Social Security office experience

[Shenzhen K-1]

Aha!

Thanks Lance and Carl.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. I just assumed everyone was talking about changing both. I had no idea that wasn't possible.

So, we can go back to SSA and get the surname changed now and wait til after GC/AOS to do the full change?

How then should we fill out the AOS/EAD/AP etc? Qi McGillicuddy or Christine McGillicuddy?

 

Also,what about the bank accounts, state ID, later driver's license and any other things that require a name? Should we just stick with Qi McGillicuddy for everything for now and change it all later after the AOS/EAD and legal name change?

Qi McGillicuddy or Christine McGillicuddy?

 

Man so looking forward to this part of the process!!!

 

One more option, some people go by there middle name??

 

Can you give your SO a middle name when chaging her name from her getting hitched license??

 

Like Christine SO McGillicuddy?

[SirLancelot]

Aha!

Thanks Lance and Carl.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. I just assumed everyone was talking about changing both. I had no idea that wasn't possible.

So, we can go back to SSA and get the surname changed now and wait til after GC/AOS to do the full change?

How then should we fill out the AOS/EAD/AP etc? Qi McGillicuddy or Christine McGillicuddy?

 

Also,what about the bank accounts, state ID, later driver's license and any other things that require a name? Should we just stick with Qi McGillicuddy for everything for now and change it all later after the AOS/EAD and legal name change?

Qi McGillicuddy or Christine McGillicuddy?

 

Man so looking forward to this part of the process!!!

 

One more option, some people go by there middle name??

 

Can you give your SO a middle name when chaging her name from her getting hitched license??

 

Like Christine SO McGillicuddy?

 

This is really governed by your state, but generally speaking NO. Only family name changes to the groom's family name.

 

Check with your state's DMV.

[IllinoisDave]

Aha!

Thanks Lance and Carl.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. I just assumed everyone was talking about changing both. I had no idea that wasn't possible.

So, we can go back to SSA and get the surname changed now and wait til after GC/AOS to do the full change?

How then should we fill out the AOS/EAD/AP etc? Qi McGillicuddy or Christine McGillicuddy?

 

Also,what about the bank accounts, state ID, later driver's license and any other things that require a name? Should we just stick with Qi McGillicuddy for everything for now and change it all later after the AOS/EAD and legal name change?

Qi McGillicuddy or Christine McGillicuddy?

 

In your example, what we've done for my wife is to use "Qi McDaddy" throughout. Qi McDaddy for all bank accounts, credit cards, GC and SSA and soon for the driver's license.

 

As for when to change over to Christine McGillicuddy, that's a tough one. Jim Julian was able to do that at the time of his daughter's AOS interview. I originally wanted to do that for my wife at our AOS interview as well. However, on 002 my wife read about situations where it was problematic to return into the US with a GC with one Western set of name and a Chinese passport with a set of Chinese name. For example, if Christine had a GC which showed Christine McGillicuddy and her Chinese passport showed WANG, Qi she may encounter difficulties when returning to the US.

 

So we decided not to do the name change until the Naturalization process. When you do the naturalization process, she'll be able to choose to use her then current name or change it to something completely new. After naturalization, she'll be able to obtain a US passport in her new name.

 

I see now. That all makes perfect sense. I guess in all the past discussions here about name change, I just never caught on to the fact that everyone was talking about surnames only. Duh!

 

Thanks again.

[dnoblett]

I think we're realizing here that getting an SS in the married name is a two-step process - first get it in the maiden name during the K-1 window, then get married and use the marriage certificate and/or EAD/green card for the name change.

 

It's not clear that anyone (k visa) has actually gotten the original card in the married name during the 90 day window.

We did, we married first, and then applied for SSN, the clerk had no problem using our marriage certificate for name, and K-1 I-94 in maiden name.

 

I read that it is hit and miss at the various SSA offices, for some reason the clerks at the SSA office seem to have hard time understanding the K-1 visa.

 

Also in earlier post I meant that a K-1 needs to apply for SSN within 75 days after entry, after that and SSA wont issue an number and/or change name on the card until immigration status changes either by EAD card or Green-card.

[warpedbored]

We did, my wife moved her last name to her middle name on all of her paper work. No problem until our AOS interview where the IO told us she could use my last name, her last name or a hypenated last name (ie Smith-Jones) but couldn't move her last name to her middle name. We opted for my last name but when the green card came it had the initial of her last name as a middle initial. We are happy with that.

 

Man so looking forward to this part of the process!!!

 

One more option, some people go by there middle name??

 

Can you give your SO a middle name when chaging her name from her getting hitched license??

 

Like Christine SO McGillicuddy?

Edited November 3, 2007 by warpedbored (see edit history)

[jim_julian]

This note replies to, amplifies, and/or refutes numerous posts above, so I won't try to quote them.

 

My personal recommendation is to file for AOS and EAD in her married name (don't know anyone who had a problem with this) and AP in her maiden name. Rationale for AP is if you're going to travel before GC you won't have much/any documentation in her married name so keep the passport and AP with the same name.

 

Despite 911 many states still accept the common law (as in English common law) or usage method of name change. California and Illinois are two states that do. We changed our daughter's first and last names under the common law procedure by filing a declaration at her AOS interview. I'd be happy to provide the form of that declaration to anyone who wants it. I've also posted it at Visa Journey. Name change is state specific and looking at the Illinois link above they may require a little more info on their declaration than what we filed. I don't know of anyone who has filed for AOS with a declaration of name change and different given and family names but, in theory, it should be possible if you state accepts it.

 

In our daughter's case we now have her social security card and driver's permit in her new name and I'm about half way through changing insurance, health cards, etc. I've not run into any real resistance and no one has asked for a copy of the declaration. Regarding Lance's point on different name in passport, we haven't gotten down to the Chinese consulate in LA as yet to get an "also known as" entry in their passports but I will report on that when we do. This entry will provide passport evidence that they use a married name or an English name as China will always consider their Chinese name to be their official name.

 

With respect to SSNs in general I agree with those who say as soon as you have a marriage certificate, no matter what names are on it, you should be able to get an SSN in her married name vice maiden name if that's what you want. Elevate to a supervisory level and if that doesn't work go to another office. The Social Security Administration really does not have their act together.

 

A general comment about dealing with government, medical offices, and other seemingly "official" entities ... you are likely to find a real cultural difference here. My experience is that in China people are very deferential to "officials" and the only recourse seems to be bribery or finding an influential friend or family member. Most would do well to talk to their WLF (Wife Lover Friend) about this and make the point that in America government officials, medical people, etc work for us ... not we for them and it is very acceptable to press your point, elevate to supervisors, etc.