US Social security name change — former H1B
 

Hello,

Bit of a weird question; sorry!

I lived in the US on H1B for years, and therefore was issued a social security number.

Now I've moved back to the UK. It's my understanding that my social security number stays mine for life, and my question is this: I'll be changing my name when I get married, so the info that the social security office has for that particular number will be out of date. But, I can't see a way to register a name change with them while I'm not actually eligible to get a "new" social security card.

I might move back there in the future (my fiancé's American) and I do freelance for some US-based clients (who have my SS on the W8s they have on file for me).

Has anyone dealt with this before?

Cheers,

—Rachel

Re: US Social security name change — former H1B
 

You just send an application for a new card to SSA. Here is the info.

http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/315

Re: US Social security name change — former H1B
 

Thanks, but I'd already seen that. I'm not eligible for a new card, hence the situation being complicated. (I'm English and live in the UK.)

Re: US Social security name change — former H1B
 

It will probably be easiest to simply leave it as it is, and if and when you do move back to the US, address the issue then when you have the necessary docs to get a new SS card.

Re: US Social security name change — former H1B
 

Thanks; that does seem like it might be the only thing to do!

Re: US Social security name change — former H1B
 

Why aren't you eligible for a new card?

Re: US Social security name change — former H1B
 

I was under the impression that you aren't eligible for a new card unless you have permission to work in the US, which I don't.

Re: US Social security name change — former H1B
 

I believe that is correct - I have read of a case in the US section of the forum where someone had a SS number previously, for example when on a J1, and now they are back in US married to an H1 holder (not eligible for a SS no as an H4) and cannot get the name changed on their old SS card.

Re: US Social security name change — former H1B
 

Yes, reading the instructions to the application for a new card it seems that you need to be a US citizen or be able to work in the US to change the name on the card. I'd write to the SSA to tell them of your name change and circumstances and see what they say. It's obviously important to address thsi so your info is correct for when you apply for SS.

Re: US Social security name change — former H1B
 

It may not be of help to you, but my wife has been trying to get her name changed on her SS card since Oct 2010! We live in Chile so were told we had to do it by going to the US embassy in Santiago as it wasn't possible to do it directly with SS in the USA. I think it has something to do with problems with illegal aliens trying to make use of another person's SS number. So the embassy was very helpful and we provided them with the docs they needed and they said it would take about 8 months as things worked very slowly in SS. As nothing happened during the following 14 months, we went back to the embassy who said that something seemed to have gone adrift in the process, but not to worry, they would send the docs off again and mark it as urgent. That was in January this year, and we are now in May and still haven't received the replacement card.