Name change when returning to home to wait to Visa

[laurenmat 2]

Hi guys,

Forgive me if the way I word this doesn't make sense!

Me and my fiance are getting married early next year and are going to apply for the IR-1/cr-1 visa afterwards, obviously I will be returning home to England after my stay to await for the process to go through and for me to acquire my visa.

Is there any laws to say I have to change my name to my married name back home in England when I return? I.E. On my passport and my bank. When we fill in the forms I will be putting my name as my married name as I have read that is what others did but I wasn't sure what to do in regards to my UK passport etc.

Thank you in advance

Lauren

[mariepear 12]

If you take your husbands name, you passport with your old name on it will only be good for a few months anyway. You would have to go to the embassy in US to get a new British passport and it's a pain in the butt and it takes a few months. Definitaly it would be an advantage to get a new passport while you are still home.

I came here on a fiancé visa, got married and now I'm in the process of getting my new passport here. I was told by some offices and also by my embassy that my passport expires 3 months after the wedding. What I have to do to get a new one (since I can't leave the USA now) is to get an apostille on my marriage certificate, then have it translated to my language (yours will br already english - good for you! ) and then I have to drop it off together with my and my husband's passports and our birth certificates together with some forms (to register marriage in my home country) at the embassy in New York. They will send bunch of stuff to Czech Republic, in Czech Republic they will register my marriage and change my name, then they will make a Czech marriage certificate for me and send it back to the embassy in the US. When they recieve it I can finally come to apply for a new passport with my new name on it.

So believe me, you want to change your name back home. Just don't forget to get the apostille on your marriage certificate in the USA so you can use it in United Kingdom too....

Sorry, I know this is very long .

Good luck!

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

You may begin using you husband's name as soon as you marry or not. If you want his name as your greencard name, then that is how you apply. My husband and I use different last names. That is ok too and it doesn't keep you from getting a greencard or citizenship.

Back in the UK. You may keep your old passport and use it un til it expires. Others have done that. Book tickets in the passport name to get through the airlines easier. Carry your marriage certificate with you to prove your new last name if you want to start changing things...like applying for a new passport. It is cheaper to get in the UK if you intend to take your husband's name permanently. Tell your bank whenever you want to.