Can I use a name for SSN that is different from my visa?

[isabelle 0]

I’m currently under my parents' e2 visa, but I might get my ssn during this summer. on my visa, it has my legal name from my country...but since my name was too hard for native speakers to pronounce, I went by an English name for long....I used that name for all my middle and high school year, so I want to keep using this name. Can I use different name to apply for SSN? If I can't, is there a way to change my name on visa, so I can put English name for SSN when I apply for it?

Thanks. Have great day!

[YuAndDan 153]

Only if name was legally changed.

Documents for a name change

If you legally change your name because of marriage, divorce, court order or any other reason, you need to tell Social Security so that you can get a corrected card. If you are working, also tell your employer. If you do not tell us when your name changes, it may:

• Delay your tax refund; and

• Prevent your wages from being posted correctly to your Social Security record, which may lower the amount of your future Social Security benefits.

If you need to change your name on your Social Security card, you must show us a recently issued document as proof of your legal name change. Documents Social Security may accept to prove a legal name change include:

• Marriage document;

• Divorce decree;

• Certificate of Naturalization showing a new name; or

• Court order for a name change.

If the document you provide as evidence of a legal name change does not give us enough information to identify you in our records or if you legally changed your name more than two years ago, you must provide Social Security with additional documentation.

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10120.html#docs

[*Maureen* 0]

You must use your legal name for ssn. If you want to change it, then you will have to legally change your name.

I’m currently under my parents' e2 visa, but I might get my ssn during this summer. on my visa, it has my legal name from my country...but since my name was too hard for native speakers to pronounce, I went by an English name for long....I used that name for all my middle and high school year, so I want to keep using this name. Can I use different name to apply for SSN? If I can't, is there a way to change my name on visa, so I can put English name for SSN when I apply for it?

Thanks. Have great day!

[Jasman0717 9]

If the name is accepted by the USCIS and there are supporting documents from the USCIS

[micah 0]

You have to use your legal name. I bumped into an interesting site which gives a lot of useful tips. Check out http://www.socialsecuritynumbersearch.us/ you may get the information you are looking for.

[YuAndDan 153]

You have to use your legal name. I bumped into an interesting site which gives a lot of useful tips. Check out http://www.socialsecuritynumbersearch.us/ you may get the information you are looking for.

It highly recommended NOT to visit that site, it has a box to for a person to check if number is valid, this is a great way to have your identity stolen, any site that asks for a SSN is a shurfire way to loose ID, NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR SSN TO AN UN-TRUSTED PERSON!!!!!. Very BAD form recommending a site other than SSA to get info on SS numbers.

If you want to verify if your number is valid, look it up on SSA's high number table on SSA website.

http://www.ssa.gov/employer/ssnvhighgroup.htm