Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date

[alex and astrid 38]

Hmmm....so once we are married, we just contact our closest australian embassy and get our name changed there? Does that mean getting a new passport, or they just change something in our passport to note the change? I still have more than six years left on mine, would be a shame to have to get a new one!

There's no rule saying that you absolutely must change your name on your passport

Oh...but doesn't it make it easier when you are travelling, since my married name will be on everything else? Or do I travel with a copy of my marriage licence?

[kaffy 2]

It could make it easier to travel internationally since the name on your ticket must match your passport

[kaffy 2]

I did some googling and I think I found what Vanessa was talking about:

A gratis passport (i.e. free of charge) will only be issued if you apply for your new passport within 12 months of your marriage. The passport being replaced should have at least 2 years validity remaining otherwise you will be unable to replace the gratis document using the streamlined renewal process. In these circumstances, the new passport would only be issued up to the date of validity of the current passport. In all other circumstances, the full fee will have to be paid for a new passport.

Source: https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/FAQ.aspx#faq10

Believe it's only the case if you're an Aussie citizen through birth.. if you are a citizen through naturalization you still have to change your citizenship certificate details first (as in my case)

[alex and astrid 38]

Ok, I come under than then, since I am Australian by birth. This is good to know....and another thing I add to my to do list once I am married!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I did some googling and I think I found what Vanessa was talking about:

A gratis passport (i.e. free of charge) will only be issued if you apply for your new passport within 12 months of your marriage. The passport being replaced should have at least 2 years validity remaining otherwise you will be unable to replace the gratis document using the streamlined renewal process. In these circumstances, the new passport would only be issued up to the date of validity of the current passport. In all other circumstances, the full fee will have to be paid for a new passport.

Source: https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/FAQ.aspx#faq10

Believe it's only the case if you're an Aussie citizen through birth.. if you are a citizen through naturalization you still have to change your citizenship certificate details first (as in my case)

Thanks for answering that for me Kaffy I knew about it through my sister but hadn't actually looked it up myself

As for the "6 years left" thing... yeah it sucks BUT you could always think of it as gaining another 4 years free of charge...

I know I don't NEED to register the marriage in Australia but it just makes so much more sense for me to do so seeing I will be traveling back to Australia and so using my Aussie passport and having my Green card in my married name, but my passport in my maiden name might get confuseing... I also think I'd get confused and sign the "wrong" name when trying to use my "old" name and people (i.e. immigration) might think I was trying to do something suss.. plus I AM married and I would like my country to know and recognise it

So... I should probably get a good start on all the AOS paperwork. I need to remember to do the AP and EAD applications at the same time... is there anything else anyone can think of? Aside from how poor I'm going to be forking out the $1K I need :S totally worth it though now and SO much better now that I am WITH Tony rather than all alone for that LONG 6 months of waiting.

Oh so marriage name-change check list too: ---

- SS card

- drivers licence (US and Aussie)

- Passport(s)

- email addresses (registered names and in my case, an "official" email address for job apps that was "surname.v" and now I have a NEW surname i need a new email )

- medicare card / insurance info - including checking your rings insurance/warranty to see if it's in your maiden name

- bank accounts & cards (remembering it could take some time and to check whether your "old" card will remain valid until you register the new one... Tony's becomes invalid while waiting for a new card from his small town bank so he can't access his account at ATM's until he gets the new one)

- Will (I need to write a new one now. Remember that marriage makes your will null and void.. probably can't hurt to get new Powers of Attorney drawn up either)

- Mortgages / titles - makes sure you change the name on your house title and car registration etc to reflect your new name.. (this doesn't apply to me yet though )

- store cards

- computer registration / warranty information - my laptop is still registered to "maiden name"

- Post office / post office box! - In the US if my name isn't on the post box (we live in an apartment and it also happened at Tony's house when I sent myself stuff) I don't get mail so I'm going to leave it as "maiden name" until I get everything changed over

- Tax office

- Electoral roll

- Superannuation fund

- Gas, water, electricity & rental agreement - anything apartment related.. like cable/internet etc

Wow... I have a lot of work to do! Spose it'll give me something "fun" to do while waiting 3 months to start working! AND I will need to make sure the name on my AOS forms (which give me my green card "name") match my other info 'cause otherwise employers might get confused... /sigh. There should be a new timeline for all this stuff

[kaffy 2]

Hehe good luck with the AOS and name change! another thing you should add to your to do list - change the dates on your signature timeline to month/date format because you're American now and your dates confuse me

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hehe good luck with the AOS and name change! another thing you should add to your to do list - change the dates on your signature timeline to month/date format because you're American now and your dates confuse me

just for you I changed it.. a compromise 'cause I still think day/month makes more sense!

[zaskar 0]

****** news flash ******

Got my interview date Dec 1st 8 am

WOW it is so close now, I am so nervous about what they will ask and what I need to take etc it is crazy.

I am booking my flights tonight, what is the hotel near there again as I will fly down night before since it is a 8am interview time.

Jason

[Deb+Steve 13]

Side note to the Aussie girls changing their names after marriage - if you do it within the first year of marriage it's FREE so.. saving of like $200. I don't know about my UK passport though. It's about to expire anyway.. ugh.. more money.

Hey Vanessa do you have more info on this? I've been married nearly 3 years and still havent changed my name in Australia yet (I use my married name as my legal name here though).

I tried doing it back in Aus (after we had married and before we moved to the US) but the QLD BDM registry gave me the run around saying that they couldnt accept my o/s marriage certificate and that I would have to file a legal name change... which I had to wait 12 months for since I had to re-establish residency.

We ended up moving over to the US one day before I reached that residency requirement so I emailed the Aussie Embassy here as to how to go about doing it. Come to find out they CAN accept o/s marriage certificates... but since I'm an Aussie citizen through naturalization I would have to change my name on that first, THEN submit a name change for my passport - such a PITA!

Since I have to present original documents I will probably do it in person when I am in DC next year. If there is a simpler way I would love to hear!!

thanks

Hey Kaffy - I tried as well (a naturalised Australian) and there is no other way so I will do the Qld BDM legal name change while I am still living here. I sure would like an easier way too as it takes them at least 6 weeks to process (unless you pay extra of course). The whole proving residency is a PITA!

Edited November 16, 2009 by Don'tWhateverMe

[alex and astrid 38]

Side note to the Aussie girls changing their names after marriage - if you do it within the first year of marriage it's FREE so.. saving of like $200. I don't know about my UK passport though. It's about to expire anyway.. ugh.. more money.

Hey Vanessa do you have more info on this? I've been married nearly 3 years and still havent changed my name in Australia yet (I use my married name as my legal name here though).

I tried doing it back in Aus (after we had married and before we moved to the US) but the QLD BDM registry gave me the run around saying that they couldnt accept my o/s marriage certificate and that I would have to file a legal name change... which I had to wait 12 months for since I had to re-establish residency.

We ended up moving over to the US one day before I reached that residency requirement so I emailed the Aussie Embassy here as to how to go about doing it. Come to find out they CAN accept o/s marriage certificates... but since I'm an Aussie citizen through naturalization I would have to change my name on that first, THEN submit a name change for my passport - such a PITA!

Since I have to present original documents I will probably do it in person when I am in DC next year. If there is a simpler way I would love to hear!!

thanks

Hey Kaffy - I tried as well (a naturalised Australian) and there is no other way so I will do the Qld BDM legal name change while I am still living here. I sure would like an easier way too as it takes them at least 6 weeks to process (unless you pay extra of course). The whole proving residency is a PITA!

What is the go if you an a citizen by birth - can I do the name change while I am overseas of should I change my name while I am here too??

[alex and astrid 38]

**shakes fist at stupid edit function**

Attention all Aussies that are about to undertake/have already recently done AOS - what was the deal with your vaccination supplement? I read in another forum thread that we need a TB skin test done as part of that, but from my understanding, we all just had chest xrays done, no skin test. Did you have to go to a US doctor to get a TB skin test done, then have it transcribed over to your supplement. I am fairly confused.

Side note, I called QLD police HQ and it looks like I will have my police check in the next day or so. Yay!

[Giggles 1]

Hey everyone,

Finally I have some good news to share, NVC have our approved petition. YAY!!!!!!!! I'm soooo happy and relieved right now!!

My fiance received a letter from USCIS on Saturday saying our petition had been sent to NVC (we didn't get our hopes up though). So I call NVC tonight (first thing this morning US time) and they confirmed they received our petition on Friday the 13th (not such a day of bad luck for us ). I had to contain my excitement while I was on the phone, I was jumping with joy on the inside.

We still have no idea why it took almost 8 weeks to get there but I'm not concerned about that anymore. NVC have our file and that is such a weight off our minds. I guess all our persistence and harassing USCIS to locate our file finally payed off. Fingers crossed that we don't go into AP and there are not more problems for the rest of our journey.

[kaffy 2]

Hey Kaffy - I tried as well (a naturalised Australian) and there is no other way so I will do the Qld BDM legal name change while I am still living here. I sure would like an easier way too as it takes them at least 6 weeks to process (unless you pay extra of course). The whole proving residency is a PITA!

Good luck with the BDM.. they were really unhelpful to me in my emails when I contacted them a few yrs ago, hope they have improved since. Try and find out if you need to change your name on your citizenship cert too, better to do it while you are there and have all your documents handy.

edit to add-

actually i think u are ok with just one or the other

Passports are issued in your name at birth or citizenship. They may be issued in a different name if you have a name change document issued by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM) or an amended citizenship certificate issued by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/FAQ.aspx#faq10

Edited November 16, 2009 by kaffy

[lyekka 5]

****** news flash ******

Got my interview date Dec 1st 8 am

WOW it is so close now, I am so nervous about what they will ask and what I need to take etc it is crazy.

I am booking my flights tonight, what is the hotel near there again as I will fly down night before since it is a 8am interview time.

Jason

Hey Zaskar Congrats on your interview date! What day did you send packet 3 on? And when did you receive packet 4? Im flying over on the 27th and we are hoping to land an interview while I'm there with Damo. Want to see if they are still holding on the two week trend for them. Thanks!]

Jules

[Warren and Cindy 6]

****** news flash ******

Got my interview date Dec 1st 8 am

WOW it is so close now, I am so nervous about what they will ask and what I need to take etc it is crazy.

I am booking my flights tonight, what is the hotel near there again as I will fly down night before since it is a 8am interview time.

Jason

I stayed at Travelodge Phillip Street, its like 10 min walk from the train line to/from the airport (St James Station) and the same distance to the MLC centre

Note on the MLC centre, enterance is via corner King Street and Castlereagh Street

Edited November 16, 2009 by Warren and Cindy