Passport / green card different names

[bcagney 0]

My apologies if this has been answered here before.

My wife and I will be traveling to her home country of Australia for a month over Christmas. Her Australian passport still has her maiden name on it, while her green card has her married name. When I purchased our airline tickets several months ago it didn't even cross my mind that we might have a problem, so the name on her airline ticket matches her green card but not her passport.

Are we going to run into any problems with the passport not matching the green card and her name registered with the airline? We're leaving mid-December so it's unlikely we could get her passport changed in time, and airlines don't allow changing names on tickets. The only problems I can see now would be when we check in initially and then entering the US on our way back.

Thanks!

[Swingman_Tomoyo 2]

Maybe you can bring your original marriage certificate to show to them at the airport. And other proofs that say that you two are married. I'm not an expert about this but I guess that should work. :-)

[jkelly07 120]

the passport should match the name on the ticket,call the airline explain to them what happen,you will need to bring your marriage certificate as proof of name change,you could have a problem at the other end in australia.and at the airport in australia to return home, if you do then at the united states at the peo you won't have any problem with your permanent resident card, bring your marriage certificate just in case it's needed.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Trust me when i say, this will NOT be a problem. I too travelled with my ticket in married name, passport in maiden. Her GC is proof of name as the ticket needs to match government-isssued photo ID, which the GC is (there's a link in my signature about it). I checked in using my maiden name passport and then showed GC to check in, no problem. I went through security and showed my GC and ticket, no problems. I didn't encounter any issues. I did it last year in October.

Qn, how long ago were you married? The reason I ask is because she is entitled to a gratis (free) passport to update her married name, which I was able to obtain in less than a month (while I was in Aus) but it will require some pre-planning which I can help her with if you like.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Vanessa&Tony

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Nvm about the gratis passport. I see from your timeline you married in August 2009. She had 12 months from the date of marriage to obtain the gratis passport. She can still update her passport though while in Aus (which I think is a lot easier while in the country) but it will still require pre-planning.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Vanessa&Tony

[bcagney 0]

Trust me when i say, this will NOT be a problem. I too travelled with my ticket in married name, passport in maiden. Her GC is proof of name as the ticket needs to match government-isssued photo ID, which the GC is (there's a link in my signature about it). I checked in using my maiden name passport and then showed GC to check in, no problem. I went through security and showed my GC and ticket, no problems. I didn't encounter any issues. I did it last year in October.

Qn, how long ago were you married? The reason I ask is because she is entitled to a gratis (free) passport to update her married name, which I was able to obtain in less than a month (while I was in Aus) but it will require some pre-planning which I can help her with if you like.

Great, sounds like we shouldn't have any trouble. But, I think we'll bring our marriage certificate just in case.

She does plan on getting a new passport when we're there. We'll be there for 3 1/2 weeks; is that enough time? What pre-planning will we have to do? Is it something we can/should start here in the US before we leave?

One more question...when you traveled last October, was that on your conditional green card? Are there any special requirements for that (re-entry permit...etc)? From what I understand, there is no difference between the conditional green card and the 10-year card when it comes to traveling, but just curious if you ran into any problems.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

[Barbara J 115]

Great, sounds like we shouldn't have any trouble. But, I think we'll bring our marriage certificate just in case.

She does plan on getting a new passport when we're there. We'll be there for 3 1/2 weeks; is that enough time? What pre-planning will we have to do? Is it something we can/should start here in the US before we leave?

One more question...when you traveled last October, was that on your conditional green card? Are there any special requirements for that (re-entry permit...etc)? From what I understand, there is no difference between the conditional green card and the 10-year card when it comes to traveling, but just curious if you ran into any problems.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

The pre planning that Vanessa is talking about is that she will have to file a change of name document with BDM (birth deaths and marriages) in her home state. You have to have ID to do this and then you can change the name on passport. We have to do the change of name form because we married outside Australia. SO she wont have time to do this in OZ on your visit.

You will and must carry your marriage cert with you on this trip to show the name difference. When you are in OZ you can get the form and send off for name change and then they will send it to your US address takes about 4-5 weeks. Then she can arrange at your local Aussie embassy here in the states where you live to go and get a new passport with her married name. I live in Georgia and went to the AUstralian consulate in Atlanta and got my new passport and received it in a week.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Nope no problem with the conditional card (I file for ROC in April 2012) and I also took my marriage cert just in case.

The pre-planning as Barb said is the name change. The rules change depending on your state. In my signature there is the name change info. It's listed by state. She could change it while in Aus and you should get it in time (if you had the name change done) but seeing you're only there for 3 1/2 weeks and you're not getting the gratis passport you may as well wait until you're back here... that way you don't panic if it takes too long. My passport part took 11 days (from mailing to receiving). The name change part can take up to 30 days, you can expedite it.

[bcagney 0]

Can the name change be done from the US? If so, maybe she could get that taken care of before we leave, then get the new passport when we're there.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Can the name change be done from the US? If so, maybe she could get that taken care of before we leave, then get the new passport when we're there.

What state is she from in Australia? I'll be able to answer if I know that. She SHOULD (I looked into that option) but how depends on state.

[beejay 125]

Great, sounds like we shouldn't have any trouble. But, I think we'll bring our marriage certificate just in case.

The marriage certificate is proof of the name change and proof that she is the same person. You should absolutely bring it everytime you travel until the names are the same.

Have a good trip!

[bcagney 0]

What state is she from in Australia? I'll be able to answer if I know that. She SHOULD (I looked into that option) but how depends on state.

WA

[VanessaTony 3,567]

WA

Okay yep, shouldn't be a problem Only takes 5 working days. Does she have an address in Australia for her Australian mail (or an address she could use)? For instance all my stuff is sent to my parents house. If so she should write that address on the forms and pick it up from there when she lands. She should also get all her Aussie passport paperwork ready to be printed (and signed by her guarantor) so that she can go to a post office asap to start the process (she shouldn't print it in the US because you have a different paper size to Aus). She can pay for the expedite or just let it process normally (mine was normal and took 11 days).

For the Aussie sized passport photos she can do them via here: http://www.epassportphoto.com/ for super cheap so that she has the pics ready to go.

Here is the site to start the passport forms: https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/Forms/EntryPoint.aspx Remember she is NOT applying for a "renewal" she is applying for a new passport (as it is a different name) and she ticks the "yes in Australia" because that's where she'll be.

OH and the one thing that almost tripped me up was my drivers licence. She should make sure for the passport app that she has her Aussie DL for her passport interview, it's her proof of identity. Also, she needs the date of registration of her birth (should be on her birth cert). The registration date of MY birth was on the first birth certificate I had (before the name change) that I was lucky enough to keep a copy of (thanks to the K1 process!). Once i changed my name and they issued a new birth cert (notated with my married name) it changed the registration date.

Hope that helps!! Good luck and have fun in Aus

Edited November 16, 2011 by Vanessa&Tony

[bcagney 0]

Thanks for the help Vanessa. We decided to just take care of the name change over there. I guess it only takes 3-5 days or it can be expedited (24 hrs). Hopefully we'll have time to get the passport done too.

You said she'll need her DL for the passport. Does that need to be updated with her new name as well?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Thanks for the help Vanessa. We decided to just take care of the name change over there. I guess it only takes 3-5 days or it can be expedited (24 hrs). Hopefully we'll have time to get the passport done too.

You said she'll need her DL for the passport. Does that need to be updated with her new name as well?

No. Mine was in my maiden name when I did my passport app. It was almost quite the blunder actually because I tried to renew my licence to my married name the same day i did my passport and normally VicRoads (our DMV) cuts them up right away but luckily they hadn't and they let me take it back to show the lady. She just needed proof I was me and it HAD to be the drivers licence or "birth card" (not that I know what the latter is )

Sorry I took a while to reply as well. You didn't hit "reply" under my comment so I didn't get notified that you asked me a qn