I-131 Travel Visa

[cbr900rr1_kicks 0]

This one is kind of unique, perhaps..... My wife is Ukrainian and she came here to the US on a K-1 visa. We since married and she has already received her green card. Only problem is, the green card is in her new married name and her Ukrainian passport of course is in her old maiden name. Last time we came back from Odessa Ukraine, the passport control there, gave us a big problem about this name difference, even though we had an official marriage certificate showing the name differences. So after we got back here to the US, we contacted the Ukraine Embassy to learn about how to change the name on her Ukrainian passport to her new married name. As far as I understand we need to return to her hometown in Ukraine and then have it changed there, which could take atleast two weeks.. If we only stay two weeks and there is a problem, that could be a big problem for us... So, I think another option would be to get a I-131 travel visa stamped in her Ukrainian passport with her old maiden name... that way the Ukraine passport control would not give us a problem about it... That costs $300 bucks though !!! Other option would be to change her green card name back to her maiden, but that would not be good too because all her new documents are in her new name... Thanks for reading this and if you have any good ideas, please let me know. Thankyou.

[YuAndDan 153]

Changing green-card requires the filing of form I-90 and paying $370.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

I am surprised that passport cannot be amended in the USA, by embassy or consulate.

http://www.mfa.gov.ua/usa/en/1594.htm

You are best off dealing with the hassle at passport control.

I-131 is for a travel document allowing a green-card holder to remain out of country more than a year but less than 2 years, it does not put any stamp in passport.

[YuAndDan 153]

Also, why would a foreign passport control give you a problem with an American green-card not matching name in the passport? You do not need to present the US green-card to anyone other than US customs and immigrations, at the POE in the USA.

Book airline tickets in the name in passport, and travel using maiden name, only time the green-card is used is when re-entering the USA, you use the returning/resident and citizen lines at the US POE, and they have no problems with the miss match.

Edited December 24, 2007 by YuAndDan

[cbr900rr1_kicks 0]

I agree but try telling my wife that dealing with Passport control in Ukraine is the thing to do... She won't go back to Ukraine unless the names match.. We'll try getting the Embassy here to issue a new passport...

Thanks alot for your replies

[cbr900rr1_kicks 0]

I can only think that Passport Control in another country (for example Ukraine) is concerned with their "citizens" leaving the country if they don't have proper documentation to go somewhere (for example USA). That being said, Ukrainian passport name does not match green card family name (since changed after marriage). They would need to ensure the person leaving has proper docs to leave, and in the case of the names not matching, they gave us a very difficult time even after presenting a valid marriage certificate.

How long before she can get a US passport (she currently has her first green card for 3 months now)? Then we wouldn't need to go through the major pain of changing her name back on her green card, and everything else that's been changed... example, SS#, DLicense, Car title, etc....

Thankyou

[Liebi 0]

How long before she can get a US passport (she currently has her first green card for 3 months now)? Then we wouldn't need to go through the major pain of changing her name back on her green card, and everything else that's been changed... example, SS#, DLicense, Car title, etc....

Thankyou

As your spouse she can apply for citizenship/naturalization (only way to get a US passport) 3 years after she became a permanent resident (date on her greencard). It's form N-400, filing fee is $ 595.