Maiden name and married name.... what should I do??

[Flavia 1]

Hi everyone!

I'm a newbie here and I'm desperate for advice

My American husband and I are in a rush to get through with all the paperwork and finally file for a CR1 visa for me. But we are stuck..

My foreign passport, which we also have to submit a copy of, is still in my maiden name. But in Russia it takes forever, well, maybe 2 months to have it exchanged. Means we the whole process will be delayed by 2 months - so long!

So question is, can we file all the applications in my new last name and submit a copy of an old passport NOW, and while waiting for the approval and interview I will have my passport exchanged for a new one with my new (pretty and easy to pronounce last name?

PLEASE please give me some advice! We have to file the docs next week and still hesitating!!

thank you in advance!

[domini loka 0]

Hi everyone!

I'm a newbie here and I'm desperate for advice

My American husband and I are in a rush to get through with all the paperwork and finally file for a CR1 visa for me. But we are stuck..

My foreign passport, which we also have to submit a copy of, is still in my maiden name. But in Russia it takes forever, well, maybe 2 months to have it exchanged. Means we the whole process will be delayed by 2 months - so long!

So question is, can we file all the applications in my new last name and submit a copy of an old passport NOW, and while waiting for the approval and interview I will have my passport exchanged for a new one with my new (pretty and easy to pronounce last name?

PLEASE please give me some advice! We have to file the docs next week and still hesitating!!

thank you in advance!

Thats fine Flavia.....I submitted everything with my married name......by all my id's were still under my maiden name......I won't be changing my passport until it expires........So I kept my driver license and my passport under my maiden name......I will change those 2 things when they expire.....

Good luck

[lquin 0]

Hi everyone!

I'm a newbie here and I'm desperate for advice

My American husband and I are in a rush to get through with all the paperwork and finally file for a CR1 visa for me. But we are stuck..

My foreign passport, which we also have to submit a copy of, is still in my maiden name. But in Russia it takes forever, well, maybe 2 months to have it exchanged. Means we the whole process will be delayed by 2 months - so long!

So question is, can we file all the applications in my new last name and submit a copy of an old passport NOW, and while waiting for the approval and interview I will have my passport exchanged for a new one with my new (pretty and easy to pronounce last name?

PLEASE please give me some advice! We have to file the docs next week and still hesitating!!

thank you in advance!

I presume you are talking about the I-130, on this it will ask for your Family name and maiden name. You should put your married name for your "Family name" and your maiden name for "maiden name". They will be able to see it is your maiden name on your passport, you will also have to submit a copy of your marriage licence which will contain your married name. I wouldnt worry about changing your passport before filing..

Dont worry.!!!

[Yodrak 7]

Flavia,

The surname you use for immigration purposes does not have to match your passport and other pre-marriage ID.

My wife's immigration was done using my surname and all of her USA documentation uses my surname. Her passport and all of her other documentation from her native country remains in her maiden name and she has no plans to ever change any of it.

Yodrak

Hi everyone!

I'm a newbie here and I'm desperate for advice

My American husband and I are in a rush to get through with all the paperwork and finally file for a CR1 visa for me. But we are stuck..

My foreign passport, which we also have to submit a copy of, is still in my maiden name. But in Russia it takes forever, well, maybe 2 months to have it exchanged. Means we the whole process will be delayed by 2 months - so long!

So question is, can we file all the applications in my new last name and submit a copy of an old passport NOW, and while waiting for the approval and interview I will have my passport exchanged for a new one with my new (pretty and easy to pronounce last name?

PLEASE please give me some advice! We have to file the docs next week and still hesitating!!

thank you in advance!

Edited September 8, 2006 by Yodrak

[citizen 0]

same doubt for me...thanks flavia for raising it..

so on the form, my wife's family name is the new family (i.e mine) and the maiden name is her previous(before marriage) family name..right..?

and also got her name on our marriage cert like name before marriage and also name after marriage !!!

[Flavia 1]

same doubt for me...thanks flavia for raising it..

so on the form, my wife's family name is the new family (i.e mine) and the maiden name is her previous(before marriage) family name..right..?

and also got her name on our marriage cert like name before marriage and also name after marriage !!!

Hello again!!

Thanks all for your replies - I really appreciate it! Now we have it all figured out!

citizen, yep, we will put my new married last name as the family name, and maiden as maiden and then before the interview I will have the passport exchanged. The USCIS advised us though to put a separate note saying that the passport with maiden name will be exchanged just to make sure they aren't too picky about that.

But be careful - you must have a proof that her last name was really changed! Like, even though my foreign passport is still maiden we have a marriage certificate that says that my last name has been changed. The thing is that in Russia it's more important what is in your passport than in any other document... Obviously, the US authorities are relatively more flexible when it comes to paperwork. Sometimes...

Edited September 9, 2006 by Flavia