K1 arrival plan - NJ

[TabeaK 517]

I like this thread! I'll be in New Brunswick, right next door to Somerset.

[noxavis 0]

I like this thread! I'll be in New Brunswick, right next door to Somerset.

haha that's awesome! We should meet up some times and compare notes. I see you got your visa today! congratulations! do you know yet when you will be leaving? If everything goes well for me I hope to get a flight mid November.

[TabeaK 517]

Looks like you'll be there before me. Got a flight for Dec 29th - have to work until the end of the year (long German notice period - though it helps with saving some more money) - and wanna spend Christmas at home.

We should definitely meet up!

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Arrive

Apply for SSN - Yes, it's better to do this before you get married, otherwise you wont be able to apply for Social Security (in your Married name) until your EAD arrives.

Apply to get Married.

Once married, be sure your spouse places you on his/her work benefits/health plan.

Apply for AOS - be sure to apply for both EAD and AP when filing!

Receive EAD/AP combo card and apply for driver's license.

Once you have EAD go back to Social Security and get a new card with your married name.

Receive 2 year conditional green card.

90 Days before 2-year green card expires, apply to remove conditions and receive a 10 year green card.

90 days before your 3 year US residency, apply for US naturalization (if you would like US citizenship).

Other good tips:

Be sure your spouse places you as a beneficiary on his/her life insurance policy.

Be sure you pay mortage/rent/bills out of your joint bank account.

Be sure to start a joint bank account if you haven't done so already.

Be sure to have joint credit cards.

Having joint assets and financial responsibilities goes a long way should you ever get an interview later on for AOS or green card conditions removed.

Those are some solid tips, but I am wondering about the bank account stuff. I have my wife on my insurance, utility bill, and lease agreement. However the bank accounts will have to wait until she gets her EAD, because then she'll be able to get a state ID, which my bank requires in order to add her. Don't know if the (potential) interview would take place between now and getting the EAD (we have the biometrics Wednesday). Obviously when it comes to evidence proving everything is bonafide, the more the merrier.

[Kim Mertens 54]

Following this thread because I was wondering the exact same thing!

[PickleChips 56]

Hey guys, I'm going to chime in here, too since I will also be living in NJ (Somerset) and I want to follow this thread. I already have SSN from my year abroad interning as a teaching assistant. I will change my last name though and am wondering when I should /can change it on the SSC.

K1 visa here. I went in a few days after our wedding with our marriage certificate and changed my last name. I did not need to wait until I received my EAD.

[Danielle and Jake 24]

K1 visa here. I went in a few days after our wedding with our marriage certificate and changed my last name. I did not need to wait until I received my EAD.

That's what I've been told, and what the people on the phone said when I called the SSA. They actually recommended we do it that way, but as myself and others have noted, the people at those offices aren't always the best. The lady we had was pretty sour and wouldn't budge on much, she was barely willing to try and enter a SSN for us in my wife's maiden name. I think it'####### or miss depending on who you get. I should have asked for a manager like someone has noted, but I am sure if I did that, they'd just tell me to leave.

[Jon York 156]

Arrive

Apply for SSN - Yes, it's better to do this before you get married, otherwise you wont be able to apply for Social Security (in your Married name) until your EAD arrives.

That's not true actually. We got married first (in NYC), but live in NJ. We went to the NJ social security office 3-4 weeks later and applied for SSN and she got it fine with no problem at all. And we avoided having to change her name later. So, I would recommend getting married first and then applying for SSN.

Also, put her (or is it him) on your bank account ASAP. We waited on that too, and did it just a week or so before the I-94 expired. They told us they couldn't put her on my account, because as far as they were concerned she would only be here legally for another week! So do that as soon as possible. Once we got EAD they didn't have any problem putting her name on the account.

[beccajayne93 17]

I just moved to South Jersey (Medford) 4 days ago and I'm still waiting for my US entry to show up on the SAVE database, so while I immediately got my I-94 paper record, the database still shows nothing which is delaying me in getting my SSN.

I don't know if anyone can correct me but this might prevent you getting married on day 1 if you want your SSN before hand!

(If I am incorrect can someone correct me so I can go get my SSN lol)

[TabeaK 517]

What is the SAVE database and how do you check if you are in there?

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

What is the SAVE database and how do you check if you are in there?

http://www.uscis.gov/save/save-case-check

[raven52 233]

I suppose things are done so much different, from office to office to state to state.

We tried to get marriage license from county judge, and could not without, SS card. Went back and second time, the lady judge had me sign a document saying when SS card received, to bring a copy to her and she issued the license.

The mistake we made was, in 2013, we got married first, then tried for the SS card. Big mistake. Her new married name was not in the system, her maiden name was, so we should have got the SS

card as soon as possible. I would recommend this to anyone.

I know things are different now, nearly 3 years later, but that SS card would come first for me. Then marriage license, marriage, AOS,.,.,and so on.

Now we file for ROC one week from today.,.,so guess we done a few things right, but we made many mistakes.

It took 5 trips and a specialist from another office to rectify our situation, with the SS card.

Best of and good luck to all.

[Henley1989 10]

I like this thread! I'll be in New Brunswick, right next door to Somerset.

Nice. I lived in New Brunswick for a while when I was there on a work visa... Fun place to live!

[Henley1989 10]

haha that's awesome! We should meet up some times and compare notes. I see you got your visa today! congratulations! do you know yet when you will be leaving? If everything goes well for me I hope to get a flight mid November.

I have my interview in a month and I hope to fly a week or two after that. We should arrange an end of year NJ meet up for all those heading out soon!

[noxavis 0]

I have my interview in a month and I hope to fly a week or two after that. We should arrange an end of year NJ meet up for all those heading out soon!

Nice idea! I'm in