middle name confusion

[Debbie Stone 0]

i have a question regarding the middle name. me and my husband got married last december 10 , 2012 and lately i realized that i didnt write my middle name on my marriage certificate. my husband told me that in the US your middle name is your second name. so i wrote DEBRA LOU ROMERO. which on my passport says DEBRA LOU LEGASPI ROMERO. is there a problem if we try to file for AOS? because i know that if theres an error on the marriage certificate we have to see a judge for them to change it. and its taking forever and expensive. i just wanted to make sure if it will make conflict with my passport and other documents because it doesnt match at all.

[Hagrid 22]

Hi! hope to be of help.

Well, it's no big deal I'd say.

DEBRA LOU LEGASPI ROMERO, so I understand your first name is Debra, middle name Lou, lastname(s) legaspi romero.

So, debra is a female name so I assume you are a woman. Therefore you can (if you want of course) change your name to get your husband's.

So Basically what most women do (I am not saying you gotta do this), is changing their names this way:

First name , Original lastname to middle name, husband's lastname.

So to be more clear: Debra Legaspi yourhusbandslastname (this is actually what my wife did, took my lastname, dropped her middle name and put her original lastname instead as middle name or in your case first lastname as middle name, my mother in law did it this way too, her sisters, their mother (my wife's grandma), her cousins..., it's very common).

So, what you can do is go to the ss office, take the marriage certificate, your passport, fill out the form and change your name there and in a couple of weeks they say three, you will get your new ss card with your new name. Your ssn doesn't change. So basically you do all the AOS with your new name.

So, what I am saying is that I don't think it matters how the marriage certificate matches the passport as long as it's you and your signature and at least first and last name. Middle name, no big deal because when you applied for the license you filled out forms with all your data which is stored already so they know it's you and whom you're married to. I'd suggest you to go for the name (which will not match the marriage certificate at long last, right? so no big deal).

and anyways that's what we families do to show unity and commitment and when kids come here in this culture they won't ask why my mom has a different lastname than my dad but my friend's mom doesn't?

Also remember that when you change your lastname, it won't match your passport! so that's why I say no big deal!

There.

Hope having being of help. Good luck on this process! WHen you do AOS you can decide if you want to drop one of your lastnames and keep your maiden name or take your husband's lastname and that's how will appear on your GC.

Edit: Btw I said they say three weeks but we got ours within the same week, went there on monday and on friday it was on the mail! the new ss card

Edited January 3, 2013 by Juan L

[Artisan 138]

In the Philippines naming works a bit different. Whereas in the US we have a singular first name traditionally in the Philippines your first name is all of your given names, your middle name is your mother's maiden name, and your surname is your father's family name. When a woman marries she drops her mother's maiden name, shifts her father's surname to her middle name and takes her husband's family name as her own.

I would advise the OP to get a judge to correct her marriage certificate with the correct name and then change her passport to the name she wishes to use. Correcting the application is as simple as sending a letter of correction to the USCIS or NVC along with a copy of your new passport with your legal name. No matter what is on your application your visa and green card will be issued with the name on your passport.

[Tintin and Mike 127]

In the Philippines naming works a bit different. Whereas in the US we have a singular first name traditionally in the Philippines your first name is all of your given names, your middle name is your mother's maiden name, and your surname is your father's family name. When a woman marries she drops her mother's maiden name, shifts her father's surname to her middle name and takes her husband's family name as her own.

I would advise the OP to get a judge to correct her marriage certificate with the correct name and then change her passport to the name she wishes to use. Correcting the application is as simple as sending a letter of correction to the USCIS or NVC along with a copy of your new passport with your legal name. No matter what is on your application your visa and green card will be issued with the name on your passport.

[Tahoma 2,291]

Where did you get married? Are you on a spousal visa or are you on a fiancée visa?

[Debbie Stone 0]

i got married at virginia. and my only question is if the middle name matterson the marriage certificate. cos i just wrote DEBRA LOU ROMERO which should be DEBRA LOU LEGASPI ROMERO.

im on a spousal visa. i came here as a j1 student visa

[GaryKO 49]

i got married at virginia. and my only question is if the middle name matterson the marriage certificate. cos i just wrote DEBRA LOU ROMERO which should be DEBRA LOU LEGASPI ROMERO.

im on a spousal visa. i came here as a j1 student visa

I would not worry about that, It will not affect your AOS. Lots of Filipinas that get married in the US, drop what you call the middle name "mothers maiden name", or simply use a initial for middle name. It will be entirely up to you after your married if you use Romero in your name, some keep the family name as middle name, some drop it. If your marriage certificate is hand written, then add the letter L.

[bislig2alabama 1]

No problem, My wife passed the naturalization test Oct. 22nd 2009 and the immigration offical told her to, just stay and take the oath that afternoon, then go home and have your name changed to anything you want. That is what we did! Her first name remained the same, her last name ws changed to my family name and she changed her middle name to her Filipino family name. Her nanay and tatay was happy about that! Total cost 18$, time was about one hour at the county court house. Then she got her American passport with her American/Filipina name. God is good! Oh yes, out two boy,s middle name is her Filipina family name. Filipino family is grateful.