Different last name in passport and GC - NOT MARRIAGE RELATED

[Mollie09 1,543]

Hello VJ community,

I recently married a US citizen, went through the AOS process, and now have my GC. I would like to legally change my name, but I am not changing it to my husband's name. I have two last names (not hyphenated) which gets me into all sorts of trouble, so I've been going by the first one and now officially want to get rid of the other one (let's say I want to go from Jane Smith Johnson to Jane Smith, in that order).

All the advice I can find relates to marriage-related name changes so it doesn't apply to me. I know that I need to file a name change petition in my county and my understanding is that if that gets approved, I can change my SS card, my driver's license, and my GC. However, I spoke to the Brazilian Consulate in Boston and they told me I wouldn't be able to change my passport unless I had an official name change in Brazil (which is much more bureaucratic than in the US).

So here's my question: if I go ahead with the name change in the US and change all my documents, can I travel with the Jane Smith GC and Jane Smith Johnson passport? Will it be ok if I carry the name change decree? Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks in advance!

PS: I plan to obtain US citizenship in three years when I'm eligible.

[Ian H. 207]

My situation was somewhat similar to yours except that I changed my whole name lol. The thing about Brazil is I believe they require you to enter the country with your Brazilian passport even if you become a USC right? If so you may have problems entering Brazil, but I know you won't have problems entering the US because they only typically care about your GC and not your passport, especially since you are only dropping one last name. As a matter of fact you don't even have to legally change it. In the DR we use two last names as well and here all of my documents always reflected my first last name because every time I filled out an application I would only put down one. I know plenty of people that do that. The issue is really only when you actually change your last name to something else. You can opt to change it in court that way you can change your official documents here in the US. If you don't plan on going back to Brazil it wouldn't really matter. If you do, then you want the same name in both your US and Brazil docs. Again that's assuming I'm correct about Brazil requiring you to use your Brazilian passport. You could always renounce your Brazilian citizenship, which I know that some people do to avoid that kind of problem.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

My situation was somewhat similar to yours except that I changed my whole name lol. The thing about Brazil is I believe they require you to enter the country with your Brazilian passport even if you become a USC right? If so you may have problems entering Brazil, but I know you won't have problems entering the US because they only typically care about your GC and not your passport, especially since you are only dropping one last name. As a matter of fact you don't even have to legally change it. In the DR we use two last names as well and here all of my documents always reflected my first last name because every time I filled out an application I would only put down one. I know plenty of people that do that. The issue is really only when you actually change your last name to something else. You can opt to change it in court that way you can change your official documents here in the US. If you don't plan on going back to Brazil it wouldn't really matter. If you do, then you want the same name in both your US and Brazil docs. Again that's assuming I'm correct about Brazil requiring you to use your Brazilian passport. You could always renounce your Brazilian citizenship, which I know that some people do to avoid that kind of problem.

This is not correct.

OP: You can have two separate names in your documents. For air travel, you would have to book in the passport name. You would carry a copy of the name change document just in case, for reentry to the US. Good luck.

[Mollie09 1,543]

This is not correct.

OP: You can have two separate names in your documents. For air travel, you would have to book in the passport name. You would carry a copy of the name change document just in case, for reentry to the US. Good luck.

Thank you, Harpa!

So for international travel I would need to book with the passport name, but would that cause any problems coming back to the US if the name doesn't match the green card? I wonder if removing one last name really means I wouldn't be able to travel with the new name in the boarding pass. I have gotten away with having only the second last name on my boarding passes pretty much my whole life, so if I switched to only the first one it might not be a big deal. I just imagine having one name for national travel and one for international would be a major headache considering I'm applying for Global Entry and have FF accounts.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Thank you, Harpa!

So for international travel I would need to book with the passport name, but would that cause any problems coming back to the US if the name doesn't match the green card? I wonder if removing one last name really means I wouldn't be able to travel with the new name in the boarding pass. I have gotten away with having only the second last name on my boarding passes pretty much my whole life, so if I switched to only the first one it might not be a big deal. I just imagine having one name for national travel and one for international would be a major headache considering I'm applying for Global Entry and have FF accounts.

You can have a different name on your GC and passport. The change isn't very drastic, so I don't think anyone would be confused, but you can just carry a copy of the name change doc just in case. It's just the same as married people who change their names but can't change them on their passport.

[Mollie09 1,543]

You can have a different name on your GC and passport. The change isn't very drastic, so I don't think anyone would be confused, but you can just carry a copy of the name change doc just in case. It's just the same as married people who change their names but can't change them on their passport.

But do you think I could get away with international travel with the new name and the old passport?

I find out next week how Global Entry feels about all of this.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

No, you have to use the passport name for international travel.

[Mollie09 1,543]

Thanks again, Harpa!

Just to clarify, I have been traveling without the boarding pass matching the name on my passport most of my adult life. My passport lists both last names, but the boarding pass only lists the second last name and it's never been an issue. I just wonder if having it match the first one instead would be such a big deal.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Might not be, but you never know. I always that the final name in this construct was the more permanent one. The first last name could be considered like a middle name.

[Ian H. 207]

Again here we go. What about my post isn't correct this time? I clearly told the OP that she wouldn't have an issue reentering the US. What I do see that I said was that she "may" have issues entering/exiting Brazil with the docs. I also said that she doesn't even have to legally change her name since you can usually just drop one by not using it. My grandmother for example had 3 last names in her passport and GC before she became a USC and her tickets were always booked with one last name. Since I said "may" have issues instead of "will" is because I recall Brazil requiring a USC to travel with both passports and if they have different names it "may" cause a problem. Of course that problem, if any, would only arise when she becomes a USC. The reason I advised her about it possibly being a problem is because some countries are really picky with their docs, and in a non english speaking country they might not want to validate a US court order. Like the Brazilian consulate informed her already. So like I said she shouldn't have problems since she is just dropping one last name, that doesn't mean she wouldn't. Just trying to make things as clear as I can.

This is not correct.

OP: You can have two separate names in your documents. For air travel, you would have to book in the passport name. You would carry a copy of the name change document just in case, for reentry to the US. Good luck.

[Illiria 980]

I am keeping my passport in my maiden name. I will book flights in my maiden name but when I enter the US to show I am allowed to be here I show my green card in my married name, my passport in my maiden name and my certified marriage certificate. This has worked fine for other VJers.

[Mollie09 1,543]

I am keeping my passport in my maiden name. I will book flights in my maiden name but when I enter the US to show I am allowed to be here I show my green card in my married name, my passport in my maiden name and my certified marriage certificate. This has worked fine for other VJers.

Thanks, but as I mentioned it's not a maiden/married name situation so I don't know if a name change decree will have the same effect as a marriage certificate.

[Illiria 980]

Sorry I was attempting to clarify that your passport and airline ticket always have to have names that match, but the document you use to show eligibility to enter the US (such as a green card) can be different so long as you carry the name modifying document with you as well.

[Mollie09 1,543]

Sorry I was attempting to clarify that your passport and airline ticket always have to have names that match, but the document you use to show eligibility to enter the US (such as a green card) can be different so long as you carry the name modifying document with you as well.

So do you think if you booked the ticket with the married name in your GC you wouldn't be allowed to board the flight even with the marriage certificate?

I thought it was easier for people who changed it to a married name.

[Illiria 980]

Yes because this is a requirement of the airlines. Whenever I have booked with European or North American airline companies they have a reminder to book the ticket with the name exactly as it appears on my passport.