twazzler

Hello all,

Like so many lucky others I am currently awaiting AOS in this warm, welcoming, non-bureaucratic land having successfully applied for a K-1 visa and having got married last October.

Not long after getting hitched I thought that whilst awaiting AOS and EA and all that good stuff I might as well go ahead and apply for a social security number. I applied, and after an extremely long wait I received notice that it was rejected. It wasn't clear why, so I went down the to local SS office and waited in line until I could talk to someone. I was told that I cannot have an SSN as my K-1 visa is no longer valid, i.e. it became invalid the day I got married. So this means:

1) If I had applied for an SSN *before* getting married I would have been given one

2) I now cannot apply for an SSN *until* my AOS is completed

This seems to me to be absurd, but no more or less than any other aspect of this brain-explodingly complicated and rubbish process.

So my question is this: have I been misinformed? Can I really not obtain an SSN until I get my green card? What if I receive my employment authorisation before my green card, presumably I won't be employed without SSN?

Help! And thanks in advance for any advice...

jeffreyhy

t,

It's correct that your K1 visa became totally useless the day you got married, but it's not correct that your K1 immigration status ended with marriage. Your K1 immigration status ends with the expiration date marked on your I-94. And your ability to get a SS card based on K1 immigration status ends 14 days prior to that. The mis-information problem you encountered is why a female K1 should not apply in her married name and why no K1 who has gotten married should mention the fact. (Note that the SS-5 form nowhere asks about marital status.)

If you are now past the 14 days prior to expiration of the I-94, i.e. you've been in the USA for more than 76 days, then yes indeed you have to either have EA or have become an LPR to be eligible for a SS card.

Regards, JEff

twazzler

Jeff,

Thanks for your swift reply, much appreciated - I am indeed way past the I-94 expiration

Sorry to be a bother but please could you clarify something in your concluding paragraph - are you saying that I can apply for an SSN if I have EAD (but not LPR)?

Noorah101

You were misinformed. If you still have more than 14 days left on your I-94, you can still get a SSN based on your K-1 visa. If not, then you'll have to wait until you have *either* your EAD or your GC in hand, whichever comes first.

We usually tell folks in your situation to try at a different SS office, or go back on a different day, or ask for a supervisor.

Rene

Noorah101

Yes, you can apply for a SSN once you have your EAD in hand.

Rene

twazzler

Awesome, thanks again

Cheers

jeffreyhy

t,

Yes. To repeat what R has already said.

Regards, JEff