Name Changes after wedding...

[Mogambi 96]

Curious people's opinion and thoughts.

After my fiance is here, we will get for her a SSN. We'll have to do that in her maiden name I'm guessing, since we won't be married yet.

OK, then we get married. And now my fiance will want to change her last name.

I'm curious the next steps.

Will we file the AOS in her NEW last name, or the one in her passport?

Will she get a new passport? What about the visa, does it need to get reissued?

I'm guessing we can just keep the old things as they were, just curious how many things we need to do in her 'new' name versus her old name....

Slightly confused on that changeover process, curious the thoughts from anyone who has done it.

Tim

[RickJovi 81]

Curious people's opinion and thoughts.

After my fiance is here, we will get for her a SSN. We'll have to do that in her maiden name I'm guessing, since we won't be married yet.

OK, then we get married. And now my fiance will want to change her last name.

I'm curious the next steps.

Will we file the AOS in her NEW last name, or the one in her passport?

Will she get a new passport? What about the visa, does it need to get reissued?

I'm guessing we can just keep the old things as they were, just curious how many things we need to do in her 'new' name versus her old name....

Slightly confused on that changeover process, curious the thoughts from anyone who has done it.

Tim

File the AOS paperwork to show the married name that you want on the gc. It will normally be her first name, her last name will be her middle name now and then the last name will be your name. This is how they do it in the Philippines. When she gets her gc then go to the SSAN Office and do the name change on the SS card to reflect the married name on the gc.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Curious people's opinion and thoughts.

After my fiance is here, we will get for her a SSN. We'll have to do that in her maiden name I'm guessing, since we won't be married yet.

OK, then we get married. And now my fiance will want to change her last name.

I'm curious the next steps.

Will we file the AOS in her NEW last name, or the one in her passport? USE HER CURRENT LEGAL NAME

Will she get a new passport? YOU DON'T NEED TO GET A NEW PASSPORT, BUT FOR SURE TRAVEL WITH A COPY OF THE MARRIAGE LICENSE. IN TIME I WOULD GET THE PASSPORT RENEWED IN HER MARRIED NAME What about the visa, does it need to get reissued? VISA "DIED" AS SOON AS SHE ENTERED THE STATES, NO REASON FOR A VISA NOW, SHE IS HERE.

I'm guessing we can just keep the old things as they were, just curious how many things we need to do in her 'new' name versus her old name.... EVERYTHING SHOULD BE IN HER LEGAL NAME... MARRIED NAME

Slightly confused on that changeover process, curious the thoughts from anyone who has done it.

Tim

Edited May 31, 2012 by Hank_Amy

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

If you want to avoid all possible hassle, report the marriage to the Filipino Consulate for your area, then renew or amend your passport. Then, use the name as amended, or your new passport, as your new legal name for all filings with the USCIS. If you never plan on visiting the Philippines until you are a US Citizen (in about three and a half years after filing for AOS), then use whatever you want your legal name to be (within reason) for your AOS, and skip contacting the Filipino Consulate. (Waste of time and money, really, unless you want to maintain ties with the Philippines). If you receive an interview, the IO may change your name to follow Filipino convention. You may not be able to change your name with the SSA until you change your name with the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS). The name on the Social Security card has to match what the DHS/USCIS has on file as your legal name. Finally, when you are going to become a US Citizen, you have an opportunity for a legal name chance (without any convention) as part of the process.

Edited May 31, 2012 by ☼

[Mogambi 96]

Thanks all. I think what confuses me, and this wouldn't be different from a normal American wedding between Americans, is where does the name change 'happen'. Like, who is the first that it gets reported to.

I mean, OK, we get married. Then we file for Adjustment of Status, we put down her new name. But we're using her old passport. I guess that's where the 'maiden name' or 'other name' fields come into play on the forms and stuff...

I'm not going to worry about it just yet. Good to know we just file a name change with the Social Security people.

But thanks, her passport expires in 2014, so we'll just get it renewed in her new name anyway I'm sure. Curious, I've never actually seen a 'Green Card', is it like a visa that is adhered into the passport, or is something like a drivers license?

[Hank_ 9,174]

Thanks all. I think what confuses me, and this wouldn't be different from a normal American wedding between Americans, is where does the name change 'happen'. Like, who is the first that it gets reported to.

I mean, OK, we get married. Then we file for Adjustment of Status, we put down her new name. But we're using her old passport. I guess that's where the 'maiden name' or 'other name' fields come into play on the forms and stuff...

I'm not going to worry about it just yet. Good to know we just file a name change with the Social Security people.

But thanks, her passport expires in 2014, so we'll just get it renewed in her new name anyway I'm sure. Curious, I've never actually seen a 'Green Card', is it like a visa that is adhered into the passport, or is something like a drivers license?

Green card is like a drivers license.

Maybe this link will help: http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/planning-a-wedding/articles/name-change-101.aspx

Edited May 31, 2012 by Hank_Amy

[Caryh 5,206]

Thanks all. I think what confuses me, and this wouldn't be different from a normal American wedding between Americans, is where does the name change 'happen'. Like, who is the first that it gets reported to.

I mean, OK, we get married. Then we file for Adjustment of Status, we put down her new name. But we're using her old passport. I guess that's where the 'maiden name' or 'other name' fields come into play on the forms and stuff...

I'm not going to worry about it just yet. Good to know we just file a name change with the Social Security people.

But thanks, her passport expires in 2014, so we'll just get it renewed in her new name anyway I'm sure. Curious, I've never actually seen a 'Green Card', is it like a visa that is adhered into the passport, or is something like a drivers license?

How you go about changing you name after marriage varies with location. In some places you specify it when you get your marriage license, which will show the name before marriage and the name after. In other places you just start changing all your ID's to the new married name. What some places have an issue with is the Filipino tradition of moving the paternal last name into the middle name location. Some places want to tell you that you can't do this. But if you don't follow Philippines standard way, you may find you're using a name structure they will not allow on the Philippines passport.

[Hank_ 9,174]

In Arizona the marriage license does not have places for name change so you just take the marriage license and start changing documents... be nice if it did have a space for married name, that would make things much easier.