Name Change Games

[TimAdri 8]

Hello All,

Quick question based on anyone else's experience. My wife and are all nestled in now that she has her GC and life is moving forward. Now we go through the process of adjusting the rest of her identity existence. When we began this process back in March, we were advised by the Lawyer we consulted with, and the document filing agency we used to NOT change her maiden name on the marriage certificate so as not to hold up the USCIS process by having a conflicting name. Looking back on it, I don't really see why that would matter since many women take their husband's last name upon marriage.

That said...we left her maiden name so it would match her passport and USCIS filing documentation. Upon our interview with USCIS, the interviewer asked what name we would like to appear on her GC. We naturally asked to have my last name as it is both our wish to have my last name. This did not seem to be too big of an issue when we went to the Social Security office to update her first Social Security Card from maiden to married as all they cared about was that the GC had her married name.

In the end....should we update the marriage license? Do people actually do that? I guess what I am wondering if we are better off doing that in case we are required to show it, it will match all of her US documentation moving forward.

Thanks!!

[nickbits 43]

I didn't know that it was even possible and have never heard of anyone doing it

[Dakine10 5,452]

My wife kept her maiden name but thought about changing it later. IIRC, It's doesn't get changed on the marriage certificate but it does every where else. Start with SSN and drivers license and work down from there.

I'm not sure if there's a time limit or if it varies by state but. At the time she was inquiring, it was basically the same as a legal name change and it was going to cost a bit. We would have had to file to replace her green card since that was in her maiden name so that was a big part of it.

We were going to look into doing everything later when she naturalized, but by that time she had changed her mind again (or several times - who keeps track), but at any rate she still has her maiden name today. I really think the longer you wait, the more effort it becomes to change everything and at some point it's not worth the effort.

There's no reason to change or not change a maiden name just for USCIS - it doesn't affect things either way. They are used to dealing with it since many people do.

[CdnRN 40]

I haven't heard of changing a marriage license either. That document is your legal your name change document, so in my mind it would be best to keep it as is.

[TimAdri 8]

Thanks for everyone's responses

She kept her maiden name on the Marriage License as we were advised not for her to inscribe her married name (taking my last name) in order to avoid slowing down any USCIS process since all of her official documentation was drawn up in her maiden name and her passport as well...

When we were approved at our USCIS interview, the agent asked what name we would like on her Green Card, and so we had them inscribe the married name. We have already had the Social Security Card changed accordingly as the first one had her maiden name (We obtained the first one immediately after she get her EAD Card)....Anything else moving forward will be in her married name, and we are contacting the Spanish Consulate to have a "marriage endorsement" stamped into her passport as they do not change her name officially on her passport.

I don't think the marriage license really has much impact on anything moving forward...but we intend on getting Drivers' License, Bank Statements, Health Benefits, etc, etc, etc in her married/taken name....Only the passport and marriage license will remain as only documents with her maiden name.

[CdnRN 40]

Thanks for everyone's responses

She kept her maiden name on the Marriage License as we were advised not for her to inscribe her married name (taking my last name) in order to avoid slowing down any USCIS process since all of her official documentation was drawn up in her maiden name and her passport as well...

When we were approved at our USCIS interview, the agent asked what name we would like on her Green Card, and so we had them inscribe the married name. We have already had the Social Security Card changed accordingly as the first one had her maiden name (We obtained the first one immediately after she get her EAD Card)....Anything else moving forward will be in her married name, and we are contacting the Spanish Consulate to have a "marriage endorsement" stamped into her passport as they do not change her name officially on her passport.

I don't think the marriage license really has much impact on anything moving forward...but we intend on getting Drivers' License, Bank Statements, Health Benefits, etc, etc, etc in her married/taken name....Only the passport and marriage license will remain as only documents with her maiden name.

When I renewed my Canadian passport, I used my marriage certificate to update that document to my married name.

[TimAdri 8]

When I renewed my Canadian passport, I used my marriage certificate to update that document to my married name.

CdnRN....We spoke this morning with the Spanish Consulate and there is no need for her to change the passport name. I suppose it could be updated when she needs to renew in 10 years. They simply stated that we should travel internationally with her passport as it is, and buy the ticket in her passport name, and to bring along a copy of the marriage certificate (as it has my name on it also), and her GC....I don't think we will experience any issues.

We just need to work on the "At Home" kinda stuff....Driver's License and other things that identify her accordingly as a resident in the US and reflects what is on the GC (Married Name)

The only thing we need to do with the Consulate is to get her "Libro de Familia" updated to reflect that we are married so the Spanish Govt. will officially recognize it should we ever decide to move/retire to Spain.