Thai passport needs renewing, but now have married name

[madmanmike 191]

Just wondered on the best course of action. We are in the final stages (we HOPE) of the 485 process, but her passport expires in December.

I found the requirements on renewing it ($35, form, and copy of Thai ID card). But we were wondering about how to go about changing it to her married name, or even if we should do that at all?

I am guessing she can still travel on a maiden name passport, since her Thai ID card is in her maiden name as well.

So should we just renew it with her maiden name and leave it at that?

Thoughts please?

Thanks much,

Michael and Ta

[NickD 202]

Just wondered on the best course of action. We are in the final stages (we HOPE) of the 485 process, but her passport expires in December.

I found the requirements on renewing it ($35, form, and copy of Thai ID card). But we were wondering about how to go about changing it to her married name, or even if we should do that at all?

I am guessing she can still travel on a maiden name passport, since her Thai ID card is in her maiden name as well.

So should we just renew it with her maiden name and leave it at that?

Thoughts please?

Thanks much,

Michael and Ta

A call to your consulate can answer that in a big hurry, for my wife's country, we had to bring in our marriage certificate with an apostille, they told us how to do that, birth certificates, divorces from previous marriages, and some kind of photo ID, I used my drivers license, wife had her country ID card. They registered our marriage in her country, and gave her a passport with her married name, cool. Also put in stamp with her previous maiden and our USA address.

The reason we did that is so her passport name would match her expired green card name with only a typed one year extension, that made coming back easy for us. But each country has its own rules, call your consulate.

[Thai family 0]

Wouldn't a certified copy of the marriage certificate do the trick?

[LV Couple 0]

Hey Fellow Vegan,

If you are going to be extending her passport, you should go ahead and get the name changed. We should have done the name change when my wife extended her passport (Chinese) but didn't think about it. For the extension, they just put the new expiration date on the observation page. I was told for the married name change, they would also put the married name on the observation page. If you don't get the name change, you would need to get the ticket with the name matching her passport for international travel. We actually didn't travel out of the US until my wife got her Green Card just to be avoid any problem although we didn't anticipate any. My wife traveled out of the US twice now with just her maiden name on her Chinese passport and the airline ticket in her maiden name.

Just for your info, my wife's AOS took 2 years but the good thing with the 2 years was she got her 10 year Green Card instead of the 2 year. We submitted her Citizenship app late May.

If you need any info or want to share experience, send me a message.

[NickD 202]

Wouldn't a certified copy of the marriage certificate do the trick?

What I presented was what the Venezuelan Consulate wanted, was mistaken about the divorce papers, that wasn't requested, but did have to bring my birthe certificate and a photo ID without the apostille. But did have to send our marriage certificate to our Secretary of state with a check for around five bucks for the apostille, that could cost around 500 bucks in Venezuela.

It's unbelievable how the laws very from country to country, just suggested you call your Thai consulate. I was able to get a student visa for my son via mail from the Japanese consulate and quick just by paying 20 bucks for overnight delivery. And while we filled out all the forms and sent in all the documents to the Venezuelan Consulate, they insisted we come down in person to pick up her passport.

And guess where, just a small office suit in downtown Chicago miles away from the nearest place to park. With a 700 mile round trip, creeping along at 2 mph in Chicago traffic that took another 8 hours, then sitting for hours in their tiny little waiting room, impossible to do that in one day. Then they were hesitant on giving it to her because she left their country and as a PR of the USA with no options of getting a USA passport, they put you between a rock and a hard place.

We can get her US passport via mail, can't wait for that to happen. But with the USCIS, have to wait at least four years before you can apply.