I-94 expiring and SSN- what to do

[Aoife&Cam 11]

Hey,

I have arrived into the US on my K1 visa on the 16th Dec 2021. My I-94 expires on the 29th Dec 2021. Am I eligible to apply for SSN now or wait until Fiance and I are married?

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

It is too late since your I-94 expires soon.  I would wait and mark the box on the I-485 and/or I-765 to receive a SS Card after marriage. 

 

See @Chancy's comment below

Edited December 19, 2021 by Crazy Cat

[Chancy 6,241]

1 minute ago, Aoife&Cam said:

I have arrived into the US on my K1 visa on the 16th Dec 2021. My I-94 expires on the 29th Dec 2021. Am I eligible to apply for SSN now or wait until Fiance and I are married?

 

If you just arrived on Dec 16th, then your I-94 will not expire until Mar 16th, 2022.  You may be confusing your K1 visa expiry with your I-94 expiry -- those are two different dates.  Your K1 visa was voided the moment you entered the US, while your I-94 duration just started at that point.  So you still have lots of time to apply for SSN, but it would be best to do it ASAP.  The path with the highest chance of success would be to apply for SSN before getting married.

 

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

Just now, Chancy said:

 

If you just arrived on Dec 16th, then your I-94 will not expire until Mar 16th, 2022.  You may be confusing your K1 visa expiry with your I-94 expiry -- those are two different dates.  Your K1 visa was voided the moment you entered the US, while your I-94 duration just started at that point.  So you still have lots of time to apply for SSN, but it would be best to do it ASAP.  The path with the highest chance of success would be to apply for SSN before getting married.

 

Good catch.......I missed that...LOL.

11 minutes ago, Aoife&Cam said:

Hey,

I have arrived into the US on my K1 visa on the 16th Dec 2021. My I-94 expires on the 29th Dec 2021. Am I eligible to apply for SSN now or wait until Fiance and I are married?

 

[Aoife&Cam 11]

1 minute ago, Crazy Cat said:

Good catch.......I missed that...LOL.

 

Ahh yes I thought the K1 visa expiry date was the same as the I - 94. Thanks so much. I assume it is best to apply for the SSN asap which we will do on Monday. Thanks

[Aoife&Cam 11]

4 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

If you just arrived on Dec 16th, then your I-94 will not expire until Mar 16th, 2022.  You may be confusing your K1 visa expiry with your I-94 expiry -- those are two different dates.  Your K1 visa was voided the moment you entered the US, while your I-94 duration just started at that point.  So you still have lots of time to apply for SSN, but it would be best to do it ASAP.  The path with the highest chance of success would be to apply for SSN before getting married.

 

Yes I did confused the two of them, thanks for spotting that. Great so we have  plenty of time to apply for SSN but will do Monday. Thanks

[Aoife&Cam 11]

3 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Good catch.......I missed that...LOL.

 

I was just reading and going through the guide, thanks by the way it's a great resource. Is it still advised to wait two weeks after arrival before applying for a SSN?

[Chancy 6,241]

Just now, Aoife&Cam said:

Is it still advised to wait two weeks after arrival before applying for a SSN?

 

No -- that part of the guide is outdated.  No need to wait for 2 weeks anymore, now that POE records are transmitted electronically.  Apply for SSN ASAP.

 

[P055UM 281]

21 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

No -- that part of the guide is outdated.  No need to wait for 2 weeks anymore, now that POE records are transmitted electronically.  Apply for SSN ASAP.

 

Would add that whilst this is correct, some local offices still enforce their own two week policy. Particularly when you cannot get in the building without an appointment (due to Covid), this is not necessarily an easy thing to overcome. It'd be nice if they updated that, but I guess it is asking too much. Certainly worth getting the ball rolling ASAP, though.

[Loren Y 2,755]

My friend just did this last month for his fiancee that arrived on a K1. Took him a few hours on the phone with the SS office to get an employee that was smart enough to realize he needed to schedule an in person appointment. Then they told him not to call until 2 weeks has passed, then they would schedule the appointment 3 weeks later. Tell them you arrived on say December 6th ( So more than 2 weeks has passed when you call) It may take 2 to 3 calls to get someone that will schedule you an appointment. Any issues with the call just hang up and call back, and hope for someone with a higher than 6 grade education answers the phone. It really is a tragedy to get anything done, and also make sure you get the stamped letter showing you applied at the office ( In case there is an issue). And then expect to wait about a month to get the card. When my wife came on her K1 we did the social security office the next day after we arrived, and we had her card a week later because we got someone at the office that knew what they were doing. Took a little prodding to get him to go check the computer to see if she was in the SAVE system yet, because when we went to the office it was less than 1 day since she arrived. Guess what, she was in the computer, less than 24 hours after POE, so the 2 week rule is long gone as this was back in November 2018 it processed that fast. Welcome to America! and get used to Bureaucratic red tape in every step of this process.

[Sarge2155 4,587]

11 hours ago, Aoife&Cam said:

Ahh yes I thought the K1 visa expiry date was the same as the I - 94. Thanks so much. I assume it is best to apply for the SSN asap which we will do on Monday. Thanks

Yes do it now!!!!

[Aoife&Cam 11]

On 12/19/2021 at 4:54 PM, Loren Y said:

My friend just did this last month for his fiancee that arrived on a K1. Took him a few hours on the phone with the SS office to get an employee that was smart enough to realize he needed to schedule an in person appointment. Then they told him not to call until 2 weeks has passed, then they would schedule the appointment 3 weeks later. Tell them you arrived on say December 6th ( So more than 2 weeks has passed when you call) It may take 2 to 3 calls to get someone that will schedule you an appointment. Any issues with the call just hang up and call back, and hope for someone with a higher than 6 grade education answers the phone. It really is a tragedy to get anything done, and also make sure you get the stamped letter showing you applied at the office ( In case there is an issue). And then expect to wait about a month to get the card. When my wife came on her K1 we did the social security office the next day after we arrived, and we had her card a week later because we got someone at the office that knew what they were doing. Took a little prodding to get him to go check the computer to see if she was in the SAVE system yet, because when we went to the office it was less than 1 day since she arrived. Guess what, she was in the computer, less than 24 hours after POE, so the 2 week rule is long gone as this was back in November 2018 it processed that fast. Welcome to America! and get used to Bureaucratic red tape in every step of this process.

Thanks so much for all the info, can't wait for all the red tape ahead of us😔

Do you know if it makes any difference if I apply in an office in an area I won't be living, still in the same state though?

[Loren Y 2,755]

1 hour ago, Aoife&Cam said:

Do you know if it makes any difference if I apply in an office in an area I won't be living, still in the same state though?

Shouldn't matter. They will usually ask for the zip code you are in to find your local office.  Then that's how they find out where to make your appointment. So, use a zip code where you want to go to the office. You can do the same search on the SS website to see what office you would go to.