GC holder's name on GC and in the passport

[docchanka 0]

Has anyone changed their name on the green card and was able to enter the US with the new card and a passport with the old name? do these two documents have to have the same name? I am thinking - YES - but that means there is a painful procedure ahead of me. If so, the only way of having the name in my passport changed is to apply for a new passport in the US, that means, I cannot leave anywhere for up to 4 months because that is how long it takes. Anybody?

[YuAndDan 153]

Yes this actually the norm, Green-card in married name, and foreign passport in maiden name.

You book the airline tickets in maiden name, because the airlines use the passport to confirm identity, and name on ticket must match the passport.

When re-entering the USA you show the green-card.

Some take a photo copy of marriage cert to show the name change if any questions are asked.

Of course if you have to apply for a visa to visit a foreign country, you need to apply for the visa using maiden name also.

This is a very common question.

Edited September 19, 2007 by YuAndDan

[docchanka 0]

Thanks sooooooooooo much!!! I did not know that.... I didn't even know it was a common question... I guess you live and you learn

[Neonred 3,694]

My wife just left to visit family in Russia. Her new Russian passport is still in her maiden name (they would not change it at the Russian embassy in the US, but they did renew it and added a stamp the says she also goes by another family name in the US) and her green card is in the new married name.

Tickets were purchased in her married name. Getting on the plane in Atlanta heading to Moscow they did ask about the name difference and would accept the marriage certificate and US ID as proof, but when they saw the notation in her passport about the family name in the US that was sufficient.

[docchanka 0]

Thanks!

Question: when you guys were getting married, what name did she put on the marriage licence form and what name was printed out on the marriage certificate? we were told to put my maiden name. and so in all the paperwork for AOS and consequently on the GC there is my maiden name. I asked the original question wondering what will happen when I change my name on the GC. SO, at which point was her changed name written for the first time?

It looks like we should have written the new name everywhere because if I want to change my last name, I have to file for it.

I found the following on the USCIS website:

Note: If you are filing because your biographic data (Name, Date of Birth, etc. ) has been legally changed, then you must bring one of the following to your in-person appearance appointment at the Application Support Center :

• the original or certified copy of a court order making the legal change; or

• the marriage certificate reflecting the new name;

To replace a card because of a change in any other biographic data, you must bring copies of documentation to prove that the new data is correct.

They mentiong the marriage cert. Is is supposed to show my husband's name or my name as changed there (and it isn't)?

What kind of appointment are they talking about? has anyone done it? Don't they just change the name on the paper and send you a new card??? It's becoming more complicated than I thought!

Thanks for all the answers.

[YuAndDan 153]

Thanks!

Question: when you guys were getting married, what name did she put on the marriage licence form and what name was printed out on the marriage certificate? we were told to put my maiden name. and so in all the paperwork for AOS and consequently on the GC there is my maiden name. I asked the original question wondering what will happen when I change my name on the GC. SO, at which point was her changed name written for the first time?

It looks like we should have written the new name everywhere because if I want to change my last name, I have to file for it.

I found the following on the USCIS website:

Note: If you are filing because your biographic data (Name, Date of Birth, etc. ) has been legally changed, then you must bring one of the following to your in-person appearance appointment at the Application Support Center :

• the original or certified copy of a court order making the legal change; or

• the marriage certificate reflecting the new name;

To replace a card because of a change in any other biographic data, you must bring copies of documentation to prove that the new data is correct.

They mentiong the marriage cert. Is is supposed to show my husband's name or my name as changed there (and it isn't)?

What kind of appointment are they talking about? has anyone done it? Don't they just change the name on the paper and send you a new card??? It's becoming more complicated than I thought!

Thanks for all the answers.

We specified married name after marriage, and applied for SSN and AOS using married name, so green-card, and SSN card are in married name.

Keep in mind name change through marriage varies by state, most do it on the marriage license, but others require an additional process for legal name change.

[Neonred 3,694]

We started using her married name on everything immediately after the marriage. This included the AOS application so that we would not have to change it (the green card) at some point in the future and pay the additional fees.

[docchanka 0]

Thanks! That was smart.

For some reason we thought there should be my maiden name on AOS application, not the new one - and we definitely did not think of the pain we'd have to go through to change my last name. I guess we've learnt our lesson.