Greencard Renewal: Different last names on GC and SS card

[worrywart2013 2]

Dry stat:

Wife arrived in 2002,

Adjustment of Status Approved and Greencard Issued: 2004

No civil or criminal issues. Wife has worked from 8 years, taxes all current, we have two boys.

Now here's the kicker: When INS issued her green card they did the name like this First Middle Initial Maiden Married. (Example: Jane J Doe Smith). No hyphenation. We didn't think anything of it. We applied for her social security number they put the name as Jane C Smith, we called they said they don't do compound or hyphenated names, state issued ID card was done the same way "There's no hyphen, so they dropped the maiden for the married". Bank accounts, medical insurance, jobs applications, all of them have went off the SS card and not the GC--the GC was presented in all cases. She's had immigration, criminal, and credit checks--all of them with the GC presented as proof of legal residence and legal work status.

Question: Is this going to present or could present a problem when she renews next year?

Edited February 7, 2013 by AmerCan

[Inky 1,111]

Moved from AOS to general immigration questions as the OP is not applying for adjustment of status but is renewing a green card with a general name issue.

[KnJ 0]

I have a compound name [maiden married] no hyphen. That is the legal name on my green card, and my Canadian Passport.

in 2009 I had no problems getting my SS card with this two word last name.

The RMV can't do two word last names, so my name got hyphenated. Then Macy's used my driver's license, and that is hyphenated.

My main credit card is my legal name.

My employment is my legal name (SSN is the legal name)

Health insurance is the married half of my last name (it was easier going to the pharmacy and the doctor with a one word last name). There have been no consequences to this.

Other non-official business is often using just the married half.

There are no problems -- when I run my free credit report, all names (compound, hyphenated, and husband's last name) show up against my SSN.

For what it's worth, in hindsight I would either have not changed my name, or have entirely changed my name. I like the compound name, but it can be a hassle. Sometimes people think the maiden name part is my middle name. But I kind of am also glad I kept it. However I use the married only for most causal purposes.

I absolutely detest the hyphenated version. Luckily it's been confined to my Driver's license and Macy's card.

I occasionally get junk mail in my maiden name. Which is odd.

My suggestion would be that perhaps since the year your wife got the SS card, they've changed their policy -- more and more people are doing this kind of name change.

You could go to your local SS office and talk to someone -- show the green card, any other evidence like Marriage certificate that establishes her legal name is a two word last name, and they should be able to correct it.

Hopefully they'll be cooperative.

Hope I understood the problem here.

Edited to add: You could try and see if you could just get the GC in line with the other stuff, but it would depend on her preference more than anything. my inclination if I were in that situation is to change everything else besides the GC because I think that'd be the hardest to change. More work, but path of less resistance. Social Security should be able to change to match GC.

K

Edited February 9, 2013 by KnJ

[worrywart2013 2]

She's thinking about changing the name just to my name. But she's was wondering if waiting till she filed for her renewal next spring would cause a denial or renewal and we'd have to appeal. Granted, we've got plenty of time to change the SS stuff around if it's a issue. The way it's been explained to us by people that have used the card for id, is that without the hyphen the name isn't a compound name by the definition of most forms and her legal name is the last name listed (her married name. We're just worrying if this is going to cause a renewal issue.

Edited February 9, 2013 by AmerCan

[worrywart2013 2]

Me and the Mrs. were talking about it, and we're thinking that just trying to change the SS and other stuff might e the safest route. Granted, as she said, they've probably had to deal with this sort of thing before and she can't see how they would deny a renewal based on that--or deny a appeal if they did. I'm thinking we might get delayed or called in for a face to face.