Requesting SSN for K-1 after the wedding

[JandEB 3]

Been digging through some posts to try to find our particular situation, but haven't yet found one so starting a new topic. If I've missed something recent (since the Oct 2017 I-765 form change) please feel free to point me at it.

 

My fiancee arrived in the US Nov 7, and we were married Dec 19th. My understanding at the time was the SSN had to be requested as part of the AOS, but now in reading other items it seems it's possible to request the SSN independently as a K-1 visa holder.

 

In North Carolina, the marriage certificate doesn't include a name change; you have to change your name via SSN instead.

 

So we're now trying to decide what order to do things to get everything into the desired name on both social security and the AOS side. At this point we have a marriage license (waiting for the certified certificate) in her maiden name, an I-94 in her maiden name (of course), and no SSN application or AOS application yet.

 

So I have 3 questions I think related to this:

 

1) Is it worthwhile to go to the SSA office first to request her SSN before filing the AOS, so we can use that SSN on the AOS forms? Or would it be better to use the EAD form request even though this seems the SSN wouldn't be issued until after the EAD is processed?

2) If we do go to the SSA office to file an SS-5, will we cause ourselves a problem if we go ahead and apply for the SSN in her desired married name? What documents would we need to include with the EAD and AOS to document the name change properly in that case, since the marriage certificate would still have her maiden name?

3) If we go the EAD route, do we put her desired married name on the I-485 and I-765 forms and list her maiden name in the previous name space, even though we haven't legally changed her name yet? Since legally changing her name seems to come from SSA in our state. The state requires an updated SSA card to use your new name on state ID, etc.

 

Is there anything else I'm forgetting here and should be aware of?

 

Thank you for any guidance you can give.

 

[mighty836 87]

You can can do either, we went the SS route first and then used the mail from them to show address  from the government  in her married  name.