ROM and Passport Name Change

[Talako 790]

Quick question, can you do ROM and change the name on the passport at the same time, or do you have to wait for the ROM to be recorded first?

 

She just received her GC last week, so this is our new project to undertake.

 

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

10 minutes ago, Talako said:

Quick question, can you do ROM and change the name on the passport at the same time, or do you have to wait for the ROM to be recorded first?

She just received her GC last week, so this is our new project to undertake.

 

If you do it in person at the embassy/consulate or a consular outreach then it can be done at the same time.

 

Where did you get married at? Because you have to do the ROM at the Consulate overseeing the area where you got married at. So for example we got married in NC but moved out to CA a week later, but we still had to do ROM through the Embassy in Washington DC because that is the area where we got married at.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Cyberfx1024

[Talako 790]

17 minutes ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

If you do it in person at the embassy/consulate or a consular outreach then it can be done at the same time.

 

Where did you get married at? Because you have to do the ROM at the Consulate overseeing the area where you got married at. So for example we got married in NC but moved out to CA a week later, but we still had to do ROM through the Embassy in Washington DC because that is the area where we got married at.

We got married and live in TX.  We would have to go to LA or do an outreach here in TX.  That part I understand, it was doing both at the same that I wasn't sure about.

 

Thanks for the info.  Good to know that we can do both concurrently.

[Talako 790]

One last question.  My wife was a widow which has created name issues.  USCIS changed both her last name and her middle name for her green card.  They reverted her middle name back to what is on her birth certificate.  Any issue of changing the passport to the new GC name?

 

That might be unclear, so this is what I mean:

 

Birth Cert:                     Mary Jane Smith

Widowed name:          Mary Smith Jones       (previously married name and passport name)

Filed AOS name:         Mary Smith Anderson (changing last name to mine)

USCIS adjustment:     Mary Jane Anderson  

 

USCIS rationale is that the only the last name can change for a marriage, so she must revert to her middle name on her birth certificate.

 

So my question, do you think changing both the middle name and the last name on the passport be an issue?

[Hank_ 9,174]

We did both at the same time during an outreach event.

 

Mary Smith Anderson is correct.  (smith is her maiden last name and would thus be her middle name upon marriage)

[Talako 790]

1 hour ago, Hank_ said:

We did both at the same time during an outreach event.

 

Mary Smith Anderson is correct.  (smith is her maiden last name and would thus be her middle name upon marriage)

It wasn't how USCIS saw it for the green card.  If she used the Filipino convention, her passport and GC would have different middle names.

 

Would the discrepancy be ok until she applies for citizenship?  At that time she can correct her "US" name.

[Hank_ 9,174]

15 minutes ago, Talako said:

It wasn't how USCIS saw it for the green card.  If she used the Filipino convention, her passport and GC would have different middle names.

 

Would the discrepancy be ok until she applies for citizenship?  At that time she can correct her "US" name.

What did you use for the name on the I-485 form ?     When we completed the I-485 we used the Mary Smith Anderson format (traditional Philippine naming format)   we had zero issue with USCIS changing it.  

 

Philippines WILL use their naming format on the passport, not optional there.   They will use Mary Smith (maiden name, now middle name) Anderson (husband surname)

 

With all that said you should have minimal issue (may have to carry a copy of the marriage certificate for international travel) with the passport and green card being different middle names, just remember airfare much match the passport   

 

When you apply for citizenship you can elect to change the name at this time .. then everything will match.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by Hank_

[Talako 790]

1 hour ago, Hank_ said:

What did you use for the name on the I-485 form ?     When we completed the I-485 we used the Mary Smith Anderson format (traditional Philippine naming format)   we had zero issue with USCIS changing it.  

 

Philippines WILL use their naming format on the passport, not optional there.   They will use Mary Smith (maiden name, now middle name) Anderson (husband surname)

 

With all that said you should have minimal issue (may have to carry a copy of the marriage certificate for international travel) with the passport and green card being different middle names, just remember airfare much match the passport   

 

When you apply for citizenship you can elect to change the name at this time .. then everything will match.

 

 

The I-485 was in the Mary Smith Anderson format which was what we thought was proper.  The AOS interviewer told us that it had to be Mary Jane Anderson and changed it to that.  He was adamant and sure of it.  Given why we were there, arguing with him and instructing him on Philippine naming construction seemed counter-productive. 

 

We will just deal the mismatch until she gets her citizenship.

 

Thanks for your assistance.   

Edited May 23, 2018 by Talako

[Hank_ 9,174]

17 minutes ago, Talako said:

The I-485 was in the Mary Smith Anderson format which was what we thought was proper.  The AOS interviewer told us that it had to be Mary Jane Anderson and changed it to that.  He was adamant and sure of it.  Given why we were there, arguing with him and instructing him on Philippine naming construction seemed counter-productive. 

 

We will just deal the mismatch until she gets her citizenship.

 

Thanks for your assistance.   

Never argue with an idiot, they always drag you down to their level.     

 

Married in the Philippines the first time, then widowed?   Her name had been legally changed with her 1st marriage     Name in her passport is (was) her legal name.    

[Talako 790]

14 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

Never argue with an idiot, they always drag you down to their level.     

 

Married in the Philippines the first time, then widowed?   Her name had been legally changed with her 1st marriage     Name in her passport is (was) her legal name.    

She was married in the Philippines and then widowed.

 

His argument was that marriage only changes the last name in the US.  As such, for US purposes, her middle name must coincide with the her birth certificate.

 

Arguing with him that Filipinas have both names changed legally when married didn't seem smart at the time.  Fighting a government employee's arrogance and ignorance is no small thing.

[Hank_ 9,174]

1 minute ago, Talako said:

She was married in the Philippines and then widowed.

 

His argument was that marriage only changes the last name in the US.  As such, for US purposes, her middle name must coincide with the her birth certificate.

 

Arguing with him that Filipinas have both names changed legally when married didn't seem smart at the time.  Fighting a government employee's arrogance and ignorance is no small thing.

Like said ..  arguing with an idiot.         

 

Your wife is not the only one that had to go a couple years before getting the naming corrected, it is hit and miss with USCIS.  Most don't have legal right to change the middle name for AOS, but your wife's middle name was legally changed before .. a rarity.    

 

Can't fight city hall..     

[javadown2 308]

21 hours ago, Hank_ said:

Like said ..  arguing with an idiot.         

 

Your wife is not the only one that had to go a couple years before getting the naming corrected, it is hit and miss with USCIS.  Most don't have legal right to change the middle name for AOS, but your wife's middle name was legally changed before .. a rarity.    

 

Can't fight city hall..     

When my wife got her State ID we put her married name from the marriage license (conventional Philippines change when married). The Officer during the AOS interview did question how she got the state ID name changed like that but said she had no choice but to use it for the AOS...win win. 

[Hank_ 9,174]

7 minutes ago, javadown2 said:

When my wife got her State ID we put her married name from the marriage license (conventional Philippines change when married). The Officer during the AOS interview did question how she got the state ID name changed like that but said she had no choice but to use it for the AOS...win win. 

SSA was who wanted to give us some sh!t about the name changes ... but then another guy stepped in and took over, he just smiled and handled it.

 

USCIS didn't give us any issue, but then she had her SS card in her traditional married name before we filed AOS, so maybe they saw the SS card was issued in that name so left it.

 

Reality is not of it is official unless the state allows the middle name to be changed by marriage.   She made it all official when she got her citizenship.

[javadown2 308]

43 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

SSA was who wanted to give us some sh!t about the name changes ... but then another guy stepped in and took over, he just smiled and handled it.

 

USCIS didn't give us any issue, but then she had her SS card in her traditional married name before we filed AOS, so maybe they saw the SS card was issued in that name so left it.

 

Reality is not of it is official unless the state allows the middle name to be changed by marriage.   She made it all official when she got her citizenship.

We got lucky at the SSA office, well sort of, he wanted to give us grief but couldn't really argue with the fact that we had a marriage license and State id with her new name on it, with maiden name as middle name. I mean I see their point in the US because you don't just change your middle name unless you do it legally through the court system. In the end we got what we wanted and her identity is kept in check. 

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

59 minutes ago, javadown2 said:

When my wife got her State ID we put her married name from the marriage license (conventional Philippines change when married). The Officer during the AOS interview did question how she got the state ID name changed like that but said she had no choice but to use it for the AOS...win win. 

Same here the officer was asking my wife that too and how it wasn't right..... Guess what her Greencard has her married name in it just like her DL has.