Informing Immigration Of My Divorce

[melanctha 0]

My ex husband and I got married on August 21st, 2004. I became a conditional permanent resident in October 2005, and had the conditions removed in October 2007.

He and I moved from Chicago to Austin in May 2008, and several months later our marriage started going downhill. We separated in January 2009 and finalized our divorce on June 2nd, 2009. In the divorce I requested a name change because I felt uncomfortable every time I signed my married name, especially living in a smaller city where he and I are the only two people with that name.

I applied for a new social security card on June 4th. I just received a letter from SSA telling me that they could not provide me with a new card until I made an appointment with my local office to have my green card updated to reflect my current name.

A few questions:

1) I never changed my address when he and I moved to Austin. The mailing address we were using was his grandmother's, since he and I are still in the phase of our lives where home buying is not a possibility and we were moving every year or two. I knew that if immigration sent any documents to that address they would be forwarded to me. Even at this point, his family and I are on good terms and I know that they would keep me in the loop. Am I still able to go to my local office (San Antonio) when all my paperwork was filed in Chicago?

2) If I am able to go to the San Antonio office, I have no idea what kind of appointment I need to schedule. I went through all the options on InfoPass and none of them seem to apply to my situation.

3) Is there anything else that I need to do to update immigration with my current status? I know that I will now have to wait until 2010 before I can apply for citizenship, but I was under the impression that that was the only change that I would face once the divorce was finalized.

Thank you very much in advance.

[diadromous mermaid 36]

Yes, you can deal with the San Antonio office to replace the green card to reflect the name change, but it would be wise to file an AR-11 now. Even though you may be on good terms with his family, after the divorce it might be difficult to assert that as your permanent address going forward.

My ex husband and I got married on August 21st, 2004. I became a conditional permanent resident in October 2005, and had the conditions removed in October 2007.

He and I moved from Chicago to Austin in May 2008, and several months later our marriage started going downhill. We separated in January 2009 and finalized our divorce on June 2nd, 2009. In the divorce I requested a name change because I felt uncomfortable every time I signed my married name, especially living in a smaller city where he and I are the only two people with that name.

I applied for a new social security card on June 4th. I just received a letter from SSA telling me that they could not provide me with a new card until I made an appointment with my local office to have my green card updated to reflect my current name.

A few questions:

1) I never changed my address when he and I moved to Austin. The mailing address we were using was his grandmother's, since he and I are still in the phase of our lives where home buying is not a possibility and we were moving every year or two. I knew that if immigration sent any documents to that address they would be forwarded to me. Even at this point, his family and I are on good terms and I know that they would keep me in the loop. Am I still able to go to my local office (San Antonio) when all my paperwork was filed in Chicago?

2) If I am able to go to the San Antonio office, I have no idea what kind of appointment I need to schedule. I went through all the options on InfoPass and none of them seem to apply to my situation.

3) Is there anything else that I need to do to update immigration with my current status? I know that I will now have to wait until 2010 before I can apply for citizenship, but I was under the impression that that was the only change that I would face once the divorce was finalized.

Thank you very much in advance.

[payxibka 10,044]

My ex husband and I got married on August 21st, 2004. I became a conditional permanent resident in October 2005, and had the conditions removed in October 2007.

He and I moved from Chicago to Austin in May 2008, and several months later our marriage started going downhill. We separated in January 2009 and finalized our divorce on June 2nd, 2009. In the divorce I requested a name change because I felt uncomfortable every time I signed my married name, especially living in a smaller city where he and I are the only two people with that name.

I applied for a new social security card on June 4th. I just received a letter from SSA telling me that they could not provide me with a new card until I made an appointment with my local office to have my green card updated to reflect my current name.

A few questions:

1) I never changed my address when he and I moved to Austin. The mailing address we were using was his grandmother's, since he and I are still in the phase of our lives where home buying is not a possibility and we were moving every year or two. I knew that if immigration sent any documents to that address they would be forwarded to me. Even at this point, his family and I are on good terms and I know that they would keep me in the loop. Am I still able to go to my local office (San Antonio) when all my paperwork was filed in Chicago?

2) If I am able to go to the San Antonio office, I have no idea what kind of appointment I need to schedule. I went through all the options on InfoPass and none of them seem to apply to my situation.

3) Is there anything else that I need to do to update immigration with my current status? I know that I will now have to wait until 2010 before I can apply for citizenship, but I was under the impression that that was the only change that I would face once the divorce was finalized.

Thank you very much in advance.

Change of address can be accomplished online using Form AR-11, no need to go to the office. That is all you need to do. They do not need to know about your divorce, et al.... Citizenship eligible after 5 years .....

[map1map 3]

Change of address can be accomplished online using Form AR-11, no need to go to the office. That is all you need to do. They do not need to know about your divorce, et al.... Citizenship eligible after 5 years .....

If there was a name change requested through the divorce papers, then a new permanent card would have to be issued, under the new legal name, the one that the OP chose. That is why the SSA requires the OP to go to the local office and solve this, so that they would then issue the SS card/number under the new name, on the basis of a document issued by the government.

How about changing some other type of ID document, with the new/after divorce name, a document that could serve as well at SSA? Like a state ID or driving license? I don't know if possible without a SS# in the new name...

[map1map 3]

Anyway, you can request a replacement of the card given change of biographical data, with form I751. It says:

If your biographic data has been legally changed:

Submit a copy of the original court order or a certified copy of your marriage certificate reflecting the new name with your application. To replace a card because of a change of any other biographical data, you must submit copies of documentation to prove that the new data is correct.

Check http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00048f3d6a1RCRD

It will cost you, but I think it will not affect your current status at all, other than postponing the date you could have become a citizen (given the dates you provided, you would have been eligible to apply for citizenship last summer, you would have been a citizen by now).

[milimelo 4,167]

Anyway, you can request a replacement of the card given change of biographical data, with form I751. It says:

If your biographic data has been legally changed:

Submit a copy of the original court order or a certified copy of your marriage certificate reflecting the new name with your application. To replace a card because of a change of any other biographical data, you must submit copies of documentation to prove that the new data is correct.

Check http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00048f3d6a1RCRD

It will cost you, but I think it will not affect your current status at all, other than postponing the date you could have become a citizen (given the dates you provided, you would have been eligible to apply for citizenship last summer, you would have been a citizen by now).

Stop right there - you are giving the wrong info.

The OP clearly stated that she has 10-year green card as she lifted conditions with her then husband in 2007. Why on earth would she be filing the I-751 (called Petition to Remove Conditions)???

The OP needs to file for I-90 if she wants her name changed on the GC.

[melanctha 0]

Great, thank you very much. That was exactly the information I've been searching for!

Social Security isn't able to do anything until immigration gives them the green light. When I went down there I had a certified copy of my divorce decree, my official name change court order, and my permanent residency card. The SSA representative I dealt with told me that my application would take longer to process because they needed to verify my immigration status before they could issue a new card. So it looks like I'll be keeping my married name a little longer than I planned. Oh well.

[map1map 3]

Anyway, you can request a replacement of the card given change of biographical data, with form I751. It says:

If your biographic data has been legally changed:

Submit a copy of the original court order or a certified copy of your marriage certificate reflecting the new name with your application. To replace a card because of a change of any other biographical data, you must submit copies of documentation to prove that the new data is correct.

Check http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00048f3d6a1RCRD

It will cost you, but I think it will not affect your current status at all, other than postponing the date you could have become a citizen (given the dates you provided, you would have been eligible to apply for citizenship last summer, you would have been a citizen by now).

Stop right there - you are giving the wrong info.

The OP clearly stated that she has 10-year green card as she lifted conditions with her then husband in 2007. Why on earth would she be filing the I-751 (called Petition to Remove Conditions)???

The OP needs to file for I-90 if she wants her name changed on the GC.

My mistake, the link and the form I was referring to is I90, not I751.