Travel Outside USA after green card.

[paniccode 0]

Hello,

My wife has had her green card for about 4 months; we would like to travel back to her country (Moldova) on vacation to see her family.

Does she need to change her name on her Passport in order for us to travel without a problem? Her Moldova passport is good till 2008. But to send the Passport back to the Embassy and change her name will take months.

What docs would we need to leave the USA go to her country and come home?

Thanks

[Boiler 45,525]

Hello,

My wife has had her green card for about 4 months; we would like to travel back to her country (Moldova) on vacation to see her family.

Does she need to change her name on her Passport in order for us to travel without a problem? Her Moldova passport is good till 2008. But to send the Passport back to the Embassy and change her name will take months.

What docs would we need to leave the USA go to her country and come home?

Thanks

Passports

Green Card

Marriage Certificate

Credit Card(s)

Driving Licenses - if applicable, plus IDP

Maybe a transit visa, depends on your detailed travel plans, do you need a Visa for Moldovia?

[canusa 0]

No as long as the passport has not expired you will be fine.My wife has traveld back and fourth to her home country(Canada) a few times with her passport having her maiden name.We just now sent to renew her passport.Going to visit her family in a few months hope hers is back in time..

[Jasman0717 9]

You should be good to go

[eau_xplain 2]

As long as her plane tickets are in her maiden name (to match name in passport), then she should be good to go with just the passport, GC and marriage certificate.

[samantha_lou 0]

I had the same question, as Ryan and I are hoping to go back to the UK in September (my first trip home in nearly two years!!), so I called BA and asked about the name on the passport and ticket thing...and was told that I should book my ticket in my maiden name as shown on my passport, then carry a copy of my marriage certificate to show the link between the passport and greencard for coming back to the US.

However, just to throw a spanner in the works - I was hoping to go to London or Liverpool, or wherever you go these days, queue up for goodness knows how many hours and get a brand new passport on the spot (I think they still do this), but then that would mean that the names would then be different again...I was really hoping to change my name on my passport whilst I was at home...

I don't suppose hypenating together both my names on the ticket would work?

I guess another option is to get this trip over and done with, then risk being passport-less and letting the british embassy do my passport here in the US...I believe that it can be sent to LA and they will issue a new passport. Its valid until 2009, I just wanted to update it with my new name!

[Tex'n'Brit 0]

I had the same question, as Ryan and I are hoping to go back to the UK in September (my first trip home in nearly two years!!), so I called BA and asked about the name on the passport and ticket thing...and was told that I should book my ticket in my maiden name as shown on my passport, then carry a copy of my marriage certificate to show the link between the passport and greencard for coming back to the US.

Hi there,

I'm in the UK for the first time right now, so I'll tell you my own experiences so far ...

I prefer American Airlines because of their leg room in 'Cattle' class, so I phoned them before I booked. The AA rep recommended booking in my married name, but to be sure to take my UK passport, the Green Card and marriage certificate along for the trip. She wasn't sure if a certified copy of the marriage certificate was enough or if I would have to take the pretty original document, so - since my darling Kyle was taking me to the airport - I took both versions with me to the check in desk.

I handed over my passport and both versions of the marriage certificate. The AA check in agent said that I should take the original marriage certificate because it has both my names and my American address on the back, whereas the copy doesn't. So Kyle took the certified copy home again.

So to sum up ... You can book a ticket in either name! At least you can if you fly on American. Basically it's 'six of one, half a dozen of the other' ... Whatever you decide to do, you're quite right - the critical thing is to be sure to take your original marriage certificate (and your Green Card of course!) confirming what's what.

As for returning to the USA - Well, that part of my trip happens on Thursday, 4th of May. I doubt I'll have a problem since I have all my ID docs with me ... However ...

Watch this space!!

All the best,

Sheila

[Cassie 8]

As long as her plane tickets are in her maiden name (to match name in passport), then she should be good to go with just the passport, GC and marriage certificate.

yep, I travelled twice since I was married (once with AP, once with my green card), and I didn't have difficulties doing the above.

[Tex'n'Brit 0]

Hi paniccode,

I'm sorry, I realise now that the details in my post was rather USA-UK specific. However, the general information should still apply. If you still have concerns, if I were you I would call the relevant airline(s) before booking and find out their particular preference(s). Of course the critical thing is that your wife takes all the documents that confirm both her identities, ie, her passport, the original marriage certificate and her Green Card.

All the best,

Sheila

[zyggy 9]

Hi paniccode,

I'm sorry, I realise now that the details in my post was rather USA-UK specific. However, the general information should still apply. If you still have concerns, if I were you I would call the relevant airline(s) before booking and find out their particular preference(s). Of course the critical thing is that your wife takes all the documents that confirm both her identities, ie, her passport, the original marriage certificate and her Green Card.

All the best,

Sheila

Actually the airline is NOT supposed to do that.. the reason being that they send the manifests for the plane to the CBP so they can do some checking before the plane lands... For this reason, they have to account for the names on the manifest with the passports that are being scanned as people go through primary...

Sorry to say that you might have some problems on the way back home.. the name on the ticket MUST match the name on the ID page of the passport...

[Yodrak 7]

Sheila,

And as for calling the airline for a preference, note that the person who checks your documentation when you want to get on the plane is not going to be the same person who you talk with on the phone. As a practical matter, if the check-in or gate agent is of the opinion that the ticket and boarding pass should match the passport it will be of little comfort that someone on the telephone said otherwise.

Keep in mind that the person on the phone has been trained to answer the phone, not to check and verify ID for boarding a plane. They may know the right answer, then again they may not.

Yodrak

Hi paniccode,

I'm sorry, I realise now that the details in my post was rather USA-UK specific. However, the general information should still apply. If you still have concerns, if I were you I would call the relevant airline(s) before booking and find out their particular preference(s). Of course the critical thing is that your wife takes all the documents that confirm both her identities, ie, her passport, the original marriage certificate and her Green Card.

All the best,

Sheila

Actually the airline is NOT supposed to do that.. the reason being that they send the manifests for the plane to the CBP so they can do some checking before the plane lands... For this reason, they have to account for the names on the manifest with the passports that are being scanned as people go through primary...

Sorry to say that you might have some problems on the way back home.. the name on the ticket MUST match the name on the ID page of the passport...

[Tex'n'Brit 0]

...

Keep in mind that the person on the phone has been trained to answer the phone, not to check and verify ID for boarding a plane. They may know the right answer, then again they may not.

Yodrak

================================

....

Actually the airline is NOT supposed to do that [carry passengers with different names on ticket/passport] ... the reason being that they send the manifests for the plane to the CBP so they can do some checking before the plane lands... For this reason, they have to account for the names on the manifest with the passports that are being scanned as people go through primary...

Sorry to say that you might have some problems on the way back home.. the name on the ticket MUST match the name on the ID page of the passport...

zyggy

================================

Thank you both for your comments ... ... It's quite possible that you're both right. Haing said that, I called American Airlines' UK 'Aadvantage' CS Dept a number of different times today to double (and more) check their policy. The various different CSRs all agreed with their USA colleague. They stated that the airline deals with this sort of married/maiden name discrepancy frequently and that, as long as the passenger has her valid marriage certificate with her to show why the ticket and passport names are different, using either name on the ticket is OK.

None of the reps had heard of any problems at US POEs either. As I understand it anyway - airlines may receive a fine if they knowingly carry anyone to various countries without having confirmed their identity in a satisfactory manner and the passenger is then refused entry to said country. Fine or not, it does appear that the airline would have the inconvenience of having to deal with immediately returning the passenger to the UK. Plus, AA claims to record CS calls and I bet some less philosophical, more litigious customers would sue if they were refused carriage after being told repeatedly that they would be allowed to check in and fly with the airline. All in all, I'm pretty sure that no airline would ever permit their staff to consistantly offer this sort of significant opinion/advice if it was likely to cost the company any money, time or trouble. Of course none of the CSRs could swear that I wouldn't have a problem at the US POE and, to their credit, they each suggested contacting the US Consulate if I wanted absolute peace of mind.

Anyway ... I may well be being naive and simply trying to convince myself, but, since the names printed on the ticket, Green Card, passport and marriage certificate both cross reference each other and prove I'm me (plus, for what it's worth, I also have my Texas driving license and SS card too) I'm pretty sure that there won't be a problem, either at the airport, or at the US POE. Having said that, I am currently attempting to get a definitive answer from the US Dept of HS, so we'll see - I may well be proved wrong, yet again.

As I said before ... watch this space!

All the best,

Edited April 26, 2006 by Tex'n'Brit

[Tex'n'Brit 0]

paniccode - Very sorry to continue hyjacking your thread but I hope it is still of some relevance.

Anyway ... Latest update ...

I pestered AA's UK & USA offices again today. Whether or not they're supposed to do it, the rep in the UK double checked with various superiors then confirmed yet again that, as long as I have a valid ticket and passport and the original marriage certificate showing both my names, I will definitely be allowed to travel back to the States. Still I happen to be flying via the North Terminal at Gatwick tomorrow, so I can get the skinny straight from some of the horses' mouths at the AA desks where I'll be checking in next week ... Their answer to follow!

I went crazy and contacted the US Departments of Homeland Security, and Customs and Border Patrol as well, plus the Immigration Department at DFW airport (my home airport). All of them confirmed that I will be OK at the POE in Dallas because I have my Green Card plus a valid (& machine readable of course) passport and original marriage certificate which confirms I'm one and the same person.

All the best,

Sheila

Edited April 26, 2006 by Tex'n'Brit

[rejane 1]

the same thing happened to me I phoned the french consulate in LA but it was just a mess to get everything done and the process was very long 3 months at least.

I just got back from France 2 days ago.

The best way to go it s to have her ticket match the passport maiden name.

You will need to bring your marriage certificte they didn t asked it but you never know.

The immigration officer was very friendly with me.

She should be fine traveling back to the US.

[Tex'n'Brit 0]

paniccode - Very sorry to continue hyjacking your thread but I hope it is still of some relevance to some people, now or in a future search.

Final Update regarding having a plane ticket in married name and a passport still in maiden name ... Just in case anyone wanted to know the outcome - I had no problems getting back to the USA at all.

At Gatwick Airport, American Airlines have a pre-check in security check point just in front of the check in desks ... I presented my ticket, passport and marriage certificate (and the 'Green Card' too, just in case) to the security guy. He was fairly young, so, although he thought the name thing was fine, he decided to double check and took the stuff off to his superior to ask him about it. A couple of minutes later the young 'un returned and said it was no problem at all because all the documents confirmed both names were mine. At the check in desk itself, the agent simply made a note of the various documents on her computer and that was it ... I checked my bags, boarded the flight and flew straight to Dallas. At the immigration desks at DFW I simply joined the 'US Citizens and Residents' line, presented my 'Green Card' and passport and the only question asked was how long I had been in the UK.

So ... I can confirm ... if you happen to be traveling to/from the UK on American Airlines, you can use either name on your ticket as long as you travel with both your valid passport and the original version of your marriage certificate (license) which shows both of your pre/post names on it.

All the best,

Sheila

Edited May 9, 2006 by Tex'n'Brit