NAME CHANGE AFTER WEDDING IN MANILA

[jhonster 23]

Hello all again =))

Ok. So, as of March 20th, myself and Abby are now a married couple

I was wondering....since nowhere on our marriage license application did it ask what hers or my new married name would be. How do we change it?

I read some things online regarding Philippine law and name changes, and how its obligatory and not mandated (as it is in the U.S.). But she wants to use my last name. So she was going to use her current last name (surname) as her middle name....and use my last name (surname) as her new last name.

Does anybody know if its easier for CR1 purposes if she keeps her current surname and just changes it once she gets into the U.S.? Or should we change it now in the Philippines? Also....her daughter has her Fathers last name instead of her Mothers (my wife). I was thinking it might get a little confusing if we were to change my wifes last name now in the Philippines....because then my wife would have one last name, her daughter another last name, and myself a different last name from my now wife. Haha!

I've already checked into the issue of bringing her daughter into the USA, and as I understand....women have all the rights to the child under Philippine law. So, her Mother (my wife) can petition her to come with her to the U.S. So her daughter (my new stepdaughter) shouldn't have any issues with a different last name....and I can adopt her here in California much more easily than I can in the Philippines.

Ok. That's all for now.

btw....the Marriage was done at Manila City Hall with a Judge. And a big THANK YOU to all who helped me get this part of our journey finished. But BOY!!! What a hassle! It makes me REALLY appreciate how easy it is, and how interconnected agencies are in the U.S. when it comes to getting married. Here in Manila, you have to get duplicates and triplicates of everything....and signed by God himself nearly just to push all the paperwork through. My goodness! What a learning experience. I still have another question in regards to getting the actual certified copy of the marriage license which I'l post in another posting. Thank you all! =))

[Hank_ 9,173]

Congratulations!!

Now that she is married she should be using her married name, just as she wants - old last name is now middle name and your surname is now her last name. Its expected. Take the marriage certificate and her birth certificate and start getting any IDs she has changed, don't have to do the passport right away unless you have the time (which I think you might being you just got married and now have a lot of waiting for visa process).

BTW, here in Arizona there is no where on the marriage certificate that states my wife's married name, she simply started using her married name (as you wife wants) for her SSN, driver's license and so forth.

Edited March 23, 2013 by Hank_

[dave01 16]

Hello all again =))

Ok. So, as of March 20th, myself and Abby are now a married couple

I was wondering....since nowhere on our marriage license application did it ask what hers or my new married name would be. How do we change it?

I read some things online regarding Philippine law and name changes, and how its obligatory and not mandated (as it is in the U.S.). But she wants to use my last name. So she was going to use her current last name (surname) as her middle name....and use my last name (surname) as her new last name.

Does anybody know if its easier for CR1 purposes if she keeps her current surname and just changes it once she gets into the U.S.? Or should we change it now in the Philippines? Also....her daughter has her Fathers last name instead of her Mothers (my wife). I was thinking it might get a little confusing if we were to change my wifes last name now in the Philippines....because then my wife would have one last name, her daughter another last name, and myself a different last name from my now wife. Haha!

I've already checked into the issue of bringing her daughter into the USA, and as I understand....women have all the rights to the child under Philippine law. So, her Mother (my wife) can petition her to come with her to the U.S. So her daughter (my new stepdaughter) shouldn't have any issues with a different last name....and I can adopt her here in California much more easily than I can in the Philippines.

Ok. That's all for now.

btw....the Marriage was done at Manila City Hall with a Judge. And a big THANK YOU to all who helped me get this part of our journey finished. But BOY!!! What a hassle! It makes me REALLY appreciate how easy it is, and how interconnected agencies are in the U.S. when it comes to getting married. Here in Manila, you have to get duplicates and triplicates of everything....and signed by God himself nearly just to push all the paperwork through. My goodness! What a learning experience. I still have another question in regards to getting the actual certified copy of the marriage license which I'l post in another posting. Thank you all! =))

Since you have just been married I would go ahead and get all of her paperwork changed to her married name. It won't be your wife that petitions her daughter, it will be you. By Philippine law the daughters middle name is your wife's given name, your wife's middle name will change to what was formally her given name. Their middle names will be the same so easy to see that they are mother and daughter

[jhonster 23]

Since you have just been married I would go ahead and get all of her paperwork changed to her married name. It won't be your wife that petitions her daughter, it will be you. By Philippine law the daughters middle name is your wife's given name, your wife's middle name will change to what was formally her given name. Their middle names will be the same so easy to see that they are mother and daughter

Thats interesting. I only know her daughters 1st & last name (which is her Fathers last name). I guess when she gave birth to her almost 3 years ago, they were still boyfriend and girlfriend (never married) and the Father put his last name as my wifes daughters last name.

I'll have to ask my wife what her daughters full name is and do the research.

Hank. Thank you =)) I might be wrong about this (fading memory at age 47 =O), but I think the person who's doing the immigration paperwork for me stated that I'll be petitioning for my wifes Visa (CR1), but then my wife can petition to bring her daughter into the USA. Or am I totally off base on that?

We're in Puerto Galera on honeymoon right now & will be heading back to Manila on Tuesday. I understand that I should be able to get a certified copy of the marriage contract from the Registrars office in Manila within a week. So hopefully I'll have enough time to get that & make my way over to the Philippine Embassy and get my wifes passport changed & get her daughters 1st passport. I think my wife can handle changing all the other documents herself (government I.D., etc).

I was also going to take her to the hospital and get a general check up and take her to the gynecologist as well. Just to maybe get a head start on any medical issues that might need addressing. Any idea of what might keep her from being allowed into the USA regarding diseases or whatever?

Thanks again all for your constant support and invaluable help! =D

[Hank_ 9,173]

No you will file for your step-daughter as a CR-2, the paperwork should be filed at the same time as the petition for your wife. Your wife can't file for anyone at this time.

[Tahoma 2,291]

I was wondering....since nowhere on our marriage license application did it ask what hers or my new married name would be. How do we change it?

I understand that I should be able to get a certified copy of the marriage contract from the Registrars office in Manila within a week. So hopefully I'll have enough time to get that & make my way over to the Philippine Embassy and get my wifes passport changed & get her daughters 1st passport.

Any idea of what might keep her from being allowed into the USA regarding diseases or whatever?

> Congratz to you and your wife on your marriage!

> Your wife should start the process of her name change now. However, don't spend too much time looking for a Philippines Embassy that's located in the Philippines because there aren't any. Instead, your wife needs to take care of her passport business at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). She needs to make an appointment with the DFA.

> By the way, before your wife can apply to have her passport amended to her new name, she'll need to get a certified copy of your marriage certificate at the civil registrar's office. While you're at the civil registrar's office, you also should apply for an "advanced endorsement" of your marriage certificate. An advanced endorsement will speed up the process of getting your National Statistics Office (NSO) marriage certificate. With an advanced endorsement, you should get your NSO marriage certificate within approximately a couple of months rather than the normal six-months-plus.

> Another thing your wife needs to do before she goes to the DFA is to attend the seminar at the office of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). She'll need the CFO seminar attendance certificate when she goes to the DFA to amend her passport. She should fill out the registration form on the CFO website and take it with her to the seminar along with the other CFO requirements. Admission to the seminar is on a first-come first-served basis, so she should plan on lining up outside of the CFO office about 5:00 a.m.

> Regarding diseases which may keep your wife/step daughter out of the U.S., the most common thing is tuberculosis. If they have TB, it will delay their visas by at least seven or eight months during which time they will undergo treatment at St. Lukes. One issue which almost certainly would prevent your wife from getting a visa is any admission of illegal drug use.

CFO website.

DFA website.

NSO website.