K-1 approved, married, filing for Adjustment of Status

[Transborderwife 4,666]

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/united_kingdom-royaume_uni/consular_services_consulaires/passports_checklist_adult-etranger_verification_passeports.aspx?lang=eng

No U.S. Passport until she has citizenship

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Hmmm that concerns me. To some extent. Like Danielle's current passport, in her maiden name, is good for another 4 years. Now like when we get her greencard, which will be in her married name, how will that impact crossing back and forth between Canada and the United States?

[KayDeeCee 4,894]

Hmmm that concerns me. To some extent. Like Danielle's current passport, in her maiden name, is good for another 4 years. Now like when we get her greencard, which will be in her married name, how will that impact crossing back and forth between Canada and the United States?

US passports are for US citizens only. If she does not update her Canadian passport to her married name, then you will purchase tickets in the maiden name shown on her passport. Carry a copy of the marriage certificate just in case you need to show it with the green card in married name when returning to the US.

[Danielle and Jake 24]

US passports are for US citizens only. If she does not update her Canadian passport to her married name, then you will purchase tickets in the maiden name shown on her passport. Carry a copy of the marriage certificate just in case you need to show it with the green card in married name when returning to the US.

Purchase tickets? Like for a flight? I think if we visit back to Cananda, we will likely be driving, so we wouldn't have any tickets.

[KayDeeCee 4,894]

Then it works the same at the border. If they want to see proof of the name difference on the green card, then you have the marriage certificate on hand.

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Ahh ok. That makes sense. It just always concerns me because you are relying on them to "do the math" and so many people have bad experiences with different workers in this process (like Danielle and I at the SSA), that you kind of lose your faith and just become a nervous wreck.

[Unidentified 2,930]

Ahh ok. That makes sense. It just always concerns me because you are relying on them to "do the math" and so many people have bad experiences with different workers in this process (like Danielle and I at the SSA), that you kind of lose your faith and just become a nervous wreck.

Well the people working at the SSA office are a special kind of people... CBP are nice. SSA are kind of like DMV, people who were dropped as a kid end up there.

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Well the people working at the SSA office are a special kind of people... CBP are nice. SSA are kind of like DMV, people who were dropped as a kid end up there.

That's true, though CBP officers sometimes... I don't know. When Danielle andI were crossing after she got her K-1, we did the usual at the POE, which was mostly wait in line while people with Nexus (some type of fast pass) got to cut ahead of you no matter how long you waited. Once we got in, it started out with one officer working with us, he had to pull in another, because "he hasn't seen a K-1 visa in 4-5 years"... YEARS, really? So those two didn't really know what to do. They made us sit down while they figured it out, and they must have asked me where I lived, and when we were getting married about 8 times each, not exaggerating. I don't know if they were just "cross referencing" all the paperwork, or just making it look like they knew what they were doing. Then they needed the help of another 2 officers for 4 total, to figure this out and they still didn't really know what to do. It finally took a 5th officer walking over to them reading instructions out of a tiny booklet to let them know the "90 days to get married" and all that, and once they seemed to figure that facet out, it was easy breezy. It wasn't scary or anything for us, but it just seemed like it shouldn't have taken FIVE officers total to get that done. I mean they were nice and respectful the entire time, but it just seemed like they weren't fully trained or educated to handle stuff.

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Heading out tomorrow for our Danielle's biometrics on Wednesday morning. Don't know why, I just keep getting nervous and whatnot during this process. I keep thinking if I forgot anything or if there's something else I need to do during this process. Like is there any DS application she needs to do? I know she did a DS application for her K-1 visa, but I don't know, my head is all over the place during this process. And from the processing times I've seen for AOS, I got like another 10 months of this.

[Henley1989 10]

Jumping in here..

I am the K1 holder and I wont need a change of name for anything.

Once we get civilly married and do the AOS, does the Petitioner need to apply with my surname? We may not choose to change it. Does her surname make a difference being the petitioner?

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Jumping in here..

I am the K1 holder and I wont need a change of name for anything.

Once we get civilly married and do the AOS, does the Petitioner need to apply with my surname? We may not choose to change it. Does her surname make a difference being the petitioner?

It really depends on if you guys decide for your spouse to take your name? If they are the citizen, it doesn't take that long (a week or two to get the new SSN card, probably same for license, etc.).

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Should I be worried about this potential government shutdown? I mean they think it would happen on October 1st, and our appointment is on September 30th. What does this mean for our AOS. I am starting to get scared and nervous, because I really don't know the impact of this on this process.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

It doesn't affect it as USCIS is independently funded

[Henley1989 10]

It really depends on if you guys decide for your spouse to take your name? If they are the citizen, it doesn't take that long (a week or two to get the new SSN card, probably same for license, etc.).

Right so lets say we get married and she changes her name, when I send off AOS does it matter whether her name (the petitioner) is her maiden name or newly married name?

Me as the beneficiary, I can understand my name matters, but does hers? If so, once we get married should she get new SSN/License before I send off AOS?

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Right so lets say we get married and she changes her name, when I send off AOS does it matter whether her name (the petitioner) is her maiden name or newly married name?

Me as the beneficiary, I can understand my name matters, but does hers? If so, once we get married should she get new SSN/License before I send off AOS?

I think you could do them both at about the same time. Maybe run to the DMV, SSA and do her name change first, and in about 1-2 weeks she should get her new stuff, and maybe in that timeframe, send off the AOS with her stuff in her new married name? Not sure, but if you do that, obviously put her maiden name wherever it asks for "other names used". I mean for the I-864 she's filing, I assume the tax return will be in her maiden name, so I don't know. This is all stuff you would expect (or at least hope) that the people handling your case could "do the math".