Travelling soon - name change!

[EV11 18]

Hello all,

 

I have a question I hope you could help me with  Sorry if it all sounds a bit complicated.

 

I currently have my British passport and my 10-year Permanent Resident card in my old married name and I will be travelling to England on August, 25th (have to go, no choice unfortunately). However, my naturalization interview is July 19th and hopefully my oath ceremony a couple of weeks later. If I am successful and pass everything I will get a US passport in my current legal name before the trip. I also know that US Citizens are required to travel on their US passports. So I'm booking my tickets in my old name to reflect my current situation as there's no guarantees I will be a US citizen by the time of the trip and so need to make sure that my tickets reflect my current situation i.e. the name on my British passport and Permanent Resident card. I've just called the airline and they do not do name changes.

 

So my question is, how I get around all of this...? If I do become an American citizen and I do have a US passport, can I check into my flight leaving from New York to England on my British passport and obviously enter Britain on my British passport and then when it's time to come home, check in again on my British passport as the ticket has to reflect the name on the passport but just show my US Passport at border control when I get back to America? Or will there be some error in their system that shows that the passenger on that flight is not the person coming through customs?

 

Thanks so much for all of your help

[sd2017 18]

I would bring both passports in case anyone questions the difference in names.

[3rd 84]

My passport is still under my maiden name and my Greencard is in my married name. I always book the tickets in my passport name (as legally required) and take my marriage certificate with me to contest the passport/Greencard name different at POE.

 

Obviously for you this would be a bigger issue as you'd have a passport in two different names. I would always travel with both passports, as you'd want to use your US one to leave and enter the United States and your UK one to enter and exit the United Kingdom (it would speed up your transit with both countries). The problem is that your tickets have to be in the name with the passport you're travelling under... If they are under your old married name then you'll be forced to use your UK passport for the entire journey. It's a shame you've booked your tickets already or I'd have suggested you go to the British embassy and update your UK passport to your new married name. I know some airlines do name changes but you'd have to pay for the privilege.

 

It's a tough predicament for sure.

[EV11 18]

39 minutes ago, sd2017 said:

I would bring both passports in case anyone questions the difference in names.

 

11 minutes ago, 3rd said:

My passport is still under my maiden name and my Greencard is in my married name. I always book the tickets in my passport name (as legally required) and take my marriage certificate with me to contest the passport/Greencard name different at POE.

 

Obviously for you this would be a bigger issue as you'd have a passport in two different names. I would always travel with both passports, as you'd want to use your US one to leave and enter the United States and your UK one to enter and exit the United Kingdom (it would speed up your transit with both countries). The problem is that your tickets have to be in the name with the passport you're travelling under... If they are under your old married name then you'll be forced to use your UK passport for the entire journey. It's a shame you've booked your tickets already or I'd have suggested you go to the British embassy and update your UK passport to your new married name. I know some airlines do name changes but you'd have to pay for the privilege.

 

It's a tough predicament for sure.

Thank you both for your responses! It's definitely a bit of a predicament for sure. Perhaps I look into rescheduling my oath ceremony if I get it before the trip?  I know that's not the best of options, and I didn't think i'd be the one to say it. I just know it's a legal requirement to use a US passport to leave and enter the US I just don't want to do something stupid when my citizenship will potentially only days old at that point. 

[3rd 84]

I was going to suggest holding off on the oath ceremony, but don't know the ins and outs of the Naturalisation process. I honestly believe you changing your UK passport to your new married name should be a priority now as then your tickets and passports will always align. It's actually reminded me that I need to do it myself as travelling with your marriage certificate is a real pain!

 

Is there any way you can talk to someone at USCIS about this? We can give advice but not entirely sure what way to steer you in this case.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

if you are a US citizen, you leave the country (check in at airline) as a USC. You also return as a USC. How you enter and leave the UK is not of concern to the US. I've entered the UK as British and as American. 

 

Put off the ceremony for less stress wondering how long it will take to get oath scheduled, and how to get a same day passport because once you take that oath, you travel as American and require a US passport.

Edited June 27, 2017 by Wuozopo