Applying for SSN Card

[I love Sunshine]

For those K-1s that have had their fiancee come over to the US, and went to a SSA office to get a card, did you receive your number at the time you applied, or only when the card came in the mail?

 

The reason I ask is because the marriage license application in some states requests this number. This will affect when (and possibly where) we get married.

 

Thanks,

ILS

Edited November 7, 2007 by I love Sunshine (see edit history)

[Randy W]

You can find out within a day or two (I think it is) by going back to the office and waiting in line again.

[dnoblett]

They don't give out the number at the time of application, they do give you a letter saying that you applied.

 

Only a few places I have heard of that gives you a problem with SSN on marriage license, (TN, SC, and MN), we married first and then applied for SSN in married name using passport, K-1, I-94, and Marriage Cert, the clerk at SSA issued a number with no questions asked.

Edited November 7, 2007 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[jim_julian]

Our experience was was different, again attesting to the wide range of results one can expect from the SSA.

 

We applied and I asked if we could get the number. "No."

 

When can I get the number? "When the card comes in the mail."

 

The card never came; three weeks later we went back ... "You must wait 30 days and reapply, this counts as one of your ten lifetime permitted card losses."

 

We waited 30 days and reapplied. The card arrived in about 5 days as I recall.

 

Sigh ....

[IllinoisDave]

We just went last week. Yes, we got a letter that said we applied. They said the card should come in the mail in 10 days to 2 weeks.

Then we'll be turning right around and taking the new card to a different office to get her surname changed and get another new card.

Good luck.

[dnoblett]

We just went last week. Yes, we got a letter that said we applied. They said the card should come in the mail in 10 days to 2 weeks.

Then we'll be turning right around and taking the new card to a different office to get her surname changed and get another new card.

Good luck.

A lot easier to wait and change name on the card after getting Green Card, kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Immigrations status change like Green-Card and Naturalization needs to be reported to SSA anyway.

[IllinoisDave]

We just went last week. Yes, we got a letter that said we applied. They said the card should come in the mail in 10 days to 2 weeks.

Then we'll be turning right around and taking the new card to a different office to get her surname changed and get another new card.

Good luck.

A lot easier to wait and change name on the card after getting Green Card, kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Immigrations status change like Green-Card and Naturalization needs to be reported to SSA anyway.

But what if we want to get other things done with her given name/my surname like utilities,state ID/driver's license,bank accounts etc in the meantime?

I think we've settled on Christine keeping her Chinese given name,using her family name as middle and my surname as last. We'll just use Christine with family,friends and people she meets etc.

 

We may or may not change her first name after naturalization.

 

With all that in mind, wouldn't it be better to go ahead and get the new card with given/family/my surname on it now and use it for all the other stuff?

[amerchin]

When we went for our marriage certificate we weren't allowed to put her last name as her middle name. Our three choices were to:

 

1) Keep her name as it is.

2) Her last name - my last name

3) My last name

 

I have heard of some people at candle were able to place their wife's maiden name as their middle name. We didn't have that choice so my wife decided to just use my last name. Some Chinese women will want to keep their last names but most will not fuss about it much.

 

The Social Security office did not give us a SS# when we applied for it and we had to wait for the card in the mail. They put my last name on the card because of our marriage certificate listed her new last name.

 

The DMV in my state will not allow you to apply for anything without a SS#.

 

The utility company in my state allowed me to add my wife's name on the bill. I did this online by e-mail without even having to speak with anyone. This comes in handy when applying for the I-751 when you have to show joint ownership, accounts, etc. I have also read here that some utility companies will not allow two names on a bill.

 

All and all it really comes down to what are to rules in your state and whether or not you have someone to really help you or a "NO you can't person". When you do run into a "No" person you can try another office or come back another day but hopefully not to the same person.

 

Good luck!

[hankster]

We applied for SS numbers 2 days ago with Green Card and Passport in hand. This is the letter we got at that time.

 

4 weeks while they check with Homeland to verify authenticity of this new hologrammed GC? ?.

 

Anyone else with a GC get this letter?

Sorry, I don't know how to make the image larger.

[David&Wendy]

For those K-1s that have had their fiancee come over to the US, and went to a SSA office to get a card, did you receive your number at the time you applied, or only when the card came in the mail?

 

The reason I ask is because the marriage license application in some states requests this number. This will affect when (and possibly where) we get married.

 

Thanks,

ILS

 

We waited 10 days after her arrival before going to the SSN office.

She recieved her SSN card within 10 business days.

 

That's pretty quick for us.

[kangjie]

Did you guys have to have an interpeter present?

What proof did you have to show ?

I was going to only show them her passport and the i-94 is stamped on there

[RLS]

My wife got her card in the mail very soon after we went and applied at the SS office. The worker didn't want to issue it at first and I had to go to a supervisor. Luckily, the supervisor knew the rules. It does have a restriction printed on the front which reads: "Valid for work only with DHS authorization."