Question for the female American citizens

[sammy060382 1]

Hi everyone,

I have a quick question for the female American citizens who are bringing over their non-American husband to the States. I recently realized that I will need to get a new SSN details with my new married name. I'm wondering if everyone else here did the same before or during their spouses immigration process. For those that didn't, were there any challenges with your SSN still being linked to your old name?

Thanks in advance,

- Sam

[CanadianRedneck 8]

I wasn't aware that the guys had to change their name...my wife took my last name, lol.

[CanadianRedneck 8]

Anyways, if you're curious about the US CITIZEN wives...my wife changed her name at the Social Security office..same SSN number. She had to show the marriage certificate/decree. Then after that..her driver's license...and now she's working on getting her passport changed to her new last name. kapish? lol

[CanadianRedneck 8]

She did it along the way..most important is the SSN name change..then we filed...after that you can deal with those other things during the process...although I wouldn't take forever..because they will at some point run a background check, and if you haven't changed it, they'll ask for an RFE as to why you didn't change your last name to your new married name...suspicious of a sham marriage.

[Ribs & Beans 19]

She did it along the way..most important is the SSN name change..then we filed...after that you can deal with those other things during the process...although I wouldn't take forever..because they will at some point run a background check, and if you haven't changed it, they'll ask for an RFE as to why you didn't change your last name to your new married name...suspicious of a sham marriage.

Hmmm, I've never heard of anybody getting an RFE for this. Do you have links to any threads? Or has anyone here personally gotten one?

[CanadianRedneck 8]

I said ya MIGHT get an RFE...common sense..you get married..do the name changes..otherwise they're like How come you didn't change your name to your married name? I know if i was adjudicating a case..I'd be like..hmmm...they've been married for this long and she hasn't changed her name on anything yet..

[monyfer 27]

really? is this an issue? i know a lot of married couples where the woman chooses to keep her maiden name....My fiance´s last name is very difficult for Americans to pronounce so i was planning on probably keeping my maiden name...

[CanadianRedneck 8]

she can get it hyphenated on her SSN...or they just might ask for more info on why..wouldn't you be suspicious? I'm just looking at it from the other end.

[Ribs & Beans 19]

I said ya MIGHT get an RFE...common sense..you get married..do the name changes..otherwise they're like How come you didn't change your name to your married name? I know if i was adjudicating a case..I'd be like..hmmm...they've been married for this long and she hasn't changed her name on anything yet..

Actually, you didn't say "MIGHT." You said "THEY'LL [ask for an RFE]," as in "they WILL."

Anyway, I feel like I've seen stories in which the American citizen wife didn't change her last name, and didn't get an RFE. I'm wondering if there are stories of couples who've experienced the opposite.

Edited October 12, 2010 by Kikapoo

[CanadianRedneck 8]

oh, now you're putting words in my mouth!! lol...You ask a question..you get an opinion..if you want facts..you follow a link or pay a lawyer...

<<sending himself an RFE

[Kathryn41 3,205]

It is extremely unlikely a US woman marrying a non-US man who chooses to keep her maiden name instead of taking his name would generate any type of an RFE. There are many cultures where a woman does not take her husband's name upon marrying as well as many women who choose not to take her husband's name. It has no bearing upon the validity of a marriage. It doesn't make the marriage any more or less real. It is solely a matter of personal choice.

While I am the immigrant I chose not to take my husband's last name and it has never been an issue anywhere in this whole process. No one official has ever 'questioned' the validity of our relationship because I chose to keep my own name, not at the AOS, not at the Removal of Conditions and not at Naturalization. If a wife taking a husband's name is an indication of a 'real' marriage, then surely it would be even more important that the immigrant wife take her American husband's name. The thing is, it isn't important at all and is totally irrelevant to whether or not a couple has a real marriage.

If the US citizen wife wishes to keep her own name then there is no need for her to change any of her identification except to change her status from single to married. If she does wish to take her husband's name, then just as if she were marrying another American she would change her identification to reflect her new name. It is as simple as that and really is not an immigration issue.

[sciencenerd 56]

My wife (non-USC) did not take my last name when we got married and it never came up.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

they'll ask for an RFE as to why you didn't change your last name to your new married name...suspicious of a sham marriage.

Actually CanadianRedneck - you didn't say might anywhere here

And this is the 21st century. Failing to take a husband's last name will not raise flags of a sham marriage and is highly unlikely that it will result in an RFE

Only recently did I take my husbands name, throughout the process I did not and it was never an issue

Good luck

[sammy060382 1]

I wasn't aware that the guys had to change their name...my wife took my last name, lol.

Thanks for the reply. BTW, I don't understand why you thought I was talking about my husband changing his name - i'm talking about myself.

Thanks,

- Sam

[sammy060382 1]

So in my case, I did change my name.

We are at the point in the immigration process where my husband will be going in for an interview within the next few months. So far, there hasn't been any issues with the fact that my SSN references my old name. Obviously, I need to do it, but does anyone see any hiccups in the next few months or at the interview?

Thanks,

- Sam