Married Name

[BruceHill64925 8]

I am about to file an application for a CR-1. I married my wife in January here in the US and she is on a valid tourist visa now. She will be returning to Brazil at the end of May which is well within her allowed stay to await the immigration process. She would like to use my name, but she has not yet had the opportunity to change her name officially in Brazil since she has not been home yet. She intends to do that when she returns to Brazil. We would like to use her new married name (My last name) on the I-130 application and showing her maiden name as other names used (which matches her passport and other documents). Can we do that? She really wants to use my last name right away.

Also in proving a valid marriage of course we have the marriage certificate, but we do not have some of the other documents suggested like leases in joint name or bank accounts, etc. We are intending on using the sworn statements of many of our friends and associates. Should I try to add her name to my US bank account as a joint account holder? I am not sure that can be done if she does not have a social security number.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Bruce

[oohpartiv 484]

Third party affidavits aren't worth much, so definitely try to find as many other things as possible. Maybe add her to your insurance? Try to add her to your back account? There's no guarantee the bank would let her, but it's definitely worth a try.

[Lonelywithouthim 5]

I am about to file an application for a CR-1. I married my wife in January here in the US and she is on a valid tourist visa now. She will be returning to Brazil at the end of May which is well within her allowed stay to await the immigration process. She would like to use my name, but she has not yet had the opportunity to change her name officially in Brazil since she has not been home yet. She intends to do that when she returns to Brazil. We would like to use her new married name (My last name) on the I-130 application and showing her maiden name as other names used (which matches her passport and other documents). Can we do that? She really wants to use my last name right away.

Also in proving a valid marriage of course we have the marriage certificate, but we do not have some of the other documents suggested like leases in joint name or bank accounts, etc. We are intending on using the sworn statements of many of our friends and associates. Should I try to add her name to my US bank account as a joint account holder? I am not sure that can be done if she does not have a social security number.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

I just got married as well and hoping to submit this month. Try to add her name to anything you can while she is here. I don't think you are required to have the SS# for all Banks, so check again. Good Luck to you both!

[vegas12 12]

I am about to file an application for a CR-1. I married my wife in January here in the US and she is on a valid tourist visa now. She will be returning to Brazil at the end of May which is well within her allowed stay to await the immigration process. She would like to use my name, but she has not yet had the opportunity to change her name officially in Brazil since she has not been home yet. She intends to do that when she returns to Brazil. We would like to use her new married name (My last name) on the I-130 application and showing her maiden name as other names used (which matches her passport and other documents). Can we do that? She really wants to use my last name right away.

Also in proving a valid marriage of course we have the marriage certificate, but we do not have some of the other documents suggested like leases in joint name or bank accounts, etc. We are intending on using the sworn statements of many of our friends and associates. Should I try to add her name to my US bank account as a joint account holder? I am not sure that can be done if she does not have a social security number.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Bruce

I am married to a Brazilian woman just filed my I-130 and we used my last name on the application. My wife has not changed her passport yet in Brazil. I also have very little documents but put her on one of my credit cards. She got one and uses it in Brazil. I had the credit card company send me a letter showing her on the card. I also have statement showing it being used in Brazil. I came back to the US in February and filed the I-130 in March. I sent some of the statement of the credit card showing it being used when I was in the US. I do not know if this will be enough also sent affidavits from friends. I also sent over 300 photo all were in a proof sheet form. It hard to put her on document here in the US without a Social Security number.

Edited April 11, 2013 by vegas12

[TLlanos 4]

my list of evidence consists of:

Skype logs

text messages back and forth

a book my husband and I made on shutterfly.com ( great quality work by the way )

tickets and boarding passes saved

Emails

and a a lot of love.

In the end, as long as this is a bona-fide marriage and both of you know each other well enough, have all the documents necessary and you are currently making enough to support her ( above poverty line ) then everything should be ok.

From what I've heard, the interviews here in Brazil are pretty smooth.

Best of luck to both of you,

Thalita & Manuel

[Lucas&Lucas 4]

I am about to file an application for a CR-1. I married my wife in January here in the US and she is on a valid tourist visa now. She will be returning to Brazil at the end of May which is well within her allowed stay to await the immigration process. She would like to use my name, but she has not yet had the opportunity to change her name officially in Brazil since she has not been home yet. She intends to do that when she returns to Brazil. We would like to use her new married name (My last name) on the I-130 application and showing her maiden name as other names used (which matches her passport and other documents). Can we do that? She really wants to use my last name right away.

Also in proving a valid marriage of course we have the marriage certificate, but we do not have some of the other documents suggested like leases in joint name or bank accounts, etc. We are intending on using the sworn statements of many of our friends and associates. Should I try to add her name to my US bank account as a joint account holder? I am not sure that can be done if she does not have a social security number.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Bruce

If she still there it will be more easy to change.... Look to Brasilian Consulate responsiblle in the state where you live and make the record there, they will issue an brazilian marriage certificate based on your american issued on your marriage date.

I had many troubles and could not change mine yet... the recorder service here in Brazil vary state to state.

I am sending a link from the Consulate in Houston... but there is all information she needs to do it there before she return to Brazil, the certificate issued by a consulate will make her life TOOOOOOO MUCH easy to change her documents ( ID and CPF )here also.

TELL HER TO READ IT !

5 - OBSERVAÇÕES

As alterações do nome e do estado civil em passaportes ou em quaisquer outros documentos deverão ser precedidas do registro consular do casamento. Tendo em vista as dificuldades que a duplicidade de nome pode vir a causar aos interessados, recomenda-se, sempre que possível, adotar na documentação brasileira o mesmo sobrenome constante da documentação expedida pelas autoridades estrangeiras.

Constará sempre do registro consular de casamento o sobrenome adotado pelo cônjuge após o casamento, ainda que tenha mantido o respectivo nome de solteiro(a). O parágrafo 1° do artigo 1565 do Código Civil dispõe que “qualquer dos nubentes, querendo, poderá acrescer ao seu o sobrenome do outro”. Não há entretanto impedimento legal a que, ao acrescentar o sobrenome do outro nubente, suprima um ou mais dos sobrenomes de família. Em hipótese alguma se alterarão prenomes.

If she wants to have only your last name, without the certificate issued by Brazilian consulate she will have many problems here... as I had.

She will be able to get the Brazilian certificate in person and resquest a NEW PASSORT WITH MARRIED NAME ON IT< before she leaves the US and you start your CR1 visa case...

http://houston.itamaraty.gov.br/pt-br/informacoes_gerais.xml

She will have to get the ORIGINAL marriage lisence and certificate legalized... ( till stick a seal and sign it, stating it is original, I advise her to make a copy and get it legalized too!! )

Hope to have helped you !!

[BruceHill64925 8]

Thanks so much for your advice. One of the complicating factors is that I was married before to a Brazilian woman for about 6 years. (I brought her on a fiancee visa and we divorced) It is my understanding that if you were married before to a Brazilian national that the Brazilian government has additional requirements. My prior Brazilian wife never registered our marriage in Brazil however. This may make it more time consuming for my new Brazilian wife to change her hame, particularly since I do not know my prior wife's address. She became an American citizen and lives in the US not in Brazil.

[Lucas&Lucas 4]

Thanks so much for your advice. One of the complicating factors is that I was married before to a Brazilian woman for about 6 years. (I brought her on a fiancee visa and we divorced) It is my understanding that if you were married before to a Brazilian national that the Brazilian government has additional requirements. My prior Brazilian wife never registered our marriage in Brazil however. This may make it more time consuming for my new Brazilian wife to change her hame, particularly since I do not know my prior wife's address. She became an American citizen and lives in the US not in Brazil.

Yes there is one additional requirements, if your divorce was made in United States, you will need a certified copy of your divorce decree issued by court, get it legalized by Brazilian Consulate, then get it translated here by an Public translator, then get an lawyer and Record your divorce decree recorded by the supreme court in Brasilia. Made it you will be able to record your NEW marriage.

Ask to your wife to call to Brazilian Consulate or contact them by email... They will explain her how to do it!

Anyway,I didn't change mine in Brazil yet, my US attorney, filled our I-130 on my married name, and mentioned my maiden name in the proprer place on the form... it will not be an issue for you...

They will process the case with her married name, since her passport will have her maiden name, they will issue her visa like her passport, and in the time to go to the port of entry, they will give the form to her sign on her maiden name... She will receive the CONDITIONAL green card with maiden name...

If you had made the record on the supreme court here of your divorce decree, in the time of your ROC, she will had time enough to record your new marriage at Brazilian consulate and have a new passport showing the name change...

If I am not wrong you will have to make an public " Power of attorney " at Brazilian consulate to allow her to hire an attorney to make the record at supreme court here for you... since she will have to wait at least 5 months to the USCIS ... I guess it will be time enough to record your divorce decree here.