Confused: Green card name verse SSN and passport

[Alianza Terps 12]

So my husband is from Peru and arrived a few months ago. Like most Latin American countries, his Peruvian legal name has two last names - the paternal and the maternal last name.

Two weeks after his arrival, we went to the Social Security Administration office and got his SSN - which had both his paternal and maternal last names since they went off the names in his passport and visa.

When we filed for the AOS, we decided to drop the maternal last name to accommodate American culture and how we do our last names. So in August, his green card arrived with his first name, middle initial and paternal last name.

Today, we went back to the Social Security office to with his green card, passport, and birth certificate to change his Social Security from having both paternal and maternal last names to only his paternal last name.

They said that it would not be possible because they have to go off what is on his birth certificate and passport. They said he would have to contact immigration to change either his green card to both last names or a court order noting the name change so that the SSA office could change it.

1) Which is a better option? Contacting immigration and changing his green card back to include both is paternal and maternal last names or going to the court house and getting a name change court order? (To me, it seems like the court order would be the better/easier option but that leads to question two...)

2) Will the name differences on his green card and passport effect his future re-entry into the U.S. when he goes to Peru for a short visit in December? I was told it would be okay but now I'm concerned. I want to just confirm that the fact that his green card does not include his maternal last name (which his passport does) wont cause any problems.

Edited September 30, 2011 by Alianza Terps

[hnubno 9]

i would like the to know answer to this too because my fiance's name on his passport he has his dad whole (first and last) name and his first name is his whole (first and last) name.

[I'm Gone 60]

I would say get a new passport in the name on the permanent resident card

RM 10212.001 Defining the Legal Name for an SSN

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

B. Evidence of legal name

2. Foreign born individual

A foreign-born person’s legal name is the name shown on his or her immigration document (includes hyphens and apostrophes).

The only time you may process an SSN application in a name that does not agree with the name shown on the immigration document is if the person legally changed his or her name after the immigration document is issued.

a. Name on immigration document and other evidence for an SSN are different

When the name shown on the immigration document differs from the name shown on other evidence submitted for an SSN, process the SSN in the name on the immigration document as long as the name can be derived from the other evidence (e.g., foreign passport).

RM 10212.160 Examples of Name Corrections on the SSN Card

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212160#g

G. Name on Numident different from name on immigration document

Alejandro Gomez applies for a replacement SSN card to show his legal name Alejandro Gomez. The last Numident record shows his name as, Alex Gomez. He submits to SSA his Form I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident Card) showing his legal name Alejandro Gomez. Alejandro explains that he changed his name to Alex to Americanize his first name.

The current immigration document is evidence of the legal name per RM10212.001 and evidence of identity per RM00203.200. If all biographical information on the immigration document and supplied by Mr Gomez agrees with the Numident (including an NL2 line, if present), legal name and identity are established following RM10212.150 C and the name correction can be processed. NOTE: If the most recent Numident was established after 12/17/05, when SSA's legal name policy became effective, or the immigration document was issued before the most recent Numident was established, request the SSA microprint to determine if a legal name change is indicated. If the microprint does indicate evidence of a name change (e.g. a marriage record or court order) was submitted, delete the current application and issue a denial letter stating sufficient evidence for the name change was not submitted. Evidence of a legal name change following RM10212.015 would be needed if a new application were filed.

[Alianza Terps 12]

I'm still confused on what we should do...

Because his name does not match up between his green card, passport and SSN, I feel as though this will create conflicts in future employment and when we go to the MVA to get his drivers license (they want to see his SS card and green card). So I guess we have two options

1) Fill out an I-90 and change his name on his green card back to his original name that includes both last names

2) Go to the courthouse and officially change his name in this country. Take the court document to the SSA office so that they change it on his SS card which we will then show to the MVA demonstrating that it is the exact same person but without his maternal last name....

He does not want to officially change his passport name because then he will have to change his entire identity in Peru which complicates his pension and stuff if we were to ever move back there...

any advice?

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

The match between Passport, Green Card and SS card is still good enough for all purposes I can think of.

Leave it alone until he becomes a US citizen. Then he can be reborn with any name he desires and all U.S. documents will have the same name.

[Alianza Terps 12]

The match between Passport, Green Card and SS card is still good enough for all purposes I can think of.

Leave it alone until he becomes a US citizen. Then he can be reborn with any name he desires and all U.S. documents will have the same name.

Thank you for your reply. We are still concerned since we will have to show both his green card and SS card to the MVA. We will try to explain ourselves but I'm afraid that will just say no, it has to all match exactly (that what the website says with regards to documents and proof of identity, etc.).

[hnubno 9]

can you legally change a last name. not as in taking your husband last name but your husband changing his last name to what it actually is instead of what is on the passport.

[Alianza Terps 12]

can you legally change a last name. not as in taking your husband last name but your husband changing his last name to what it actually is instead of what is on the passport.

Maybe. We might have to look into it. We are going to go to the MVA later this week to see if they give us a hard time or not. Also, the social security administration office told us that it may be a problem for future employers if the green card and social security card name are different. Is that true??

Edited October 4, 2011 by Alianza Terps

[sib 7]

According to the post of I Quit and if I read it correctly you should be able to get the SSN in the name of the immigration document.

Check the SS website about this issue, if you find something supporting that the SS card should be issued in the name of the immigration document, print it and take it to the office and let them explain exactly why it is not possible to get the name changed on the card.

Name change is a little more difficult, I am astonished that immigration let you change the name!

Sib