Change of name recommendations

[Justjake 23]

I have some questions about procedural processes.

We will be marrying in February, in China.

I am the USC.

On the I-130, and other paperwork, do I put my wife's new last name or use her existing last name?

After we are married, is it recommend that she change all her Chinese identifications to reflect the new last name? Such as drivers license, passport, address card, etc.

Thanks

[aaron2020 11,651]

Chinese women don't change their last names after marriage.

 

Is there a Chinese law that allows her to change her last name based on marriage?

[afortunada 182]

Much easier to leave her name as is. It does not change the process in any way, nor does it result in denial of the petition. 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,727]

My wife is from Taiwan (Republic of China).  The entire immigration process will be smoother if she does not change her name........but I certainly understand why she might want to.

[Justjake 23]

So I should keep her maiden name on all forms, and if and when she makes it here, change her last name in the US for SSN, passport,  and Green card?

[pushbrk 12,830]

4 hours ago, Justjake said:

So I should keep her maiden name on all forms, and if and when she makes it here, change her last name in the US for SSN, passport,  and Green card?

Your profile says K1 visa, but you write about your wife.  Please clarify and edit as needed.

 

I suggest you have a full discussion of your wife's intentions with regard to her name going forward.  Typically, Chinese women do not change their name when they marry.  Some younger ones will do so if they intend to have children in the US.

[Justjake 23]

1 hour ago, pushbrk said:

Your profile says K1 visa, but you write about your wife.  Please clarify and edit as needed.

 

I suggest you have a full discussion of your wife's intentions with regard to her name going forward.  Typically, Chinese women do not change their name when they marry.  Some younger ones will do so if they intend to have children in the US.

Thanks for pointing out the profile difference.  I will get that updated when I'm on a computer. 

 

We have discussed the last name, she wants nothing to do with her given name, both the first and last name.  

I haven't mentioned that she also wants to change her first name as well.  There are reasons for that, which I understand, and should have no bearing in the future.  It's not to escape legal charges or debt or anything like that.  It's simply a matter of despising her family and wanting no affiliation with them.

[pushbrk 12,830]

3 hours ago, Justjake said:

Thanks for pointing out the profile difference.  I will get that updated when I'm on a computer. 

 

We have discussed the last name, she wants nothing to do with her given name, both the first and last name.  

I haven't mentioned that she also wants to change her first name as well.  There are reasons for that, which I understand, and should have no bearing in the future.  It's not to escape legal charges or debt or anything like that.  It's simply a matter of despising her family and wanting no affiliation with them.

So we're on the same page, the name Li Haoyang, consists of of one surname/family name (Li) and one given name (Haoyang) even though it takes two characters to write Haoyang.  Look at your wife's current passport and ID and apply that principal to get her current name correct.  

 

Unless she will actually change her name in China, (legally and officially) AND get a new passport in that name, (probably the best choice in the circumstances you describe) then you'll have a very hard time changing her name until she Naturalizes.  It's possible but cumbersome.  Visas are issued in the passport name.  Green cards are issued in the visa name/passport name.  She CAN request the green card be in a new name but until she's a US Citizen with a US passport, she would have to do all international travel in her passport name.  When entering the US from abroad, she would need clear evidence the person named on her passport is the same as the person named on her green card.