last name change process after marriage!

[benandnordhey 2]

we just got married and we are trying to figure out how to change my last name. A lady at the clerk office said we need to change at social security office, but i doesn't have a SS#. So how does it work and how can we change that . thank you !

[danver 15]

we just got married and we are trying to figure out how to change my last name. A lady at the clerk office said we need to change at social security office, but i doesn't have a SS#. So how does it work and how can we change that . thank you !

You have to bring ur marriage certificate to the Social Security office so they can give you your SSS card with ur new married name.

[benandnordhey 2]

You have to bring ur marriage certificate to the Social Security office so they can give you your SSS card with ur new married name.

right now I am applying for AOS so i don't have SS# so how does it work ?

[danver 15]

right now I am applying for AOS so i don't have SS# so how does it work ?

go to the nearest Sss pffice and apply for ur card. ssn number is needed in. Filing all ur documents.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

No. SSN is not required for AOS.

Just fill out the AOS paperwork in your married name. Then you will get your documents in your married name. Then you can use those docs (EAD or GC) to get a SSN card n your married name.

The clerk was wrong, btw. The SSA does not "own" your name.

I am assuming you don't have a K-1 visa now. Good luck.

[benandnordhey 2]

No. SSN is not required for AOS.

Just fill out the AOS paperwork in your married name. Then you will get your documents in your married name. Then you can use those docs (EAD or GC) to get a SSN card n your married name.

The clerk was wrong, btw. The SSA does not "own" your name.

I am assuming you don't have a K-1 visa now. Good luck.

well, i am in US with k-1 visa . so if we put on marriage license the last name of my husband it wil be fine ?

thank you

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Okay. You can just apply for AOS in your married name. Once married, you can also go get a new SSN in your married name, as long as you have at least 2 weeks left on your I-94. But, you don't have to do this before you file for AOS.

Your marriage cert, no matter what it says, can serve as proof of name change. In some states, there is no option to put name before and after. It's okay.

Good luck.

[benandnordhey 2]

Okay... I'm reframing this question for clarity because we are, quite frankly, appreciative but confused by the contradictory responses we are getting to my wife's original post.

The husband is the U.S. citizen. We were married on the 8th of March, and the I-94 is now expired. She does intend to take the husband's last name.

My wife was instructed to sign her maiden name to the marriage license, so that's how we did it. Her maiden name is also the only one that appears on the marriage certificate that was returned to us by the clerk's office. We are now in the initial phases of applying for the AOS and want to be sure all the documents are correct so we don't have to resubmit or face more fees. We will need to submit documents showing that she is on my lease, that we share a bank account etc, but we are facing confusion about how the situation with her last name should be approached in regards to these documents and the AOS forms.

We were told by the clerk's office that to change her name we must go to the social security office. This is obviously problematic, because she has no ss# or driver's license. It is my understanding that she cannot apply for the ss# until she has an EAD.

Considering the above, we have the following questions:

Should we apply to AOS using her maiden name or her married name? Intuitively, it would seem that her maiden name is still her legal name until changed. At the same time, it would seem she cannot legally change her name until she has a ss#. Therefore, to make any government document legally binding, she would have to sign her maiden name, no?

If we apply for AOS with her married name, will that be a problem? ...especially considering that our marriage certificate lists her maiden name and that we will have to send in a lease and bank documents in her current legal name...or can we put her married name on those documents too before a legal change??

Or does the problem lie with the marriage certificate. Should we have signed the marriage certificate with the married name (contrary to instructions from the clerk's office)? We've been reading a lot online and still can't get a final answer to the question of whether a woman should put her married or maiden name on a marriage license. Most people are saying to always sign with the maiden name. Maybe it varies from state to state (we are in Indiana btw). Should the license be signed with the maiden but the final certificate show the married?? Our county clerk was unable to give us any guidance. It seems like this would be a pretty common question for anybody going through a marriage based visa process, so I'm surprised there aren't clearer instructions for this somewhere (if you know where to look, please tell us). We've looked through several threads with similar questions, but the dissimilar details of every situation make it difficult to get a straight answer. We would appreciate any clarifications you all can make.

[benandnordhey 2]

UNLESS....

Is it the case that the marriage certificate itself can serve as proof of name change...even if it only reflects the wife's maiden name??

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

The clerk was wrong. I will repeat:

She should file her AOS in the married name. USCIS will accept her marriage cert as proof of name change. It does not matter what name she signed the marriage cert in.

She can then get a SSN in her married name when she gets her EAD in married name.

Her name is now changed if she wants it changed, she just starts using the new name. There is no federal registry of names or anything, so she just starts using the name.

There are many posts about this on this forum; you can use the search function. Good luck.

[KayDeeCee 4,891]

Use the married name on all the AOS forms for family/surname and only use the maiden name when it asks for other names used or maiden name. The EAD/AP and green card will come in the name you use for the family/surname. Since she wants to change her name to yours, then she needs to use the new married so she gets the EAD/AP and green card in the name she will use from now on. The marriage certificate acts as a legal name change document.

When she gets the EAD/AP in her married name, take that to the SSA and apply for her SSN using that and get the SSN in her new married name. Then she can also get a drivers license/state ID with her new married as well.

Changing your name after marriage is basically done just by using the married name for everything from the time you marry.

From the AOS guide here on VJ > http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1k3aos

3. Form I-485: Petition for Alien Relative (note: use the non US Citizen spouse's married name on this form and list previous name/names)

Edited April 3, 2014 by Jay-Kay

[benandnordhey 2]

thanks for clearing that up.