Name Change

[GemandDan 0]

Ok, so I am totally confused about how to change my name and if or when it should be done.

I have just got married and would like to change my last name to my husband's and have it changed on my passport. Should and can I do this? Do I need to keep my old passport with my maiden name and K1 Visa in it so I can apply for my adjustment of status, or is it alright to have a new passport with my married name and no K1 Visa in it?

Or should I change my name after I have my visa and then have my visa and passport reissued in my married name?

Or should I even bother at all?

HELP!!!

[BermyCat 1]

I did the AOS paperwork in my married name. Once I had my green card, I applied for a new passport in my new last name.

You're probably best off asking in the Australia forums though. I've got no idea how comples it is to get an Australian passport reissued in your married name.

~ Catherine

[LiveStrange 0]

If you ask for a new passport you will have to take both passports with you everywhere you go, and send copies of BOTH of them to USCIS...

I had to renew my passport because it was going to expire, and they always ask me for the one with the visa and for the one that is unexpired.

If I was you I would wait until getting the Green Card to change your last name in the passport (which is what I am going to do), just to have less papers to send....

Even though I didn't mess with my passport I did change my name for my driver's license, utility bills, lease agreement, etc (I live in USA) and just in case I always carry with me my marriage license, so if anyone has questions about why my drivers license has a different name than my passport, it is because I just got married...

Oh, and I filed everything for USCIS with my married name. Also, most documents I have sent are with married name, and some with maiden name...

I don't think it really matters what name you use, as long as you are not doing it for fraudulent reasons... you can use your maiden name because it is your original name, and you can use your married name because you got married.

Edited May 30, 2009 by LiveStrange

[sunshine2 0]

Ok, so I am totally confused about how to change my name and if or when it should be done.

I have just got married and would like to change my last name to my husband's and have it changed on my passport. Should and can I do this? Do I need to keep my old passport with my maiden name and K1 Visa in it so I can apply for my adjustment of status, or is it alright to have a new passport with my married name and no K1 Visa in it?

Or should I change my name after I have my visa and then have my visa and passport reissued in my married name?

Or should I even bother at all?

HELP!!!

This is what I did and it has worked really well so far! After wedding, I applied for AOS, EAD etc in married name (just put maiden name where it asks for any other names/name on passport or I-94 etc). Then you can get SSN, driving license, bank account etc etc all in married name. I have read about a lot of people who have had difficulty trying to change their name on everything at a later date so I really do recommend doing this straight out. As for your passport, you can travel with your passport still in maiden name as long as you book tickets also in maiden name and carry marriage license with you just in case. I'm not sure how it works for Australia but to get a new British passport I need to send my old one to the Embassy in Washington DC. I am not going to do this until after I have my greencard in hand and don't need to travel for a few months (coz who knows how long it will take)! Good luck!