SecretGarden

Hi All,
Some of you may remember that we applied for Mr. Pink's SSN last week (AFTER we were married several weeks ago) and realized too late that we may have voided his K1 status by being married, thus making him ineligible for SSN without EAD........the clerk asked us at the time if we were married, we of course told the truth and showed her a copy of the marriage certificate which she recorded on the application for the SSN. She didn't ask us any other questions but very thoroughly recorded his A number and visa number on the application as well as checking his identifying information from the SAVE system.

We were told that it would take about two weeks to get the card, but it actually came in the mail yesterday, only a week after applying for it.

So, even though it appears that this worked out alright for us, we wanted to post a caveat------if we had it to do all over again we would have applied for the number BEFORE we were married, thereby avoiding the potential voiding of his K1. (In our case we had to be married immediately after he arrived to add him on to health insurance as a spouse to cover occupational therapy).

Just wanted to post an update and reiterate the point that if we hadn't been clueless about this about this part of the process, we would have applied before marriage, and saved ourselves some worry.

~SecretGarden
~and Mr. Pink (who has already memorized his SSN!)

WiAnSiempre

Thanks for the info SG ...so I'm wondering why does applying for a SSN void the K1? I thought the K1 is valid for 90 days after entering the US, period. Just wondering.

Thanks,
Angela

lpdiver

Applying for the ssn did not void the K-1...marriage changed the circumstances and requirements for issuance of an EAD.

SecretGarden

Hi Angela,
My understanding is that once the K1 recipient is MARRIED, he is no longer considered a "fiance" (obviously) and his status has then changed from "fiance" to uh........"adjustment of status applicant" if he has filed his AOS papers. It isn't the application for the SSN that voids the K1, it's the MARRIAGE.

Remember that K3s (spouses) have to have the EAD in hand to get a SSN. The K1 (fiance) can apply for SSN before EAD, but once he becomes a spouse, well.......Mr. Young has said it's a gray area but a chance we wouldn't have taken if we had 1. done more research in this area first, and 2. hadn't had to be married immediately upon his arrival.

Hope this helps?

~SG

melody32

Thank you SG for sharing about the SSN. I'm adding that to my ever growing "don't forget to do" list.

After filling out the various work related forms, I'll probably have my fiance's SSN memorized before he will.

Thanks again
Melody

WiAnSiempre

Thanks SG - yeah I think I understand now...this is all so confusing sometimes! Congrats to Mr. P for getting his SSN

Angela

katie4998

SG, I'm really glad you let us know about your experience! I hadn't even thought about that aspect of the situation, and now I'm a little worried, since we're planning on getting married right after I enter the US. We're getting married in Washington State, so that my family & friends can be there, and then flying back down to Gainesville, so obviously there's no way to apply for the SSN prior to marriage. Eeeeek!! I guess we'll just have to go for it when we get to Gainesville & hope & pray that we have the same experience as you & Mr P. did. And if not, oh well...I guess I'll be SSN-less for a few months!

Thanks again for the update! :-)

Katie

Bluegrass Lass

What you have said is all true, SG and MrP, however applying for your SSN before getting married is also a difficulty from what others have said. There's no guarentee of when USCIS will update SAVE. From what some others have posted on here, it's taken up to 4 - 6 weeks sometimes for SAVE to get updated. I don't think the fiance can apply for his/her SSN until SAVE is updated. Thus, if the couple gets married w/in those 4-6 weeks, they now enter that grey area. I hope this won't end up being a problem for us since we are getting hitched 3 weeks after he enters.

And then, of course, without the SSN, he can't apply for his driver's license I believe. And then if the I-94 expires, he can't get a license without an EAD, even if he has a SSN. And no license means no insurance coverage. Too many deadlines to meet ya know! <sigh> Too much to think about sometimes.

Congrats on having an easy time of it!!

Jamie

MarDae

The foreign fiance can apply for the SSN before SAVE is updated, they just can not be issued a number until they are in SAVE. Procedurally the SSA will accept the application for the SSN and if the person is not in SAVE they will wait 10 days and then check again. If they are still not in the SAVE system then they send a written inquiry to immigration (I can't remember the name of the form they file). Immigration then has 30-60 days to send a response to the SSA so that the number can be issued. We fell into the group that applied for the SSN before marriage but it wasn't issued for 7 weeks or so.

MarDae

lpdiver

You don't need a SSN for a drivers licence. You do need a letter from SS stating that you are ineligible for a SS #.

You do need an EAD or I-94 with 180 remaining days to get a license.

Insurance varies...my wife is on my policy without a license and my premiums went down.

Also your EAD with a K-1 visa is valid for 90 days so be prepared...

whistlestop01

Thats what I was worried about so I applied for my SSN last Friday. Hopefully will get the card before we marry on the 10th April but thats ok cos already applied

How on earth can he memorize his number so fast?? Wow!!

dbark

Actually, the requirements for a US driver's license varies from state to state. All I needed in Arkansas was my British birth certificate and passport, plus my marriage certificate to show the name change.

http://www.state.ar.us/dfa/motorvehi...rservices.html

I suggest looking up on your state's DFA webpage for definitive requirements.

Debbie

dbark

It's a good idea to memorize it quickly, I have been asked for my SSN a lot recently, e.g. when opening bank accounts, getting auto insurance, applying for mortgage etc.

Debbie

Steffi

I wasn't properly informed about the whole SS# ordeal myself, so according to my own personal logic I thought that I wasn't even allowed to apply for my SS# until I was married (because, after all, my status is to get married! So what if I were to apply for my SS#, get it and never get married?? Again, just my personal logic though). So I applied for my SS# after I got married and it would have never even occured to me that I may have run into problems. Thankfully I received my SS card after about 3 weeks.


In Georgia you DO need a SS# to be able to get a drivers license (as of July 1st 2003). Along with health insurance and all sorts of things.

Kae

Wow, I had never even thought about that. If for no other reason, thank you SG for saving others from a possible mistake that could have caused alot of headaches.