Getting Married

[Abby62 23]

Next Saturday we are getting married in Canada. It will take a few weeks before we receive the official marriage "certificate". Should I change my name at that point and then we can submit the CR-1 in my new married name? Or does it matter? Where can you read the specifics on what to do for this?

Thanks

[besaangel 18]

I changed my name at the signing of the marriage certificate so as to do all forms and documents in my new surname.

[sdw 10]

Your visa will be issued to the name in your passport.

[Abby62 23]

Your visa will be issued to the name in your passport.

So does this mean I HAVE to change my name? Once i'm in the USA can I do all of this afterwards???

[besaangel 18]

You dont have to but to avoid delays, its a recommendation, especially if u plan on doing it anyways

[sdw 10]

You don't HAVE to, however if your passport has your maiden name that is what your visa and green card will have. Hopefully someone can let you know how hard it maybe to change once in the US.

[pushbrk 13,189]

Next Saturday we are getting married in Canada. It will take a few weeks before we receive the official marriage "certificate". Should I change my name at that point and then we can submit the CR-1 in my new married name? Or does it matter? Where can you read the specifics on what to do for this?

Thanks

If you're changing your name at marriage then on the wedding day is the best time to do it. Then, you use the marriage certificate as the basis for changing any identification cards, driver license and passport etc. You do not need to complete all the document changes prior to filing the petition but if the wife is the foreigner applying for a visa, she should change the name in her passport before the visa interview.

[Marina-Del 10]

If you do want to change your name, then you need to do it before applying for the visa. Because once you apply for the visa and have the interview and your GC is issued, it will be the name on your passport and that card will be with you for the next 10 years (or 3 if you get citizenship!). I'm sure there is a process to change the name on your GC as well, but it would be so much easier for you to change your name prior to applying for the visa, wouldn't it?

Good luck and congrats on the upcoming wedding!

[Canadiandggal 49]

Uhhh let me see We applied for the Cr-1 In My new married last name. However I still had a few documents. Such as My passport to change which I still have to change before the interview. I would change it all as soon as possible to avoid confusion.

It is up to you as which name you plan on using in the future, like said before whatever is on your passport will be the name the visa is issued under.

[pushbrk 13,189]

Uhhh let me see We applied for the Cr-1 In My new married last name. However I still had a few documents. Such as My passport to change which I still have to change before the interview. I would change it all as soon as possible to avoid confusion.

It is up to you as which name you plan on using in the future, like said before whatever is on your passport will be the name the visa is issued under.

At the interview, when you sign part II of the DS 230 is when you applied for a visa. The petitioner "filed a petition" before you changed your passport etc.

Interchanging the terms "filing a petition" with "apply for a visa" causes a lot of confusion in these discussions so it's best use the correct terms.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

My advice is simple: don't change your name at all, unless you have a very good reason to do so, i.e., you always hated your name or your name is so foreign sounding that Americans have a hard time pronouncing it.

More and more people in the Western World now keep their names when getting married. Good examples: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock and Jesse James, and Just Bob and his wife.

Luckily, the USA recognizes the trend to keep one's identity and thus there's no need to change your name ever, unless you get called into the witness protection program.

Other than that, it's a personal choice and especially from an immigrant's perspective, there are more reasons why you might want to keep your name than the other way around. One search on this Web site about people having tons of problems related to their name change will give you plenty of food for thought.

[antoneya 9]

To make your life easier you should change your name before you apply or after everything is done and you got your GC.

Doing a name change in the middle of the process would be a pain in the you know what...

If you do change your name just make sure you change it on everything and the names on all your documents matches each other.

[Marina-Del 10]

We got married back in October 2009 and I still have my maiden name although I use my husbands name on everything that isn't official. MY FB is changed, my email, ect. But as we were married in Brazil, I didn't want to change my name here. Because if I -USC- change my name in Brazil what does that actually do?? I'm American, my drivers license is American, my passport, ect. So I am waiting until we get back to the states. Once we get back to the states I'll change my name, and then at the same time change all of the other documents that we have. Although come to think of it, I might need to then change our marriage certificate here in Brazil. Arg...what a pain!! As Just Bob said, there is NO NEED to change your name, but if you're like me, and you really want to then go for it!! But there is a time and a place and the best time for you and the best place for you is RIGHT NOW IN CANADA...before you really get this process rolling!

[quique 0]

I like to piggy back on this discussion with a question, so whatever name appears on the petitionee's foreign passport will appear on the visa and GC? Is that correct?

My foreing wife, who I started an I-130 petition last month, does not have a passport yet and just changed her name on her peruvian ID card to Jane Doe-Smith...I'm guessing it would read as such on her passport as well and thus on visa and GC I'm guessing.

[celiothrkn 0]

Like what was said before, changing last name during marriage is probably the easiest since the visa is issued according to the name in the passport.

Otherwise you will have to wait approximately 2 years after marriage until you have to remove conditions on green card. At that point, file the I-751 (to remove conditions) using married name. The resulting 10-years green card should then have married name.