What's in a name...

[katze101 4]

So my husband (Aussie) and I (USC living in Australia) are starting to get all the paperwork together to submit the I130. It seems fairly straight forward but I do have a couple questions about names.

1. I've half changed my name legally since we've gotten married. So my SSN and US drivers license are both in my married name, along with my bank account here. But all my banking and CC accounts in the US along with my passport are still in my maiden name. The former because I've been too lazy to deal with them and the later because I still have 4 years left before my passport expires and don't want to spend more money than I have to (also don't want to deal with the paperwork that would come with a new passport and my visa here and travel fairly often overseas so haven't wanted to be without it). So what name do I use as my "official" name and which name do I put as other names used?

2. My husband's first name was changed as a child. The birth certificate we have for him uses the name he goes by now (XX YY) and we don't have any documentation regarding the name change or any documents with his original name (AA YY). Do we need to disclose this information and track down some sort of documentation even though his birth certificate says he's XX YY and not AA YY?

Thanks!

[renlsu 0]

In regards to your first question, your official name would be your married name since you have legally changed it on your SS card. "Other names" would be your maiden name. Also, you'll have to change your name on your passport. It sucks, I know. I'm in the same boat-several years left on it and the $ issue but you're supposed to change it. I've had several friends who have gotten their passports at Embassies abroad. They all said it was super easy and that they got them within 2 weeks. See below for name change info:

travel.state.gov

http://travel.state.gov/passport/correcting/ChangeName/ChangeName_851.html

Edited November 6, 2012 by renlsu

[katze101 4]

In regards to your first question, your official name would be your married name since you have legally changed it on your SS card. "Other names" would be your maiden name. Also, you'll have to change your name on your passport. It sucks, I know. I'm in the same boat-several years left on it and the $ issue but you're supposed to change it. I've had several friends who have gotten their passports at Embassies abroad. They all said it was super easy and that they got them within 2 weeks.

Ugh, I was afraid of that... oh well... now to figure out what paperwork I'll need to do to change my visa once I get the new passport.

[katze101 4]

So I can submit my birth certificate instead of a passport proving my citizenship. That would only have my maiden name on it. If that's the case, then couldn't I just use that and not worry about changing my name on my passport just yet??

Does anyone have any experience with my second question???

[The Mean Lady 604]

I don't know why you would have to change your passport.

Your maiden name is valid with your marriage certificate in hand.

And you have to submit your marriage cert, so I think you're fine.

Half of the stuff I turned in had my married name, and half had my maiden name... and we've been married for over 2 years. My soc sec is still in my maiden name but most of everything else is in married name.

Edited November 6, 2012 by KDubovik

[ndu26 114]

for question #2, go with the name he has on his birth cert now since that is what all is documentation carries. to be on the safe side in case something turns up in future just put the childhood name as "other names used" as you never know. that way you could say it is him

[katze101 4]

for question #2, go with the name he has on his birth cert now since that is what all is documentation carries. to be on the safe side in case something turns up in future just put the childhood name as "other names used" as you never know. that way you could say it is him

Yeah that's what I kinda figured we would do... I'm just worried that if we put his first name in "other names used" we would need some sort of proof of the name change.