Married name?

[oceanshark 2]

We will be getting our marriage license today:-) She says if she puts my American name on marriage license, it will make her life very difficult when she has to change properties over to new name in China? She also says if her passport says her last name but her new name is my last name, it could be a major hassle with plane reservations and travleing documents?

What do most Chinese women do when they get married here?I want her USA name to be my last name, for SS card, drivers license, etc?

Help!!!!:-).....todd

[bobbyA 20]

We will be getting our marriage license today:-) She says if she puts my American name on marriage license, it will make her life very difficult when she has to change properties over to new name in China? She also says if her passport says her last name but her new name is my last name, it could be a major hassle with plane reservations and travleing documents?

What do most Chinese women do when they get married here?I want her USA name to be my last name, for SS card, drivers license, etc?

Help!!!!:-).....todd

Congratulations Todd!!

She's right to be concerned about her new name. It may cause some inconveniences. I read some ladies carried a copy of their marriage license along with their passport for international travels.

In my case, although I wanted very much for my wife to take my last name, I didn't insist on it, so she retains her family name. As far as I know, Chinese women keep their last name after marriage in China, so they might not be used to the western custom of taking on their husbands' names, especially if they are professionally established.

By the way, I might mention what my wife heard about traveling to China with the new EAD/AP combo card. Because it is so new, the Beijing airport immigration officers were not aware of it and refused people from boarding flights back to the US. They insisted the new EAD/AP card was just an authorization to work and not a travel document, so they insisted on seeing a US visa. It seems the Shanghai airport knows about the new card, so people had to spend extra time and money for the detour to Shanghai just because information about the new card did not trickle down to Beijing. This happened about 2 weeks ago.

[MikelanNida 28]

Actually shouldnt she put her maiden name on the license since you are not married yet? And the marriage certificate, what you get after marriage doesnt change her last name. She can get a new passport in married name, or still use her name on her passport while doing business in China.

[bigdog 376]

My wife has her maiden name on her drivers license and we plan to try and get her green card issued using her last name as the middle. Also maiden name on USCIS documents AP EAD. Her Chinese passport is still in her maiden name. I think it is all personal choice. I have never had a problem stating she is my wife and her Chinese name.She is listed that way on official documents, bank and insurance.

Edited December 21, 2011 by bigdog

[Darnell 8,479]

Is less hassle to NOT add your family name to hers.

[that's the Cliff Notes Version].