[anthill]

Hi Everyone,
I'm new here. I'm so glad I found this site.
I hope someone can shed some light on something I'm a bit confused about. My sweetheart (Leticia) is filipina and lives in the Philippines. She has started the annulment process to end her relationship with her ex-husband. They were married for 15 years. She has two young daughters.

My question:
When the annulment becomes final in a year (hopefully), would it be best for her NOT to change her last name. After the annulment she wants to change her last name back to her maiden name and then change it to my last name when she comes to the US and we are married. She thought about doing this but I feel it might cause problems with the immigration process. I think she should just keep her ex-husbands name until she comes to the US and then we would change it to my last name after she and I are married. Any thoughts on this? Thanks...
Stephen

[s2convt]

I don't think it would matter whether she change her last name back to her maiden name or not. What ever she prefers.

Either way, there will be a record of her marriage when she applies for the K1 Visa.

[beameup]

What's an annulment cost nowdays, about 30,000? Does it still take over a year?
Anyway, since the Police Clearances are so important it might be best to remain consistent. They will have to start at age 16 and be issued from every city she has lived in for "over 6 months" since that time. It is a good idea to simplify this information if possible. The G-325A will have only the cities lived in for the last 5 years. I believe the DS-230 goes back further. So, remaining consistent is very important. If she can get Police Clearances in her maiden name then all the better.
There are spaces on the forms where it asks "have you gone by any other name" - in that case she could put her (former) married name (ex-husband's family name). She could have a Passport issued in her maiden name and Barangay I.D. and Postal I.D. cards issued in her maiden name. And, of course, she will need the NSO Birth Certificate for all of that.

Hi Everyone,
I'm new here. I'm so glad I found this site.
I hope someone can shed some light on something I'm a bit confused about. My sweetheart (Leticia) is filipina and lives in the Philippines. She has started the annulment process to end her relationship with her ex-husband. They were married for 15 years. She has two young daughters.

My question:
When the annulment becomes final in a year (hopefully), would it be best for her NOT to change her last name. After the annulment she wants to change her last name back to her maiden name and then change it to my last name when she comes to the US and we are married. She thought about doing this but I feel it might cause problems with the immigration process. I think she should just keep her ex-husbands name until she comes to the US and then we would change it to my last name after she and I are married. Any thoughts on this? Thanks...
Stephen

[anthill]

I don't think it would matter whether she change her last name back to her maiden name or not. What ever she prefers.

Either way, there will be a record of her marriage when she applies for the K1 Visa.

Thanks for your reply....

[anthill]

What's an annulment cost nowdays, about 30,000? Does it still take over a year?
Anyway, since the Police Clearances are so important it might be best to remain consistent. They will have to start at age 16 and be issued from every city she has lived in for "over 6 months" since that time. It is a good idea to simplify this information if possible. The G-325A will have only the cities lived in for the last 5 years. I believe the DS-230 goes back further. So, remaining consistent is very important. If she can get Police Clearances in her maiden name then all the better.
There are spaces on the forms where it asks "have you gone by any other name" - in that case she could put her (former) married name (ex-husband's family name). She could have a Passport issued in her maiden name and Barangay I.D. and Postal I.D. cards issued in her maiden name. And, of course, she will need the NSO Birth Certificate for all of that.

It is costing me 160,000 PH Pesos. But if she is able to get the annulment then I will be the happiest man on earth...and thanks so much for your reply....

Hi Everyone,
I'm new here. I'm so glad I found this site.
I hope someone can shed some light on something I'm a bit confused about. My sweetheart (Leticia) is filipina and lives in the Philippines. She has started the annulment process to end her relationship with her ex-husband. They were married for 15 years. She has two young daughters.

My question:
When the annulment becomes final in a year (hopefully), would it be best for her NOT to change her last name. After the annulment she wants to change her last name back to her maiden name and then change it to my last name when she comes to the US and we are married. She thought about doing this but I feel it might cause problems with the immigration process. I think she should just keep her ex-husbands name until she comes to the US and then we would change it to my last name after she and I are married. Any thoughts on this? Thanks...
Stephen

[Skeeter211]

What's an annulment cost nowdays, about 30,000? Does it still take over a year?

P30,000? I heard of one for P70000, but that was an exception. Most I have heard was P100,000 and up. Plus there are other "fees" to make things go smoothly in the court. As our attorney told us....the Philippine people don't have divorce and they don't like annulments, so they make it very expensive so that most people can't afford it. So instead of allowing people to move on from bad failed marriages, they just have lots of separated couples that live together without re-marrying because they can't. Most annulments I have heard take 18-24 months to complete. Ours took 18 and we had a good attorney that stayed on top of it.

Anyways....as far as the original question of changing names...what name is her passport in? My wife went back to her maiden name because that's what her passport and other ID's were in and it made it easier. If her passport is in her married name, then I would stick with that name. Consistency is a factor, but you will list all names on the G-325A anyway so I think its not a big deal to use either as far as immigration is concerned, except the passport.

Scott