Changing name on SS card after marriage

[I love Sunshine]

Earlier, I posted about our easy experience obtaining Sunshine's initial SS card in Rapid City:

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29063

 

Today we tried to get her name changed on her SS card. This meant a trip to downtown Phoenix to the big SSA office there. This time the news was not as great.

 

First the indifferent SS worker told us she couldn't change her name until DHS (Homeland Security) updates her visa type because we are now married and no longer K-1. Furthermore, the man told us that we needed to change our status from K-1 to K-3. Huh???

 

After some back and forth with his supervisor, they corrected their wording, and we were told to go to the Homeland Security office and get something updated in the computer to show her current status as married before the SS folks can do anything. Did anyone else run into this before for a simple name change after marriage on a K-1?

 

If this is true, what is her visa type (if not K-1)? She has until mid-March as part of her initial 90 days.

 

If only Rapid City were closer right now...

 

Please advise!

 

ILS

[IllinoisDave]

All we needed was a cert. copy of the marriage license and her old SS card. They're idiots. But then that's been documented here before. B)

 

Is there another SSA office near you? Even a smaller one? We went to a smaller one than the one we got the original card at. No problems.

[I love Sunshine]

All we needed was a cert. copy of the marriage license and her old SS card. They're idiots. But then that's been documented here before. B)

 

Is there another SSA office near you? Even a smaller one? We went to a smaller one than the one we got the original card at. No problems.

 

Sadly, Phoenix is one of those locations where they have centralized operations. That means warehouse-sized waiting rooms and more unsupervised kids running around and screaming than at your local Chuck E. Cheese. And one central supervisor with carte blanche.

 

Time to make a road trip back to Rapid City, I guess.

[clayton2103]

ILS...As Dave states, marriage certificate and maiden name SS card was all that was needed for us. Simple and swift as the initial SS card was to obtain. Hope you have better luck next time around.

Clayton

[se_lang]

This is just one of the many reason I am waiting until my LP is a citizen to change her name.

[dnoblett]

I would wait until you have EAD or Green-card before bothering changing the name on the SSA card.

[LeeFisher3]

Your wife is still a K-1 visa holder, that was the visa she was issued to come to the US and nothing including marriage will change that.

 

The SSA is correct that a name change for a visa holder or LPR can not be changed in their system without confirmation in the SAVE system. Some SSA offices ignore this somehow, but the SSA POM are specific on this one.

 

Once EAD or Green Card arrive showing the married name the SSA can query the SAVE system and if it does not show the same name as on the EAD or Green Card they can request that USCIS confirm the name change.

 

This is not a battle worth fighting as you will only spend a lot of time and have no results.

[I love Sunshine]

Thanks, all, for your advice. I agree -- I don't think Sunshine needs that name change until after we get the documents back showing that the SAVE system has indeed got her name change made correctly.

 

By the way, when filling out the I-485 et al, did you put the maiden name or married name? My hunch is to use married name.

 

If use the maiden name, it will match what is currently in the system, but won't get us any closer to this name change situation.

 

If we use the married name, it will be more accurate, but will delays occur later on because of this?

[warpedbored]

You can fill out the AOS documents in her married name. Ask the SSA what they do when American women get married. What a bunch of retards. Personally I think it is best to get married then get the SS card. My wife and I had no problem here in Portland.

Edited February 12, 2008 by warpedbored (see edit history)

[LeeFisher3]

Definately put her married name on the AOS, AP and EAD forms.

 

I agree with Carl about a married USC name change, but the difference is the change in laws since 9/11. Carl was just lucky to get someone who hadn't read the POM. Sometimes I think Portland would be a good place to live, kinda like Arkansas.

[I love Sunshine]

Just a quick follow-up: At the window during that visit, we insisted to the supervisor to take our application for the married name, which he (slowly and begrudgingly) did. We thought we made a mistake since they took her old SS card, leaving Sunshine with nothing.

 

But 10 days later we got the new card with the new (married name). Just goes to show that the people the SSA has working the counters - and their supervisors - know very little about the K-1 and Marriage and the effects on the SS card.

Edited February 22, 2008 by I love Sunshine (see edit history)

[YanyanandPaul]

We delt with the same kind of people here, not willing to help and not wanting to do their jobs.

But for some reason after I told the wonderful gent behind the glass that I pay his salary and that I wanted to speak to his supervisor.

For some reason he took care of us very quickly.

 

I think most of them figure when they tell you it can't be done you'll say ok and walk away.

 

"They don't know me very well do they !!" HEHEHE

 

Now for my question, we just received her green card and we want to go back to see her mom.She wants to get her name changed on her passport so we don't have any trouble getting back into the country.

How do we go about doing that?

 

 

Thanks,

ME!

[Sebastian]

Now for my question, we just received her green card and we want to go back to see her mom.She wants to get her name changed on her passport so we don't have any trouble getting back into the country.

How do we go about doing that?

 

Time for a trip to the China Embassy in NYC!!!

But - you'll probably want not only the passport, BUT the CHINA ID card changed as well.

 

ps - my wife's name is YanYan too

[warpedbored]

Not sure you can change the ID card. Even the Passport doesn't get completely changed. They put an adendum in it that reads something like "The name of this person is also XXXXX That allows her to book the plane ticket in her married name. Travel without that isn't really a problem though. Just make sure the plane ticket matches the passport or the airline won't let her board the plane.

[Larry & Ying]

The SSA office here in Racine told us the same thing