Issues at the border (with card)

[Starburst 4]

Hi Guys,

In May, I took a trip to Europe, and upon my departure I got pulled into secondary customs, and had all sorts of issues at other points in security.

My greencard is in my married name, and my passport is in my maiden. I've never had an issue before (I even went to Europe last Fall and it was fine).

Apparently because Greencard + Tags on my luggage don't match, they pulled me. It was this 2.5 hour ordeal before the top customs official released me.

Is there a work around this to prevent the issues in the future? I don't want to change my passport because it's fairly new (and would require an entire new one).

I always carry a copy of our marriage licence when we travel to show the name transfer, and they've never questioned it before.

Has anyone had this problem (and solved it outside of getting an entire new passport?)

I have to book my tickets in my maiden name since it has to match the passport.

thanks!

/starburst

[canadian_wife 1,808]

You seem to have done everything right and maybe just encountered a onerous CPB agent

Continue to travel with your marriage certificate and when the time comes, change your Canadian passport to your new married name

Good luck

[pddp 240]

Great, I'm about to fly to Europe in a few weeks with my maiden name passport, married name GC and tickets in married name, I wonder how that will go... Bringing marriage certificate and whatever other evidence I can think of, I guess... I wonder if it makes a difference that my tickets are in my married name so GC and luggage tags will match?!

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Great, I'm about to fly to Europe in a few weeks with my maiden name passport, married name GC and tickets in married name, I wonder how that will go... Bringing marriage certificate and whatever other evidence I can think of, I guess... I wonder if it makes a difference that my tickets are in my married name so GC and luggage tags will match?!

The ticket name needs to match the passport name. I am not sure you will be able to board the plane. I would change the tickets to match passport name asap.

Edited July 7, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[pddp 240]

The ticket name needs to match the passport name. I am not sure you will be able to board the plane. I would change the tickets to match passport name asap.

Really??? I took Vanessa (&Tony)'s advice, she has a link in her signature on how to travel on maiden name passport with married name GC, tickets in married name.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/183541-land-downunder-aussie-aussie-aussie-oi-oi-oi/page__st__1695__p__4135806#entry4135806

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

That's for TSA, which is a US security screening organization, not an international body. You can travel domestically with a Greencard as ID (and therefore book tickets in GC name), but internationally, you must use your passport as ID. Your ID and ticket name must match, so I don't think that advice works for international travel.

This link from TSA corroborates my understanding. http://blog.tsa.gov/2009/05/whats-in-name.html

It says, " So…if you plan to present a driver’s license , purchase tickets using your name as it appears on your driver’s license. If you plan to present a passport, purchase tickets using the name that appears on your passport."

Edited July 7, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[pddp 240]

Done. Completely counterintuitive as I've updated my married name into the population registry over there as well. But thanks Harpa. They better not give me any issues or I'll be seriously pissed...

Edited July 7, 2012 by pddp

[VanessaTony 3,567]

That's for TSA, which is a US security screening organization, not an international body. You can travel domestically with a Greencard as ID (and therefore book tickets in GC name), but internationally, you must use your passport as ID. Your ID and ticket name must match, so I don't think that advice works for international travel.

This link from TSA corroborates my understanding. http://blog.tsa.gov/2009/05/whats-in-name.html

It says, " So…if you plan to present a driver’s license , purchase tickets using your name as it appears on your driver’s license. If you plan to present a passport, purchase tickets using the name that appears on your passport."

Nah that's how I travelled. Internationally. Absolutely zero issues. HOWEVER this was in late 2010 so it's been a while and the reason for me doing it was because I was changing my passport while in Aus (so it'd match on the way back). I was told (and read on the travel state website) I needed to be booked in a name matching "government issued photo ID" and this was internationally. Again this was before all the new issues. HOWEVER according to the link you posted this is still true.

The person you are responding to is travelling and showing their GC as ID. The link you posted does NOT state that international travel = passport only. It states it needs to match whatever you're showing as ID, in this case the poster is showing their GC as ID. This is exactly what I did. I checked in using my passport (of course) and used my GC for the "government issued photo ID" requirement. Not a problem. There could be an airline requirement though, so it's always best to ask.

.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Hi Guys,

In May, I took a trip to Europe, and upon my departure I got pulled into secondary customs, and had all sorts of issues at other points in security.

My greencard is in my married name, and my passport is in my maiden. I've never had an issue before (I even went to Europe last Fall and it was fine).

Apparently because Greencard + Tags on my luggage don't match, they pulled me. It was this 2.5 hour ordeal before the top customs official released me.

Is there a work around this to prevent the issues in the future? I don't want to change my passport because it's fairly new (and would require an entire new one).

I always carry a copy of our marriage licence when we travel to show the name transfer, and they've never questioned it before.

Has anyone had this problem (and solved it outside of getting an entire new passport?)

I have to book my tickets in my maiden name since it has to match the passport.

thanks!

/starburst

We had an issue coming back from London. I believe Vika had the ticket and passport in maiden name, but they wanted a visa or green card before letting her on the plane. Since the GC is in her married name, they took a copy of our marraige certificate to connect the dots. I would say pay the fee to change the ticket to match the passport if necessary, and just bring a certified copy of your marraige certificate and GC. Worked for us.

[pddp 240]

Awesome, looks like this is one of those situations where you can get screwed either way. Why? Because all common sense has been thrown out the window by the TSA in order to be "tough on terrorism". Sigh. Thank you everyone for chiming in, and cross your fingers for me, I really need this vacation!

Edited July 8, 2012 by pddp

[stronger 43]

I have a passport in the US and Canada. Both countries offer free change of name within one year of issuance. Is it that new?

Hi Guys,

In May, I took a trip to Europe, and upon my departure I got pulled into secondary customs, and had all sorts of issues at other points in security.

My greencard is in my married name, and my passport is in my maiden. I've never had an issue before (I even went to Europe last Fall and it was fine).

Apparently because Greencard + Tags on my luggage don't match, they pulled me. It was this 2.5 hour ordeal before the top customs official released me.

Is there a work around this to prevent the issues in the future? I don't want to change my passport because it's fairly new (and would require an entire new one).

I always carry a copy of our marriage licence when we travel to show the name transfer, and they've never questioned it before.

Has anyone had this problem (and solved it outside of getting an entire new passport?)

I have to book my tickets in my maiden name since it has to match the passport.

thanks!

/starburst

[sms78 18]

Wow all this is new to me. In Japan you cannot ever board on a airplane with mismatching names on the passport and the boarding pass. They has to be the exact same. Sorry OP off topic

[Neonred 3,521]

We have flown internationally several times and my wife's ticket was always in her married name and passport in her maiden name. We always carry the marriage certificate and with that it was never a problem.

[HelenBradley 28]

Hi Guys,

In May, I took a trip to Europe, and upon my departure I got pulled into secondary customs, and had all sorts of issues at other points in security.

My greencard is in my married name, and my passport is in my maiden. I've never had an issue before (I even went to Europe last Fall and it was fine).

Apparently because Greencard + Tags on my luggage don't match, they pulled me. It was this 2.5 hour ordeal before the top customs official released me.

Is there a work around this to prevent the issues in the future? I don't want to change my passport because it's fairly new (and would require an entire new one).

I always carry a copy of our marriage licence when we travel to show the name transfer, and they've never questioned it before.

Has anyone had this problem (and solved it outside of getting an entire new passport?)

I have to book my tickets in my maiden name since it has to match the passport.

thanks!

/starburst

I had to travel back for an emergency and I was very worried about the GC in married name, passport in maiden name situation.

I brought my marriage certificate and booked the tickets in my maiden name to match my passport. The CBP officer told me I could not travel again with this scenario. I explained that it was obviously my intention to change it, I just hadn't planned to travel yet, I had to travel for an emergency. I didn't go to secondary or anything, but I won't travel again before I change my passport, which I am doing now. In my opinion here is no reason to intentionally keep both names and cause extra headache.

[Brad and Vika 129]

The problem seems to be that the US needs the country you visit to check your GC or AP to make sure you will be allowed into the US. As several of us stated, the solution for us was to provide a marraige certificate so the baording agent in the country you visit can prove that the GC name and passport name refer to the same person.

As I mentioned above, my wife had a ticket and passport that matched, but a GC that did not. I guess the marraige certificate could work to explain a difference between passport and ticket name, but I wouldn't chance it. Easy enough to change the name on your ticket for a fee if necessary. We did that for my MIL recently due to the Russian and Ukrainian transliteration of her name being different. When making the change, you just explain that it is the same person, you just have the name wrong on the ticket due to whatever. Should be no problem.