Timing of K1 entry, SSN, Wedding, and AOS

[Diane and Chris 651]

11 hours ago, Limey said:

3 months? Wow, that's crazy.

Here in NC our officiant filed it after the wedding and I think we got it in the mail a few days later. I think they had a way we could do it same day, but we figured a few days was fine.

Same here in Georgia. We had it back in about 5 days. 

[Diane and Chris 651]

3 hours ago, Teacake said:

Oh, I see! I’ll definitely need to take a closer look into AOS then. If all the extra stuff isn’t totally necessary, I’ll make a point to file before the 90 days are up so I’m not out of status. Thanks!

Don’t you want to get EAD and AP as soon as you can?  

[Loren Y 2,753]

SSN first stop, literally as soon as you cross the border. My fiancee applied for hers 18 hours after landing at LAX, and she was in the computer. Would have applied sooner, but flight landed at 8pm, and we had to drive from LA to Vegas, but next morning at 9am we were at the SS office.

[Loren Y 2,753]

If you want a marriage certificate fast, fly out to Las Vegas, I'll pick you up at the airport, we will get your license, I'll marry you in the car on the way to the clerk's office, we will register the marriage, you get your certificate then and there, and I'll have you back at the airport in less than 4 hours.  All for no charge for VJ members!!!! 

Edited August 29, 2019 by Loren Y

[Teacake 76]

7 hours ago, Diane and Chris said:

Don’t you want to get EAD and AP as soon as you can?  

I do. I’ll try to put the packet for all three together, but I still feel burned out from the stress of my interview and the big move here, so more bureaucracy so soon is daunting. Best to get it out of the way as soon as possible though, I suppose.

[billding 59]

6 minutes ago, Teacake said:

I do. I’ll try to put the packet for all three together, but I still feel burned out from the stress of my interview and the big move here, so more bureaucracy so soon is daunting. Best to get it out of the way as soon as possible though, I suppose.

I know right? We're months away from AOS but we're trying to understand the process as much as possible. We didn't think the I129F would be a lot of work but it was. And AOS just comes at a busy time, wedding/marriage, big move, etc. All the best!

[billding 59]

8 minutes ago, Teacake said:

I do. I’ll try to put the packet for all three together, but I still feel burned out from the stress of my interview and the big move here, so more bureaucracy so soon is daunting. Best to get it out of the way as soon as possible though, I suppose.

By the way I'm not sure if you know already but even if you submit all 3 at the same time, they get separated meaning you have to submit multiple copies of certain documents. And include each copy with each form: AOS, EAD, AP. I can't remember which exact document they are I think passport bio page, i94, marriage certificate, k1, there's a list somewhere on this sub.

[Teacake 76]

17 minutes ago, TXBill said:

By the way I'm not sure if you know already but even if you submit all 3 at the same time, they get separated meaning you have to submit multiple copies of certain documents. And include each copy with each form: AOS, EAD, AP. I can't remember which exact document they are I think passport bio page, i94, marriage certificate, k1, there's a list somewhere on this sub.

Ah, good to know! Thanks!!

[Usaph 18]

19 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

Sounds good, but you won't have the marriage cert back by this date.  It needs to be the official certified copy (or a photocopy of the certified copy) from the county, not the commemorative one from the officiant.  Plan for it to take at least 5-7 business days depending on where you live.

 

I also would go with prioritizing getting the SSN before the wedding. 

Will do, thanks. I called the courthouse in PA and they said we could bring the return of license after the wedding on Monday and then get a certified duplicate marriage certificate on the spot for $5 fee.

[Usaph 18]

2 hours ago, TXBill said:

By the way I'm not sure if you know already but even if you submit all 3 at the same time, they get separated meaning you have to submit multiple copies of certain documents. And include each copy with each form: AOS, EAD, AP. I can't remember which exact document they are I think passport bio page, i94, marriage certificate, k1, there's a list somewhere on this sub.

What do you mean, "include each copy with each form".. each copy of what? Thanks!

15 hours ago, BBGG said:

Hi @Usaph I had the same question recently and did some research on why everybody is recommending to apply for SSN before marriage. My conclusion from what I read on VJ is as follows:

 

Looks like if I apply for SSN on K1 visa before marriage, it will most likely be successful, but if I apply after marriage, SSN will most likely be denied, and I will have no choice but to wait for SSN after EAD (may take 6 months).

 

From what I read on VJ, SSA (Social Security Administration - the body that issues the SSN) often rejects SSN applicants with K1 visas after marriage on "you're not a fiancé(e) anymore" basis, and this is, as some say, due to SSA's wrong interpretation of K1 visa rules, but it seems that they are adamant, and nobody managed to change their mind after SSN application was rejected for this reason.

 

Looks like after marriage I will simply show as "status mismatch" with my K1 visa and marriage information in their system when they try to enter my application (you can actually search "status mismatch" on VJ if you are interested in further research), and the only workaround is (1) to apply for SSN before marriage or (2) to wait for EAD. 

 

Alternatively, SSA will accept my application, but I will not show in their system immediately, and they will have to run "manual check" through DHS/USCIS that will anyway return the “status mismatch” reply after 4 weeks of waiting for whatever reason, and while this all is happening my 90-day I-94 will expire, and I can only apply for SSN while my K1 visa/I-94 is valid.

 

(I-94 is the port of entry confirmation, K1 visa is valid for 90 days, so I-94 is also valid for 90 days, but you should apply for SSN within 76 days – before you reach 14 days point before I-94 expiry, after this point SSA is known to reject SSN applications)

 

SSN is not needed for marriage or AOS, but it will make life in the US really hard if I don’t have an SSN (will be almost impossible to open bank account, be added to your spouse's medical insurance or get your own, get driving license, etc.).

 

We decided that I must apply for SSN before marriage, so the plan will be:

• Day 1: Land in the US and enter with K1 visa
• Day 2: Request SSN (not waiting for 2 weeks, as it was written above already, now the data is transferred from port of entry instantly)
• Day 3: Get married without waiting for SSN to be issued (because SSN itself is not needed for marriage or AOS, but it will not be possible to request it after marriage)
• Day 4: File for AOS* Hooray!
• Day 5 and on: Wait without rush for the SSN to be delivered by post in about two weeks’ time

 

* It is a separate matter whether it may be possible to get the marriage certificate that soon, as people write here, in most cases they have to wait for 2 weeks to be able to get a certified copy of their marriage certificate for AOS, but I did some research on that too and I will write it in my next comment.
 

Excellent information, thank you very much!

[billding 59]

11 minutes ago, Usaph said:

What do you mean, "include each copy with each form".. each copy of what? Thanks!

Excellent information, thank you very much!

EAD and AP even when filed at the same time with AOS are still processed separately. Because of this you have to include a copy of certain required documents with each one. (For example, all 3 need a copy of passport bio page, I94, Noa2, etc.)

 

Here's the list. It's the first post on the thread. 

 

2 hours ago, Teacake said:

Ah, good to know! Thanks!!

Here's the list. First post of the thread. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/714534-august-2019-aos-fillers/

[Hank_ 9,174]

 

In Tucson, AZ we hand carried the completed marriage license to the county recorder, then requested certified copies, the were very nice and got the marriage license recorded and issued us our certified copies within a hour.  Then we stopped by SSA .. heck of a day.

[Usaph 18]

1 hour ago, TXBill said:

EAD and AP even when filed at the same time with AOS are still processed separately. Because of this you have to include a copy of certain required documents with each one. (For example, all 3 need a copy of passport bio page, I94, Noa2, etc.)

 

Here's the list. It's the first post on the thread. 

 

Here's the list. First post of the thread. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/714534-august-2019-aos-fillers/

Excellent, thank you!

1 hour ago, Hank_ said:

 

In Tucson, AZ we hand carried the completed marriage license to the county recorder, then requested certified copies, the were very nice and got the marriage license recorded and issued us our certified copies within a hour.  Then we stopped by SSA .. heck of a day.

Sounds like a lovely day in government offices haha. But very rewarding to get it all done.

[Sarah&Facundo 588]

13 hours ago, Teacake said:

I do. I’ll try to put the packet for all three together, but I still feel burned out from the stress of my interview and the big move here, so more bureaucracy so soon is daunting. Best to get it out of the way as soon as possible though, I suppose.

For my husband, what was making him crazy was the prospect of not working! It wasn't because we NEEDED the money per say, but he just hated the idea of not working and feeling imprisoned by his lack of ability to travel. He kind of felt stripped of his freedom and he felt locked into a country with no friends, no job, and no real reason to get up in the morning. He wanted the EAD/AP as soon as possible so we filed right away after the wedding. Once he had his EAD card, he applied for jobs and was hired in the same week. Having a job and being able to travel at will helped him adjust to life in the US better because he could form his own identity here.

Now he works, goes to college, and we travel often. We just came back to the US after a 3.5 month backpacking trip around Europe yesterday!

Edited August 30, 2019 by Sarah&Facundo

[Teacake 76]

An update for those of you who said Vegas was the only place where you could get a certified copy of a marriage licence back super quick: you can apparently add my small town in Tennessee to the list lol. Got married yesterday, the judge gave us back the licence, took it to the county clerk this morning and bought our certified copy on the spot for $5.