SSN or marriage license first

[jack66819 10]

Hi guys,

 

After long and frustrated process, my fiance is set to come to us mid August and we are super excited!

 

After point of entry, what are the next step?  Wait for a week getting SSN, then another week for marriage license? or go to the court and get marriage license first right away while waiting for the custom record be entered in the system before SSN?

 

Just want to get some advice on the common steps others have taken.

 

Thanks!

J

[Scandi 4,166]

Since you're in California I would suggest to apply for the marriage license online the day before you go to pick it up at the county clerk's office. If you do it online you don't have to stand in line at the office and wait (it saved us about 2 hours of waiting). 

We went for both marriage license and SSN on the same day, 4 days after I arrived in the US on my K-1 visa. 

[Going through 5,671]

Assuming your new wife will be changing her last name, it would make more sense to get the marriage license first, get married having the new legal name change recorded in the marriage certificate, then get the SSN.

 

(I'm assuming you're male, my apologies if you aren't)

Edited July 21, 2017 by Going through

[Scandi 4,166]

I would suggest to get the SSN before marriage, there has been quite a few people here in VJ trying to get their SSN after marriage and were denied. Better to get it as soon as possible and change the name later. Then at least you have a SSN, instead of having to wait until you get your EAD.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Scandi

[jack66819 10]

Thanks for the feedback. Our ceremony/reception is on 9/30 but want to quickly go to the courthouse and get the marriage license so we can start the adjustment soon. 

[jack66819 10]

SSN after marriage got denied? 

 

Is it because name changes? We prob. not going to change her name

[Scandi 4,166]

5 minutes ago, jack66819 said:

Thanks for the feedback. Our ceremony/reception is on 9/30 but want to quickly go to the courthouse and get the marriage license so we can start the adjustment soon. 

We chose the confidential license that doesn't require any witnesses and is only valid within Los Angeles county (or whatever county you get it from in California). It's valid for 90 days.

Then there's the public one that I think requires one witness but the license allows you to marry anywhere you want in California, ie doesn't have to be the county that issued your license.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Scandi

[Scandi 4,166]

Just now, jack66819 said:

SSN after marriage got denied? 

 

Is it because name changes? We prob. not going to change her name

Name change (since you don't have any ID in your new name and they sometimes don't take the marriage certificate as proof enough) but also if you have too little time left on your i-94. And it seems that some SSA employees think that the terms of your visa/stay changes after you get married so they refuse to issue you a SSN, which is crazy. It depends on the employee and the office, some are crazier than others. It is generally recommended to get your SSN before marriage and then have the name changed later if you wish. 

[Going through 5,671]

I guess I took the longer way around with that...I got the marriage licence, got married, got the EAD and then applied for the SSN.

I didn't do the K-1 visa process though, just did the AOS from in the States.

 

Oh---and congrats on your upcoming wedding!

[jack66819 10]

I see, good to know. Though we are not planning to change her name (keeping the same name as her current passport), but it is still best to go for the safer route of SSN first then marriage license.

[Redheadguy03 505]

SSN always before marriage. You can get it after, but it can sometimes get denied because the name is different from when you entered the country. 

 

If their isn't a name change you won't necessarily have that problem, but it's definitely better to get it before you get married. It's better just to get it, so when you get work authorization you'll be all set. 

 

I just applied for my fiance's SSN and the officer there specifically told me it's better to get it before marriage.

As previously said you must apply for it 2 weeks before the expiration of the i-94 as well. Some people seem to wait until the last minute and get turned away. 

Edited July 21, 2017 by Redheadguy03

[Jon&Daiz 19]

hi, i want to share my experience regarding getting SSN. After we get married and get our marriage certificate in 10 days, my husband and i went to SS office right away with the required documents and application form. He explained to the SS staff that my valid ID (passport) was still in my single name but we have a marriage certificate. She told us that we have to change the application form and put my single name in it because that's in the immigration record and reflected in my I-94. So we got my SSN in my single name. After a few weeks, my husband suggested that i'll visit the SS office near our home (different office we first visited) and try if we can change it to my married name. To make long story short, it's a success. After that, we filed for AOS.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Avoid the problems. SSN first then marriage and then name change.  BTW, she doesn't have to keep her single name when you guys get married. You didn't say why she is keeping her "single" name but I will make an assumption here. If she needs to use her passport she just has to buy the ticket in the name that's in the passport and carry her marriage certificate and BC with her in the event she needs to prove either name.

[ddtenor2 80]

My husband applied for his SSN a week after arriving in the U.S.  When we went to apply for the marriage license, the application did ask for his SSN, although the clerk said it was not mandatory.  I don't know the legal requirements in California, but in New Jersey, he was also required to provide a document showing his address.  Not knowing that was a requirement before the license would be issued, I had not added him to any utility bills or bank accounts.  Fortunately, he had his international driver's license which showed his Brazilian home address.  That was acceptable--go figure!  You might want to check marriage license requirements in California.

 

Between the time I filed the I-129F and the time my husband came to the U.S., he needed to have his passport renewed.  For some reason, his name on the renewed passport was slightly different than his name on his birth certificate and expired passport.  All the USCIS paperwork I had filed was with his (correct) name on his expired passport.  His SSN was issued with the (incorrect) name on his current passport, but in order to get it corrected on his SS card, we had to wait until he received his EAD.  Once we had that we went back to the SS office, and it took all of 5 minutes to get his name corrected.

 

So, by way of this long-winded story, I would recommend getting the SSN first, then applying for the marriage license.  If at some future point your spouse wants to change her name, it will not be an issue changing her name with Social Security.

 

 

[Scandi 4,166]

You can get the marriage license anytime you like, it has nothing to do with your SSN in California. All they require is that both people show up to pick up the license, and they only want to see ID. My passport was enough.

 

The only thing to think about is to apply for the SSN before the actual wedding. Before you get married.