Did your passport have your maiden name during your interview?

[EricN 0]

I would like to hear from some of you with experience in this area.

1. Did you have your passport in your maiden or married name? (Why?)

2. Did you process your immigration paperwork in your maiden or married name?

We processed almost all of the paperwork (IR-1, DS-3032 and AOS) with the maiden name and the DS-230 with the married name.

The Police Clearance was done in the married name.

I am just wondering if we need to get my wife's passport changed to have my last name in it or not. She is going to be traveling through April 16th and her interview is May 11th so it does not leave a lot of time if in fact she does need to get the passport changed.

- Eric N

[chinese_mutt 11]

1. Did you have your passport in your maiden or married name? (Why?)

Hi EricN, I'm changing my passport as soon as I get back from Singapore. I booked a flight to Singapore in my current passport (which is under my maiden name). For me, it is much easier to prove your bona fide relationship if you change your legal status and acquire the husband's name. This is by no means a legal advice, just my opinion on the matter. Plus, I like being called by my husband's surname now. Hehehe.

I see that your wife lives in the Philippines, if she's going to change her passport she must go to the Commission on Filipino Overseas. Check the website (google it). I think she must bring her old passport, a valid id, and NSO issued birth certificate (photocopy at least 3 copies). PLEASE remember if your wife is from the province, if she is 25 below... BRING a copy of her parent's consent to your marriage. If you are divorced DO ask her to BRING a copy of your divorce papers too. If you are divorced, she will be asked why you and your ex-wife got divorced. It is better that she knows the answer to this otherwise it will give her lots of headache. Give her your address in the US (No PO box please) and your LANDLINE. Please make sure that it is a landline, they will not accept mobile phone numbers. She will be given a certificate of attendance, this certificate she will bring with her to Department of Foreign Affairs together with the other documents she will be required to bring (see dfa.gov.ph)

I hope this helps you and your wife.

2. Did you process your immigration paperwork in your maiden or married name?

Yes, we processed our papers in my married name. We are already married, we're filing for Spouse visa just easier to assume to file it under my married name.

Good luck!

[chinese_mutt 11]

oh by the way, the Commission on Filipino Overseas Seminar is needed too AFTER she gets the Visa. They'll put sticker on the Visa... this will ensure that she attended the seminar.

Your wife will get horrendous amount of scary stories about women who got maltreated. LOL. I attended the seminar already, i wanted to change my passport asap.

Edited March 31, 2009 by tngirl

[EricN 0]

oh by the way, the Commission on Filipino Overseas Seminar is needed too AFTER she gets the Visa. They'll put sticker on the Visa... this will ensure that she attended the seminar.

Your wife will get horrendous amount of scary stories about women who got maltreated. LOL. I attended the seminar already, i wanted to change my passport asap.

Thank you for your kind responses. She is familiar with the process, she just received a new passport last summer, but it was prior to our marriage (grrr).

But my real question is, not how to get the passport but rather is it necessary? If it is necessary we may have to postpone the interview.

EN

[mommymeow 0]

oh by the way, the Commission on Filipino Overseas Seminar is needed too AFTER she gets the Visa. They'll put sticker on the Visa... this will ensure that she attended the seminar.

Your wife will get horrendous amount of scary stories about women who got maltreated. LOL. I attended the seminar already, i wanted to change my passport asap.

Thank you for your kind responses. She is familiar with the process, she just received a new passport last summer, but it was prior to our marriage (grrr).

But my real question is, not how to get the passport but rather is it necessary? If it is necessary we may have to postpone the interview.

EN

I actually had the same problem, my interview letter state my maiden name but I would not want to worry about it because when I sent them the form of DS-3032, DS-230, I-864, I used my married name and also I sent them my new passport with my married name. They seemed to accept all those documents because if they didn't, I would get an reference right? I think you should be fine. What I plan to do is, I am going to bring both of my old (stamp cancel) and new passport with me on the interview. So they know I am the same person. And from what I know, the USEM give the visa under the name following by the passport.

[chinese_mutt 11]

oh by the way, the Commission on Filipino Overseas Seminar is needed too AFTER she gets the Visa. They'll put sticker on the Visa... this will ensure that she attended the seminar.

Your wife will get horrendous amount of scary stories about women who got maltreated. LOL. I attended the seminar already, i wanted to change my passport asap.

Thank you for your kind responses. She is familiar with the process, she just received a new passport last summer, but it was prior to our marriage (grrr).

But my real question is, not how to get the passport but rather is it necessary? If it is necessary we may have to postpone the interview.

EN

I have no idea what the legalities are, but i should think that changing it to her married name should be better.

anyhoo, I see here that your interview is still on May 11? You only need two weeks for the new passport, shouldn't really be any bother to your scheduled interview. And you can always just execute an affidavit stating that your wife changed her name from maiden to married name in her passport. It'll cost only Php100-200 depends on the lawyer. She'll get her old passport back you can show that to the consulate and request that the visa be issued under her married name. Just my opinion.

[Peter&Jaime 1]

I processed all of my paper work in my maiden name. All of id's still say my maiden name. As everyone knows an American woman does not have to take her husband's name. So I really don't think this is an issue at all! I think the most important thing is that you have alot of evidence of an ongoing and valid relationship. I thought about changing my name during the process but didn't want to have deal with the headache of having two different names during the process. I read somewhere that the USCIS, NVC, and the embassy's expect or understand that but I thought it would be easier to wait until my husband is in the United States. My husband's interview is tomorrow so I guess I will see!

[Giskat09 2]

Eric, ur wife shud have a passport with her MARRIED NAME.. the consul will be checking her passport and of course since she is married - all her documents should be in married name..

I told her about it.. She can go to an agency and it will take for 10 days OR if she wants, she can go directly to DFA here in Manila and after 3 days, she can get a new passport (with MARRIED NAME).

Edited April 1, 2009 by jiskat08

[Giskat09 2]

It still April 1 today - she can get a new passport within this month.

[trinket 30]

Eric, ur wife shud have a passport with her MARRIED NAME.. the consul will be checking her passport and of course since she is married - all her documents should be in married name..

I told her about it.. She can go to an agency and it will take for 10 days OR if she wants, she can go directly to DFA here in Manila and after 3 days, she can get a new passport (with MARRIED NAME).

That is wrong that a woman has to take husband's last name. It should be your choice. All my papers were done in my Maiden name and I am still carrying my maiden name.

Why I didn't change-- because I like my name as it is, and my husband didn't care if I take his last name or not. Name wasn't a problem at all.

Now if Philippines have some kind of rule that a wife HAS TO take the last name of her husband, then may be you should do it.

[Giskat09 2]

Eric, ur wife shud have a passport with her MARRIED NAME.. the consul will be checking her passport and of course since she is married - all her documents should be in married name..

I told her about it.. She can go to an agency and it will take for 10 days OR if she wants, she can go directly to DFA here in Manila and after 3 days, she can get a new passport (with MARRIED NAME).

That is wrong that a woman has to take husband's last name. It should be your choice. All my papers were done in my Maiden name and I am still carrying my maiden name.

Why I didn't change-- because I like my name as it is, and my husband didn't care if I take his last name or not. Name wasn't a problem at all.

Now if Philippines have some kind of rule that a wife HAS TO take the last name of her husband, then may be you should do it.

In Philipines - our passport should be changed since we are married - we should have a married name on it...

[steveee 0]

I would like to hear from some of you with experience in this area.

1. Did you have your passport in your maiden or married name? (Why?)

2. Did you process your immigration paperwork in your maiden or married name?

We processed almost all of the paperwork (IR-1, DS-3032 and AOS) with the maiden name and the DS-230 with the married name.

The Police Clearance was done in the married name.

I am just wondering if we need to get my wife's passport changed to have my last name in it or not. She is going to be traveling through April 16th and her interview is May 11th so it does not leave a lot of time if in fact she does need to get the passport changed.

- Eric N

Where did you get married in the Phil. ? or in the US, if you want her to change her name at the passport with married name she can change it just bring the marriage certificate from NSO to amend your name at the passport, for my own opinion much better to change it right now it seems like only her passport bearing the maiden name, becuase when she get her later on she still need to amend her name at the passport and besides Phil. more cheaper than over here to amend, I'm changing my name at my passport next week I need to pay for $50.00 for renewal and $20.00 for amendments, but if she can do it right now at DFA i think the fastest is only P700.00, or if you don't before she get here she need to bring the copy of your marriage certificate and birth certificate from NSO to amend and renew her passport soon its very expensive here to request from the Phil. Consulate for the NSO documents. Good luck guys!!!

[EricN 0]

OK, thanks to those of you with actual experience on this matter, and thanks to those with their own opinions too. I guess the majority would say best, but not necessary, to change the name in the passport to Married, and do it before the interview instead of later.

For us it is a matter of timing. With my wife using her passport out of country until the middle of April my concern is timing of getting the new passport before her May 11 interview. Maybe she is going to have to process the quick route directly in Manila as Kath suggests.

Thanks again.

Eric

[ao_cons 1]

I got my passport amended at the Philippine embassy. We used my married name from start to finish. Our case was completed at NVC recently. But even though we asked them to use my married name, NVC said they had to go by what's in the biographical page of my passport and never mind what's on the amendment page. We were advised to tell the the consul about it at the USEM during the interview since they're the ones who'll be issuing the visa.

What I don't understand is this whole thing about the CFO. I got married in Thailand. We complied with all laws in this country. We filed for CR-1. Does every Filipino-born man or woman need to attend a CFO seminar???? Do I need to go back to Manila just for that?! Please tell me it isn't so. We're expecting an interview this June at the latest! And I've been married for a year!!!!

[Giskat09 2]

All Filipino citizen that will be going abroad should take CFO. CFO is just a one hour seminar and after you take the seminar, they are going to interview you just for 5 to 7 minutes about you and your husband. That's it!

If you have the visa with you, you have to go back again to their office because they are going to stamp something in your passport. It has no expiration date...... You will only get another CFO if your husband/wife passed away and you get married again..

Edited April 2, 2009 by jiskat08