It makes sense now ! haha i should have signed in this website earlier few months ago! )

Thats true, the SSN card says like you said, so thats great that i dont have to make a new one. Your right the good thing is i can travel without bringing the marriage certificate?! Meaning i dont have to ask for visa to come back home, and i think my husband can apply to go back to my country without visa since he is my spouse, thats what i am assuming..

Ah i got it, after 2 years ( minus 90 days) i will apply that ROC, then i can fill out married name and other name including maiden name as the forms before asking.

Is that true that after 3 years you can apply for being citizenship?

Thank you so much your information is so priceless!!! I am really happy about it

Yup, Visajourney is a great place, with tons of useful information!

Yes, the good thing is that once you have your green card you will be able to travel with just the green card and your valid foreign passport. You won't need to bring the certified copy of marriage certificate since the names on both documents will match. Unless you applied for AP (a.k.a. Advance Parole/travel document), don't leave the US before you receive your green card! If you do, your AOS would be considered abandoned and denied, and you would have to start all over from scratch and apply for a spousal visa to come back to the US.

I'm not familiar at all with the possible visa requirements for US citizens (meaning your husband) to travel to Vietnam, but just because he is married to you doesn't mean that those requirements don't apply to him. He is a US citizen, and you are a Vietnamese citizen.

You become eligible for US citizenship after 3 years of being married to a US citizen AND 3 years of being a greencard holder (Lawful Permanent Resident). So technically it is 3 years after you become a Lawful Permanent Resident.

Edited June 2, 2015 by YouAndMeForever

[Nguyet T Cutting 0]

Yup, Visajourney is a great place, with tons of useful information!

Yes, the good thing is that once you have your green card you will be able to travel with just the green card and your valid foreign passport. You won't need to bring the certified copy of the marriage certificate since the names on both documents match. Unless you applied for AP (a.k.a. Advance Parole/travel document), don't leave the US before you receive your green card! If you do, your AOS would be considered abandone and denied, and you would have to apply for a spousal visa to come back to the US.

I'm not familiar at all with the possible visa requirements for US citizens (meaning your husband) to travel to Vietnam, but just because he is married to you doesn't mean that those requirements don't apply to him. He is a US citizen, and you are a Vietnamese citizen.

You become eligible for US citizenship after 3 years of being married to a US citizen AND 3 years of being a greencard holder (Lawful Permanent Resident). So technically it is 3 years after you become a Lawful Permanent Resident.

I was just random searching on google the other day about after finger print, what to do next, and the result giving me this website! So glad!

I did apply for AP, so they will send me anything later or not? So that means i can travel now or still have to wait for green card. I think just being safe waiting for green card is better.

I will ask the embassy about that, i think it must be some ways or not applying for visa for him is fine. So except Vietnam, i can still go some places like Canada too?( just being curious )

I heard that you have to pass the exam or something to become citizen right? I am not sure

[YouAndMeForever 1,022]

I was just random searching on google the other day about after finger print, what to do next, and the result giving me this website! So glad!

I did apply for AP, so they will send me anything later or not? So that means i can travel now or still have to wait for green card. I think just being safe waiting for green card is better.

I will ask the embassy about that, i think it must be some ways or not applying for visa for him is fine. So except Vietnam, i can still go some places like Canada too?( just being curious )

I heard that you have to pass the exam or something to become citizen right? I am not sure

Oh okay, I did not know you applied for AP as well.

In this case you will receive a combo card (EAD+AP). It will be stated on it that this card is valid for reentry to the U.S. So yes, once you receive that combo card, you will be able to travel outside the US and you will be allowed to come back. All you would have to do is to bring your combo card and foreign passport.

I know that US Lawful Permanent Residents (greencard holders) are allowed to travel to Canada without a visa, but I'm not sure about EAD/AP combo card holders. You might want to wait to get your greencard before travelling to Canada, but you can always do some research and find out how it works.

Yes, there is a naturalization test to pass before your citizenship ceremony. But it is still years from now and you can read about it a lot on this site in different sub forums and in the Guides above.

I wish you all the best.

Edited June 2, 2015 by YouAndMeForever