Name Change & Employment Question

[Derbo/Yamkins 4]

Hi, I'm filing for N-400 and there is a section about name change. Would like to know if I need to file one.

Here's my scenario: (just using initials) (First, Middle, Surname)

My maiden name is: YA. A. Y.

After marriage, I've been using YA. A. H.

In the Philippines though, by law, they only recognize the maiden name as the middle name. So, when I renewed my Philippine passport, the embassy in Chicago insisted me to use YA. Y. H.

I chose not to keep my maiden name because of personal reasons.

Do I need to request a legal name change (other than being married here) in the N-400 so the Philippines would recognize it as legal? Or it wouldn't matter once I become a US Citizen?

For the employment history, do I include the months I wasn't working yet (arrival until first job) even if I didn't apply for "unemployment"?

Thanks, everyone!

Edited May 13, 2015 by Deren & Yamy

[JimmyHou 610]

Hi, I'm filing for N-400 and there is a section about name change. Would like to know if I need to file one.

Here's my scenario: (just using initials) (First, Middle, Surname)

My maiden name is: YA. A. Y.

After marriage, I've been using YA. A. H.

In the Philippines though, by law, they only recognize the maiden name as the middle name. So, when I renewed my Philippine passport, the embassy in Chicago insisted me to use YA. Y. H.

I chose not to keep my maiden name because of personal reasons.

Do I need to request a legal name change (other than being married here) in the N-400 so the Philippines would recognize it as legal? Or it wouldn't matter once I become a US Citizen?

For the employment history, do I include the months I wasn't working yet (arrival until first job) even if I didn't apply for "unemployment"?

Thanks, everyone!

Write "unemployed" and the dates you were unemployed.

[Strudel78 0]

Hi Deren and Yamy, which name do you plan to use? I am also from the Philippines, and here's what I did.

Maiden Name - First Name - Middle Name - Family Name

Married Name - First Name - Family Name - Married Name

I did it the way we normally do it in the Philippines, and at the interview, I was told I needed to do it as First Name - Middle Name - Family Name, otherwise do a name change. I would have been fine with their suggestion, except that I had already changed my name with banks, insurance, etc. I did not want to go through that again, so I kept it as First Name - Family Name - Married Name, and filed for a name change. I had the judicial oath ceremony to make that official.

If you plan on keeping your Middle Name and using your Married Name, I think you should be fine. Good luck!

[Tahoma 2,291]

It's ok if you have different names on your U.S. Passport and your Philippines passport. My wife has both passports and she uses her U.S. passport to travel abroad. She really never uses her Philippines passport.

[pinkbee 0]

It's ok if you have different names on your U.S. Passport and your Philippines passport. My wife has both passports and she uses her U.S. passport to travel abroad. She really never uses her Philippines passport.

Hi I want to ask is your wife a dual citizen ?Thank you.

[JimmyHou 610]

Hi I want to ask is your wife a dual citizen ?Thank you.

If she's got two passports, then I would assume the answer is yes... I don't know of any other way you can have two valid passports.

Edited May 13, 2015 by JimmyHou

[Tahoma 2,291]

Hi I want to ask is your wife a dual citizen ?Thank you.

^^^ Yes, my wife is a dual citizen.

If she's got two passports, then I would assume the answer is yes... I don't know of any other way you can have two valid passports.

^^^ When my wife became a U.S. Citizen, she was not required to surrender her Philippines passport even though she had to renounce her Philippines citizenship. Later, she reacquired her Philippines citizenship. Edited May 13, 2015 by Tahoma

[JimmyHou 610]

^^^ Yes, my wife is a dual citizen.

^^^ When my wife became a U.S. Citizen, she was not required to surrender her Philippines passport even though she had to renounce her Philippines citizenship. Later, she reacquired her Philippines citizenship.

So when she renounced her Phillipines citizenship, her passport wasn't valid correct?

Just curious, why did she have to renounce it if her country allows dual citizenship?

The US doesn't require you to renounce your former citizenship, so why did the Philippines require it?

[pinkbee 0]

It's ok if you have different names on your U.S. Passport and your Philippines passport. My wife has both passports and she uses her U.S. passport to travel abroad. She really never uses her Philippines passport.

How many Months she stay in the Philippines? No problem at all? I' am sorry to ask because I'm traveling to PHIL for 2 months but my 2 passports have different middle name.

[Tahoma 2,291]

So when she renounced her Phillipines citizenship, her passport wasn't valid correct?

Just curious, why did she have to renounce it if her country allows dual citizenship?

The US doesn't require you to renounce your former citizenship, so why did the Philippines require it?

^^^ When you naturalize, the U.S. requires you to renounce your other citizenship(s). Not long after my wife became a U.S. citizen, she applied to reacquire her Philippines citizenship. Both the U.S. and the Philippines allow dual citizenship.

Technically, I don't know if her Philippines passport was still valid after she became a U.S. citizen. However, she could have easily used it for any purpose that I can think of.

[Tahoma 2,291]

How many Months she stay in the Philippines? No problem at all? I' am sorry to ask because I'm traveling to PHIL for 2 months but my 2 passports have different middle name.

^^^ Filipino citizens and dual citizens can stay in 'Pinas as long as they want.

U.S. Citizens who were born in 'Pinas can avail themselves of the balikbayan privilege and stay in 'Pinas for up to one year. The 'Kano spouse can also stay in 'Pinas for one year, as long as the spouse enters 'Pinas at the same time as the Pinoy citizen/dual citizen.

[JimmyHou 610]

^^^ When you naturalize, the U.S. requires you to renounce your other citizenship(s). Not long after my wife became a U.S. citizen, she applied to reacquire her Philippines citizenship. Both the U.S. and the Philippines allow dual citizenship.

Technically, I don't know if her Philippines passport was still valid after she became a U.S. citizen. However, she could have easily used it for any purpose that I can think of.

Absolutely not!!!

Where did you get that? The U.S. certainly DOES NOT require you to renounce your current citizenship. None of the thousands of people who were naturalized and are posting on this forum renounced their former citizenahips unless their original countries did not allow dual citizenship.

Your wife should not have been asked at any point to renounce her citizenship, which would have involved filling out paperwork at her embassy and giving up her pasaport... How did she renounce her citizenship? What the US does require you to do is to renounce all allegiance to other countries That is not the same as renouncing your citizenship and is not recognized by most countries in the world as a renunciation of citizenship.

Edited May 14, 2015 by JimmyHou

[Derbo/Yamkins 4]

The Philippine passport will be void until she applies again for dual citizenship and then apply for another passport, I think.

I also think being a dual citizen would allow you to enter the Philippines without going through the "foreign" line in the airport. Isn't there a fee to enter? I think it's less.

I'm not even sure if I want to apply for dual citizenship or another passport. What rights do we keep? Other than owning properties in the Philippines? That's one reason why I'm asking about the name (I could care less about the Philippine passport). Legal documents like titles, etc.

Leads me to another question, what happens to properties we own in the Philippines after being a US Citizen? Do I need to be a dual citizen to keep them?

[Tahoma 2,291]

Absolutely not!!!

Where did you get that? The U.S. certainly DOES NOT require you to renounce your current citizenship. None of the thousands of people who were naturalized and are posting on this forum renounced their former citizenahips unless their original countries did not allow dual citizenship.

Your wife should not have been asked at any point to renounce her citizenship, which would have involved filling out paperwork at her embassy and giving up her pasaport... How did she renounce her citizenship? What the US does require you to do is to renounce all allegiance to other countries That is not the same as renouncing your citizenship and is not recognized by most countries in the world as a renunciation of citizenship.

When my wife became a U.S. Citizen, the Philippines considered her Filipino citizenship to be renounced. She didn't have to submit any paperwork at all, nor did she have to go to the Philippines Consulate. The Filipino government automatically considers a Filipino citizenship to be renounced when a Filipino naturalizes here in the U.S.

That's why she had to apply to reacquire her Filipino citizenship. You can visit the Philippines Consulate's website to learn more about reacquiring Filipino citizenship. Also, the form for reacquiring Filipino citizenship is available on their website.

[Tahoma 2,291]

The Philippine passport will be void until she applies again for dual citizenship and then apply for another passport, I think.

I also think being a dual citizen would allow you to enter the Philippines without going through the "foreign" line in the airport. Isn't there a fee to enter? I think it's less.

I'm not even sure if I want to apply for dual citizenship or another passport. What rights do we keep? Other than owning properties in the Philippines? That's one reason why I'm asking about the name (I could care less about the Philippine passport). Legal documents like titles, etc.

Leads me to another question, what happens to properties we own in the Philippines after being a US Citizen? Do I need to be a dual citizen to keep them?

1. Wnen she becomes a U.S. citizen, she can get a new passport by filing a "Report of Marriage" and filing to reacquire her Filipino citizenship with the Philippines Consulate.

2. Entering the Philippines in the "Foreigners" line is a lot quicker. My wife and I have never had to wait more than a couple of minutes. There is no charge to enter the Philippines.

3. Some of the advantages of Filipino citizenship would be: owning property, owning a business, voting, and staying in the Philippines as long as she wants.

4. I believe the properties you already own in the Philippines are grandfathered. Also, I think you can inherit property without any problem. You might want to check into it further.