Updating name on Canadian passport and nexus card?

[Marzena & Stephen 544]

At what point did you update your maiden name to your married name on your Canadian passport and on your nexus card?

 

Was it before or after you received a green card.

Canada requests you send your original passport in to apply for a new passport in order to change your name.(when you live outside of canada)

Do you need your passport for the green card interview ?

Is it smarter to wait until you have a green card to update your name on your passport  ?

 

Anyone with a nexus card?

When did you update your name etc on your nexus card ?

 

[mushroomspore 3,044]

7 minutes ago, Marzena & Stephen said:

At what point did you update your maiden name to your married name on your Canadian passport and on your nexus card?

 

Was it before or after you received a green card.

Canada requests you send your original passport in to apply for a new passport in order to change your name.(when you live outside of canada)

Do you need your passport for the green card interview ?

Is it smarter to wait until you have a green card to update your name on your passport  ?

 

Anyone with a nexus card?

When did you update your name etc on your nexus card ?

 

Hey, fellow Canadian here. I'm waiting until after our (still-unscheduled) interview to change my name in my passport. We need it for the interview so don't risk sending it before. It won't matter that it still has your maiden name; they will know it's you, obviously. I don't know what a nexus card is so I can't help you there but it's definitely not part of the AoS process so maybe it's unnecessary to worry abput it.

[Ontarkie 14,227]

~~Moved to the Canada forum, from AOS family - As the OP is asking about country specific advice.~~

[Marzena & Stephen 544]

8 minutes ago, mushroomspore said:

Hey, fellow Canadian here. I'm waiting until after our (still-unscheduled) interview to change my name in my passport. We need it for the interview so don't risk sending it before. It won't matter that it still has your maiden name; they will know it's you, obviously. I don't know what a nexus card is so I can't help you there but it's definitely not part of the AoS process so maybe it's unnecessary to worry abput it.

Thank you very much! That was sort of what I thought I should do -wait. 

 

And yes the nexus card part was more based on curiosity.(not a part of immigration process just a travel doc.) 

[Cryssiekins 976]

I left my passport as is until I had my green card in hand.  

 

Mailing it to Gatineau is a pain in the ### bc you have to send original everything.  (Canada doesn't have a name change option, you have to file as if it

was your first passport).  Next time I have to renew it, I'm think I'm just gunna drive across and go to a Passport office.  (Not feasible for everyone, but I live in Buffalo, so right on the Canadian border).  The extra money needed for a rush processing is basically equal to the extra fee you pay by mail. 

 

I was just nervous to try and return to the US after travelling with a green card in my married name and a passport in my maiden, even though that's not logical.

[Marzena & Stephen 544]

6 minutes ago, Cryssiekins said:

I left my passport as is until I had my green card in hand.  

 

Mailing it to Gatineau is a pain in the ### bc you have to send original everything.  (Canada doesn't have a name change option, you have to file as if it

was your first passport).  Next time I have to renew it, I'm think I'm just gunna drive across and go to a Passport office.  (Not feasible for everyone, but I live in Buffalo, so right on the Canadian border).  The extra money needed for a rush processing is basically equal to the extra fee you pay by mail. 

 

I was just nervous to try and return to the US after travelling with a green card in my married name and a passport in my maiden, even though that's not logical.

Yes that was my concern 

My green card will be in my married name and my passport will be in my maiden name and I'm hoping a marriage certificate will be enough.

I heard updating the passort takes 2 months when you do it by mail so that's why I was thinking of doing it prior..but now i think I'll just wait.

 

Also i have a 10 year passport and it's pretty new So i thought why waste money getting a new one if it's not necessary

Edited January 19, 2018 by Marzena & Stephen

[Cryssiekins 976]

I haven't travelled anywhere abroad since getting my green card, just day or weekend trips to see my family/friends and we just drive across.  When we come back to the US, CPB only ever wants my husbands passport (the US Citizen) and my greencard.  I always have my passport with me, but they hand it back soon as they see a greencard. 

 

We're hoping to finally take a honeymoon this year, now that I've got a job in my field.  

 

It's nice to feel relaxed and normal again and not spend every waking moment checking the case tracker.  Haha 

[shakeyy 78]

I changed everything before I applied for GC

[PickleChips 56]

Nexus is pain because you HAVE to do it in person. I don't live anywhere near the border and haven't been back since I got my green card so I can't change my name. 

[Marzena & Stephen 544]

34 minutes ago, Katmedic said:

Nexus is pain because you HAVE to do it in person. I don't live anywhere near the border and haven't been back since I got my green card so I can't change my name. 

Ya that's what I figured. Certain things must be done in person. From my understanding your address can be change online though? I have to login and try. 

I thought nexus could be changed at an airport? No? 

I just didn't know at what point we were obligated to change our name and info ..I don't want to lose nexus by missing a change ..if you know what I mean ?

[PickleChips 56]

I changed my address online. The only reason I wanted to change my name on it was because I could then use it for prescreening at an airport and use the TSA precheck line. Right now my airline ticket has my married name and my Nexus has my maiden name so they don't match. You can do it at select Canadian airports but I haven't been back yet. 

[NikLR 13,227]

Some US airports also do it.  Denver now has pre-check for example, but didn't back in 2013. 

[moemac59 192]

On 1/18/2018 at 7:20 PM, Marzena & Stephen said:

At what point did you update your maiden name to your married name on your Canadian passport and on your nexus card?

 

Was it before or after you received a green card.

Canada requests you send your original passport in to apply for a new passport in order to change your name.(when you live outside of canada)

Do you need your passport for the green card interview ?

Is it smarter to wait until you have a green card to update your name on your passport  ?

 

Anyone with a nexus card?

When did you update your name etc on your nexus card ?

 

I have a NEXUS card but I kept my maiden name because I didn't want the hassle of having to change everything over. I would wait until you have your GC with NEXUS. That way they can update the name change as well as your immigration status at the same time. You won't be able to change your immigration status for NEXUS until you receive your GC. If it is a conditional 2yr GC, you will then have to update NEXUS again once you are approved and receive your 10 yr GC and then again with Naturalization. When you do become Naturalized, you will have to get a new card that shows that you are now a citizen of the US. I tried to keep my old NEXUS pass but was informed by the officer at Whirlpool that I had to change it over.

 

Hope that this answer helps.

[moemac59 192]

On 1/18/2018 at 9:31 PM, Cryssiekins said:

I haven't travelled anywhere abroad since getting my green card, just day or weekend trips to see my family/friends and we just drive across.  When we come back to the US, CPB only ever wants my husbands passport (the US Citizen) and my greencard.  I always have my passport with me, but they hand it back soon as they see a greencard. 

 

We're hoping to finally take a honeymoon this year, now that I've got a job in my field.  

 

It's nice to feel relaxed and normal again and not spend every waking moment checking the case tracker.  Haha 

Hey Cryssiekins, have you ever had to deal with officer Frank on the US side? He usually works at the Lewiston/Queenston bridge....he's a real....peach (not). I used to work in Toronto for 3 days a week and would use the Whirlpool bridge (NEXUS only) to cross over when I would come home on Friday nights. He was always working when I would cross back over into the US and he was a real a&*&**. He would always give me a hard time and detain me for about 25 minutes. The officers at the NEXUS only bridge are not supposed to give NEXUS pass holders a hard time as the point of the NEXUS pass is for people who cross over very frequently. Even when I became a US citizen, it was the same thing. I finally had to go in and speak to his supervisor about him. After that I never ever had a problem with him. 

[Marzena & Stephen 544]

13 minutes ago, moemac59 said:

I have a NEXUS card but I kept my maiden name because I didn't want the hassle of having to change everything over. I would wait until you have your GC with NEXUS. That way they can update the name change as well as your immigration status at the same time. You won't be able to change your immigration status for NEXUS until you receive your GC. If it is a conditional 2yr GC, you will then have to update NEXUS again once you are approved and receive your 10 yr GC and then again with Naturalization. When you do become Naturalized, you will have to get a new card that shows that you are now a citizen of the US. I tried to keep my old NEXUS pass but was informed by the officer at Whirlpool that I had to change it over.

 

Hope that this answer helps.

Thank you ! This helps for sure!