HELP! Use my maiden name or my husband's name?

[Nymphadora 1]

I would really appreciate help in this matter.

Me and my husband got married on the 24th of July 2012 and we are now going to fill out all the AOS-forms.

What family name am I supposed to use now? Is it my maiden name? My maiden name is on my passport, birth certificate and so forth. I haven't officially changed it.

We live in New Jersey, and apparently I just have to start to "use" my husbands family name as my family name, and not fill out any forms for it.

On our marriage certificate we both have different family names.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

What name do you want to have? Use that name on your forms.

[Nymphadora 1]

What name do you want to have? Use that name on your forms.

So, it won't cause any problems since I have my maiden name on all of my documents?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

So, it won't cause any problems since I have my maiden name on all of my documents?

No, I wouldn't suggest it if it would cause problems.

[Dave&Roza 748]

What name do you want to have? Use that name on your forms.

This is one of those questions that comes up every now and then, and it amazes me the range of answers that the OP gets. I agree. What name do YOU want to use. If it is your maiden name than fill out the AOS in your maiden name. If it is you husband's family name then fill out the AOS in his name. There are "issues" with either choice. I read on the internet about if you have children and have a different last name how it can cause "problems" with school officials--I call BS on that given the number of extended families due to the high divorce rate. I am from the camp where the wife did not change her last name. It might be different if my lastname was easier to pronounce then hers or maybe not. It is just a name.

Anyway, it is up to you which name you want to use.

Good luck,

Dave

[Que Saudade 284]

My wife did not change her name. We will decide after all is done whether she wants to change or keep. For now, she is not changing it. That seems to be more of a trend not just with immigration, but even within the american professional community.

[tacos and egg 0]

Better yet use the last name that you used in your marriage certificate. There is a portion in your marriage application form that needs to fill out that says " new name". If you didn't fill this out (meaning, either you write your husband's last name or your current last name at the time of application), you retain. Your maiden name. Now, in your AOS application, use that last name that's in your marriage certificate. It doesn't matter if you still have your maiden name in all your documents. You probably want your new name to come out in your EAD and green card, so I suggest you use what's in your marriage certificate.

[DandT14 272]

This is one of those questions that comes up every now and then, and it amazes me the range of answers that the OP gets. I agree. What name do YOU want to use. If it is your maiden name than fill out the AOS in your maiden name. If it is you husband's family name then fill out the AOS in his name. There are "issues" with either choice. I read on the internet about if you have children and have a different last name how it can cause "problems" with school officials--I call BS on that given the number of extended families due to the high divorce rate. I am from the camp where the wife did not change her last name. It might be different if my lastname was easier to pronounce then hers or maybe not. It is just a name.

Anyway, it is up to you which name you want to use.

Good luck,

Dave

I didn't change my name because I didn't want to have a different last name than my children. Not because it would cause problems at school, but because I didn't want my kids to feel I was rejecting them in any way. I will probably go ahead and change it later. But for now, the kids have been through enough changes.

Fortunately, I'm the US citizen so we didn't need to worry about what name would end up on the greencard.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Better yet use the last name that you used in your marriage certificate. There is a portion in your marriage application form that needs to fill out that says " new name". If you didn't fill this out (meaning, either you write your husband's last name or your current last name at the time of application), you retain. Your maiden name. Now, in your AOS application, use that last name that's in your marriage certificate. It doesn't matter if you still have your maiden name in all your documents. You probably want your new name to come out in your EAD and green card, so I suggest you use what's in your marriage certificate.

This is incorrect. Not every state has this sort of box on the marriage certificate.

[Hypnos 6,578]

Texas does not, for one.

[SOflaherty 40]

Alabama doesn't either.

OP, use whichever you plan to use going forward.

[aayitrun 66]

i suggest using the name that u plan to use in your future life.

[Que Saudade 284]

I call BS on that given the number of extended families due to the high divorce rate. I am from the camp where the wife did not change her last name. It might be different if my lastname was easier to pronounce then hers or maybe not. It is just a name.

:thumbs: