Name change after marriage

[franklie 0]

I don't know where this topic belongs so I'm putting it here in the OT forum.

My wife and I were married in the US. The marriage certificate shows her full name and my full name. We have applied for a CR1 visa and are currently awaiting a response from the NVC as to an interview date at Cd Juarez. She is continues to work and live in her home country as the immigration process slowly moves forward.

She wants to take my last name as hers and wants to have her "green card" and her SSN with her name having my last name. Eventually she would like to change her last name on her documents from her home country.

My question is; other than applying for a name change via the US courts is there a document or form that will allow her to change her last name so that her official documents from the US ("green card" and her SS card) will have the new last name?

Thanks in advance for any help that is given.

[M.O 6]

omg this questions is asked 100 times lol....

Heres the link might be helpful...

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=186746

[mr and mrs 187]

im sure it is asked an awful lot, but i havent come across anything too concrete about the process.

i think what works in one state doesnt work in all states.

does anyone know if there is a specific VJ guide that explains the name change in detail? or a pinned thread?

maybe it is best to contact your town clerk (who issues marriage licenses), or the DMV (that issue state identification cards/driving licenses), or the social security office (that issue SS cards). they will each tell you what they would need from you to put the name you want on your documents.

i guess this is what i have decided to do. so that i can hear if from the horse's mouth. mouths, really.

[Krikit 1,165]

My question is; other than applying for a name change via the US courts is there a document or form that will allow her to change her last name so that her official documents from the US ("green card" and her SS card) will have the new last name?

Yes. The document is your marriage certificate.

[Moldovandish 0]

It does depend on the state you're in, but I'd say once you have the marriage certificate, she would go with it to the Social Security office and they would issue a card with the new last name. Then she would go to the DMV with the new SSN card. But like said above, you would need to check the web-sites of those offices to see exactly what other documents besides the marriage certificate they would need.

[V-G-1 1]

have you filed 485 yet? If not, thats great, the 485 package will be her first official documents request--and so to get the whole thing started right from the beginning, she should fill out the 485 package using your last name....this way, the green card, AP, EAD will be in you last name, and thus so will her future SS card, and as a result her Driver's license too.

Other than that, no need for courts etc.--thats only required when she already is established here--but if shes not yet (hasnt filed 485 yet), then you do it from the beginning