Change of name on Documents before filing the I-130

[CatJ89 0]

Hey!

My hubby is American, and I am Canadian.

We got civilly married in the states and filling out our forms to send in.

Do I need to change my name on my Passport, license, SIN card etc. Before sending it in?

We are sending in our marriage certificate which shows my maiden name and my now last name.

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks alot

[Laura J 0]

Hi Cat; my husband and I are about to sent the documents as well. Would you help me to know what kind of documents you’re sensidnt besides   The I-130, the pictures, the cash order, the G-1145 and the proofs? 

 

Thanks a lot. 

[Tilly87 14]

Hi! I am in the same boat but further on the trip (hubby is American, I am Canadian; I was on an F-1 visa with OPT, started in Sept 2011, got married Aug 20, 2016). We sent our application in this February, still waiting on results. 

I can't comment on whether you for sure need to change all the name stuff before you apply for the US immigration stuff, but I can offer some helpful tips as to how I went about the process for myself. I started with the passport, since you can file that abroad via mail, and pay to have it rush-processed, also it's a very official document.I believe they will want a copy of marriage certificate, along other things like new photos, 2 Canadian references (since it is not a straight renewal), etc. I also called the CRA and let them know about the change in marital status and name, which is something that should be done very soon after marriage (I remember freaking out because the website says like 10 days or something, but I had exceeded that time when I called and had no problems, they even congratulated me). 

 

Then I used my new passport and marriage certificate to update my US ID (I had a SNN card from on campus work, which was allowed by my visa). I was also able to get a learning driver's license permit at the DMV + a state ID card (I don't know how to drive yet hence the learner's permit; you may be able to just apply for a DL). They granted me the State ID even though I  made it very clear I was a Canadian citizen and staying here with a F1 visa, I think because I have lived in the state for a while now due to school and the card is based on time lived in the area, not citizenship status. I believe the ID pieces I used where my updated Canadian passport and my SNN card. My mother lives in Canada about an hour away, so I had her update my SIN card; I sent her with a power of attorney and ID. SIN allows representatives if I recall right so the power of attorney may have not been necessary, I would certainly check their guidelines before attempting. SIN now issues letters, not plastic cards anymore, just an interesting tidbit of info.

 

Again I can't comment on whether you must do this all before starting your US immigration process, but if you do it at some point, hopefully my experience will be helpful! It was quite frustrating to figure out, everyone except the CRA gave me a slightly difficult time, haha. 

 

Some links you may find helpful:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/change-name.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/frequently-asked-questions-individuals/should-you-tell-cra-about-your-change-name.html

I would also suggest looking up "permanent move outside (province)" and "a guide to changing your name after marriage in (province)". I'm from BC and so also used the following:
https://www.health.gov.bc.ca/exforms/msp/7063.html

http://www.kaileymichelle.com/changing-your-name-after-marriage-in-british-columbia/

 

Lastly, it sounds like you are filling your forms in yourself? I know it's possible, just wanted to say that if you are able to afford a lawyer, it's been worth every penny for us. We ended up getting a RFE (Request for Evidence) about a month into the process, and it was great to have the advice and assistance in crafting our response (I am happy to say our response was accepted and they took our case off hold). 

 

Good luck! 

[Going through 5,671]

1 hour ago, CatJ89 said:

Hey!

My hubby is American, and I am Canadian.

We got civilly married in the states and filling out our forms to send in.

Do I need to change my name on my Passport, license, SIN card etc. Before sending it in?

We are sending in our marriage certificate which shows my maiden name and my now last name.

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks alot

I changed all of mine before sending it in----just made it easier so all  of my documents matched up.

The Canadian passport, I didn't change the name until it was ready to expire.

The SIN card, you really don't need to worry about since you wouldn't be using it unless you planned on  going back to Canada later on in life to work.