Name change on citizenship certificate & US Passport?

[hotzone 1]

My wife had her Citizenship interview 2 weeks ago. As part of her N-400 application, she requested a name change the but the interview officer said they could not make the name change at that particular district office.

Now my wife is attending her Naturalization oath ceremony next week and I'm wondering if there is anyway we can get her name changed on Citizenship certificate and her passport?

[Hypnos 6,579]

For a name change through naturalisation, the ceremony has to be performed by a judge at a courthouse I believe.

[dioxide45 25]

What is your wife's local field office?

[JimmyHou 613]

My wife had her Citizenship interview 2 weeks ago. As part of her N-400 application, she requested a name change the but the interview officer said they could not make the name change at that particular district office.

Now my wife is attending her Naturalization oath ceremony next week and I'm wondering if there is anyway we can get her name changed on Citizenship certificate and her passport?

Your wife will get a naturalization certificate with her current name. Your only opportunity for a name change during naturalization was at the interview, but as the officer told you, some districts have stopped accepting name change requests because they no longer offer judicial ceremonies. Judicial ceremonies are required for a name change.

I'm guessing you're in Northern California, because San Francisco and San Jose are the two big offices that don't do name changes. So there's really nothing you could have done.

What your wife can do now is wait until she is naturalized and then go get a legal name change done in court. Once that's done, she can get a passport in her new name using her naturalization certificate and her name change document from the court. If she wants to, she can get a new naturalization certificate with the new name, but she'll have to pay the replacement certificate fee.

Legal name change costs vary wildly from state to state. A New York poster said that it cost him $65 whereas here in Texas it costs about $300.

So if she's really intent in the name change, make sure she doesn't apply for a passport until after she's applied for the name change, which might take several weeks.

Edited July 15, 2014 by JimmyHou

[JimmyHou 613]

One more thing... if the only change your wife is trying to make is to take your last name, then she may not need a name change done in court. They may accept her new name on the passport application with her naturalization certificate and marriage certificate as evidence.