Can't change the name on SS without green card?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I know. I'm just venting to get some sympathy. I know it will be forgiven and that nothing bad will happen because of that, but it's not really nice to realize that, well, legally you're not lawfully present in the country that you live in. It's not like I crossed the border illegally or committed any fraud. I live quite some time from local USCIS office, and it's not like I can legally drive either, so fixing clerical mistakes etc depends on my husband's work schedule, and that can not be very favorable currently. I am also in early pregnancy, fighting nausea all over. So I give myself the right to complain and be frustrated.

I know it seems like a wacky system but the K-1 is a non-immigrant visa, as you know. Too many people never file AOS for their spouses so the being out-of status sort of helps, I think, to get them to file. If a person got legal presence for 5 years then I bet a lot more would never file AOS, and that's too bad. Filing AOS and getting the greencard is what protects the immigrant. Good luck and don't get too frustrated about it.

File the AOS in your married name.

[tyene 5]

I know it seems like a wacky system but the K-1 is a non-immigrant visa, as you know. Too many people never file AOS for their spouses so the being out-of status sort of helps, I think, to get them to file. If a person got legal presence for 5 years then I bet a lot more would never file AOS, and that's too bad. Filing AOS and getting the greencard is what protects the immigrant. Good luck and don't get too frustrated about it.

File the AOS in your married name.

I know. But damn, they could have given us, I don't know, at least 3 months to not be automatically out of status after I-94 is out. And yeah, I know that formally K1 visa is a non-immigrant visa. I think this is the part that frustrated me too - it's such a unique and weird visa category.

Yeah, I will file AOS in my married name. Although I don't understand how that works exactly - as I said before, my license never had anything about my married name, and my marriage certificate uses my maiden name either.

It's for: Kim Jane Novak (me in my maiden name) and John Jack Smith (my husband), not Kim Jane Smith and John Jack Smith. Is that enough? Cause normally what people do is that they change their name though SS. But I can't do it. So now I don't have any document with my new identity. Green card will be the first.

[p-ana 933]

As I said in my first post, the marriage certificate is sufficient proof of your name change but not all places will take only that as proof though, some will need a government issued identification document (that's how the social security offices usually do) such as EAD or green card in the married name

[tyene 5]

As I said in my first post, the marriage certificate is sufficient proof of your name change but not all places will take only that as proof though, some will need a government issued identification document (that's how the social security offices usually do) such as EAD or green card in the married name

Now I am asking for filing AOS specifically, so I got and understood your previous response and I will wait with SS until I get the green card.

[Merrytooth 5,748]

I see your profile is New Jersey, so I assume you are married in that state:

http://www.co.burlington.nj.us/614/Changing-Your-Name

Name Change Due to Marriage: Women
Name changes after marriage for women are done by simply using your new name consistently. In most instances, you may be required to show proof of marriage.

Once you have your EAD, you can go to the DMV and get State ID or Driver license in your married name.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Merrytooth

[tyene 5]

I see your profile is New Jersey, so I assume you are married in that state:

http://www.co.burlington.nj.us/614/Changing-Your-Name

Name Change Due to Marriage: Women

Name changes after marriage for women are done by simply using your new name consistently. In most instances, you may be required to show proof of marriage.

Once you have your EAD, you can go to the DMV and get State ID or Driver license in your married name.

Yeah that's exactly what is so confusing for me. I don't know what it means to "simply use your new name consistently" if the only ID I have is in my maiden name. It's not like I can get a credit card in my new name if all my documentation is in my maiden name.

[Merrytooth 5,748]

Yeah that's exactly what is so confusing for me. I don't know what it means to "simply use your new name consistently" if the only ID I have is in my maiden name. It's not like I can get a credit card in my new name if all my documentation is in my maiden name.

Your Marriage Certificate constitutes proof that the use of the new surname.

Maybe this will help you:

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/changing-name-on-credit-cards-1267.php

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I know. But damn, they could have given us, I don't know, at least 3 months to not be automatically out of status after I-94 is out. And yeah, I know that formally K1 visa is a non-immigrant visa. I think this is the part that frustrated me too - it's such a unique and weird visa category.

Yeah, I will file AOS in my married name. Although I don't understand how that works exactly - as I said before, my license never had anything about my married name, and my marriage certificate uses my maiden name either.

It's for: Kim Jane Novak (me in my maiden name) and John Jack Smith (my husband), not Kim Jane Smith and John Jack Smith. Is that enough? Cause normally what people do is that they change their name though SS. But I can't do it. So now I don't have any document with my new identity. Green card will be the first.

Your marriage cert is proof of name change, no matter if it has a "box" for new name or anything. Just start using your married name.

A lot of people think that the SSA "owns" your name or something, and it is true that most US Citizens go the SSA first after getting married. But the SSA doesn't own your name. Just start using your new name where you can.

[Dashinka 24,505]

Our marriage certificate is similar where it has no specific section for the new name that my wife chose to take. She simply just started using it and we filed the AOS using that name. We also waited for the GC to change the name on the SSC since most SSA offices are clueless.

[EM_Vandaveer 2,408]

If you get your EAD in your married name, once you have that, it will work with SSA for the name change.

[David & Diana R 1,005]

How is that system considered normal is absolutely beyond me. It basically means that I am forced to be unlawfully present due to no fault on my own. It is absolutely insane.

Welcome to the USA!!

[Pennycat 880]

We had a similar situation (husband was changing one of his surnames, long story).

You can get SS in your married name once your EAD arrives (assuming that you apply for EAD in the first place and that you apply for it in your married name).

You had the opportunity to do it in the first 75 days of your 90 day stay. You could have gotten one in your maiden name and then changed later. Or, if you were able to get your marriage certificate in that time and take it to SSA, you could have gotten one in your married name in that time, but sounds like you missed it (we did too, different long story).

I'm with you that it's super frustrating. I would think that the receipt for applying for AOS plus K1 visa plus marriage certificate within 90 days should be enough, but it isn't. Your case, post 90 days, pre-AOS... I can see both sides but I think that leaves too big a loophole for people who are resisting AOS for whatever reason (usually to the immigrant's detriment).

Is there anything in particular that you're wanting a SS# for? Health insurance? Bank account? There's often ways around needing one for these things and I'd be happy to brainstorm with you if you like.

Good luck, you'll be able to get one soon. Get that AOS out!

[Georgia16 2,858]

I know. But damn, they could have given us, I don't know, at least 3 months to not be automatically out of status after I-94 is out. And yeah, I know that formally K1 visa is a non-immigrant visa. I think this is the part that frustrated me too - it's such a unique and weird visa category.

Yeah, I will file AOS in my married name. Although I don't understand how that works exactly - as I said before, my license never had anything about my married name, and my marriage certificate uses my maiden name either.

It's for: Kim Jane Novak (me in my maiden name) and John Jack Smith (my husband), not Kim Jane Smith and John Jack Smith. Is that enough? Cause normally what people do is that they change their name though SS. But I can't do it. So now I don't have any document with my new identity. Green card will be the first.

Thats what our say too and I have just used my husbands name since so now it's my last name too...

Fill out all your AOS papers in the new name

[tyene 5]

Thats what our say too and I have just used my husbands name since so now it's my last name too...

Fill out all your AOS papers in the new name

I have SS. I just have in it my maiden's name. I wanted to have it in my married name to have my credit cards and other documents in my married name either. It's ultimately not a big deal now, but I just got upset yesterday and stressed.

[Georgia16 2,858]

I have SS. I just have in it my maiden's name. I wanted to have it in my married name to have my credit cards and other documents in my married name either. It's ultimately not a big deal now, but I just got upset yesterday and stressed.

I have that. We just went to the bank and then I used the marriage certificate to show proof on name change and no problems got it in the new name (And my SSN card was in the maiden name at the time)