Calling all prior J1 visa holders for Social Security process question

[Drewton12 2]

Hoping the amazing Visa Journey community and it's collective knowledge can help us out!

My fiancee arrived in the US on July 9, 2015 on a K1 visa. She previously worked for a year in the US from 2007-2008 on a J-1 visa. While working here on the J-1 visa she obtained a Social Security card and number (SSN). Her card has printed on it "Valid for work only with DHS authorization".

We are currently working through the Social Security process for her K1 visa. My question is if other former J-1 visa holders who obtained a SSN and later came to the US on a K1, does the card originally issued to you and the number remain valid for things such as marriage license application, drivers license application etc? I have researched on here and found a thread exactly dealing with this issue. However, it makes me nervous it dates from 2006 and I haven't located any more recent confirmation either on this site OR on ssa.gov to confirm the responses from that 2006 thread.

Any former J-1 visa holders who can weigh in on this would be super helpful and appreciated!

[Lainie B 465]

Yes she can keep the card and use the same number. The number is hers for life. No need to get a new card at this stage. When she gets her green card she can get a new card without the "valid for work with DHS authorization" annotation, though the number will be the same.

Moving to SSN forum

[Limey 551]

Hoping the amazing Visa Journey community and it's collective knowledge can help us out!

My fiancee arrived in the US on July 9, 2015 on a K1 visa. She previously worked for a year in the US from 2007-2008 on a J-1 visa. While working here on the J-1 visa she obtained a Social Security card and number (SSN). Her card has printed on it "Valid for work only with DHS authorization".

We are currently working through the Social Security process for her K1 visa. My question is if other former J-1 visa holders who obtained a SSN and later came to the US on a K1, does the card originally issued to you and the number remain valid for things such as marriage license application, drivers license application etc? I have researched on here and found a thread exactly dealing with this issue. However, it makes me nervous it dates from 2006 and I haven't located any more recent confirmation either on this site OR on ssa.gov to confirm the responses from that 2006 thread.

Any former J-1 visa holders who can weigh in on this would be super helpful and appreciated!

I am in an identical situation.

I had J1 visa in mid nineties, and was issued a social security number. I had lost the card but still had an old W2 from back then when I came to the US in June 2015.

I went to the social security office with the W2 and they sorted out updating my details and issuing a new card. It arrived a week later, with the "Valid for work only with DHS authorization" on it. I did this early on after getting married as I thought I'd need the card to start a bank account, get a drivers license etc - but pretty much everyone accepted my old W2 for my social security number, or didn't want to see any proof (just accepted my word as to what it was)

It certainly made everything much quicker and simpler this time that I had a SS number already, so didn't have to wait for one to be allocated.

Edited July 27, 2015 by Limey