A DACA recipient who legally changes a name after marriage generally needs to update the relevant SSA and immigration records through separate processes. Changing one record does not automatically update every other agency, employer, or identity document. The name change itself does not extend DACA or employment authorization.
Establish the legal name
Obtain the marriage record or other legal name-change evidence appropriate to the jurisdiction. A marriage certificate does not authorize every possible chosen name in every state, so verify that the document supports the name being requested.
For SSA, follow the name-change procedure and provide the required identity, legal-change, and immigration or work-authority evidence. A corrected card ordinarily retains the same Social Security number; the objective is to update the identity record, not obtain a new number. [1]
Keep certified records available where required. A photocopy or an informal wedding announcement may not satisfy an agency’s documentary standards.
Update USCIS through the correct filing
Form I-765 instructions distinguish a replacement or correction not due to USCIS error from a renewal and from an agency-error correction. They also require the applicant’s full legal name and disclosure of other names used, including maiden names. Choose the reason matching the actual situation rather than calling a later legal change a printing mistake. [2]
Check the current DACA, I-765, fee, filing, and court-related instructions before deciding whether to request a replacement immediately or coordinate a permitted update with a renewal. Do not delay a necessary renewal merely because a name document is inconvenient to obtain.
Example: two valid documents with different names
A newly married person may temporarily have an unexpired EAD in the former name and a legal name-change record. Keep both available and ask the relevant employer or agency how to document the connection under its rules. Do not alter the card, cover the old name, or assume a photograph of an edited card is acceptable.
The person should also review the driver’s license, passport through the issuing country, payroll, banking, and tax records. Each institution may have its own evidence process.
Keep a clear record
Save copies of the old and new documents, submission receipts, and agency responses. Use consistent spelling and explain legitimate differences. A corrected SSN record is not a work permit, and an EAD replacement is not a general travel document.
If a pending case contains a different name, follow the appropriate update procedure rather than filing contradictory applications without explanation.
Lost or replacement documents involve the EAD replacement process. A genuine number error requires a separate SSN correction.
Primary sources
- SSA: Your Social Security Number and Card
- Instructions for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
Sources checked: October 31, 2026.