SSN, EAD and name change help for K-1 visa!

[narakthisud 174]

On 5/25/2017 at 4:04 PM, Scandi said:

The marriage certificate you receive after you get married is proof of the name change. Not all office are willing to change your name on the SSC with no valid ID with your new name on it, but most offices are, so it's definitely worth a try.

I just wanted to relay the fact that the SSA office in West Chester, PA (outside of Philly) definitely doesn't permit K1 visa holders to change their names with just a marriage certificate. (Ironically the certificate itself was issued a mile down the road from that very office!) They turned us away and said that we had to get my wife's name updated "with DHS" which I took to mean that USCIS (part of DHS) needs to update their records and transmit the update to SAVE. I'm hoping to make another trip back to the SSA office once my wife receives her EAD/AP combo card in her married name...any day now...

 

I wrote this reply to ensure folks are aware that SSA name change denials are a real thing. K1 visa holders shouldn't necessarily expect to be approved...even with a marriage certificate! 

</rant>

[Scandi 4,166]

1 minute ago, narakthisud said:

I just wanted to relay the fact that the SSA office in West Chester, PA (outside of Philly) definitely doesn't permit K1 visa holders to change their names with just a marriage certificate. (Ironically the certificate itself was issued a mile down the road from that very office!) They turned us away and said that we had to get my wife's name updated "with DHS" which I took to mean that USCIS (part of DHS) needs to update their records and transmit the update to SAVE. I'm hoping to make another trip back to the SSA office once my wife receives her EAD/AP combo card in her married name...any day now...

 

I wrote this reply to ensure folks are aware that SSA name change denials are a real thing. K1 visa holders shouldn't necessarily expect to be approved...even with a marriage certificate! 

</rant>

"With DHS" means that they want you to have the EAD before they can do the name change for you, as the EAD works as an identification. On the SSC you will see that it says "only valid for work with DHS authorization", the DHS authorization is your EAD card.

[Klee 6]

Just to update this, we ended up going to the SSA in Bellevue, Washington with just the marriage certificate and my passport containing my i-94 and they allowed me to change my name. I got my card in the mail less than a week later!