Change my name or not??

[Marilyn. 340]

I changed my name in the middle of the visa process.. it didn't really cost me any significant time or money...

[trailmix 77]

(I know some men who throw fits if you don't take their name.)

And people marry them

[antda 13]

Hi AandB,

In answer to your questions:

If you are going to get your name changed to your married name, do it right away, as it's going to be more of a hassle to get it changed afterwards when all the paperwork is already done. I don't think you'd want to deal with the immigration officials, government agencies, employment/workplace, family, friends, etc. or any other people who you need your married name for, more than you should have to in order to notify them of your married name change!

Likewise, I am old-fashioned in that regard too, and have pretty much everything in my married last name. As for my own situation, regarding the married last name, I am using that new married last name instead of my old maiden last name. I like my married last name, and I love my husband and feel that this is respectful for him and his family. I overall hated my maiden last name, which I had no connection with my former family, and growing up my former maiden last name caused a lot of confusion and I was made fun of quite a bit because of it. Besides, why get rid of a good tradition of changing women's last names when they get married? It has worked for many years throughout history that women change their last names when they marry, so why shouldn't it work now? After all, by having the same last name, doesn't one feel more connected to their new married family too?

As well,

-If one needs to travel internationally with their married last name and need a new married name passport, they would have to re-apply all over again for a new Canadian passport...(using the 'difficult' general application process forms, as the simplified application process forms cannot be used for married name changes)...grrr....For more information as to applying for a Canadian passport read here: http://www.ppt.gc.ca...x.aspx?lang=eng

-I also have the following documents/identifications:

Expired Old Canadian Passport (maiden name, but with married name paper notation)

Valid New Canadian Passport (married name)

US Green Cards (married name) (note: I filed for the AOS/I-485 and I-751 in my married name)

US Certificate of Naturalization (married name) (with "married" as marital status on it)

US Driver's License (married name)

US SSN Card (married name)

Marriage certificate with me (maiden and married names)

Canadian Citizenship/Naturalization card (maiden name, very outdated)

Other US Cards and/or Identification (bank cards, credit cards, medical cards, legal documents, etc.) (married name)

-I only notified Revenue Canada/Elections Canada (with the "final tax return", to protect myself from tax fraud) (married name)

-Social Insurance (Human Resources Canada) as I didn't need new card and I wouldn't be working in Canada (maiden name)

-I didn't notify OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance) as my card already expired (maiden name)

-I didn't notify the MTO (Ministry of Transportation) as my license was transfered and destroyed here by the DMV (maiden name) -I also closed up my Canadian bank account in Canada. (maiden name)

Anyone else I need to notify, I can't think of, government-wise and financial-wise that I should notify, and haven't done such.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your name change and good luck with the rest of your immigration journey too.

Ant

Edited May 19, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[Bern. 3]

I'm the same. I didn't have any problems changing my name and I'm glad I did, but I do miss my old name at times. I know that when we have kids it'll be nice to all have one name.

The hardest transition for me has been work-wise and just being able to relate to my name.

I have a spanish last name now and I'm the whitest girl ever, so it can be annoying to explain to people by I have a spanish last name (my husband isn't spanish either, ha). I grew up with an Austrian last name, so I miss it... it really was a part of who I was and my heritage.

But my new name is now who I am now and I'm OK with that completely. And this is going to sound vain but if my husband has a really ugly last name I would've kept my maiden name because it was pretty nice.

This was pretty much my life.

I married last year when I was 19, and I was soo inlove with my irish last name. My last name now is African. (Its funny though since I'm visually asian but my name is so..white LOL) It actually took me about 4 months to switch my name over...basically, when NVC started was when I switched, got passport in married name, etc just because I couldn't let go...but since we'd already started the whole immigration under my married name, had to stick with it. :S

[AandB 3]

Thanks for all your replies! And thanks Ant+D+BabyA for adding details about what you changed and not, it's useful info.

I still have no idea if i'll change my name as nobody in my family is married and my family would want me to keep my maiden name. It's just too complicated because i have both my parent's last name, and it's totally french so an english person has troubles to pronounce it My fiancé is good with both ideas of keeping my maiden name/changing it to his name. To me, i'd like to keep my last name as it shows my ties to my parents and my canadian education/culture. It's just easier to take my fiancé's last name so people can pronounce it hehe! Difficult dilema.

I have to keep thinking about it!

[Arabella 4]

Thanks everybody for the very helpful replies!

So if i understand correctly, if my passport is canadian, but only do the change of name in the USA, i can keep my passport as it is? I guess the SSN and other stuff i have to do in the US would be in my married name. The only thing weird about the diploma is that i have to put it on the wall when i'll be working in a clinic.

I'll keep thinking about it, your help is appreciated!

I have both of my diplomas on the wall in my office and they have a different last name. One of my coworkers actually has a different last name on each of her diplomas (bachelors is maiden name, masters is first married name, now she is remarried with a new last name). I think for women it is not a big deal. People know that you have a maiden name and a married name. It's kinda neat to see the diploma and know what your name used to be.

And I don't think you can request a new diploma in your married name, but let me know if you can.

Edited May 20, 2010 by Arabella

[Hugglebuggles 60]

I changed my last name and it was a little bit of an ordeal. Long story short, when I went to get a CO state license it was discovered that my name was entered into the SAVE system as my maiden name, since that was my name at the time of my POE. However since I got married and applied for AOS in my married name all of my immigration documentation from AOS (NOA's, EAD, AP) were in my new married name name. Despite USCIS knowing I changed my name and who I am, the change was never keyed in the system. It took me 10 weeks to go through SAVE to have my identify manually verified only for them to tell me they didn't know who I am. I ended up having to make an Infopass appointment with USCIS here in Denver to have them manually change my information in the system. It took me longer to get a State ID then it did for me to get my GC.

With that said, I don't regret changing my name. It was a little bit of a fight but I'm happy to have my husbands last name, and he's very happy I decided to take it. When dealing with immigration you never know if and when you'll encounter a tough situation- it can happen anytime with any process for any reason. I don't think we should base an extremely personal decision like changing our names on how immigrations may or may not react to it. Do what you want to do for your own personal reasons.

My degree is in my maiden name and I don't have an issue with it. I won't bother trying to get it changed. I agree Arabella, for women I don't think it's a big deal. When you see a different name, you almost just assume it was because she got married and changed it.

I went from an extremely English last name to another extremely English last name

[MacTO 6]

Maybe it is a personal preference. My USC wife didn't wish to change her last name to mine. She didn't wish to spend time and money on so much paperwork. So, I guess it is.

Anyway, the only time I noticed on VJ that it becomes a headache is when you have to renew your Canadian passport. If you have changed your last name, then you cannot renew your passport by simply using Simplified Passport Renewal Rules, which is very convenient and fast. If you don't mind extra time and work to get that done or you don't worry about renewing your passport before you become a US citizen, then I guess it doesn't really matter.

Cheers.

[kizza 1]

This article shows different options:

http://marriage.about.com/cs/namechange/a/namechange.htm

I also have a very unique french name. It's 11-letters long and even french people have a hard time pronouncing it right, so forget about anglos! So Id like to take my fiancé's name socially, because I like it, it sounds good and it is so much simpler to say, no need to spell it, but officially keep my maiden name, because Im attached to it. Ive also made a name for myself in my field of work in the past 10+ years, so it is another reason to keep my "old" name.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I chose to keep my maiden name and am glad that I did. My maiden name is somewhat unique while my husband's name is quite ordinary - and yes, people have trouble pronouncing my name . I found it was a big help with immigrating not to have to go through the process of changing a name as well as everything else. I had lived 49 years with that name, had published under it, had my professional life under it, basically, had my whole identity with that name. I was giving up my country, my job, my friends and my family - I figured that was enough. If I gave up my name it would be like giving up 'me'. My husband was actually the first one to raise the issue even before I had thought about it. He said basically he had no problems if I wanted to keep my maiden name. I thought about it then and realized that I did.

The humorous thing about keeping your maiden name is that people don't always know how to address you or 'take' your relationship. I receive mail addressed to me with both last names and sometimes without any last name ! At work one time a co-worker came up and said that the others were wondering about why my name was different from my husbands and wondered if there was a problem with my marriage! (Traditional Old South ). So I explained and while some of them didn't 'approve', they understood.

So for me I kept my maiden name, I have no regrets, and the relocation process has definitely been 'easier' because of it.

Edited May 21, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Kimbear 53]

I switched everything to my husbands last name right after we were married. All my id except my Canadian passport are in the married name. I went from a scottish name that i was teased and bugged about to a german name that makes my entire name 23 letters long to sign LOL. I never am able to fit it on cheques or anything now

For me i'm not worried about my passport, as i dont have any ties or family really left in canada, and i intend to do nauralization in 3 years. My cdn passport will still be valid as i just got it last year, so once i'm naturalized i can just get a us passport in my married name and not worry about the hassle of renewing the cdn one. And truth be told i love my husbands last name and it makes us both happy i chose to take it.

If only i could remember every now andn then to sign that insted of the automatic reaction of signing my maiden one or using my old initials LOL.

[Peachey 10]

I also struggled with changing my last name.

I decided to take my husbands last name to honour him. I told him it was my wedding present to him.

What also influenced my decision is I found out that his last name was like the 93,000th most popular last name in the US, where as my maiden name is like the 42nd most popular last name in the US. There's like 6 people with our last name in the county, and I know them all!

[Tick Tock 3]

Hey there folks, interesting thread.

I have a rather naive question to ask.

I got married in the state of Tennessee. After the marriage certificate was issued, I do not recall filling out any additional paperwork, nor do I have any paperwork in my possession to indicate a name change.

Now, here's the naivety... In talking to other people, I got under the impression that my maiden name was replaced by my husband's surname upon marriage. Is this true? I have relatives who, I do not think, ended up filing any paperwork but have since marriage used their husband's surname.

See the following for Common Law Rule (which now has me more confused)

http://marriage.about.com/od/namechange/g/commonlawrule.htm

I have been signing documents using my husband's surname - nothing major mind you.

Should I stop using this new signature and sign my maiden name?

As for all of those AOS papers I've been working on - should I use my maiden name?

Did anyone get hassled at their interviews for keeping their maiden name rather than switching?

I like my last name a lot (it is Italian). I dislike my first name for it is hyphenated and has caused me so much trouble. In fact, it seems my marriage certificate may be filled incorrectly despite my best efforts at talking very slow and explaining things as clearly as possible. I believe they've put my name as "BLAH- BLAH" - there should be no space after the hyphen and it seems like they put the second "BLAH" as a middle name rather than a continuation of my first name. Unfortunately, I need to renew my passport before I can pursue this, in case I need to fix my marriage certificate (which will require ID faxed). Passport will remain in maiden name as I have no documents of evidence to show surname change; marriage certificate is not primary evidence but may be requested.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Tick Tock

[The_Dude 1,142]

I told him it was my wedding present to him.

I think most husbands would prefer a BJ as a wedding present

[Sprailenes 47]

I think most husbands would prefer a BJ as a wedding present

Word.