Cautionary tale Social Security Card name change

[ATCSUSNRET 60]

2 minutes ago, Bob in Boston said:

That is not true in My state. As long as you have your marriage license it gives you the right to change your name. My wife had her maiden name on her SS and green card and passport till citizenship. health, state ID and all that can be in her married name with out social security card, Marriage license lets you change it.Try it 

The BMV here turned us away and stated her application for State ID would be rejected by DHS without new Social Security Card.  All I hit is brick walls trying to use old SSN card and marriage cert.  If the names don't match they are having none of it, without new card.  I have tried, believe me.

[EatBulaga 315]

2 hours ago, ATCSUSNRET said:

The BMV here turned us away and stated her application for State ID would be rejected by DHS without new Social Security Card.  All I hit is brick walls trying to use old SSN card and marriage cert.  If the names don't match they are having none of it, without new card.  I have tried, believe me.

Does the foreign spouse have the name change on the marriage certificate?

 

For the Indiana state ID, have you tried to take the AOS I-797, along with the marriage certificate, passport, I-94, etc.?

https://www.in.gov/bmv/files/BMV_Documentation_List.pdf

 

I think the cautionary lesson for new K1s is to get the SSN as soon as the I-94 is available after US entry and get married soon, then name change before the I-94 expires.

You can look at our Timeline or Profile->Our Story to see how we did it.

Edited July 11 by EatBulaga

[ATCSUSNRET 60]

37 minutes ago, EatBulaga said:

Does the foreign spouse have the name change on the marriage certificate?

 

For the Indiana state ID, have you tried to take the AOS I-797, along with the marriage certificate, passport, I-94, etc.?

https://www.in.gov/bmv/files/BMV_Documentation_List.pdf

 

I think the cautionary lesson for new K1s is to get the SSN as soon as the I-94 is available after US entry and get married soon, then name change before the I-94 expires.

You can look at our Timeline or Profile->Our Story to see how we did it.

 

 

Yes we took everything.  The Soc Sec Card is the roadblock.  We had a State ID which expired when her K1 expired.  Now even with marriage cert they will not issue her a new one because her Soc Sec card is her maiden name.  

[W199 333]

Tne women at the SSA was correct. If you have  already applied for the AOS or if your I-94 has expired, then you need to wait for the EAD or GC to update the SSN. 

 

When we applied for the SSN in the maiden name before getting married, the SSA even warned that filing the AOS too fast could cause the SSN to be rejected. But in reality the SSN came super quick, and well before we did that.

 

Have you applied for the EAD?, that should not take very long to get.

Edited July 12 by W199

[EatBulaga 315]

2 hours ago, ATCSUSNRET said:

Yes we took everything.  The Soc Sec Card is the roadblock.  We had a State ID which expired when her K1 expired.  Now even with marriage cert they will not issue her a new one because her Soc Sec card is her maiden name.  

 

FWIW, the AOS I-797 NOA1 is the foreign spouse's document for "authorized stay" so she is good with USCIS.

And as others have mentioned for your case, you just have to wait for the green card.

The good news is that AOS approval times have been dropping lately.

 

For the new K1s to learn from your experience:

 

The K1 visa expires on US entry.

The I-94 "Admit Until Date" is the 90 days from US entry to get married and update all the documents.

Plan for plenty of time between the Marriage date to the I-94 "Admit Until Date",  especially for the name change to SSN, Banks, Health Insurance, etc.

Depending on the state or municipality, the Marriage Certificate itself can take a few days to over a month to get, so that needs to be part of the timeline planning.

Also, concurrent filing for I-765, even with the extra fee, is recommended in case the AOS wait time is prolonged. The expedite request for I-765 has a higher chance for approval than the expedite request for the I-485. 

 

Thanks for sharing your experience so new K1s are warned.

 

Edited July 12 by EatBulaga

[W199 333]

6 hours ago, ATCSUSNRET said:

She has to be enrolled in DEERS for TRICARE health insurance.  I am retired military.  They require a new Soc Sec Card.  Also, are you in Indiana?  Do you bank with Navy Federal?  So thanks for your input.  I'll do me as you said.  

Read this thread

 

 

[Scott-Ilyn 81]

We ran into similar road blocks in Indiana.  Since the lack of current name on the SS card didn't cause us any hardships, we simply waited until she received her green card (never received an EAD card or AP document).  We too, got her a SS card right after her arrival but before our marriage.  I am a federal employee.

 

We were able to

1. Enroll her in our FEHB health coverage without an SSN

2. Open a joint bank account at 5th 3rd without an SSN

3. Add her as my beneficiary for life insurance / TSP without an SSN

4. Obtain her a new PHP passport with her married name

 

We were NOT able to

1. Get a state id / license without a green card or EAD because of the mismatched name on the SS card

2. Get her name changed at the SSA without a green card or EAD

 

Once she received her green card

1. We were able to get her name changed on her SS card.

2. We were able to get her driver's permit, then license after in her married name

 

 

I hope this helps.

[Lemonslice 4,835]

2 hours ago, Scott-Ilyn said:

We ran into similar road blocks in Indiana.  Since the lack of current name on the SS card didn't cause us any hardships, we simply waited until she received her green card (never received an EAD card or AP document).  We too, got her a SS card right after her arrival but before our marriage.  I am a federal employee.

 

We were able to

1. Enroll her in our FEHB health coverage without an SSN

2. Open a joint bank account at 5th 3rd without an SSN

3. Add her as my beneficiary for life insurance / TSP without an SSN

4. Obtain her a new PHP passport with her married name

 

We were NOT able to

1. Get a state id / license without a green card or EAD because of the mismatched name on the SS card

2. Get her name changed at the SSA without a green card or EAD

 

Once she received her green card

1. We were able to get her name changed on her SS card.

2. We were able to get her driver's permit, then license after in her married name

 

 

I hope this helps.

She has a SSN, so should be even easier... Just use her maiden name and keep the energy to do name change everywhere once an official official document (EAD or PR card) is issued. 

[ATCSUSNRET 60]

3 hours ago, Scott-Ilyn said:

We ran into similar road blocks in Indiana.  Since the lack of current name on the SS card didn't cause us any hardships, we simply waited until she received her green card (never received an EAD card or AP document).  We too, got her a SS card right after her arrival but before our marriage.  I am a federal employee.

 

We were able to

1. Enroll her in our FEHB health coverage without an SSN

2. Open a joint bank account at 5th 3rd without an SSN

3. Add her as my beneficiary for life insurance / TSP without an SSN

4. Obtain her a new PHP passport with her married name

 

We were NOT able to

1. Get a state id / license without a green card or EAD because of the mismatched name on the SS card

2. Get her name changed at the SSA without a green card or EAD

 

Once she received her green card

1. We were able to get her name changed on her SS card.

2. We were able to get her driver's permit, then license after in her married name

 

 

I hope this helps.

Thank you for the information.  Much appreciated. 

[Crazy Cat 41,836]

**2 Non-contributory comments removed***

[ATCSUSNRET 60]

5 hours ago, Scott-Ilyn said:

We ran into similar road blocks in Indiana.  Since the lack of current name on the SS card didn't cause us any hardships, we simply waited until she received her green card (never received an EAD card or AP document).  We too, got her a SS card right after her arrival but before our marriage.  I am a federal employee.

 

We were able to

1. Enroll her in our FEHB health coverage without an SSN

2. Open a joint bank account at 5th 3rd without an SSN

3. Add her as my beneficiary for life insurance / TSP without an SSN

4. Obtain her a new PHP passport with her married name

 

We were NOT able to

1. Get a state id / license without a green card or EAD because of the mismatched name on the SS card

2. Get her name changed at the SSA without a green card or EAD

 

Once she received her green card

1. We were able to get her name changed on her SS card.

2. We were able to get her driver's permit, then license after in her married name

 

 

I hope this helps.

We were in and out of the Indy SSA in 2 hours.  We'll have her new card in 2 weeks.  

[Scott-Ilyn 81]

1 hour ago, ATCSUSNRET said:

We were in and out of the Indy SSA in 2 hours.  We'll have her new card in 2 weeks.  

Congrats!!

[Ontarkie 14,218]

You must remember most SS personnel have no clue how it works with immigration. They follow on screen prompts and enter things. Some like the person you experience is just a horrible person, there is no teaching them. 

 

I see you already have it straighten out which is good. I was going to suggest going to a new office.

She was lucky to already have a ssn, there would have been almost no way to get it in her married name until GC or EAD. They need to match it up in the system and this hangs them up and instead of actually sending it in to verify they just deny it. 

 

Getting that very first social really needs to be done before marriage if married for the love of all, do not ever mentioned it. So many employees think that getting married nulls the visa and will refuse to continue with the application. This is why we always tell K1 visa entrants to get that ssc before anything else.

[ATCSUSNRET 60]

16 hours ago, Ontarkie said:

You must remember most SS personnel have no clue how it works with immigration. They follow on screen prompts and enter things. Some like the person you experience is just a horrible person, there is no teaching them. 

 

I see you already have it straighten out which is good. I was going to suggest going to a new office.

She was lucky to already have a ssn, there would have been almost no way to get it in her married name until GC or EAD. They need to match it up in the system and this hangs them up and instead of actually sending it in to verify they just deny it. 

 

Getting that very first social really needs to be done before marriage if married for the love of all, do not ever mentioned it. So many employees think that getting married nulls the visa and will refuse to continue with the application. This is why we always tell K1 visa entrants to get that ssc before anything else.

Well said and very sage advice.