Travel help, just got green card...

[metsphan23 2]

My wife's passport is in her single name, and her green card is in her married name. Can she travel? And when she books her airline ticket, what name should she fill out the ticket in? Also, does she need to translate her marriage certificate into Spanish, so when she leaves her country, and they see two different names, the country can see she is married? Thanks...

[jkelly07 120]

you buy the airline tickets useing the same name thats on the passport,the names must match, you need a passport to traval internationaly, coming back home to the united states at the poe you will need your permanent resident card green card,just to be on the safe side bring along your marriage certificate just in case it's asked for to see the name change, have a nice trip be safe,

[Jahwaree 83]

Until she changes this whenever travelling carry English & Spanish translation BC to avoid any hitches, but yes she can travel

[TBoneTX 45,659]

*** Thread moved from AOS/Family-Based forum to Working & Traveling forum -- AOS has already been attained. ***

[metsphan23 2]

She has to order the tickets in her name on the passport? What if she orders them in her married name? Can she just bring along the marriage certificate? And get that translated too?

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

The name on the passport has to match the name on the ticket for the passenger manifest. Her Green Card is only needed when she comes back.

[mugumogu 18]

We have the same problem. My wife is from Mexico and they do not change the passport name for women who get married; it will always be in her maiden name. Her green card is in her married name. When traveling internationally, we book the airline tickets in her maiden name, which matches the passport. When traveling domestically, we book the airline tickets in her married name since all of her other documentation (driver's license and green card) is in her married name and no passport is required. We got the green card in March 2012 and have since traveled back to Mexico and within the US & did not have any issues.

[Dave&Roza 748]

She has to order the tickets in her name on the passport? What if she orders them in her married name? Can she just bring along the marriage certificate? And get that translated too?

The first thing you do when traveling is present your ticket to the TSA agent sitting there looking bored. They check to make certain that the name on the ticket/boarding pass matches the name of the ID used for traveling. Then you go to the gate and depending on the type of flight you either give them your boarding pass or you give them your boarding pass and passport (some airports in the US have a passport control area you go thru to enter the International Terminal others do not). Again the boarding pass and name on the ID must match. So for domestic travel where the only time you show an ID is at the TSA agent, you can use the GC, state issued DL, or any of the other documents listed here. For international travel, you use a passport issued by the government you are a citizen of. The only thing the GC does is allow a non-USC to re-enter the US if the conditions of being a LPR are maintained by the foreign citizen. The name on the ticket must match the ID being used. It is recommended to carry a copy of the Marriage Certificate to help those brain-dead airline employees make the connection between the married name on the GC and the maiden name on the passport as they typically want to make certain that you will be allowed to enter the US upon arrival and not sent back--so they check for valid entry visas or VWP member or valid GC.

Have a good trip,

Dave