Information on Name Change During Naturalization

[Family 4,068]

On 6/28/2022 at 4:29 PM, papasmf said:

The interviewer gave her the forms to fill out and sign and told us to expect it to take longer before her ceremony letter would come in.  It's been 7 weeks since then and today we received the ceremony letter, but it is using FirstName MiddleName MarriedName, as opposed to what was requested on the forms and shown on her GC, driver's license, and SS card.

At this point we aren't sure how to try to resolve this, and her ceremony is in two weeks.  Would you happen to have any advice for us?  Thank you for your information on here and thank you for you time.

First reschedule the oath ceremony by sending a written request or via phone or interactive USCIS, reason being Error in Legal Name Change.

For your wife to get the name as she wants it, you need to indicate she DID request a legal name change during the interview..but there was a miscommunication with the Officer and you are NOW asking that it be corrected . You ARE REQUESTING a Legal Name Change as follows: xyz . Best route is to do it in writing addressed to your Field Office, Attn: N-400 Unit Supervisor 

 

Just because you managed to convince DMV or others that maiden name should be input as middle name…making that change valid for citizenship/ passport requires you to mark your N-400 as name change requested.

 

 

[Scandi 4,173]

1 hour ago, papasmf said:

@Scandi(or anyone else on here) would you happen to know the answer to this?  One of my wife's friends said just goto the ceremony and they can fix it there, but I haven't seen anything that says you can do that at the end of the ceremony.

Edit: correction to "The interviewer gave her the forms to fill out and sign" - wife said he actually just filled them out for her on his computer and had her verify information on the screen.

I don't see the problem I'm afraid. She will not change name until she has had her ceremony, so every communication from USCIS before that will still have her old name. She changes name once the ceremony is done. 

It's normal for the interviewing officer to ask about the name change and then add the name in the system, and for the applicant to approve the name change by singing (nowadays on a tablet type screen). I did the same. I had requested a name change on my N-400 form and the officer at my interview asked me about it, had me look at the name on the screen to make sure it as spelled correctly and then I had to sign to approve it.

My oath ceremony notice was in my old name, as it should be. My new name was on my naturalization certificate and the name change document, both received AFTER the ceremony of course.

Edited June 30, 2022 by Scandi

[papasmf 90]

2 minutes ago, Scandi said:

I don't see the problem I'm afraid. She will not change name until she has had her ceremony, so every communication from USCIS before that will still have her old name. She changes name once the ceremony is done. 

Thank you for the prompt reply, much appreciated (both replies).  
 

So, all prior communications from USCIS post-marriage/AOS showed First Maiden Last, but now the ceremony invitation letter has First Middle Last, and this was after the interview officer told us that she needed to do a legal name change to keep First Maiden Last as her legal name and then inputting whatever he did on his computer to do so.  Our N-400 application initially didn’t request any changes and listed that same name that was on all prior communications from us and them.
 

The whole thing has been confusing since the officer suggested we needed anything done here, during marriage process they said SS office handled the married name change, which is where we had it changed  to begin with, prior to getting GC and ID/DL.

 

Still think we’re good to attend the ceremony or should we reschedule as suggested in the other reply above your’s?

[Scandi 4,173]

3 minutes ago, papasmf said:

Thank you for the prompt reply, much appreciated (both replies).  
 

So, all prior communications from USCIS post-marriage/AOS showed First Maiden Last, but now the ceremony invitation letter has First Middle Last, and this was after the interview officer told us that she needed to do a legal name change to keep First Maiden Last as her legal name and then inputting whatever he did on his computer to do so.  Our N-400 application initially didn’t request any changes and listed that same name that was on all prior communications from us and them.
 

The whole thing has been confusing since the officer suggested we needed anything done here, during marriage process they said SS office handled the married name change, which is where we had it changed  to begin with, prior to getting GC and ID/DL.

 

Still think we’re good to attend the ceremony or should we reschedule as suggested in the other reply above your’s?

Were you at the N-400 interview? To me it sounds like your wife misunderstood what was said tbh. 

Whatever happened BEFORE the N-400 interview (AOS, ROC whatever) doesn't matter. What matters is that the officer added the name change request in the system and your wife verified and approved it. That's all. The name she requested is the name she will have on her naturalization certificate (NOT on any letters from USCIS before the ceremony, and after the ceremony there won't be anymore letters from USCIS). She will use the certificate to change her name with SSA. 

Reschedule the oath sounds completely ludicrous to me, as I still can't see the issue you think you have. 

[papasmf 90]

2 minutes ago, Scandi said:

Were you at the N-400 interview? To me it sounds like your wife misunderstood what was said tbh. 

Whatever happened BEFORE the N-400 interview (AOS, ROC whatever) doesn't matter. What matters is that the officer added the name change request in the system and your wife verified and approved it. That's all. The name she requested is the name she will have on her naturalization certificate (NOT on any letters from USCIS before the ceremony, and after the ceremony there won't be anymore letters from USCIS). She will use the certificate to change her name with SSA. 

Reschedule the oath sounds completely ludicrous to me, as I still can't see the issue you think you have. 

It is certainly possible she may have misunderstood, and I wasn’t there.  I was however surprised to see First Middle Last on the ceremony invite, especially after hearing about the conversation she said they had plus the -45 day wait for the invite, and just want to make sure we don’t need to do something here beforehand, and I’m just hoping there wasn’t a mistake where the officer tried to change it to what it says now because of that potential miscommunication.
 

Sounds like we can just tell them what we want on the certificate at the end of the ceremony regardless though, thank you again for your replies.

[Family 4,068]

27 minutes ago, Scandi said:

Reschedule the oath sounds completely ludicrous to me, as I still can't see the issue you think you have. 

I may have created a misunderstanding, and appreciate you clearing it up.  I misunderstood that  some sort of name change came through on the notice, but not as wife desired..and of course got lost in the detail of maiden as middle. 

As you indicate, at oath , if name is not perfectly as wanted, there are records to get it corrected as a USCIS error. 

So cancel last transmission, and follow @Scandi advice 

[papasmf 90]

2 minutes ago, Family said:

I may have created a misunderstanding, and appreciate you clearing it up.  I misunderstood that  some sort of name change came through on the notice, but not as wife desired..and of course got lost in the detail of maiden as middle. 

As you indicate, at oath , if name is not perfectly as wanted, there are records to get it corrected as a USCIS error. 

So cancel last transmission, and follow @Scandi advice 

Thanks much

[Scandi 4,173]

14 hours ago, papasmf said:

It is certainly possible she may have misunderstood, and I wasn’t there.  I was however surprised to see First Middle Last on the ceremony invite, especially after hearing about the conversation she said they had plus the -45 day wait for the invite, and just want to make sure we don’t need to do something here beforehand, and I’m just hoping there wasn’t a mistake where the officer tried to change it to what it says now because of that potential miscommunication.
 

Sounds like we can just tell them what we want on the certificate at the end of the ceremony regardless though, thank you again for your replies.

I don't know why you were surprised her requested new name wasn't on the oath ceremony notice - your wife has not changed her name yet so there is no possible way the letter would have her requested new name either. She only changes her name once the oath ceremony is done.

It's very common that you have to wait an extra few weeks (sometimes even months) to get your oath ceremony scheduled if you decide to change your name. This because a name change is done by a court judge - USCIS cannot change anybody's name. The USCIS officer can only put the name request in their system and then the name request will be granted and signed by a judge. Every city and town will have their own wait times to get a judge to look at and approve a name change. This is why some applicants wait a lot longer for their oath ceremony to be scheduled if they choose to have a name change. Absolutely nothing odd at all, and USCIS and the court handles this for you.  

The certificate has already been printed by the time she shows up for her oath ceremony. 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Scandi

[islandgirl80 28]

Is that true that when you requested name change takes longer to get an interview?

[Scandi 4,173]

14 minutes ago, islandgirl80 said:

Is that true that when you requested name change takes longer to get an interview?

No, a name change does not affect the interview date.

 

But with some field offices it can take longer to get an oath ceremony if you decide to change your name.

[islandgirl80 28]

1 minute ago, Scandi said:

No, a name change does not affect the interview date.

 

But with some field offices it can take longer to get an oath ceremony if you decide to change your name.

Oh ok, thank you. I am planning to withdraw my name change request on my application. Do you think it is possible? 

[Scandi 4,173]

6 hours ago, islandgirl80 said:

Oh ok, thank you. I am planning to withdraw my name change request on my application. Do you think it is possible? 

You can do that at the interview.

[minivatreni 193]

Hello everyone, I was hoping someone could help me with this question. My field office is New York, NY, but for the Oath I think I would fall under the jurisdiction of Westchester County. According to this website, it says: "Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni is proud to administer the Oath of Citizenship."

If I understand correctly, I cannot attend this Oath if I'm requesting a name change, since it's conducted by a county clerk, and not a judge? Is there a chance my Oath would be conducted in New York City in that case, since they have a ceremony by a judge conducted every week... or would it definitely be scheduled in Westchester? Any help appreciated!

[papasmf 90]

8 minutes ago, Nela Aluwihare said:

Hello everyone, I was hoping someone could help me with this question. My field office is New York, NY, but for the Oath I think I would fall under the jurisdiction of Westchester County. According to this website, it says: "Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni is proud to administer the Oath of Citizenship."

If I understand correctly, I cannot attend this Oath if I'm requesting a name change, since it's conducted by a county clerk, and not a judge? Is there a chance my Oath would be conducted in New York City in that case, since they have a ceremony by a judge conducted every week... or would it definitely be scheduled in Westchester? Any help appreciated!

If you took care of the name change during your interview before the ceremony, then I don't believe you have anything to worry about - just go to your Oath Ceremony at the address they provided for it.

[minivatreni 193]

25 minutes ago, papasmf said:

If you took care of the name change during your interview before the ceremony, then I don't believe you have anything to worry about - just go to your Oath Ceremony at the address they provided for it.

@papasmf thanks for responding, but I don't have my oath ceremony yet. My question was whether a county clerk can perform name change oaths, or if only a judge can do that?