Canadian Passport

[penn-kd 0]

Does anyone know how to go about changing your name on your passport to your married name. Or should i wait until I am up for renewal in 2 years.

[jhunjhun 7]

Does anyone know how to go about changing your name on your passport to your married name. Or should i wait until I am up for renewal in 2 years.

I believe, you need to submit your marriage certificate if you want to change your maiden name to your married name.

[JillA 2]

I would post this in the Canada forum, there's been lots of discussion lately about that.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=182258

[vanee 13]

I would post this in the Canada forum, there's been lots of discussion lately about that.

Or we can move this thread to the Canada forum.

[trailmix 77]

Canada does not have allowance for changing to a married name on the passport - you have to apply for a new passport to do that.

You may no longer add your married name as an observation on a passport. If you wish to obtain a passport in your new name, you must apply for a new passport. link

[Krikit 1,163]

I just waited until I was up for renewal. It hasn't been a problem as long as I book my airline reservations in the same name as my passport. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep my Canadian passport in my former name so that I can use the simplified version of the renewal. Once I get my US citizenship that passport will be in my married name anyway.

[thetreble 19]

You know, I j sut thought of something.

You know when you are going to the border and they say, "Citizenship?"

If you are dual or even tri, do you just say which one is on the passport you are using?

[Krikit 1,163]

You know, I j sut thought of something.

You know when you are going to the border and they say, "Citizenship?"

If you are dual or even tri, do you just say which one is on the passport you are using?

If I'm going to England I say "British" and use that passport. If I'm returning to Canada I say "Canadian" and use that passport. I'll just add "US" to my repertoire when coming back into the US.

[Emancipation 2]

You know, I j sut thought of something.

You know when you are going to the border and they say, "Citizenship?"

If you are dual or even tri, do you just say which one is on the passport you are using?

If I'm going to England I say "British" and use that passport. If I'm returning to Canada I say "Canadian" and use that passport. I'll just add "US" to my repertoire when coming back into the US.

Hubby wanted me to ask a question about this.. will the American's get suspicious if you don't have stamps going into a country in your passport but you come back to the US? When you are "allowed" to have dual that's probably a mute issue, but what happens when you are "supposed" to only have one citizenship when you gain US citizenship.. and yet you keep your CDN passport.. Anyone ever had an issue with them grilling you about where the stamps are?

[Krikit 1,163]

Obviously I haven't had any experience with using this system with a US passport... lol.... but I did get tripped up one time exiting Greece. I had entered using my EU passport so did not have an entry stamp.... they just wave you on through. When I was leaving I presented my Canadian passport by mistake. The officer looked through it and said "Where's your stamp?!" I said "Oops. Sorry. I'm a dual and I forgot that I used my EU passport when I entered." He just said "Don't do that" meaning don't use two passports to enter and exit and waved me on through. As for using Canadian vs US when travelling between the two countries they don't stamp them, anyway, so it's a non-issue.

[Emancipation 2]

Obviously I haven't had any experience with using this system with a US passport... lol.... but I did get tripped up one time exiting Greece. I had entered using my EU passport so did not have an entry stamp.... they just wave you on through. When I was leaving I presented my Canadian passport by mistake. The officer looked through it and said "Where's your stamp?!" I said "Oops. Sorry. I'm a dual and I forgot that I used my EU passport when I entered." He just said "Don't do that" meaning don't use two passports to enter and exit and waved me on through. As for using Canadian vs US when travelling between the two countries they don't stamp them, anyway, so it's a non-issue.

right.. we were discussing international travel (true international travel that is) across puddles tee hee

[ZansGirl 0]

Just a heads up......I was told (wether correct or not) That all immigration paperwork will be issued in the name that appears on your passport....no problem if you are planning on marrying AFTER you enter the US..BUT..I was already married and really did not want to have to go through the hassels of shanging my name once I entered the US..So i just bit the 90 bucks and filed for a new Passport. It seems that it was the right thing to do as I was stopped at the border for the first time and asked to produce all documents pertaining to the immigration Process..Luckily my passport, drivers licence and NOA notification were all in the same name..the officer informed me that had one document been in a different name it could cause them to run checks ( I have no idea if he was messing with me or not, but until I am approved..theose men and women are my GODS and shall be OBEYED!!!!!)

[antda 13]

Hi Penn-Kd and Everyone,

In answer to your question:

You would have to apply for a new passport if you want it in your married last name.

About two years ago Passport Canada used to issue a non-machine readable married last name paper notation (for about $20 or so), that could be added to your current unexpired maiden name passport. Unfortunately, they stopped doing that, so that's not longer an option anymore (lol..even though I got that done beforehand).

So when my Canadian passport (in my maiden name and with a married name paper notation) expired this year (thanks to USCIS for making me rewew my passport due to the I-751 delays and possibly needing a current passport for a I-551 stamp...grrr....), I had to apply for a new one in my married name (for about $90 or so). You can read about my recent Canadian passport renewal experience on this message thread here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...c=180243&hl=

I got my Candian passport (in my married name) in the mail 2 weeks later, which you can read on this message thread here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...c=183063&hl=

By the way, if you are renewing your passport in your married last name you cannot use the "simplied version" of the Canadian passport application form to renew your passport (apparently Passport Canada seems to be unfair here to married women who change their names). So yes, that means you have to apply all over again, using the "General application form" with the additonal "begging and pleading" to ask for references, guarantors, and whatnot....grrrr....

If I were you, I would seriously just wait for another 2 years before you get a new Canadian passport, if you don't do much travelling, as it really isn't worth it to pay for a new passport when your current one is still valid. After all, you might as well get use out of the $90 you already paid for it for 5 years, right? Just carry your marriage certificate and other identification with your married name, along with your maiden name passport with you when you travel, and you shouldn't have any problems travelling. As well, remember to book your tickets (if you are flying) in the same name that matches your passport, as they would go by that for travel purposes.

Sigh, the things women have to go through when they get married....(though I wouldn't have it any other way, as I love my married last name... )

Hope this helps. Good luck with the rest of your immigration journey and passport journey too...

Ant (Still waiting....)

Does anyone know how to go about changing your name on your passport to your married name. Or should i wait until I am up for renewal in 2 years.

[antda 13]

Hi Thetreble and Everyone,

Hmm...what an interesting question you bring up...

My answer would be that I'll just present my two passports (my Canadian one, and the American one I will get), let them pick and choose which one they want to see and process, and say: "Dual"

Lol...I would like to say "Triple" too, but I think that would just confuse them even more, as in my lifetime I've been associated with 3 different countries (other birth country non-citizen, a Canadian Naturalized Citizen, and soon-to-be American Naturalized Citizen).

It's confusing that the last time I crossed the border to Canada, I presented them with the following indentification:

-An 2yr expired US green card, with my other birth country listed and in my married name

-An 1yr extension letter for my US green card in my married name

-A valid US driver's license in my married name

-An expired Canadian passport in my maiden name

-A receipt saying that I just renewed my Canadian passport in my married name (on my way back)

-(I also had a copy of my marriage certificate and my very outdated Canadian citizenship card, but I they didn't want to see that)

And yes, all this the heck out of the border guard...thank goodness though, they let me through, without any problems.... "Better safe than sorry", I suppose.

Next time I cross the borders, I have my new valid Canadian married name passport and hopefully I'll get my new unexpired 10yr green card soon too, which will somewhat make travelling a lot easier for me later on....

Ant (Still waiting...)

You know, I j sut thought of something.

You know when you are going to the border and they say, "Citizenship?"

If you are dual or even tri, do you just say which one is on the passport you are using?

Edited March 20, 2009 by AntandD

[Emancipation 2]

Hi Thetreble and Everyone,

Hmm...what an interesting question you bring up...

My answer would be that I'll just present my two passports (my Canadian one, and the American one I will get), let them pick and choose which one they want to see and process, and say: "Dual"

But technically you are not dual according to the US no?