mcjimbo

Can I just ask whats the point of getting a work authorisation stamp at the POE (i.e. New York) if you can't work until you get a SSN?

Toz

Saves you filing, waiting etc. just for it.

mcjimbo

Right but from what i can tell you can't use it to work, because you need a social security number. Which you can only attain after you get married right?

So this work authorization is for nothing, or am i wrong? Or does it make the process of getting work authorization after marriage quicker?

Thanks in advance

James

jeffreyhy

mcj,

Because once you've obtained that SSN, you still can't work if you don't have the EAD. You need them both to work, so if the opportunity presents itself, and you want to start working as soon as possible, it would be a good idea to get the EAD at the POE if it's available.

If one is not in a big rush to start working, then you make a good point.

Regards, JEff

jeffreyhy

mcj,

Wrong.

Regards, JEff

MarDae

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mcjimbo
Right but from what i can tell you can't use it to work, because you need a social security number. Which you can only attain after you get married right?


You don't have to wait until after you're married to apply for your SSN. It's a good idea to wait a little while after you arrive to give you more time to get entered into the SAVE system so you reduce the risk of a written inquiry being done by your SSA office to the SAVE system which I hear takes forever. Otherwise, if you're in the system, you could have your SSN within a few weeks of getting here...I'm sure if you check some of the other poster's signatures you'll see that. If you get the EAD stamp at the POE then you could be ready to work within a month technically if all goes well. Otherwise you're stuck waiting until applying for your EAD with your AOS after you're married and then waiting for that to process which can take months.

MarDae

P.S. My fiance is applying for his SSN this afternoon (my mom is nice enough to take him so I don't have to take off). I'll let you know what he's told.

DCMark

Some people already have a SSN

MarDae

P.S. My fiance is applying for his SSN this afternoon (my mom is nice enough to take him so I don't have to take off). I'll let you know what he's told. [/QUOTE]

My fiance was just told that he is not allowed to apply for an SSN because he does not have and EAD stamp and without permission to work he is not allowed to apply. If you get an EAD stamp at your POE you don't run into this problem. I'm going to take it up with the SS office because he still needs a number to open a bank account and to apply for a driver's license, two non-work agencies that require a SSN. Now I wish I had gone with him, the woman who dealt with him would have gotten a very large piece of my mind. That's just a little update.

sphyrapicus

I had my SSN 5 years before I got married.

Pallyn

My fiance was just told that he is not allowed to apply for an SSN because he does not have and EAD stamp and without permission to work he is not allowed to apply. If you get an EAD stamp at your POE you don't run into this problem. I'm going to take it up with the SS office because he still needs a number to open a bank account and to apply for a driver's license, two non-work agencies that require a SSN. Now I wish I had gone with him, the woman who dealt with him would have gotten a very large piece of my mind. That's just a little update. [/QUOTE]

I bet you wish you had gone with. Check out this link, print the info and take it back with you when you go. At least your Mom is getting a first-hand education in 'what we go through.'


http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203500

The following lists nonimmigrants, by alien classification, who are
authorized to work in the U.S. without specific authorization from INS.
The alien’s I-94 will not have the INS employment authorization stamp
and the alien will not have an EAD
***********************************

K-1 is on this list.

MarDae

I bet you wish you had gone with. Check out this link, print the info and take it back with you when you go. At least your Mom is getting a first-hand education in 'what we go through.'


http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203500

The following lists nonimmigrants, by alien classification, who are
authorized to work in the U.S. without specific authorization from INS.
The alien’s I-94 will not have the INS employment authorization stamp
and the alien will not have an EAD
***********************************

K-1 is on this list. [/QUOTE]



Thank you so much. I knew I had seen this before and I probably have it printed out at home. Since I didn't go with him I guess I didn't arm him as I should have. Plus I know as the immigrant you might not feel as inclined to ruffle feathers...I'm ready to ruffle them. We're going to Philly tomorrow to try to get the EAD stamp. Regardless of the outcome we are going to leave directly from the Philly office and drive straight to the Harrisburg SSA office with two copies of the above mentioned form. One for us and one for them to keep on hand since they obviously aren't aware of their own policies.

Thanks for the amo (This is the only kind of amo I believe in, I'm more of fight with the pen verses the sword kind of gal).

MarDae

Pallyn

We're going to Philly tomorrow to try to get the EAD stamp.

Since you appear to be the only person attempting this recently, please post back what they tell you about the 90 day EAD. I feel really lucky about our timing, we didn't really have any trouble keeping him work authorized. He didn't get the one year card same-day when we filed for AOS, but that's because we chose to go on the last day to file under the LIFE act. They told him he would have gotten it otherwise and they sent the letter to come down and get it on the 90th day after filing.

Safe travels!

MarDae

Thanks. I'll definitely post our experience, good or bad. Keep your fingers crossed for us. We're planning to leave at 4:30am to get there in plenty of time and get a decent ticket number. I hope that we don't encounter too much traffic. I probably won't post until Thusday at the earliest. Hopefully at least one thing will go right for us on the paper work end of things! (Thank goodness we didn't have an RFE, I am very appreciative of that!)

MarDae

mcjimbo

Thanks everyone, so summing up:

A work authorization stamp at POE is good because. You can apply for a SSN straight away before marriage? Which means that if I apply late in May when I arrive, I should have work authorization before the time I get married, July 10th?

I think thats it, so I will definately try to get that stamp. What I want to know is how do you go about getting it?

Do you say "hey customers officer, i'm entering on a K-1 and I would like to get a work authorization stamp please" and they give you one? Or is that the incorrect way to go about getting it?

James

jeffreyhy

mcj,

A K1 does not need a work authorization stamp to apply for a SS# before marriage. A K1 can apply for a SS# immediately after arrival, but it's best to wait about 2 weeks to give the CIS time to update the SAVE database, which the SSA must check before they will process your application.

If you don't get your EAD at the POE, and instead have to apply for it at your local CIS office, in most cases you will not receive it until it's about to expire and it's time to re-apply.

Exactly. But don't say "hey custom's officer" to an immigration officer. And don't bother to say it at all if you're entering at a POE other than JFK.

Regards, JEff