Hi all,
I've been attempting to find an unanimous answer to my question at hand, but I've been unable to find anything, so I'm hoping somebody in here may know more!
I can't seem to find out whether or not you can apply for SSN using your K-1 visa after you get married, but before adjustment of status.
The situation is that my fiancé and I originally was planning on getting married within the first week of my arrival in the US legally, in order to get the greencard application started asap, and then later get married ceremonially. Due to insurance and other topics, it is quite important for me to obtain a SSN before my I-485 or I-765 would be approved. I had previously understood that you could simply go to your local social security office after two weeks upon entry, show your K-1 visa with the entry stamp, I-94 form, and SS-5 form, and you'll get sent your SSN two weeks later.
But now I am seeing a lot of people writing that you should not get married before applying for the SSN, as your K-1 would no longer be valid to use for a SSN after marrying?
So I have two thoughts I'm wondering about. Firstly, is this even true, that the K-1 expires after marriage and makes you illegible to obtain a SSN? That seems so backwards to me, but I would not be surprised. I guess you are no longer a fiancé but a spouse, but I thought the visa didn't expire before 90 days after entry.
Secondly, would it be possible to go to your social security office after the two weeks, file for the SSN, and then later that week go through with the legal marriage before receiving the SSN? I'm scared it would interfere with the process of getting the SSN in case they register the change in marital status, if it is the case that its hinged upon being an unmarried K-1 entrant.
I realize that it is a matter of a few weeks difference, but we have family and friends flying in for our ceremonial wedding a month after my entry and we would like to be able to be legally married at this point the latest. This issue of pushing the legal marriage in order to obtain the SSN could very well make that not possible, especially if you can't marry even after filing for the SSN initially. This is in addition to the fact it would prolong the entire greencard application process as well with at least a month and make me unable to get on my fiancé's insurance plan.
I hope somebody knows an answer for this or has any experience with this process.
Thank you for reading it through! ☺️
Best,
R