Getting Canadian Passport Changed to Married Name

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Hey everybody,

Sorry if this is a narrow minded question, but I am just not too sure how this whole thing will work.

My husband and I are planning on coming to Canada for a little while in July of all goes well, and I plan on going to the passport office to get my passport changed to my married name.

That is where my question lies, I'm not too sure the whole process on that. I'm sure I have to get new passport photos, but what else do I have to bring? Also, are they able to mail the new passport to our address in the US?

Lastly, I can still use this passport to return to the US, right? It's well within validation as it doesn't expire until 2019...I'm just hoping I don't have to surrender it.

Again sorry if these sound like stupid questions, just wanna be sure all my grounds are covered. Thanks in advance!

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Look into renewing your passport via mail. You'll turn in your passport when renewing/reapplying for a new one

good luck

[canadiangirl24 1]

Does your passport office do expedited service?

[Lemonslice 4,841]

Read the instructions carefully. Step one is to get new pieces of ID in your married name. If you are going to Canada, I would go in person and ask for expedited service; more expensive, but as expensive as doing it by mail from the USA. They will keep your current passport unless you pay a "retention" fee.

You will need to use the regular passport application (not simplified) and a guarantor will have to sign your passport pictures and the application.

Edited March 6, 2016 by Boston~Montreal

[canadiangirl24 1]

I posted this answer to your last thread but it didn't get sent for some reason. This is my experience. I hope it helps.

It wasn't hard but you have to do a new application as opposed to a renewal. So you need a guarantor and references. It's $100 for them to ship your new passport to the US or $100 for expedited overnight service. I visited my family and went to the passport office in person. I had to write a letter for the expedite and they called my references while I waited. I wrote that I needed my passport back quickly because I would need it to return home and that I needed my old one back because it has my K-1 VISA in it. I brought my US driver's licence and my marriage certificate for proof of name change. I picked up my passport the next day.

[Danielle and Jake 24]

Thanks for the replies.

So do we have to surrender the old one? It has the K-1 visa in it, and we will be working on a limited time frame here. For reference, we'd be coming into Canada on a Thursday, late afternoon. We plan on staying until Monday morning, and since those places aren't usually open during the weekend, are we out of luck hoping to get this done on this trip?

Also, we are currently in the AOS process, and Danielle has both her EAD and AP in her married name, State ID (Wisconsin) in married name, marriage certificate. We filed AOS in September 2015, so I don't know if we'll have her GC by then, so yeah, we will definitely need her old passport back. It is an option to pay the $100.00 to have it shipped to the United States, but keep the old one, or is that not possible?

Also, what would we put in the letter for the expedite?

Edited March 7, 2016 by Danielle and Jake

[Lemonslice 4,841]

Thanks for the replies.

So do we have to surrender the old one? It has the K-1 visa in it, and we will be working on a limited time frame here. For reference, we'd be coming into Canada on a Thursday, late afternoon. We plan on staying until Monday morning, and since those places aren't usually open during the weekend, are we out of luck hoping to get this done on this trip?

Also, we are currently in the AOS process, and Danielle has both her EAD and AP in her married name, State ID (Wisconsin) in married name, marriage certificate. We filed AOS in September 2015, so I don't know if we'll have her GC by then, so yeah, we will definitely need her old passport back. It is an option to pay the $100.00 to have it shipped to the United States, but keep the old one, or is that not possible?

Also, what would we put in the letter for the expedite?

They still need 24 business hours, so you would have to go first thing Friday to get it Monday. Or she can apply by mail from the USA, when she is not in a rush -Take the pictures and fill the form while in Canada, have her guarantor sign the pictures, photocopies of her ID and guarantor part of application. She keeps her (current) passport, you travel back to the USA and then submit the application by mail, checking "return my passport to me". She will be without her passport for a few weeks, but her other ID is sufficient. Last thing, a lot of Canadians do not apply for a new passport just to update it in their married name, they wait until it expires and save some $.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Thanks for the replies.

So do we have to surrender the old one? It has the K-1 visa in it, and we will be working on a limited time frame here. For reference, we'd be coming into Canada on a Thursday, late afternoon. We plan on staying until Monday morning, and since those places aren't usually open during the weekend, are we out of luck hoping to get this done on this trip?

Also, we are currently in the AOS process, and Danielle has both her EAD and AP in her married name, State ID (Wisconsin) in married name, marriage certificate. We filed AOS in September 2015, so I don't know if we'll have her GC by then, so yeah, we will definitely need her old passport back. It is an option to pay the $100.00 to have it shipped to the United States, but keep the old one, or is that not possible?

Also, what would we put in the letter for the expedite?

I believe that you get the option to keep it or not

[Danielle and Jake 24]

They still need 24 business hours, so you would have to go first thing Friday to get it Monday. Or she can apply by mail from the USA, when she is not in a rush -Take the pictures and fill the form while in Canada, have her guarantor sign the pictures, photocopies of her ID and guarantor part of application. She keeps her (current) passport, you travel back to the USA and then submit the application by mail, checking "return my passport to me". She will be without her passport for a few weeks, but her other ID is sufficient. Last thing, a lot of Canadians do not apply for a new passport just to update it in their married name, they wait until it expires and save some $.

Thanks. That sounds like it could work, because yeah, if we are traveling by AP, we definitely want to keep her passport until she gets her GC, right? So that method you described would probably only be best if we got her GC by then, which I am doubtful seeing we haven't gotten an update since getting her biometrics done in October (though the office processing times maps out that they should be handling our case soon)..

Overall I am wondering if we are best waiting until things are more set with our AOS, but seeing as we are planning on being in Canada... yeah. I just don't know the logistics of Danielle going about with a passport in her maiden name, even though it's still valid until 2019. I've been told with AP, and eventually greencard, if this is the case, then to carry a copy of our marriage certificate with her when traveling.

[NikLR 13,227]

~~moved to Canada regional forum as topic is regionally specific from AOS family based~~

[Ms Hogan 295]

I believe that you get the option to keep it or not

But when you keep it they cut the corner showing it is no longer valid and a new one has been issued.... that's been my experience anyway.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

My 2 cents would be wait until she has her GC and then do it by mail if you're worried about her not being able to get her current one back and having to get back into the US since you're using AP. But there's no right answer ....this is just my opinion

There is a passport office in the town I'm from so I applied in person when I was back home visiting. They asked if I wanted my current one back, I said yes, and they just cut the corner off.

The first couple times I traveled I carried a copy of my marriage certificate to explain the difference in name. no problems with that approach.

**** But definitely get the right sized pictures done while she's back home.....Walmart/ Shoppers etc all doe passport pics****

Edited March 11, 2016 by Udella&Wiz

[Veroneek 0]

The thing is It is not allow in Quebec Canada to change your name when you get married. They made it illegal to preserve women's right I beleive! So I was wondering how do we change our IDs and passeport names??

Edited March 11, 2016 by Veroneek

[Lemonslice 4,841]

The thing is It is not allow in Quebec Canada to change your name when you get married. They made it illegal to preserve women's right I beleive! So I was wondering how do we change our IDs and passeport names??

If you get married in the US, you will be able to change your name in the USA but QC documents will stay in your maiden name.

J'étais dans la même situation, toutefois je n'avais pas l'intention de changer mon nom, écris-moi si tu as des questions.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

The thing is It is not allow in Quebec Canada to change your name when you get married. They made it illegal to preserve women's right I beleive! So I was wondering how do we change our IDs and passeport names??

It's allowed its just traditional not to.