USC females who change their names after marriage...

[AKSinghSingh79 143]

After marriage I plan on taking my (future) husband's family name. Subsequently, I will apply for a new passport that reflects my name change.

I'm just a little concerned about my Indian visa that is in my current passport. It is for 5 years and will not expire until 2016.

I already contacted Travisa (the company that issues Indian visas) and they told me they cannot transfer or print new sheets for current visas to a new passport even if its still valid. I really don't want to go through the trouble of applying for a new visa and paying the hefty fee when I currently have a valid visa.

Is my old passport still valid even after a name change? Could I bring both passports through customs so I can still use my current 5 year visa?

[Bec_Dipu 103]

After marriage I plan on taking my (future) husband's family name. Subsequently, I will apply for a new passport that reflects my name change.

I'm just a little concerned about my Indian visa that is in my current passport. It is for 5 years and will not expire until 2016.

I already contacted Travisa (the company that issues Indian visas) and they told me they cannot transfer or print new sheets for current visas to a new passport even if its still valid. I really don't want to go through the trouble of applying for a new visa and paying the hefty fee when I currently have a valid visa.

Is my old passport still valid even after a name change? Could I bring both passports through customs so I can still use my current 5 year visa?

I've read that you can keep your old passport and just bring along your marriage certificate and current license with you. The items I've read on VJ state to purchase your ticket in your passport name as that will be the identification you present for boarding the plane and going through customs.

I'm not planning on changing my passport either as my visa is good until 2015. I've already changed my SSN and financial accounts. I've waited on my driver's license though because we just participated in Super Tuesday last week and I didn't want to risk the name change being too close to voting lol.

[Ryan H 3,819]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to India regional forum; topic is not a spousal visa process topic.

[AKSinghSingh79 143]

I've read that you can keep your old passport and just bring along your marriage certificate and current license with you. The items I've read on VJ state to purchase your ticket in your passport name as that will be the identification you present for boarding the plane and going through customs.

I'm not planning on changing my passport either as my visa is good until 2015. I've already changed my SSN and financial accounts. I've waited on my driver's license though because we just participated in Super Tuesday last week and I didn't want to risk the name change being too close to voting lol.

Thanks Rebecca.

I wish Travisa would be a little more cooperative. I mean it's only a matter of printing out a copy of the valid visa and pasting into a new passport.

I guess I will have to hold off on changing my passport until I apply for an OCI card.

[TimeTravel 78]

I guess I will have to hold off on changing my passport until I apply for an OCI card.

You may not be eligible for OCI card.

Terms for OCI - Any foreign national:

1 - was a citizen of India on 26 January 1950 or at any time thereafter; or

2 - belonged to a territory that became part of India after the 15 August 1947; or

3 - is the child or grandchild of a person described above; and

4 - has never been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh.

But you can apply for PIO card.

[Harsh_77 718]

Thanks Rebecca.

I wish Travisa would be a little more cooperative. I mean it's only a matter of printing out a copy of the valid visa and pasting into a new passport.

I guess I will have to hold off on changing my passport until I apply for an OCI card.

It is not just Travisa, but thats just a norm for all the countries once the visa is stamped in the passport they would not transfer it to another passport.

The best thing is you don't need to change name in your US passport right away, just wait out until your passport expires and just apply for new passport with new name.

Hopefully by that time your Indian visa would have expired too.