Any of you have dropped your first name to use just your middle name?

[Klau&G 2]

Hi. I'm colombian and when I applied for my AOS I sent the documents with ONLY my middle name and my husband's lastname. So in my colombian passport and ID I am MARIA CLAUDIA (first and middle name) plus my parent's lastnames. Now in my social security, driver license and green card I'm CLAUDIA (my middle name) plus my husband's lastname. The reason why I applied with just my middle name is because never in Colombia somebody call me Maria...I always was CLAUDIA and of course I wanna keep that only name.

Please somebody who has done the same tell me: did you have any problem with the airline or with Inmigration when you decided go back to your country and come back to USA? Even better: someone knows how to "legalize" in a court maybe, this issue about my name to be protected against any situation when I travel and come back?

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INFORMATION.

Claudia.

[Julie y Pat 67]

You want airline tickets to match the name in your passport. A copy of your marriage cert. will explain the difference on your green card.

[Klau&G 2]

You want airline tickets to match the name in your passport. A copy of your marriage cert. will explain the difference on your green card.

Yes, I understand that part. My concern is because my documents in USA just have my colombian middle name as my first name.... For me is not a big deal anyway I have CLAUDIA in my passport and CLAUDIA in my green card and the difference in lastnames can be explained with the marriage certificate. The only issue is that in my colombian passport I am MARIA (first name) CLAUDIA (middle name) and in my documents in USA I'm just CLAUDIA. Someone has had the same situation? Any problem or you just could came back without any issue to United States?

Thank you so much. CLAUDIA (forever and ever CLAUDIA!!!

[C-ma'am 684]

You want airline tickets to match the name in your passport. A copy of your marriage cert. will explain the difference on your green card.

Allow me to start by saying that, I understand COMPLETELY! I am Maria Celeste... but the only person to ever call me Maria, is my mother!!!! Or Maria Celeste when I was little and got myself into trouble.........

Julie y Pat gave you the correct answer.

The only times, you might have to show this change and prove it, is when coming back from anywhere outside the US and to re enter the country. So, if you travel outside of the US, take a copy of your marriage certificate. So, if you need to fly out of the US, your ticket should have your Colombian name, as it shows on your passport (not your GC name)

Your US documents, are only for US use; because you are a resident. If you, later on, apply for citizenship, you'll have your US Passport, with your married name (Claudia XXXXXXX) and you'll be able to do everything with that passport (so no more carrying a copy of your marriage certificate).

The only time where you will always be Maria Claudia (aside from your parents, I'm sure) will be when you need to perform any type of legal stuff in Colombia (if you keep your original citizenship).

[Klau&G 2]

Allow me to start by saying that, I understand COMPLETELY! I am Maria Celeste... but the only person to ever call me Maria, is my mother!!!! Or Maria Celeste when I was little and got myself into trouble.........

Julie y Pat gave you the correct answer.

The only times, you might have to show this change and prove it, is when coming back from anywhere outside the US and to re enter the country. So, if you travel outside of the US, take a copy of your marriage certificate. So, if you need to fly out of the US, your ticket should have your Colombian name, as it shows on your passport (not your GC name)

Your US documents, are only for US use; because you are a resident. If you, later on, apply for citizenship, you'll have your US Passport, with your married name (Claudia XXXXXXX) and you'll be able to do everything with that passport (so no more carrying a copy of your marriage certificate).

The only time where you will always be Maria Claudia (aside from your parents, I'm sure) will be when you need to perform any type of legal stuff in Colombia (if you keep your original citizenship).

Hi Maria Celeste, you give me a kind of relief... So you are just CELESTE in your USA paperwork? Not problem at all when you re-entered to USA, althought you have CELESTE like your middle name in your original passport? I know that I can support my "new" lastname with the marriage certificate, but having my colombian middle name like my first and only name in my green card, is not a problem?.... So you haven't had any problem for that when you travel? Thank you so much for answer.

I'm sorry guys being so intense asking the same once and again, but I've heard and read some information not very clear about this and confuses me!!!

Claudia.

[C-ma'am 684]

Hi Maria Celeste, you give me a kind of relief... So you are just CELESTE in your USA paperwork? Not problem at all when you re-entered to USA, althought you have CELESTE like your middle name in your original passport? I know that I can support my "new" lastname with the marriage certificate, but having my colombian middle name like my first and only name in my green card, is not a problem?.... So you haven't had any problem for that when you travel? Thank you so much for answer.

I'm sorry guys being so intense asking the same once and again, but I've heard and read some information not very clear about this and confuses me!!!

Claudia.

Hey Clau,

No, actually, I haven't gone through that yet; however I will be doing the same thing you did... so my answer is based on my research... To give you more peace of mind, I'm pretty sure you can ask for a copy of the records where you got married (which is were I am assuming you changed your name) where it will show what you changed it FROM and TO. That way, you can certify the drop of our not-so-loved Maria

Makes sense?

Did you change your name at the courthouse when you got married or did you do it afterwards? Either way, at one place or the other, there has to be a record of your name changing.

[Klau&G 2]

Auuuusshh Celeste ahora sí me dejaste más aburrida!!! Well, we asked several times in the court house if we need make a legal chance of name there and explained the situation but appearently they did not understand because the only answer was: you do not do it, because after your marriage you can change your name and the marriage certificate is the support! Crazy %$^&@!!!

Now I'm just reading different things about this: that my marriage certificate JUST support my lastname change but not that I've dropped my first name and use only my middle name. That I can leave the country but I gonna have troubles when come back because they can tell me that I'm not using my legal name. That the travel agency maybe does not allow me get inside the plane....

All this is killing me!!!!! How is possible that an office of the State like USCIS, allow you do something that is not legal and at the end just scrub you???

Ah and even worst I just read that you can not change legally your name in a court if you are just a resident, you need to be a citizen!!! Ahora sí más jodida, entonces no puedo volver nunca a Colombia y regresar a USA o qué?????????

[Julie y Pat 67]

The only time where you will always be Maria Claudia (aside from your parents, I'm sure) will be when you need to perform any type of legal stuff in Colombia (if you keep your original citizenship).

I'm not sure there is a choice here, because even when the time came for a US passport, it would have her place of birth as Colombia.

Edited April 10, 2012 by Julie y Pat

[mari&Ryan 93]

I'm not sure there is a choice here, because even when the time came for a US passport, it would have her place of birth as Colombia.

Klau&G

A question for you out of curiosity. how did you manage to have your first name changed, dropped, switched without going through a court process? I understand that once married you can either adopt your husband name as your last name or keep your maiden name, and that you can use your certificate of marriage to explain and prove why it's is different than the ones on your Passport. Your first name and middle name (if any) cannot be changed through AOS or ROC. Only ways to do that change are either through court or Naturalization, there you will able to change your names (all of them) if you want it.

Honestly, I have never heard of that before. What document are you going to show at the airport to support your new first name and also the dropping of your middle name on your green card? as those (first and middle) are on your passport which is the only document that allows you to travel overseas.

Edit to add: to Julie and Pat. Sorry for quoting your post in my reply. I did not mean it

Edited April 10, 2012 by mari&Ryan

[Klau&G 2]

Klau&G

A question for you out of curiosity. how did you manage to have your first name changed, dropped, switched without going through a court process? I understand that once married you can either adopt your husband name as your last name or keep your maiden name, and that you can use your certificate of marriage to explain and prove why it's is different than the ones on your Passport. Your first name and middle name (if any) cannot be changed through AOS or ROC. Only ways to do that change are either through court or Naturalization, there you will able to change your names (all of them) if you want it.

Honestly, I have never heard of that before. What document are you going to show at the airport to support your new first name and also the dropping of your middle name on your green card? as those (first and middle) are on your passport which is the only document that allows you to travel overseas.

Edit to add: to Julie and Pat. Sorry for quoting your post in my reply. I did not mean it

Hi mari&Ryan, I did not go to a Court to dropp my first name and replace it by my middle name. I just did not have idea that in USA just the first name is considered the legal name (I'm sorry but I think is ridiculouse!)... So I just applied for the AOS with my middle name because ALL MY LIFE I'VE BEEN KNOWN BY THIS NAME, and I changed my lastnames by my husband's....(which is clear that I can support with the marriage certificate).

What annoys me the most is that USCIS, being an office that represent the Government in so delicated issues like inmigration processes, allow you to do this, accept it and aprove it, and issue your documents with this information and later they themselves are bothering you for this, maybe prohibiting re-enter to USA???? I don't know...this is crazy.

And now I do not have idea if I can apply in a court to legalize this change... I don't know because I'm just a resident, not a citizen. And I need go to Colombia soon and come back... What I'm going to do??? Oh God, what a nightmare!!!!

Claudia.

[sandy1245 0]

We wanted to do the same but the lady on city clerc told us that for changue your name you must go to court so its up to you if u wanna take the risk.

[C-ma'am 684]

Hi mari&Ryan, I did not go to a Court to dropp my first name and replace it by my middle name. I just did not have idea that in USA just the first name is considered the legal name (I'm sorry but I think is ridiculouse!)... So I just applied for the AOS with my middle name because ALL MY LIFE I'VE BEEN KNOWN BY THIS NAME, and I changed my lastnames by my husband's....(which is clear that I can support with the marriage certificate).

What annoys me the most is that USCIS, being an office that represent the Government in so delicated issues like inmigration processes, allow you to do this, accept it and aprove it, and issue your documents with this information and later they themselves are bothering you for this, maybe prohibiting re-enter to USA???? I don't know...this is crazy.

And now I do not have idea if I can apply in a court to legalize this change... I don't know because I'm just a resident, not a citizen. And I need go to Colombia soon and come back... What I'm going to do??? Oh God, what a nightmare!!!!

Claudia.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh no te me aburras! So, you didn't really changed it when you got married! I must have misunderstood you, there (because you CAN)... you just sent all the AOS information dropping your first name... just because you consider Maria your first name, not because you had legally changed it.. the only legal change was your last name.

Te entendi, ahora?

Ahora, si... IF this is the situation, I don't know how it can fixed other than going up to court and requesting the legal name drop... and THEN you will have your middle name legally changed as your first.