changing maiden name into marriage name in the middle of visa process

[T&K.Love 0]

hello all

i would like to hear your opinion about changing maiden name into marriage name.

Would it be confusing for embassies if -cr1 visa is started in maiden last name and in the middle of this process , before NVC, we change maiden name into marriage last name...documents are still in maiden name and i really want to change it into marriage name...but i wonder if embassies will see it confusing as we already sent i-130 petition in maiden name and now if we send other paper work in marriage last name, what they would think of it and would it complicate ...we really dont know what to do about it ... i want to change my last name now and im not sure if it is right for process now. We did not know many details about this process when we were starting it.

Thank you

Greetings

[Jeanna 21]

I wouldn't take the change but perhaps some other people have input that have done it? If you are going to take your husband's name it seems to make sense to do it now before you get a social security card issued in your maiden name but you'll have to get your passport changed and depending on your timeline, that could mess you up. I think it would definitely put a kink in the works with immigration; my motto is don't rock the boat! I'd be interested to see if anyone did it mid-petition.

[NikLR 13,227]

If you are going to change you name it's best to do so before the interview (if you are the beneficiary) or before the AOS (for the petitioner.) You can do it at anytime. I suggest doing it ASAP if you're the beneficiary and you'd like your visa and green card in your married name. You'll be submitting the original of the marriage certificate with the IV package which would show why any name change happens.

[milimelo 4,481]

Make sure passport is in the married name. If in maiden name, the immigrant visa will be in maiden name and so will GC and then you'll have to pay for a new green card.

[MJP 7]

I have an even more complicated situation. I am the USC petitioner and my wife already has a SSN under her previous married (to a non-USC/PR) last name. After her divorce, she reverted back to her maiden name and, when we got married, we decided for her to keep it so as not to complicate the SSN name situation. Once she is the US, we will change the SSN name to her current (maiden) name. Eventually, she will change her last name to mine.

Does anyone see a problem with this plan?

[NYC.RSA 25]

good thread.

im in the same situation.

im in the middle of nvc stage now and still havent changed wifes passport with married name.

so the green card & ss card is issued with the name which is on passport?

[NYC.RSA 25]

oh and i think we sent a photocopy of her passport (with maiden name) with the i130.

so to show up at the interview with a new passport (married name) wont be an issue?

[T&K.Love 0]

Thanks for your answers :.)

i m still a bit confused about it. really. we did not know these details when were sending i-130 form and it is sent in maiden name. i not sure what nvc would think, if after i-130 form filled in maiden name, receives other paperwrok needed for nvc stage in married name. hmmmm......well there is not any official info about that situation.

Is there anyone here in forum who been through this situation, that change last name into married name in the middle od cr1 process, that is, after uscis stage? It would be of help to hear such expereinces.

Greetings

[luvwillprevail 5]

Hi guys I got a question about the last name change also mine is a lil different... i am the usc we are at nvc stage and I never changed my last name from previous married name..will that be a problem? I didn't change it because I was going back to visit my husband n didn't know if I would receive amended passport in time..I am returning to us dec 5th and plan on changing it then

[NikLR 13,227]

good thread.

im in the same situation.

im in the middle of nvc stage now and still havent changed wifes passport with married name.

so the green card & ss card is issued with the name which is on passport?

Visa and green card will be in passport name. SSN can be in married name if obtained afterwards (not from check box on DS-260 [most aren't]) by going to SSN office and using marriage certificate.

oh and i think we sent a photocopy of her passport (with maiden name) with the i130.

so to show up at the interview with a new passport (married name) wont be an issue?

Yes get a new passport by interview, bring the old passport as well, and the visa will go in the new passport. Thus green card (which is $450 to change unless you're doing ROC at the same time) will be in visa name which is in passport name.

Thanks for your answers :.)

i m still a bit confused about it. really. we did not know these details when were sending i-130 form and it is sent in maiden name. i not sure what nvc would think, if after i-130 form filled in maiden name, receives other paperwrok needed for nvc stage in married name. hmmmm......well there is not any official info about that situation.

Is there anyone here in forum who been through this situation, that change last name into married name in the middle od cr1 process, that is, after uscis stage? It would be of help to hear such expereinces.

Greetings

Yes you can change the name at any time. The NVC can confirm the name change with photocopies of both new and old passports and marriage certificate. I'm unsure why you feel the NVC will be confused on this issue, they're not idiots (as much as we seem to think they are at times.) LOL

[T&K.Love 0]

Visa and green card will be in passport name. SSN can be in married name if obtained afterwards (not from check box on DS-260 [most aren't]) by going to SSN office and using marriage certificate.

Yes get a new passport by interview, bring the old passport as well, and the visa will go in the new passport. Thus green card (which is $450 to change unless you're doing ROC at the same time) will be in visa name which is in passport name.

Yes you can change the name at any time. The NVC can confirm the name change with photocopies of both new and old passports and marriage certificate. I'm unsure why you feel the NVC will be confused on this issue, they're not idiots (as much as we seem to think they are at times.) LOL

NLR, have you been through this last name change in the middle of process? At NVC stage, there are ds-230 and ds-260 - at ds-230 there is section "other names used including maiden name"....

what makes me think they will be confused is that if i-130 form is sent in maiden name and at NVC stage , forms are filled in married name, they might think why that ( we were not able to change it at time when we sent i-130 form ).

Btw, which forms are filled at NVC stage , Ds-230 or DS-260 ? or both...i know ds-230 has section "other names used " but not sure if ds-260 has it also...

[NYC.RSA 25]

ds-230 is obsolete.

ds-260 now.

[NikLR 13,227]

NLR, have you been through this last name change in the middle of process? At NVC stage, there are ds-230 and ds-260 - at ds-230 there is section "other names used including maiden name"....

what makes me think they will be confused is that if i-130 form is sent in maiden name and at NVC stage , forms are filled in married name, they might think why that ( we were not able to change it at time when we sent i-130 form ).

Btw, which forms are filled at NVC stage , Ds-230 or DS-260 ? or both...i know ds-230 has section "other names used " but not sure if ds-260 has it also...

The beneficiary now completes the DS-260 online form. The DS-230 is no longer used. (DS-261 replaces the DS-3032 and the DS-260 replaces the DS-230.)

No I didn't go through the name change during the process because I was married in May and didn't file until October. So thus I was able to change it before we ever filed. However, this will not be a problem and I'm thinking you're making it to be a bigger one than necessary. If is the beneficiary who is changing their name, that's no problem because the DS-260 does ask for other names used, which includes a maiden name. You still have to mail the documents like the police certificate, marriage certificate, and birth certificate to the NVC and most, if not all, will show her maiden name. Also you would send a copy of the OLD passport data page and a copy of the NEW passport data page showing the name change. Even if you showed up to the interview with a new passport with the married name, as long as they have all those other documents and you have the old passport, they can put the visa in the new passport. It's really NOT that big of a deal. These people are not idiots.

The employees of the USCIS call center on the other hand, often can be. But they're not gov't employees, they're a company who is contracted by the gov't.

[T&K.Love 0]

Thank you for detailed answer. It is of help. Well we were advised differently...some lawyers also said it is not issue at all and some said different thing ...but i think also it is not issue as there is marriage certificate as a link.... if send copies of both new and old passport i think they see i just changed my maiden name into married name , as beneficiary.

I ll consider it definitely ...:-)

The beneficiary now completes the DS-260 online form. The DS-230 is no longer used. (DS-261 replaces the DS-3032 and the DS-260 replaces the DS-230.)

No I didn't go through the name change during the process because I was married in May and didn't file until October. So thus I was able to change it before we ever filed. However, this will not be a problem and I'm thinking you're making it to be a bigger one than necessary. If is the beneficiary who is changing their name, that's no problem because the DS-260 does ask for other names used, which includes a maiden name. You still have to mail the documents like the police certificate, marriage certificate, and birth certificate to the NVC and most, if not all, will show her maiden name. Also you would send a copy of the OLD passport data page and a copy of the NEW passport data page showing the name change. Even if you showed up to the interview with a new passport with the married name, as long as they have all those other documents and you have the old passport, they can put the visa in the new passport. It's really NOT that big of a deal. These people are not idiots.

The employees of the USCIS call center on the other hand, often can be. But they're not gov't employees, they're a company who is contracted by the gov't.

[NYC.RSA 25]

yesterday my wife applied for a new passport with her married name. we are in nvc stage. gonna take both passports to interview.