VENEZUELAN PASSPORT NAME CHANGE

[JNJUSA19 5]

My Venezuelan K1 fiancee will soon be coming to the US   After we are married I'm thinking we will need to renew her Venezuelan passport with her new name in order for her to be able to travel after AP/AOS?  Anyone in the US have a similar experience?  How did you handle it?  I know in Venezuela it is next to impossible to get passport service   I imagine we could marry and she could keep her maiden name to match the passport, but she really wants to take my last name.  Any idea how the Venezuelan Embassies here in the US work?  Thanks in advance!

[Dashinka 24,513]

My wife still has her Russian passport in her maiden name and she is able to travel all the time even though her GC and now her US passport is in her married name.  We looked into changing the name in her Russian passport, but doing that in Russia is very complicated and time consuming as she would have to first change the name in her national ID (commonly called a Russian Domestic Passport).  In short, changing the name in the foreign passport is not a must, your wife, like mine, will have to carry a marriage certificate with her when she travels overseas, but it is doable particularly with how difficult this may be in Venezuela.

 

Good Luck!

[JNJUSA19 5]

Thank you for the prompt and thoughtful response!  I'm just afraid she won't be allowed back in of we travel as USCIS can be difficult!

[Roel 7,192]

You don't need to get a new passport. 

Just travel with old one and a marriage certificate. When booking a flight make sure to use info as it is in the passport. 

[Dashinka 24,513]

2 hours ago, JNJUSA19 said:

Thank you for the prompt and thoughtful response!  I'm just afraid she won't be allowed back in of we travel as USCIS can be difficult!

My wife has traveled this way at least eight times since we got married, she always has a copy of the marriage certificate with her, and so far, no one has ever asked to see it even though her GC and now passport is in her married name and she never had any issues entering.  I think this is something CBP sees quite often.

 

Good Luck!

[Eric&Mirella 367]

I know this is an old Post. But FYI you cannot change your name on a venezuelan passport based on marriage. In order to do so you need to change the cédula first and you can only change the cédula if you're living and present in Venezuela and that takes time. Also, the SAIME will decline any passport request due to a name change if the passport is not close to expire. There's literally no way to do so from the United States. And it's a waste of time and effort. 

 

[JNJUSA19 5]

Good news!  Of course, the country you want to visit must accept as well, but this is really great news!

 

"Today, the National Assembly published a decree signed by Interim President Juan Guaido on May 21, to extend the validity of Venezuelan passports for an additional five years past their printed date of expiration.  The United States recognizes this extension of passport validity for visa issuance and other consular purposes.  Customs and Border Patrol will likewise recognize the passports covered by this decree.

Venezuelan passport holders who have been issued a passport extension will have the validity period extended by five years from the expiration date in their passport and valid for admission to the United States, as long as the traveler is otherwise admissible.  Venezuelans in the United States holding passports extended by the decree may use those passports, which will still be considered valid in accordance with the decree, for any appropriate consular purpose.  Nothing in this action alters the requirements for obtaining a U.S. visa or for admission to the United States".

https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-supports-extension-of-validity-for-venezuelan-passports/

[Eric&Mirella 367]

1 hour ago, JNJUSA19 said:

Good news!  Of course, the country you want to visit must accept as well, but this is really great news!

 

"Today, the National Assembly published a decree signed by Interim President Juan Guaido on May 21, to extend the validity of Venezuelan passports for an additional five years past their printed date of expiration.  The United States recognizes this extension of passport validity for visa issuance and other consular purposes.  Customs and Border Patrol will likewise recognize the passports covered by this decree.

Venezuelan passport holders who have been issued a passport extension will have the validity period extended by five years from the expiration date in their passport and valid for admission to the United States, as long as the traveler is otherwise admissible.  Venezuelans in the United States holding passports extended by the decree may use those passports, which will still be considered valid in accordance with the decree, for any appropriate consular purpose.  Nothing in this action alters the requirements for obtaining a U.S. visa or for admission to the United States".

https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-supports-extension-of-validity-for-venezuelan-passports/

This is surely great news for everyone my passport expiration date before this statement was June 2021 and certainly our passports are needed for all the immigration processes ahead. I wish consulates would be reactivated soon so people could renew their passports but that seems impossible right now☹️

 

Edited July 13, 2019 by Eric&Mirella