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How to Change SOs name


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Here's another new section in the FAQ I am turning into more of a step-wise approach, for changing the SOs name.

 

 

Here is the start of it, for K1s... comment on K1, and add in sections for K3 or CR1 as you can..

 

For CR1/K3, if we can get comments on anyone who changed the name on the chinese marriage certificate?

 

 

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NAME CHANGE:

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K1:

 

If you want SSN prior to marriage:

1. Wait at least 10 days, then go file for a SSN.

2. Get married; have the marriage certificate reflect your SOs name change.

3. When you go back to the Social security office take a certified copy of your marriage certificate along with her passport and visa.

4. Just fill out the application for ssn the way you want her name to read.

 

 

If you want to get married prior to SSN:

1. Get married; have the marriage certificate reflect your SOs name change.

2. When you go to the Social security office take a certified copy of your marriage certificate along with her passport and visa. Make sure you go back with more than 20 days left on the I-94 expiration.

3. Just fill out the application for ssn the way you want her name to read.

 

 

If you wait until AOS filing:

1. You can file with maiden name and change it on paperwork at interview

 

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Any and all experiences are welcomed to comment, what worked and what didn't work.

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SSA will not assign an SSN or issue a card to an individual that is within 14 days of his or her alien status expiring. Until the 76th day after entry an individual with K-1 status only needs to provide an unexpired I-94 showing current K-1 status to establish employment authorized status for SSN purposes.

 

When an alien requests an SSN or replacement/corrected SSN card, SSA will verify his or her documents and current status with the appropriate Bureau of the Department of Homeland Security. If verification is not available through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, SSA will send Form G-845 for manual verification.

 

RM 00203.720 Verifying Immigration Documents:

 

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203720

 

The 14 day status expiration limit for assigning an SSN and/or issuing a card applies even if an individual submitted his or her application before being within the 14 day period and entered the 14 day period while waiting for his or her status to be verified.

 

If the SSA office does send the G-845, suggest that you go back to the SSA office no more that once week with your documents to (1) ask them to check SAVE again (2) ask if they sent a G-845 (3) if yes, did it come back (4) after 30 days ask if they have followed up on the G-845 by calling or sending another mark ¡°second request.¡±

 

NOTE: Make sure they have tried the A# and I-94# in SAVE

 

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203735

RM 00203.735 Requesting Online (Primary) Verification By SAVE

 

You can try calling the SSA Regional Office if you have waited at least 30 days and your local SSA office doesn't seem to be concerned about following up on the G-845

 

http://www.ssa.gov/otherssasites/

 

Refer them to:

 

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203740

RM 00203.740 Requesting Additional (Manual) Verification By DHS

 

Step 6

 

DHS should respond to SSA within 15 federal work days after receiving the Form G-845. If DHS does not respond within 15 federal work days from the receipt of the G-845 from SSA, follow-up with the DHS, USCIS Immigration Status office. (Allow 15 days plus five additional federal work days of mail time for the G-845 to be received at and returned from DHS. Follow local practice to follow-up with DHS.

 

Some SSA offices have an arrangement with the DHS, USCIS office to telephone for the follow-up contact; other SSA offices send a copy of the original G-845 annotated ¡°second request.¡±) If the DHS response is still not received within 15 federal work days after the follow-up contact (if the follow-up is by mail allow five additional federal work days of mail time for the G-845 to be received at and returned from DHS), make a second follow-up contact. If the DHS response is not received within 15 federal workdays (again, if the follow-up is by mail, allow five additional federal work days of mail time for the G-845 to be received at and returned from DHS), after two follow-ups, contact the Regional Office (RO). Also report to the RO any trend that shows a serious deviation by DHS from the above time frames. The RO will consult with central office.

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David.. I tried to have my wife's last name changed when we got married. This was prior to requesting a Social Security number. The courts in Florida do not allow for name change unless you actually go to court to have it changed. When I applied for my wife's SSN#, they permitted us to change her last name to mine. We now have a marriage certificate in her Chinese name and a Social Security card in her married name. I am retired military and will get her registered tomorrow with DEERS, which will enable her to have my military health insurance. Her military ID card will also reflect the name on the Social Security card. I suppose some state courts do permit a name change at the time of marriage, but not so in Florida or at least the courthouse I went to.

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David.. I tried to have my wife's last name changed when we got married. This was prior to requesting a Social Security number. The courts in Florida do not allow for name change unless you actually go to court to have it changed. When I applied for my wife's SSN#, they permitted us to change her last name to mine. We now have a marriage certificate in her Chinese name and a Social Security card in her married name. I am retired military and will get her registered tomorrow with DEERS, which will enable her to have my military health insurance. Her military ID card will also reflect the name on the Social Security card. I suppose some state courts do permit a name change at the time of marriage, but not so in Florida or at least the courthouse I went to.

 

 

It sounds like there's no need to involve the courts in Florida, either. Simply notify Passport, Social Security Card, Voter Registration, Employer, Banks and other Financial Institutions, Clubs and Organizations, Drivers License, Post Office, Insurance Companies, IRS, State Tax Commission, etc, as needed. You may have to show the Marriage License a few times, until she has other ID's in her married name.

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David.. I tried to have my wife's last name changed when we got married. This was prior to requesting a Social Security number. The courts in Florida do not allow for name change unless you actually go to court to have it changed. When I applied for my wife's SSN#, they permitted us to change her last name to mine. We now have a marriage certificate in her Chinese name and a Social Security card in her married name. I am retired military and will get her registered tomorrow with DEERS, which will enable her to have my military health insurance. Her military ID card will also reflect the name on the Social Security card. I suppose some state courts do permit a name change at the time of marriage, but not so in Florida or at least the courthouse I went to.

 

Florida does allow a Name Change through the DMV, first the married name must be accepted by the USCIS and in the SAVE system.

 

If necessary print out the information on their web site. They may accept the I-797C for AOS as proof of the name change or force you to wait for the actual green card.

 

You have an added advantage, the SSA has accepted the name change and you will have her dependent's ID card from the federal government. If they argue with you ask them if the State of Florida has the authority to reverse the legal name change by 2 federal agencies who have recognized her married name. Then ask for a supervisor and make sure they see you writing down their names, date and time.

 

If they give you too much trouble check on post for legal services and let the military explain the facts of life to Florida, the townies just love it when it gets jambed down their throat. :D

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David, there are a number of states who do not list a married name on their marriage certificates, only the names of the people who were getting married.

 

Another item concerning SSA, they may not allow a name change to take place until the married name is entered in SAVE, which only happens after you have filed for AOS. It's really much easier to get the SSN in your SO's name and deal with the name change after USCIS has updated their system. The important part is to get the SSN, the name change issue is minor compared to waiting too late to get the SSN.

 

In most states the SO will be able to get a state id in their married name with their documentation and marriage certificate. Then a few weeks after receiving the AOS receipt the married name should be in SAVE and the SSA is more cooperative.

 

I would speculate that the name change before being in SAVE has about a 50% success rate, while getting an SSN a couple of weeks after entry in her maiden name has better than a 95% success rate.

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Our marriage license here in Oregon only lists her maiden name. It was no problem changing her name though. We simply applied for the SSN in her married name. We took a cerified copy of the marriage license with us to the SSA. Once we had the SSN we went to the DMV armed with her passport, SS card, certified copy of the marriage licence and a piece of mail (the envelope from SSA) with a post mark addressed to her. At our AOS interview the officer gave us the choice of my last name, her last name or a hypenated last name ie Smith Jones. She said we couldn't use her last name as a middle name. We opted for my last name but when the green card came it had the initial of her last name as her middle intitial. Since this is the way she signs things we were happy with that. I assume that K-3 could follow the same procedure. Since CR-1 have their status automatically adjusted upon entering the country I would assume they would have to go to court to legally change their name in order to have it changed on her green card.

Edited by warpedbored (see edit history)
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