Name change(first+last) after marriage, before AOS/SSN

[sabaidee 0]

My wife and I (the USC) got married last week and now I want to file AOS, get a SSN, add her to my insurance, get a driver's license, etc. Our marriage certificate lists her original name but we want to change both her first name (to her easier-to-pronounce nickname) and her last name (to mine). I'd really like to do it as soon as possible so we won't have too much confusion and won't have to change it in too many places.

I've read what I can on the subject but am pretty confused. Most of the discussion threads I read pertain to changing only the last name or assume it's been changed on the marriage certificate already. It sounds like it would be best to change it first at SSN but I'm not sure if we have the supporting evidence necessary. I also tried calling the attorney that I used to do the I-129f but I don't think they know what they're talking about. They basically told me to wait until after she gets a green card and that she probably wouldn't be able to get a SSN before then.

I did discover, while reading the discussions here, that I need to act fast because the SSN office won't issue a SSN card if the immigrant is 14 days from being out of status (which means we have to get it done this week!).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

:Sabaidee:

[Karly-n-Bruce 0]

First off, to help us understand your case and such...

I don't understand what it is you're asking. Don't you have to apply for things (ssn, marriage certificate, AOS, driver's license) in her legal name, not a nickname? Or has your wife legally changed both her first and last name (last name due to marriage, first name being a nickname that is easier to pronounce)? Am I understanding correctly, or totally off on this?

[Urge To Race 2]

First off, to help us understand your case and such...

I don't understand what it is you're asking. Don't you have to apply for things (ssn, marriage certificate, AOS, driver's license) in her legal name, not a nickname? Or has your wife legally changed both her first and last name (last name due to marriage, first name being a nickname that is easier to pronounce)? Am I understanding correctly, or totally off on this?

I think the OP is trying to figure out how to do the legal name change. Now, I don't have much advice to give on how to legally change the name of a non US citizen. A friend of mine from the UK had a heck of time, he is a LPR and he had to go the the UK to do it, but I never really got the details.

[sabaidee 0]

First off, to help us understand your case and such...

I don't understand what it is you're asking. Don't you have to apply for things (ssn, marriage certificate, AOS, driver's license) in her legal name, not a nickname? Or has your wife legally changed both her first and last name (last name due to marriage, first name being a nickname that is easier to pronounce)? Am I understanding correctly, or totally off on this?

We want to change her legal name. I'm just not sure how or where in the process is right way to do it, especially since we already got the marriage license in her original name (maybe that was a mistake?).

:sabaidee:

[ready4ONE 5,400]

First off, to help us understand your case and such...

I don't understand what it is you're asking. Don't you have to apply for things (ssn, marriage certificate, AOS, driver's license) in her legal name, not a nickname? Or has your wife legally changed both her first and last name (last name due to marriage, first name being a nickname that is easier to pronounce)? Am I understanding correctly, or totally off on this?

We want to change her legal name. I'm just not sure how or where in the process is right way to do it, especially since we already got the marriage license in her original name (maybe that was a mistake?).

:sabaidee:

I think you could have performed an easy name change by putting what she wanted on the marriage certificate. Since that didn't happen, you would need to do some sort of legal name change via a court, and that is not going to happen any time soon.

My suggestion is you use her nickname at home, and get her SSN in the name you listed on your marriage certificate. At some point down the road you can go through the process of legally changing her name, but the marriage certificate was the last quick way to do that.

No big deal at this point. Water under the bridge.

Get her SSN (your attorney is dead wrong, you can easily get one until the 14 day expiration time on her I-94,) file your AOS before the costs go way up, and good luck to you both! Congratulations on the marriage, and hopefully your AOS journey goes smoothly.

[Yodrak 7]

sabaidee,

My wife has her given name and my surname on all of her 'official' documentation, but she uses her nickname instead of her given name whenever she's asked for her name either verbally or most paperwork. If the paperwork is something that needs to be verified by comparison to an ID she'll put both her given name and her nickname.

Yodrak

My wife and I (the USC) got married last week and now I want to file AOS, get a SSN, add her to my insurance, get a driver's license, etc. Our marriage certificate lists her original name but we want to change both her first name (to her easier-to-pronounce nickname) and her last name (to mine). I'd really like to do it as soon as possible so we won't have too much confusion and won't have to change it in too many places.

I've read what I can on the subject but am pretty confused. Most of the discussion threads I read pertain to changing only the last name or assume it's been changed on the marriage certificate already. It sounds like it would be best to change it first at SSN but I'm not sure if we have the supporting evidence necessary. I also tried calling the attorney that I used to do the I-129f but I don't think they know what they're talking about. They basically told me to wait until after she gets a green card and that she probably wouldn't be able to get a SSN before then.

I did discover, while reading the discussions here, that I need to act fast because the SSN office won't issue a SSN card if the immigrant is 14 days from being out of status (which means we have to get it done this week!).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

:Sabaidee:

[Mike and Adriana 0]

I think the advice to leave her legal name alone for now is good advice. If it's that big of a deal, then she can deal with it later via legal means in U.S. court.

For now, there are several things that can be done. My wife's Colombian passport, cedula (Colombian ID), and our marriage license are all in her maiden name...as is her K-3 visa. When she arrived in the U.S., we submitted EAD and AOS applications in her married name. We included an explanation of why her name on the application differed from those on the K-3 visa and her passport. The marriage certificate supported the explanation.

When we applied for her social security card, we did so in her married name....consistent with the EA card.

The only hitch so far has been her Florida driver's license. They required that it be in her maiden name, since that was the name on her K-3 visa. However, once AOS is finalized, the office will re-issue her driver's license in her married name.

We intend to leave her Colombian passport and her cedula in her maiden name.

So, focus on the last name....and hold off on the first name (if you feel it's really necessary) until after she gets her green card.

Good luck,

Mike

[Dakine 26]

My wife and I (the USC) got married last week and now I want to file AOS, get a SSN, add her to my insurance, get a driver's license, etc. Our marriage certificate lists her original name but we want to change both her first name (to her easier-to-pronounce nickname) and her last name (to mine). I'd really like to do it as soon as possible so we won't have too much confusion and won't have to change it in too many places.

I've read what I can on the subject but am pretty confused. Most of the discussion threads I read pertain to changing only the last name or assume it's been changed on the marriage certificate already. It sounds like it would be best to change it first at SSN but I'm not sure if we have the supporting evidence necessary. I also tried calling the attorney that I used to do the I-129f but I don't think they know what they're talking about. They basically told me to wait until after she gets a green card and that she probably wouldn't be able to get a SSN before then.

I did discover, while reading the discussions here, that I need to act fast because the SSN office won't issue a SSN card if the immigrant is 14 days from being out of status (which means we have to get it done this week!).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

:Sabaidee:

Go for the SSN ASAP. "Most" SSA offices won't give SSN within 14 days of I-94 expiration!

They are all different tho. Some SS offices have to be coached even to give one to a K1 at all.

People have had to print out the rules and regs of SSA and take it in and show them after SSA wouldn't give it the first time.

No reason to take a chance. Do it and worry about the name change later.

I imagine you do want her new name on the GC tho.

No need for a SSN on the I-485 tho!

Aloha

Edited June 12, 2007 by beckypua

[sabaidee 0]

Thanks much for the responses. It sounds like I'm probably screwed at this point, as far as changing her name. The woman who processed our marriage license said that it needed to match what was on the immigration application or it could cause problems and I trusted that she knew what she was talking about. I didn't realize at the time the full significance of the name on the marriage certificate.

I had read the process outline here on VJ and it sounded like I could easily change the name at SSN after the marriage (K1 Process Flowchart) :

Step 17. Apply for marriage certificate. Must marry within 90 days of entering the U.S. on a K-1 visa.

Step 18. Go back to the SSA office and bring your SSN Card and marriage certificate. Change your name.

Didn't realize the "change your name" part meant "change your name to match the marriage certificate". Whoops.

For now, there are several things that can be done. My wife's Colombian passport, cedula (Colombian ID), and our marriage license are all in her maiden name...as is her K-3 visa. When she arrived in the U.S., we submitted EAD and AOS applications in her married name. We included an explanation of why her name on the application differed from those on the K-3 visa and her passport. The marriage certificate supported the explanation.

That sounds promising. Ours was K1 instead of K3 - I don't know if that will make a difference. Was your marriage certificate also in her maiden name? And when you filed EAD/AOS, you included a letter of explanation? What about SSN?

Thanks again for the responses! Stuff like this is difficult to figure out because there doesn't seem to be a specific central authority you can call and it's so easy to get the wrong answer.

:-)

:sabaidee:

[sabaidee 0]

Just a followup, in case it helps anyone :

It turned out that changing her last name to my last name at SSN was no problem, even though I had put her maiden name on the marriage certificate.

I was not able to change her (long, difficult-to-pronouce) first name to her nickname even though on the original K-1 forms I had listed her nickname under "Other names". The SSN guy said that it wasn't listed as a name option in homeland security's computer.

:sabaidee:

[Yodrak 7]

sabaidee,

Why? How does being a town or county clerk who processes marriage licenses necessarily mean that one is knowledgable about immigration issues?

Yodrak

..... The woman who processed our marriage license said that it needed to match what was on the immigration application or it could cause problems and I trusted that she knew what she was talking about. .....

:sabaidee: