Passport name change question...

[HollyEslem 6]

First I want to say thank you to everyone who has provided heaps of very helpful information! Every little bit is appreciated! I do have a question regarding my passport..I'm divorced and have been for over 3 years but due to scheduling, life, etc never had my name changed on my passport back to my maiden name. It DOES need changed but now i'm wondering what to do. I have met my fiance in person many times and of course all the tickets, etc are in the name on my passport-my old married name. With us getting married, I would have to change it AGAIN..so i didn't want to pay over $100 to have it changed just to pay it AGAIN months from now to my new married name..Should I change my passport to an updated one with my maiden name as it is now before we file for the K-1 or should i keep it the same with my old name until after everything is approved and THEN change it? I have to provide my divorce decree anyway so when they look at that, they can see where I was reinstated to my maiden name and that i don't go by that name anymore. I'm worried that if i don't change it, they will question it but if i do change it, it will cause problems simply because it's a name different than what would be on all my stuff..if that all makes sense. For what its' worth, the name on my passport now is my maiden and old married name hyphenated. Hopefully someone could answer this for me!

Edited July 25, 2012 by HollyEslem

[Dave&Roza 748]

First I want to say thank you to everyone who has provided heaps of very helpful information! Every little bit is appreciated! I do have a question regarding my passport..I'm divorced and have been for over 3 years but due to scheduling, life, etc never had my name changed on my passport back to my maiden name. It DOES need changed but now i'm wondering what to do. I have met my fiance in person many times and of course all the tickets, etc are in the name on my passport-my old married name. With us getting married, I would have to change it AGAIN..so i didn't want to pay over $100 to have it changed just to pay it AGAIN months from now to my new married name..Should I change my passport to an updated one with my maiden name as it is now before we file for the K-1 or should i keep it the same with my old name until after everything is approved and THEN change it? I have to provide my divorce decree anyway so when they look at that, they can see where I was reinstated to my maiden name and that i don't go by that name anymore. I'm worried that if i don't change it, they will question it but if i do change it, it will cause problems simply because it's a name different than what would be on all my stuff..if that all makes sense. For what its' worth, the name on my passport now is my maiden and old married name hyphenated. Hopefully someone could answer this for me!

First, that is why they put on all the forms (I think it is on all the forms, but most anyway) other names used. This is so they can track someone who has been married a few times before. My personal opinion is to change it to your maiden name and wait until naturalization to change it when you get a US passport--less expensive and less complicated IMHO. That way the passport name and GC name match so you do not have to carry a copy of your marriage certificate when traveling internationally. Also, you do not have to remember which ID you are using so what name needs to be on the ticket.

If you no longer use the old name then changing it now is a good idea. Once married it is up to you how important it is to have your lastname match your husband's. My wife has kept her lastname and we finally received mail in my first name and her lastname. I got a real kick out of that .

Good luck,

Dave