Name change while AOS is pending

[Happy03 0]

Hello, my husband and I got married but didnt change my last name because we were so busy with the church ceremony that we totally forgot about it. We just sent the AOS package last week and now im wondering how or what I have to do to change my last name, I decied to change it since we decied to get married.

While filing all the paperwork we talk about it but the advice we received from the lawyer was to wait for my permanent GC, but now that ive been thinking i only have one ID which is my Passport with my current name, by the time i can apply for a permanent resident card im going to have other ID´s and documents and i feel that would be harder to change my name in all those documents when now i only have my Passport.

What should I do to change my name, i live in Miami, Fl and thats were we got married

What i have to do to request to receive my EAD, travel document, SSN, GC with my married name.

Thanks for your advice!

[Andrea&Henry 311]

Actually the way to change your name was filling the entire AoS with your new name. Florida law doesn't allow you to change during the ceremony. So if a person wants to change her/his name they should take their wedding certificate to the ssn oficce snd get all the paperwork under the same name. But our case is different ( non USC spouse of a US citizen) if we want to change our name we MUST fill the entire AoS with our new name. Once you receive the GC or the EAD you go and apply for a SSN under the new name. You didnt do it so now I guess you need to call the USCIS free toll line and see if there is something you can do while its till pending. Otherwise you need to wait until get the GC and file for a change of name. I dont know why people keep thinking the have "to change their name first" and then apply for AOS. I think somebody must update some of the guides. The way to change your name is simply filling the AOs with your new nane nothing else. Hope you can do sonething before your GC is approve

I dont know why your lawyer didnt tell you the right way! Thise lawyers only make things more difficult. Now your ssn and other US documents will have your maiden name unless your work it out

[Tygrys 143]

Actually the way to change your name was filling the entire AoS with your new name. Florida law doesn't allow you to change during the ceremony. So if a person wants to change her/his name they should take their wedding certificate to the ssn oficce snd get all the paperwork under the same name. But our case is different ( non USC spouse of a US citizen) if we want to change our name we MUST fill the entire AoS with our new name. Once you receive the GC or the EAD you go and apply for a SSN under the new name. You didnt do it so now I guess you need to call the USCIS free toll line and see if there is something you can do while its till pending. Otherwise you need to wait until get the GC and file for a change of name. I dont know why people keep thinking the have "to change their name first" and then apply for AOS. I think somebody must update some of the guides. The way to change your name is simply filling the AOs with your new nane nothing else. Hope you can do sonething before your GC is approve

I dont know why your lawyer didnt tell you the right way! Thise lawyers only make things more difficult. Now your ssn and other US documents will have your maiden name unless your work it out

Because it is how you're supposed to do it. You take your marriage certificate and go to DMV to change the name on your drivers license/state ID and go to SSA office to change the name on your social security card. Then (or concurrently) you file for AOS in your married name.

[Happy03 0]

thanks for your response!

I wish I had this information before filing, I will call tomorrow the USCIS to see what else I can do, because I know after receiving the GC is a 450.00 to change it which I don't want to do.

Thanks

[Andrea&Henry 311]

Because it is how you're supposed to do it. You take your marriage certificate and go to DMV to change the name on your drivers license/state ID and go to SSA office to change the name on your social security card. Then (or concurrently) you file for AOS in your married name.

IS NOT obvious! That's fine for someone who already have a life but for someone like us (non usc spouse or fiance of USc) is not obvious. How can you go with your marriage certificate to the DMV if to obtain a driver license we need to do AoS first? So that's my point, people are not well inform so I guess we need some updates here

[Andrea&Henry 311]

thanks for your response!

I wish I had this information before filing, I will call tomorrow the USCIS to see what else I can do, because I know after receiving the GC is a 450.00 to change it which I don't want to do.

Thanks

exactly!! Good luck!!!

[Tygrys 143]

IS NOT obvious! That's fine for someone who already have a life but for someone like us (non usc spouse or fiance of USc) is not obvious. How can you go with your marriage certificate to the DMV if to obtain a driver license we need to do AoS first? So that's my point, people are not well inform so I guess we need some updates here

You're right with the drivers license, I forgot that these days they require you to have at least EAD to get it. But there is nothing preventing you from changing your name with SSA to get new social security card or applying for AOS in married name.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Tygrys

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Because it is how you're supposed to do it. You take your marriage certificate and go to DMV to change the name on your drivers license/state ID and go to SSA office to change the name on your social security card. Then (or concurrently) you file for AOS in your married name.

No, this isn't true and that is not how you are supposed to do it.

The SSA and DMV don't "own" your name. SSA is NOT a national name database and neither is the DMV. In fact, the SSA usually defers to immigration and they want to see the name changed there before moving forward. If you want to change your name, you just start using your new name. Getting IDs in your new name is a good thing to do, but it is not the thing that governs your name.

Since you start using your new name right away, the thing to do is to apply for your GC in your new name. USCIS will accept your marriage cert as proof of name change.

OP: You can try to change the name if you get an interview, otherwise you will have to either pay $$ for a replacement GC or you can change it in 2 years with ROC.

[didopage 337]

You're right with the drivers license, I forgot that these days they require you to have at least EAD to get it. But there is nothing preventing you from changing your name with SSA to get new social security card or applying for AOS in married name.

My SSA office told me to go back with an immigration document (EAD or green card) and marriage certificate in order to update my SS card. Some people have reported being able to update their name on their card just with the marriage certificate though.

Now that the OP has filed all the USCIS paperwork with her maiden name, I would schedule an InfoPass appointment to know how to correct it. If she is scheduled for an interview, she may be able to change her last name on it at that time? If no interview, that's more complicated...

[TBoneTX 45,575]

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Recent post has been split into its own thread, in this same forum. Thread title is:

"Can Change Kids' Names with Mine during AOS? [split topic]"