Name Change Questions

[maryaaaaaaaaaaa 33]

Good day!

 

I want to ask a few things ahead of time related to name change procedures and what are my options.

 

My ex-husband is a USC, we are divorced in the US and still married in the Philippines. (divorce still not legal and I have his last name on my legal docs and K1 filing)

 

Clearly, we can't do ROM which we are more than okay. If my fiancé and I get married before getting an SSN, will I be able to use his last name on my SSN, green card, and EAD on the application?

 

Will it cause any issues or delay if I don't get my SSN immediately upon arrival just like everyone else did/advise?

 

 

Your thoughts are highly aprpeciated!

[EatBulaga 341]

@maryaaaaaaaaaaa 

So were you married previously in the US to a US citizen and divorced in the US?

If you were married in the US, did you not have an SSN in the previous marriage?

 

If you had a previous SSN, you just need to update your name after your marriage to your new marriage name with your new marriage certificate?

Edited December 27, 2024 by EatBulaga

[maryaaaaaaaaaaa 33]

7 minutes ago, EatBulaga said:

@maryaaaaaaaaaaa 

So were you married previously in the US to a US citizen and divorced in the US?

If you were married in the US, did you not have an SSN in the previous marriage?

 

If you had a previous SSN, you just need to update your name after your marriage to your new marriage name with your new marriage certificate?

Was married in the Philippines (only) with a USC.  

[J.M. 252]

A few days after entry to the US as a K-1, you can apply for a SS card (up the 75th day after arrival).   Immigration will have you listed by your maiden name, so that is what you must use for your initial SS card.  Some K-1's have had success getting the initial SS card name changed to married name by showing your marriage certificate.  Most have not had luck doing that, so it just depends on the local office.

 

As for EAD and green card, whatever name you use on the applications will be the name that is on your cards.  If you use married name when applying for EAD and green card, they will be issued with your married name.  Also, you can just check a box on the I-485 and I-765 petitions that will allow an updated (married name) SS card to be mailed to you.  That is, by far, the easiest route to take.  For me personally, there was no rush to get a SS card, so we didn't bother getting one until we filed I-485/I-765.  I avoid government offices whenever possible.

[maryaaaaaaaaaaa 33]

8 minutes ago, J.M. said:

A few days after entry to the US as a K-1, you can apply for a SS card (up the 75th day after arrival).   Immigration will have you listed by your maiden name, so that is what you must use for your initial SS card.  Some K-1's have had success getting the initial SS card name changed to married name by showing your marriage certificate.  Most have not had luck doing that, so it just depends on the local office.

 

As for EAD and green card, whatever name you use on the applications will be the name that is on your cards.  If you use married name when applying for EAD and green card, they will be issued with your married name.  Also, you can just check a box on the I-485 and I-765 petitions that will allow an updated (married name) SS card to be mailed to you.  That is, by far, the easiest route to take.  For me personally, there was no rush to get a SS card, so we didn't bother getting one until we filed I-485/I-765.  I avoid government offices whenever possible.

 

I appreciate your response, it's very insightful.  Me personally is in no rush getting a SS card. I just thought we can get married before 75 days lapse, get the marriage certificate then apply for SS card with my chosen name (with my fiancé's last name).

 

I no longer want my ex-husband's name in me. LOL.

 

 

[Edward and Jaycel 462]

13 hours ago, maryaaaaaaaaaaa said:

 

I appreciate your response, it's very insightful.  Me personally is in no rush getting a SS card. I just thought we can get married before 75 days lapse, get the marriage certificate then apply for SS card with my chosen name (with my fiancé's last name).

 

I no longer want my ex-husband's name in me. LOL.

 

 

 

If you are in no rush to get the card then why not use the option on the Adjustment of Status forms (I-485 & I-765) to request a card from Social Security? If you want to take your husband's name, then use your new married name on the forms and when you select the option that you want the SSA to issue you a card, they will come in your new married name. Save yourself the trouble of having to deal with the SSA directly.

[EatBulaga 341]

@maryaaaaaaaaaaa Check out our Timeline or Profile->Immigration Info->Our Story for our sequence of processing

https://www.visajourney.com/profile/386517-eatbulaga/

 

I recommend getting the SSN as soon as possible after US entry with your I-94 and before the marriage. Your SSN name will match your passport and I-94. After marriage, I recommend going back to the SS Office to update your name change with your marriage certificate before sending in your AOS. If you use the I-485 option to update your marriage name, it may take a while, and put you in limbo with a lot of important name updates to show co-mingling like joint bank accounts, joint tax filing, utility account names, etc. After the SSN marriage name update, file your AOS with your marriage name. Best to update to your marriage name as soon as possible.

Edited December 27, 2024 by EatBulaga

[maryaaaaaaaaaaa 33]

Thank you @Edward and Jaycel and @EatBulaga for the inputs!

 

I read some posts here wherein people expressed worries about booking flights to the Philippines for a visit with their names on passports, and flight itineraries vs name green cards. I also read that a marriage certificate must be on hand in case IO asks about the name differences on each document. However, I couldn't find any success stories. 

 

As we all know, Filipino names are different lol I have 3 first names that's why I worry and want to be ahead of it and save time on research when it is time to get married and change to (new) husband's last name

[Edward and Jaycel 462]

32 minutes ago, maryaaaaaaaaaaa said:

As we all know, Filipino names are different lol

 

HAHAHAHA yes! We are using the AOS forms to change Jaycel's name. She is taking my lfamily name as her family name and taking her maiden family name as her middle name. Her biometric appointment notification came in her new married name, however her passport is in her maiden name so we brought along a certified copy of our marriage certificate as documentation of the name change. In addition to this, on the back of the appointment notice is an "Applicant Information Worksheet" where she had to put her name (married name) and any other names used (maiden name). We had to explain three times to the woman entering her information and taking her fingerprints that yes, she is taking her maiden family name as her new, married middle name. LOLOLOL 😆

[J.M. 252]

My wife has 2 first names.  She was able to use both, along with her maiden name for middle name, and my surname for her last name.  The SS card is limited to 26 characters for first and middle names, then another 26 for last name and suffixes.

Her SS card is:

First1 First2 Maiden

          Last

 

Just for info- SS only cares about your first and last name.  Those must be on the card.  Anything else on there (that will fit) is optional.  What is printed on the card is not necessarily your complete legal name.  You can have 14 first names, but only what will fit will be on the card.  If all 3 names won't fit, at least make sure your preferred first name is on there.

[maryaaaaaaaaaaa 33]

OMG that's a lot to take! 😁 Thank you both!

 

Alright, can u help me both with an example please?

 

Maria (1st) Leonora (2nd) Teresa (3rd) Cruz (my single name last name) Smith (my ex-husband's last name) is what's on my passport and k1 application

Husband's name: Anthony Davis

 

I want to be Maria Davis or any name combination as long as DAVIS is there  How do we go about it? 

 

[EatBulaga 341]

1 hour ago, maryaaaaaaaaaaa said:

Thank you @Edward and Jaycel and @EatBulaga for the inputs!

 

I read some posts here wherein people expressed worries about booking flights to the Philippines for a visit with their names on passports, and flight itineraries vs name green cards. I also read that a marriage certificate must be on hand in case IO asks about the name differences on each document. However, I couldn't find any success stories. 

 

As we all know, Filipino names are different lol I have 3 first names that's why I worry and want to be ahead of it and save time on research when it is time to get married and change to (new) husband's last name

 

The international plane ticket is booked with the passport name, which seems to be your Philippines name (or US maiden name).

Your SSN name can be updated with the marriage certificate name.

I don't know if others have tried to book international flight tickets in the USCIS/green card/AP marriage name but with the foreign passport maiden name?

In either case, yes, the Philippines spouse needs to travel with a marriage certificate to link the maiden to the marriage name.

 

So if I understand your situation correctly, you are still married to your ex-husband in the Philippines, your Philippines passport name will not be updated to your US marriage name unless you divorce or null your Philippines marriage and submit a new ROM with your new US marriage.

Because you may have a perpetual name difference between your Philippines passport and your USCIS name, you may have to wait till US naturalization to get the US passport in your marriage name.

Edited December 27, 2024 by EatBulaga

[EatBulaga 341]

11 minutes ago, maryaaaaaaaaaaa said:

OMG that's a lot to take! 😁 Thank you both!

 

Alright, can u help me both with an example please?

 

Maria (1st) Leonora (2nd) Teresa (3rd) Cruz (my single name last name) Smith (my ex-husband's last name) is what's on my passport and k1 application

Husband's name: Anthony Davis

 

I want to be Maria Davis or any name combination as long as DAVIS is there  How do we go about it? 

 

That "Davis" name on the K1 application may be a red flag to the USCIS case officer.

Be prepared to have an explanation and evidence for a K1 RFE or at the K1 interview.

I don't advocate lying.

Edited December 27, 2024 by EatBulaga

[Edward and Jaycel 462]

3 minutes ago, maryaaaaaaaaaaa said:

OMG that's a lot to take! 😁 Thank you both!

 

Alright, can u help me both with an example please?

 

Maria (1st) Leonora (2nd) Teresa (3rd) Cruz (my single name last name) Smith (my ex-husband's last name) is what's on my passport and k1 application

Husband's name: Anthony Davis

 

I want to be Maria Davis or any name combination as long as DAVIS is there  How do we go about it? 

 

 

For the moderators: I'm changing all the names here except mine and Jaycel's first names since they are our handle here (except Jaycel has two first names of which I'll fictionalize the 2nd one)   

 

Jaycel's maiden name: Jaycel Ann Ibanez Ortiz

My name: Edward Jones

Jaycel's New Married name: Jaycel Ann Ortiz Jones

 

As long as the name you choose is some combination of the names that appear on the marriage certificate, you can change your name using that marriage certificate.

[maryaaaaaaaaaaa 33]

1 minute ago, EatBulaga said:

That "Davis" name on the K1 application may be a red flag to the USCIS case officer.

Be prepared to have an explanation at the K1 interview.

Sorry for the confusion... These are not our real names. Example only.

 

My name: Marie Leonora Terese C. (Cruz) Smith ------ My married name in the Philippines and passport. Smith is my ex-husband's last name and divorced in the US

Fiance's name: Anthony Smith