Patience Wins

In a couple of months I will be entering the US on my K1 visa. We intend to get married a week after that in New York. As I understand it I will not be able to get my Social Security Number in time for our application for a marriage license or the wedding day. Does anyone know if this will be a problem?
Thanking you in advance.

Noorah101

Hi Patience,

In Arizona (not sure about other states), one does not need a SSN to get the marriage license or for the wedding day.

One piece of advice, though...as a K-1 entrant, it's better to apply for the SSN before you get married. However, if you are not in the SAVE system (which SS uses to check your status here), they may have to do a manual verification which can take up to 10 weeks. Hopefully your name will be in the system within a week of your entrance to the USA.

Best Wishes,
Rene

Patience Wins

Thanks very much for that Rene.
I will take your advice and apply for Social Security Number as soon as I enter with the K1.
Re getting married, I hope NY is the same as Arizona. Does anyone else know?

Rete

You do not need a social security number in New York State to obtain a marriage license. My husband didn't have one and we had absolutely no problem obtaining the license to marry.

Be sure to bring your passport with the K-1, your divorce decrees if applicable from other marriages.

Ray

http://usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/

Salinator

In Ohio , I did not have a problem getting a marriage license as my
fiancee (now wife) was with me. Not sure if that is the same with other
counties in other states. It was a requirement that we both be present
here.

Just call the courthouse in the area you are moving to and explain your
situation ... It is a more common question than you may think....

S.

scrubbedexpat099

Whilst you can not apply for a SSN once you are married, they do not ask whether you have married or not.

Makes no sense.

Noorah101

I wouldn't try applying as soon as you enter on the K1. I'd give it a week to 10 days for your name to show up in the system.

Rene

mdyoung

Not true. Last year there was some confusion with a couple immigration offices sending back the G-845 saying a K-1 wasn't authorized to work after getting married when the person applied with the married name, but I think that has been straightened out.

The problem now with applying in the married name, either for the original card or the corrected one is the new rules for assigning SSNs and issuing cards.

The marriage certificate has to have some info that can be compared to the application or the previous SSN record to be an acceptable identity document for a name change. If it doesn't the person needs another acceptable identity document with the married name and the primary idenity documents for an alien age 18 or older are, I-551s, I-94 with passport and EAD cards.
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http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203200#E6
RM 00203.200 Evidence of Identity for an SSN Card

6. Documents for Adult Age 18 and Older
ALIEN: Adult Age 18 and older

1. Primary Evidence

Request a current U.S. immigration document and an unexpired foreign passport.

Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (includes temporary I-551 stamp/machine readable immigrant visa (MRIV) in combination with an unexpired foreign passport when the I-551 Permanent Resident Card has not yet been issued)

Form I-94, Arrival/departure Record in combination with an unexpired foreign passport

Form I-766, Employment Authorization card

Form I-688B, Employment Authorization card
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http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210
RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Data

The applicant may submit either:

One legal name change document showing both the old and new names (e.g., a court order for a name change or a marriage document. The document must also show either (1) a description or photograph of the person or (2) biographical information that can be compared with the Numident data; or

When the name change document does not show either a photograph of the person or biographical information that can be compared with the Numident data, then, in addition to the name change document, the applicant must also submit two identity documents listed in RM 00203.200E. One of the
submitted identity documents must show the old name (the name on the latest Numident record) AND the other submitted identity document must show the new name (the name to be shown on the corrected SSN
card). The identity documents submitted must show either a photograph of the applicant or provide biographical information that can be compared with the Numident data.

a. Bride Takes Groom’s Last Name

In all 50 U.S. States (this means the 50 States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa) the bride may take her husband's last name (surname or family name) as her new last name. (EXAMPLE: Jane Doe married John Jones and she
may change her name to Jane Jones.)

Interim Guidance: If the bride wants to take her husband's last name, accept the marriage document as a legal name change for the bride if the new name can be derived from the marriage document; even if the marriage document only shows each partner's first names, the bride's prior surname and
husband's surname. The marriage document alone can be accepted as evidence of identity for both the old and new names when it meets the criteria described in RM 00203.200G.2.
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http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203200#G2

2. Determine if the ID Document Has Required Information

Ask the applicant to submit one or more documents that show the person's name AND provide:

Biographical information in addition to the person's name that the reviewer can compare with the data on the SS-5 (e.g., date of birth, age, or parents' names) and/or

Physical information that the reviewer can compare with the applicant (e.g., physical description, photograph).

NOTE: A non-picture identity document must have the person's name as well as information that can be compared to the Numident, the applicant or other documents submitted (e.g., age, date of birth, or parents' names).
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C. Procedure - Immigration Document as Evidence of Legal Name

When issuing immigration documents, the Department of State and DHS issue them in the person's legal name. The legal name is also generally the name in which the foreign passport was issued.

When an alien applies for an SSN card, presume the name on the immigration document is the legal name unless the applicant presents evidence of a legal name change (e.g., marriage) that occurred after the immigration document was issued.

4. Name Change to a Name Different From Name on Immigration Document
Monica Mumma Stottlemyer applies for a replacement SSN card in her married name. She:

Completes an SS-5 showing her first name as Monica, her middle name as Mumma, and her last name as Smith;

Completes the other names used field, showing that name as “Monica (first name), Mumma Stottlemyer (last name);”

Signs the SS-5 as “Monica M. Smith;”

Submits a U.S. marriage document showing Monica Mumma Stottlemyer and John Smith married last week (the marriage document shows the dates of birth for Monica and John);

Submits a driver's license with her photograph that shows the name Monica M. Smith; and

Submits a DHS employment authorization card with her photograph and showing her name as “Mumma Stottlemyer, Monica.”

The U.S. marriage document supports the legal name change and is acceptable evidence of identity in both the old name and the new name because it shows biographical data (date of birth) that can be compared to the Numident record. Further, the name to be shown on the SSN card agrees with the name on the additional identity document in the new legal name (the driver's license).

SSA can process the name change request. Process the SS-5 to have the name “Monica (first name) Mumma (middle name) Smith (last name) to be shown in the card and enter “Monica (first name) Mumma Stottlemyer (compound surname) as an “other name used.” The compound surname must be entered the same way it is shown on the immigration document. Advise the NH to also contact DHS to change her surname to “Smith” with that agency.

Note: This section which is newer than than RM 00203.735 says to ADVISE you to report the name change, not MUST report.
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If they can verify your status through SAVE with your maiden name; this may stop them from sending the G-845 if the I-94 is not within 14 days of expiring and the marriage certificate has info that can be compared to the application, i.e. age or date of birth:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203735
RM 00203.735 Requesting Online (Primary) Verification By SAVE

E. PROCEDURE—ONLINE SAVE QUERY RESPONSE INFORMATION DOES NOT AGREE WITH IMMIGRATION DOCUMENT

1. Name

e. Applicant Has Changed His/Her Name But SAVE Query Response Shows Old
Name

In some cases, the applicant may have changed his/her name after DHS
issued the immigration document (e.g., he/she has married and is now
using the spouse’s last name) but does not present an immigration
document showing the new name. In these cases, the DHS system reflects
the new name only when the person provided the name change information
to DHS and requested to have his/her immigration record changed to show
the new name.

When the SAVE query response shows the old name that is shown on the
immigration document presented and not the new name on the identity
document presented, do not consider this a name discrepancy for
enumeration purposes. See RM 00203.200 when the applicant presents an
identity document in the new name that is more recent than the
immigration document to determine if the identity document is
acceptable. Tell the applicant he/she must report the name change to DHS
so that DHS can update its records.

NOTE FROM ME: Procedure tells the SSA office to tell you to report the
name change to DHS, not that it can't be processed and that is just what you will be doing when you submit the AOS in your married name.

Patience Wins

Many thanks to everyone for their help.

I am the husband and will not be changing names so last note probably not relevant!