meauxna

Good catch.. Boiler and I made an assumption that the OP came in on a K-1 visa. K-1s are entitled to a couple of benies for going through their unique pain. Boiler's instuction was right for a newly arrived K-1 (see my ref. to 76 days), but not correct for someone who migrated on the VWP or other non-immigrant option.

Any newly arriving tourist marriage adjustment/K-1 should be aware that they will not be eligible to work for several months. Getting married to an American may get you a lot of things, but it doesn't get them instantaneously.

Circus-of-Power

..and for those not entering via JFK????... which from what I can gather is still the only US POE that still gives this stamp...
My understanding from the good people at the INS office in Naperville(Chicago) was that I could have obtained a SSN earlier but it would have been useless on the employment front.... once I wanted to become employed I would have had to have the social security number/card adjusted .. but hey! if it works for others then fair enough. All I will say is that from start to finish (entrance on a K3) the EAD/SSN it took 51 days...the job took 3 days ..

and just to satisfy some of the jealous bastards on here ..i do not work for a burger chain ....

scrubbedexpat099

K1 status gets you a SSN.

MissPatriotic

thanks for all the links to websites and information, there is alot of stuff you guys said that i didnt know.

i arrived on a k1 visa back in september, got married at the beginning of november and then sent off all my paperwork for my I-485 and work card.

to be honest i had never heard that i had to apply separately for my SSN , I assumed i would be instructed what to do, however the SSN has nothing to do with the USCIS, so that explains that. I thought i would get my SSN with or after my I-485 was sorted.

i have read the USCIS website so many times to make sure i was doing everything in the correct order and way!

i didnt realise there was an opportunity to get a SSN before i was married! D'oh!

i was given instructions from the US embassy in London when i received my visa that i must be married within 90 days of entering the US , after i was married i must file my I-485 and my EAD and i cant leave the USA until my adjustment of status is complete, unless there are special circumstances( i heard on here though that you can pay to file to see if you are eligible to leave)

so from what you guys are telling me, after i have received my work card, i should apply for a SSN and then am i good to go and seek employment????

its funny when i was applying way back when for all this fianceé visa stuff, you always think you are the only one having to fill out 1000's of forms, asking you all sorts of questions and paying out loads of money to the USCIS, but then you find there are loads of people who have been through the exact same thing! did you ever feel like that???

nice to have others that have experienced the process!

MissP

Partystar

Yep!

MissPatriotic

see i am getting it now!
what would i do without all of you US immigration experts!!!!!!!

Elvira

OMG don't call them that! :scared:

(Or is Matt still in Utah?)

fatbrit

Think we're relatively safe up here.

MissPatriotic

[QUOTE=Elvira]OMG don't call them that! :scared:



yeah maybe that was giving them abit too much glory!!!!!

TN-Dave

I came in the same way (K-1 visa). Getting the SSN was not a problem... neither was the EAD, it's just a waiting game for most of it. Patience is something the USCIS teaches you if nothing else. (apart from how to confuse people with forms and instructions of course).

Congrats on the marriage btw.

Elvira

[QUOTE=MissPatriotic]
Glory to the deserving wasn't what I was on about...

(Sorry, it's an in-joke. Search for Matt Udall's posts if you want to know... )

MissPatriotic

[QUOTE=TN-Dave]Patience is something the USCIS teaches you if nothing else. (apart from how to confuse people with forms and instructions of course).
Congrats on the marriage btw.

yeah i agree. i think they make it more complicated than it has to be! so then we start questioning whether we are reading the instructions correctly and whether we have included all the documents that relate to our situation! mad!

i got married in Tennessee in the Smoky mountains actually. very beautiful and a lovely sunny day!

Partystar

Or maybe they're hoping that we'll get too confused & give up!!!

Congrats on your marriage! Should we call you MrsPatriotic from now on?!?!

TN-Dave

[QUOTE=MissPatriotic] I wish we'd have known - it's just down th road from me - we would have come and thrown confetti over you..

TN-Dave

as long as it's now Ms.Patriotic I don't mind - I really dislike that Ms thing..... (that comment will probably start a war in here )