Travelling back to Australia + passport q's

[crtclmaas 0]

Hi All

It's been a long long time since I have posted here....I've been happily living in the States for about 4 years now and am just in the last stages of planning a trip back home to spend Christmas with my family. I had a quick question regarding my passport that I thought someone might know the answer to..

I have my greencard, its in my married name....my Australian passport is still in my maiden name. I contacted the embassy last week to organize to send in my paperwork to have to changed to my married name and they told me that I would have to file to have my name changed through the Australian Births, Deaths and Marriages first, as they do not accept an american marriage certificate as proof of name change.

My question is...can I buy my plane ticket in my maiden name and use my Australian passport (in my maiden name) and just take with me my greencard, American drivers license (married name) and my marriage certificate to prove I am who I say I am just in case I get stuck at customs coming back through LA? Has anyone been through this before? Any issues, or should I just file all my paperwork to have my name changed and cross my fingers that it comes through in time?

Thanks so much for any advice!!

-Mac.

[YuAndDan 153]

A member on another board stated this:

When we left Tampa this year, in May, to go to China, nobody gave a hoot what form of ID we had. Once we arrived in Detroit to go to Japan it was a different story. Passport required. Agree what Carl and Trigg said based on our personal experience. Buy the ticket in the passport name.

We returned at POE Detroit on the greencard in our married name. And, we left China without problem or question with the ticket and passport in her family name and greencard in our married name. They did ask for the greencard, at the ticket counter, to 'update the US system.'

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...mp;#entry249588

[lynny 0]

i went home to OZ last christmas for a holiday, my passport is in my maidan name so that what my ticket has to be in

I had no trouble returning to USA

I was told my ticket HAD to match my passport name

[HuffyTheSlayer 22]

The only place I've heard of having any trouble with the name of the passport being different to the greencard is Russia, quite a few people have said they have had trouble with Russian customs letting them fly to the US when the name on their GC is different to the passport.

I've not heard of anywhere else having the same trouble. But that said, you can travel on a passport in Maiden name and GC in married name, as long as you have your marriage certificate and as others have said, as long as the name on the ticket, matches the name on the plane ticket.

Have a good Christmas with your family!

[Inlove_tx 0]

The ticket HAS to match the passport, or the airline might not even let you board the plane.

Don't worry too much, I flew out of the country twice already (three when I'll go visit my family for Christmas this year! ) and never had any problems coming back with my passport under maiden name and Green Card under married name.

Just bring your marriage certificate with you in case they want to see a proof of name change.

Enjoy your trip!