SSN married name K1

[Vonvon 9]

Hi,

 

Is it possible to have your married name on your SSN? I saw some people saying you should apply before getting married as apparently you cannot have your married name on SSN until you get your GC. I was planning to apply after getting the marriage cert but now I am not sure.

 

Thanks.

[Mike E 11,739]

36 minutes ago, Vonvon said:

Hi,

 

Is it possible to have your married name on your SSN? I saw some people saying you should apply before getting married as apparently you cannot have your married name on SSN until you get your GC. I was planning to apply after getting the marriage cert but now I am not sure.

 

Thanks.

Some SSA officers will refuse to issue an SSN to a K-1 who is married.  
 

Prioritize what is more important:

 

* an SSN which gives you the ability to get a drivers license, file joint taxes with your future spouse, easily get health insurance, easily get a bank account, add name to a utility account, get a credit card, etc. Not a day goes by when an member posts here of the difficulties of living in the USA without an SSN.  

 

or

 

* the emotional comfort  of sharing your spouse’s name.
 

 If the latter is more important,  your spouse can take your name. Later you two can switch back to your spouse’s name. Maybe do this every 10 years such as on passport or green card renewals.  

 

[mytruelove18 608]

4 hours ago, Vonvon said:

Hi,

 

Is it possible to have your married name on your SSN? I saw some people saying you should apply before getting married as apparently you cannot have your married name on SSN until you get your GC. I was planning to apply after getting the marriage cert but now I am not sure.

 

Thanks.

This what i did on k1, i applied before get married , then i had ssn and got married. I applied for aos, Then with my emplyoiment authorization card i went back to ss office and changed my name.

do not make the mistake to applied after married, some office do not let you get ssn married. 
ssn is important, so get that first get married

[Vonvon 9]

Thanks both for clarifying. I will be definitely applying before getting married. Driving license is the main thing for me. Can I also ask how long did you wait before applying as I heard I-94 is electronic now so no need to wait the 2 weeks period is that actually true? 

[mytruelove18 608]

4 hours ago, Vonvon said:

Thanks both for clarifying. I will be definitely applying before getting married. Driving license is the main thing for me. Can I also ask how long did you wait before applying as I heard I-94 is electronic now so no need to wait the 2 weeks period is that actually true? 

As soon as you see i-94  online , you print it and go to ss office

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, Vonvon said:

Thanks both for clarifying. I will be definitely applying before getting married. Driving license is the main thing for me. Can I also ask how long did you wait before applying as I heard I-94 is electronic now so no need to wait the 2 weeks period is that actually true? 

We applied 2 working days after POE. Got to the SSA office and they could not verify her status despite having the e- I-94. Two weeks later got a letter saying it would take two weeks. Two days later for the SS card.  Then got married. At 61 days of authorized stay left, applied for a real ID state ID from California DMV. The marriage certificate was helpful.  
 

We were shocked it was a 5 year “limited” term REAL ID

 

Meanwhile citizens get 5 year “full” term DL.  So Kafka-esque but they have to label aliens somehow apparently.  
 

 

[P055UM 281]

My local office didn’t have a problem with me being married (although now I think about it I’m not sure they knew - I may be wrong but unless you’ve changed your name there is no need to volunteer that information). On the other hand, they wouldn’t even let me book an appointment until two weeks post POE. Since we got married shortly after POE, I had no choice but to go married.

 

Or in other words…there is a lot of local variations in this area. 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

7 minutes ago, AW1704 said:

Or in other words…there is a lot of local variations in this area. 

Exactly what I think. Some clerks are better trained with K1s and know a married K1 is still allowed a SSN within their 90 day time window (actuall before their last 2 weeks of their window).  Also if they can’t find your matching name  after a couple of days when you have an I-94, they aren’t going to find it in two weeks and will still have to manually verify. It’s a name matching problem.

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

9 hours ago, Mike E said:

We applied 2 working days after POE. Got to the SSA office and they could not verify her status despite having the e- I-94. Two weeks later got a letter saying it would take two weeks. Two days later for the SS card.  Then got married. At 61 days of authorized stay left, applied for a real ID state ID from California DMV. The marriage certificate was helpful.  
 

We were shocked it was a 5 year “limited” term REAL ID

 

Meanwhile citizens get 5 year “full” term DL.  So Kafka-esque but they have to label aliens somehow apparently.  
 

 

In Mississippi I have to renew my driver's license every year. For the same price it would cost a citizen to get a 4 year DL and it has non- US Citizen written on it 🤷‍♀️

Edited May 2, 2022 by Letspaintcookies

[P055UM 281]

11 hours ago, Letspaintcookies said:

In Mississippi I have to renew my driver's license every year. For the same price it would cost a citizen to get a 4 year DL and it has non- US Citizen written on it 🤷‍♀️

Same here, so far. One year at a time, although not sure what will happen once I take them an EAD/GC. I have a nice big NOT FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES written on mine, instead of the cool star my wife gets.