Used my Maiden Name Instead of Married Name

[faryan 4]

Hi Sonia, pushbrk, len, etc

Im on CR1 and also wonder re name change issues.. On my BC, passport, CR1 process we've been using my maiden name (which in my culture is my dad's name basically). In the future i would like to have my name hyphenated with my hubby's family name and am wondering if we can start doing that when i get there and applying for SSN, driver's license etc. Will keep on reading here, many thanks.

Check the local laws of your state

Thanks payxibka! just saw your post. will do that

[pushbrk 12,878]

Here's how my stuff is:

Birth certificate == maiden

Marriage certificate == maiden

Canadian visa == married

Canadian SSN == married

Passport == maiden

Application == married (put "maiden" as "other names")

Visa + Green card == maiden.

American SSN == married.

Correspondence from USCIS= married.

I believe USCIS will continue to call me by my maiden name until I become a citizen. I am not sure what the procedure for changing it afterwards is.

Does that implies, upto green card it will me maiden name, when I apply for SSN and other state IDs I can use my married name?

I think for K3 who haven't already changed their name, and want to, the best time is when filing for AOS. My wife was asked at the AOS interview, whether she wanted a "married name" on the green card. Her answer was no but it would have been fine either way.

For a CR1, I would suggest changing the passport before the visa interview and having the visa in the new name. I don't trust the CBP officers at the POE to get USCIS business done. K3 could do the same, of course. Changing the passport is probably the hardest part. If it's easier to change the passport in your home country than through their Embassy or Consulate in the US, do it before the visa is issued.

But I don't have my married name in my marriage certificate...I-130 has got the Maiden name....what should I do if I really want to have my married name?

Change it in your passport and have the visa issued in the married name and carry on. (You'll need some ID to show that Mary Smith (invited to interview) is now Mary Jones.)

or

Change it on the green card at the AOS interview, then change the passport. Either will work but the first option simplifies everything in the US.

[Y's_habibitk 2]

Here's how my stuff is:

Birth certificate == maiden

Marriage certificate == maiden

Canadian visa == married

Canadian SSN == married

Passport == maiden

Application == married (put "maiden" as "other names")

Visa + Green card == maiden.

American SSN == married.

Correspondence from USCIS= married.

I believe USCIS will continue to call me by my maiden name until I become a citizen. I am not sure what the procedure for changing it afterwards is.

Does that implies, upto green card it will me maiden name, when I apply for SSN and other state IDs I can use my married name?

I think for K3 who haven't already changed their name, and want to, the best time is when filing for AOS. My wife was asked at the AOS interview, whether she wanted a "married name" on the green card. Her answer was no but it would have been fine either way.

Good to hear, maybe my husband can fix the spelling of his at that point, then i will take his name heh heh

I dont want my name slaughtered any more than necessary. My maiden name is funny enough, add his mispelled last name and what a ball that would be

[YuAndDan 153]

Not mandatory, in fact in many cultures wife does not normally take her husband's name, this is the case for China.

[ellmvl 1]

I started using my husband's last name after a month we got married, boy it was really confusing and did a lot of erasures when I write down my name. I changed my signature too. For some reason I feel proud to use my husband's last name. At first I was nervous LOL but now I am used to it. The good thing about our country's rule...married women should use their husband's name and retain their father's last name as their middle name but then we will lose our old middle name which is our mother's maiden name. Anyway, I changed all my legal documents here in the Philippines to my married name and learned that it would be less complicated to change passport to my married name now while I am still here in PI. I used my married name in all my visa forms and put my maiden name under Other Names Used.

Still it's your choice.

[atk_721 0]

Here's how my stuff is:

Birth certificate == maiden

Marriage certificate == maiden

Canadian visa == married

Canadian SSN == married

Passport == maiden

Application == married (put "maiden" as "other names")

Visa + Green card == maiden.

American SSN == married.

Correspondence from USCIS= married.

I believe USCIS will continue to call me by my maiden name until I become a citizen. I am not sure what the procedure for changing it afterwards is.

Does that implies, upto green card it will me maiden name, when I apply for SSN and other state IDs I can use my married name?

I think for K3 who haven't already changed their name, and want to, the best time is when filing for AOS. My wife was asked at the AOS interview, whether she wanted a "married name" on the green card. Her answer was no but it would have been fine either way.

For a CR1, I would suggest changing the passport before the visa interview and having the visa in the new name. I don't trust the CBP officers at the POE to get USCIS business done. K3 could do the same, of course. Changing the passport is probably the hardest part. If it's easier to change the passport in your home country than through their Embassy or Consulate in the US, do it before the visa is issued.

But I don't have my married name in my marriage certificate...I-130 has got the Maiden name....what should I do if I really want to have my married name?

I changed mine during citizenship.If your green card has your maiden name,I believe your SSN will be issued under that name .If you want to change it legally you have to get a court order so they can do a petition for name change and you will use that document to update your name .

[Frenchwife 1]

on the marriage certificate it is aboslutely normal to have the maiden name. what else could you have?

When marrying You don't really change name you just use your husband's.