name change after marriage

[KeyWest 1]

I'm USC and just got married. My wife is from Colombia and came here on a J-1 visa (not subject to 2year rule).

We are gathering the docs to file for AOS.

Right now we are unsure how to handle the name change. My wife will take my last name, so I assume we need to file all immigration documents with the new name. However she has no photo ID showing this last name. The DMV in Florida will not issue a new drivers license with the new name without seing immigration docs with that name. So I guess we need to wait until we have some docs from USCIS before she can get a new DL.

I assume we could go to the embassy of her country to update her passport so she would at least have one ID showing that name? Also for the purpose that we already changed her name on bank accounts and credit card and of course this might cause problems without matching photo ID. Any advise on this?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

USCIS is a federal body and will accept the marriage cert as proof of a name change. Just fill out the AOS paperwork in her new married name and it will be fine - they do this every day. There is a spot for "other names used" on the forms, so they will know the passport etc are her. They are used to this - really. As far as working on getting her other IDs to reflect the name change, that is a totally separate matter. Good luck!