SSN before or after obtaining marriage license?

[snnigro28 0]

Hello all! I hope your own visa statuses are going smoothly!

 

My current question is, is it absolutely necessary to have a SSN in order to obtain a marriage license for my fiancé and I? Or can he apply for the SSN after marriage given the fact that his name would not be changing? We would definitely apply promptly after marriage; the issue is that we would like to get married about 1 1/2 weeks after he arrives in the U.S. on the K-1 visa. As many of you probably well know, the process is already a HUGE waiting game. We are SO ready to get married! Lol. I know it is recommended to get it prior to marriage, but I keep seeing alternative information that suggests otherwise and has me rather confused...

 

Thank you for your input in advance; much appreciation!

[p-ana 933]

No need to have a ssn to get a marriage license. But it's in your best interest to get the ssn as soon as possible, many people tried getting it after marriage and couldn't get one

[glmg21 330]

13 hours ago, snnigro28 said:

Hello all! I hope your own visa statuses are going smoothly!

 

My current question is, is it absolutely necessary to have a SSN in order to obtain a marriage license for my fiancé and I? Or can he apply for the SSN after marriage given the fact that his name would not be changing? We would definitely apply promptly after marriage; the issue is that we would like to get married about 1 1/2 weeks after he arrives in the U.S. on the K-1 visa. As many of you probably well know, the process is already a HUGE waiting game. We are SO ready to get married! Lol. I know it is recommended to get it prior to marriage, but I keep seeing alternative information that suggests otherwise and has me rather confused...

 

Thank you for your input in advance; much appreciation!

Whether you need a SSN to get a marriage license or not is a state-by-state issue. Check with your state's government website and see what you find!

 

A SSN though, will provide access to many other services, often including a bank account, phone bill, credit card, etc. A quick search through these forums will let you know that many people have had a hard time getting a SSN after they've married, and before their immigration status changes. The general advice is to make applying for a SSN the first thing you do, and then get married afterwards.

Edited February 22, 2017 by glmg21

[snnigro28 0]

Thank you for the advice you two! This is really helpful in the planning stages of our process as it wanes on; helpful in planning a wedding date too! Seems like going for the SSN ASAP is going to be the plan of action.

[ShanghaiSurfer 135]

13 hours ago, glmg21 said:

The general advice is to make applying for a SSN the first thing you do, and then get married afterwards.

Does it matter if you marry before receiving the SSN or just that you applied is good enough to avoid problems?

[Rick & Apple 233]

My wife and I got married 9 days after she arrived. The next day we took the marriage license to the courthouse, and had it recorded. They gave us 2 certified copies of the license. From there we went and applied for SSN. She received the card in 2 weeks. We got her a state ID, and used those two documents to add her to the bank accounts. The bank didn't even look at her passport.

[swalker 137]

1 hour ago, ShanghaiSurfer said:

Does it matter if you marry before receiving the SSN or just that you applied is good enough to avoid problems?

I'm wondering the same thing...

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

2 hours ago, ShanghaiSurfer said:

Does it matter if you marry before receiving the SSN or just that you applied is good enough to avoid problems?

 

34 minutes ago, swalker said:

I'm wondering the same thing...

No it doesn't matter. You will provide them with all documents they need upon applying. It's supposed to work as easy as it did for Rick & Apple even after marriage... but as also mentioned earlier, it's often not the case.