Name Change

[jay-bee 0]

I requested a name change on N400 by hyphenating my maiden name to my married name (my greencard is on my married name only). Now, I am hearing that name change delays oath-taking. I really really wanted to get US passport by mid-June due to a business travel (it is easier to travel on US passport). My interview is on May 18th (San Diego) and it looks like the oath-taking in San Diego is once every month. This will probably put me on mid-June oath taking. However, I am worried that because of the name change, it may delay me to July or August oath taking.

2 questions:

1. Can I still retract the name change during the interview? In the hopes that I will have my oath taking faster?

2. If I retract my name change request, and get my naturalization certificate on the original name, how can I later change it? Is the process costly and take longer time?

Thank you!!!

[rebelheart 0]

I got interview last dec 2009. IO said I cannot used my father's name as middle name, bcoz my maiden name is the one i used in my BC which is the legal document they follow. That's the reason why they looking up for BC when you have N400 interview. This was only for female case, and i knew I'm not the only one experienced it, I had same Field office, a filipina too with the same case.

So we both asked for name change , judicial oath rather than getting the same day oath taking. Bcoz all our Social security,creditcard, drivers license was in our fathers name as middle name. In order to change it, the IO offer us judicial oath but it will take time. Eventhough we will try to get the oath afternoon, we still need to do change name in county courthouse that will take more months as well as into their office, the difference is the judicial oath they offered is free but you need to wait. The county courthouse is not free, plus u need to put it on ads in newspaper for 1-2 mos. and wait for court sched. for change name.

So both of us took judicial oath that is free.... had my interview Dec 2009, it's April now haven't got judicial oath sched yet and even my status on the website says for interview and exams.. done lot of phone calls and still "wait for the mail of ur sched." is the answer.

Remember taking the oath means you gonna surrender your 10 yrs GC, and you need to apply for us passport in able for u to get out/in of the US. Everything takes time .......... there is no short cut. whichever you choose will still lose you months of processing.

Gudluck!

I requested a name change on N400 by hyphenating my maiden name to my married name (my greencard is on my married name only). Now, I am hearing that name change delays oath-taking. I really really wanted to get US passport by mid-June due to a business travel (it is easier to travel on US passport). My interview is on May 18th (San Diego) and it looks like the oath-taking in San Diego is once every month. This will probably put me on mid-June oath taking. However, I am worried that because of the name change, it may delay me to July or August oath taking.

2 questions:

1. Can I still retract the name change during the interview? In the hopes that I will have my oath taking faster?

2. If I retract my name change request, and get my naturalization certificate on the original name, how can I later change it? Is the process costly and take longer time?

Thank you!!!

[jay-bee 0]

thanks rebelheart! I feel like i don't want to do the name change and rather get my oath taking asap. And then, deal with it via the court or judicial oath on a later time. The only difference we have is that what I have in my GC is: First name, Middle name (in BC which was my mother's unmarried last name, not my father's), Married Name. So, I think in USCIS' perspective this is what they want based on your experience.

What I put on name change is: First Name, Middle Name (again same as BC which was my mother's unmarried last name, not my father's), Last name is: Father's last name- Married name (so I am hyphenating my maiden name to the married name)

So, given the fact that I have the "correct name" in GC, can I still retract my name change request during the interview? I wanted to take the oath asap!

(By the way, a USCIS officer (a Pinoy) told me I could have used my maiden name (i.e. my father's last name) as my middle name when he saw my GC. This was when I got an info pass for something else and showed him my GC for identification - it was just his comment. Maybe it is widely known and accepted here in San Diego because there is a lot of Pinoys and USCIS here is used to getting / approving middle name as your maiden name)

[rebelheart 0]

Yep it's case to case basis and how lucky you are having an accommodating IO in your interview, that won't give you too much hassle like we had here in Atl.

So u mean is this -> ur GC right now is lisa marie presley, and you want it to be -> lisa marie presley-jackson???

That I don't have any idea .. you see the only proof you could show unto that is your marriage certificate, to change your name. What you want to dis, as your interview done and you pass it. Be open to the IO and mentioned this to him/her. If they say they can't do it that way and a court change name needs to be done, then stick to your name on your GC, because it really will take some time to do this process of change name. Since you need it badly asap.

Me, if i go for same day oath in Immigration with diff name on my cards, after my oath I need to do visit the social security to change my status but it wont be the same name in their system, as well as with the DMV. So we stick to judicial, to process everything in one time after the oath with less hassle than calling every credit cards and offices for having a diff name as a citizen.

Have a good day!

thanks rebelheart! I feel like i don't want to do the name change and rather get my oath taking asap. And then, deal with it via the court or judicial oath on a later time. The only difference we have is that what I have in my GC is: First name, Middle name (in BC which was my mother's unmarried last name, not my father's), Married Name. So, I think in USCIS' perspective this is what they want based on your experience.

What I put on name change is: First Name, Middle Name (again same as BC which was my mother's unmarried last name, not my father's), Last name is: Father's last name- Married name (so I am hyphenating my maiden name to the married name)

So, given the fact that I have the "correct name" in GC, can I still retract my name change request during the interview? I wanted to take the oath asap!

(By the way, a USCIS officer (a Pinoy) told me I could have used my maiden name (i.e. my father's last name) as my middle name when he saw my GC. This was when I got an info pass for something else and showed him my GC for identification - it was just his comment. Maybe it is widely known and accepted here in San Diego because there is a lot of Pinoys and USCIS here is used to getting / approving middle name as your maiden name)

[jay-bee 0]

hi,

Right now I have the GC as Lisa Marie Jackson. I want to change it to Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson. (And btw, that was an excellent analogy from you!) And oops, i was just told by someone that it will be better if I dont use hyphen like Lisa Marie Presley Jackson - so legally either way I can use Presley or Jackson independently in any legal documents .

So, I think based on what you said that if IO tells me I need judicial oath for the name I want, I can tell him, forget about my request, I will use my GC name. RIght now, for me, it is important to get the Naturalization Cert than my preference on name. And I will just deal with it after the fact...

Thank you so much!!!!