Hi everyone!

I have been married for a little over a year now but I haven't changed my name yet because I haven't registered the wedding at my local consulate and I can only get a new passport with my married name once I do that.

What was your experience on changing your name? Has anyone gotten their greencard with the maiden name and later on changed to the married name? How was it to change your driver's license and SSN? Has anyone had any issues changing your name after being married for a while?

Any input is helpful!! Thanks!

Alix

Alix,

My wife, a K3, began using my name for USA purposes as soon as we married. I submitted my petitions and she applied for her visa and adjustment of status using her 'married' name. Outside of immigration she was a joint owner of several of my bank accounts and became a US taxpayer, in her 'married' name, while still in her country.

All of her documentation from her country - passport, national ID, etc. - remains in her maiden name.

Yodrak

NOTE: I apologize if my post seems like hi-jacking the thread, but it does relate somewhat to the original intent...

Okay, maybe this is an exceedingly stupid question, but...HOW does one go about changing their name via marriage? WHEN and WHERE is it done? I've tried looking this up online, and I've turned up all sorts of answers -- marriage licenses, marriage certificates, etc.

Do you change your name on the license or the certificate? Do you do it on both? Do you wait until after the marriage ceremony to change your name? If so, what do you do?

Sorry if this seems like it should be simple, but I've never been married before (and I've never been to a wedding; only funerals, which doesn't do me a lot of good...), so I'm a little lost.

I am not changing my name because I don't want to have a different last name than my daughters, but the folks at the county clerk's office said that when I signed the marriage certificate, that would be the first time that I would be signing my married name. Signing the license/certificate makes it 'official' and then you need to provide copies of the certificate as you change your name on insurance, social security, etc...

So if I signed my marriage license with my maiden name, I'll have to have it like that forever?

alix,

Be sure to distinguish between marriage license (pre-marriage) and marriage certificate (post-marriage), even in those cases where the former and the latter are just different halves of the same piece of paper.

Re-wording your question to ask about the marriage certificate - no. As long as the post-marriage surname that you chose can be devined from the surnames on the marriage certificate, all you have to do is start using the new name that you've chosen.

Notify people that you do business with - such as your bank, CC companies, the local library, the state DMV, the SSA, your employer, your friends, etc. that you have a new surname as a result of marriage. Some you will notify by writing a letter containing the pertinent information, some will have a form that they'll want you to fill out, some you can notify over the phone or when you see them on the street. Some will want to see some documentation supporting the change, others will take your word for it.

Every notification that you need or want to make may be different in some detail, but in any case make a list and just do it.

Yodrak

Thank you! That was exactly what I wanted to know.

Alix

My wife hasnt changed to my surname yet. I like her surname so we are keeping it. The only thing we have changed is her bank details. Other than that everything is under her family name.

Also she comes from a small family so we want to keep the family name alive when we have kids. Her family name is french canadian.

You already have an SSN? If you do and you are applying for an immigrant visa in your married name, just check off on the DS-230 that you want an SSN and hopefully you will be issued an SSN card in your married name within three weeks of entering the U.S.

RM 00202.315 Enumeration At Entry
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100202315

Answer "Yes" to Questions 33a. and 33b.on Form DS-230

If you don't receive your SSN card within 3 weeks it's time to head on down to your friendly neighborhood
SSA office.

Find office:

http://www.ssa.gov/locator

Take proof of identity and work authorized alien status. Proof of age is not needed for a replacement card.

Passport and I-551 card or MRIV with temporary I-551 language should be enough to take into the SSA office. If going for the name change take your marriage certificate too.

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203410
RM 00203.410 Evidence of Alien Status for an SSN Card for an Alien Lawfully Admitted for Permanent Residence

B. KINDS OF EVIDENCE ESTABLISHING LAPR STATUS

-- I-551, Permanent Resident Card
-- Machine Readable Immigrant Visa with Temporary I-551 Language

Note: The MRIV shows the alien's identification number ("A" number) as
the "Registration Number" in the upper right-hand corner of the MRIV.

If you apply in the SSA office for an original SSN or replacement card
the SSA office will try to verify your status through the SAVE system
while your are in the office. If they can't, they will send a form G-845
to immigration for manual verification.

If the SSA office does send the G-845, I suggest that you go back to the
SSA office every couple weeks with your documents to (1) ask them to
check SAVE again (2) ask if they sent a G-845 (3) if yes, did it come
back (4) after 30 days ask if they have followed up on the G-845 by
calling or sending another mark "second request."
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http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203720
RM 00203.720 Verifying Immigration Documents
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203735
RM 00203.735 Requesting Online (Primary) Verification By SAVE
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After having waited at least 30 days and your local SSA office doesn't seem too concerned about following up on the G-845 you can try contacting the SSA Regional Office (RO)
responsible for your state:

http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/natlpocontacts.html

Refer them to this:

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203740
RM 00203.740 Requesting Additional (Manual) Verification By DHS

B. PROCEDURE – HOW TO REQUEST MANUAL VERIFICATION

STEP 6

DHS should respond to SSA within 15 federal work days after receiving
the Form G-845. If DHS does not respond within 15 federal work days from
the receipt of the G-845 from SSA, follow-up with the DHS, USCIS
Immigration Status office. (Allow 15 days plus five additional federal work days of
mail time for the G-845 to be received at and returned from DHS.

Follow local practice to follow-up with DHS. Some SSA offices have an
arrangement with the DHS, USCIS office to telephone for the follow-up
contact; other SSA offices send a copy of the original G-845 annotated
“second request.”) If the DHS response is still not received within 15
federal work days after the follow-up contact (if the follow-up is by
mail allow five additional federal work days of mail time for the G-845
to be received at and returned from DHS), make a second follow-up
contact. If the DHS response is not received within 15 federal workdays
(again, if the follow-up is by mail, allow five additional federal work
days of mail time for the G-845 to be received at and returned from
DHS), after two follow-ups, contact the RO. Also report to the RO any
trend that shows a serious deviation by DHS from the above time frames.
The RO will consult with central office.
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To update the SSN record when there has been a name change due to marriage only the marriage document (foreign or domestic) is needed if it meets the following criteria:

-- The new name can be derived from the marriage document, i.e. bride takes the groom's last name, groom takes bride's last name, compound name (with or without hyphen) of each spouse's original name for either or both parties.

Note: State law must also allow the type of name change wishing to be made

-- The marriage occurred within the past two years
-- The marriage document shows sufficient identifying information, e.g., biographical data such as age, date of birth or parent's names, and
-- The identifying information matches the information on his/her current Social Security number record.

The applicant will need to submit an identity document in the old name along with the marriage document if:

-- The marriage occurred within the last two years and has biographical information, e.g., age, date of birth or parent's names which does not match our records, e.g., the SSN record.
-- The marriage occurred within the last two years, but does not show biographical information, or
-- The marriage occurred over two years ago (with or without biographical information.)

The identity document used to establish the old name must match the name on the current SSN record. The identity document is acceptable even if over two years old or expired.

This is in addition to proof of current lawful employment authorized status.

Maybe this will help someone!
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cf...php?p_faqid=315

I need to change or correct the name on my Social Security card. How do I do this?

Answer
If you legally change your name because of marriage, divorce, court order or any other reason, tell Social Security so that you can get a corrected card. If you are working, also tell your employer. If you do not tell us when your name changes, it may:

Delay your tax refund; and
Prevent your wages from being posted correctly to your Social Security record, which may lower the amount of your future Social Security benefits.
To change your name on your Social Security card:

Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5);
Show us proof of your:
U.S. citizenship (if you have not previously established your citizenship with us) or immigration status;
Legal name change; and
Identity.
Take (or mail) your completed application and documents to your local Social Security office.
All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents.

Documents for a name change: If you need to change your name on your Social Security card, you must show us a recently issued document as proof of your legal name change. Documents Social Security may accept to prove a legal name change include:

Marriage document;
Divorce decree;
Certificate of Naturalization showing a new name; or
Court order for a name change.
If the document you provide as evidence of a legal name change does not give us enough information to identify you in our records or if you legally changed your name more than two years ago, you must provide Social Security with additional documentation.

Marriage, divorce or annulment: In addition to showing us a legal document proving your marriage, divorce or annulment, you must provide an identity document. That document must show your old name, as well as other identifying information or a recent photograph. (We can accept an expired document as evidence of your old name.)

I am the USC. When I filed to have my last name changed to my husbands name, I brought everything they asked for. The marriage certificate had alot of personal info about me. I brought my car insurance card with my new married name on it. Well, that was back in July. I still have not received my new card. Later, I was told they had to send it to Morocco to make sure it was a valid marriage certificate. When I called the main number for social security, I told the lady my situation and she told me that she does not know why they have not issued the card to me.
I can not get my drivers license changed without my social security card cuz they told me foreign marriage certificates are not accepted.
My marriage certifcate was translated by a certified translator. I do not know what the problem is.

Lavon

The old policy was to verify that the state you live in accepts marriage in the foreign country in which you married, but it was only sent to the SSA regional office, not the foreign country.

However, foreign language documents need to be translated by an SSA authorized translator. Don't waste your time calling the SSA 800#. You need to go back into the office. Which SSA office was this?

The office was the one in Port Neches, Texas. They sent me a letter saying:

We are unabled to process a name change with the foreign marriage certificate provided. The state of Texas at this time is verifying information concerning the matter.


When I had called the local office they told me Morocco was being contacted.

This is so crazy. USCIS accepted the marriage certificate with the translation. Oh well, my husband will be here soon and we can go together.

Lavon