First name change after getting married.

[customheat 1]

My fiance and I are getting married on Oct. 11. She came from the Philippines on a K-1 Visa. She will be changing to my last name in marriage but would like to change her first name also. Since we will be applying for AOS and a drivers license after marriage, at what point should we change her first name and what problems will be encountered down the line?

[belinda63 2,981]

She will need a court order to change her first name, usually easy to obtain. Check with the circuit court office or even online. If she obtains the court order prior to filing for AOS she can send in a certified copy of the order with her paperwork and filling all the paperwork out with her new first and last name (marriage certificate is the legal name change document for last name only) she can obtain her green card in her new names.

If she obtains the legal name change after submitting the AOS paperwork she will have to file for a replacement green card and pay the fee.

[Kay&Jay 44]

As long as she has the money to make her name change she can ,its not a big deal.

[Caryh 5,206]

While she may be able to change her first name with a court order in the USA, she will not be able to use that name in the Philippines or renew her passport using that name. Philippine law is rather strict on what names their citizens are allowed to use.

Per Philippine law, she can go by her maiden name, basically just as it was before she married you. Or she can follow Philippine tradition, taking your last name as her new last name, and move her paternal last name into the middle name position, dropping the maternal middle name. She can also go by Mrs "Your Full Name". Those are her only legal options that will be recognized by her country.

In order to get a new passport in her married name, you will first need to register the marriage abroad with the Philippine Consulate with jurisdiction over the location the marriage took place.

[asianculture 14]

My uncle change his name when he became a U.S. Citizen but I doubt that she can change her first name now.....you may find more answer here. good luck!

[Hank_ 9,171]

My fiance and I are getting married on Oct. 11. She came from the Philippines on a K-1 Visa. She will be changing to my last name in marriage but would like to change her first name also. Since we will be applying for AOS and a drivers license after marriage, at what point should we change her first name and what problems will be encountered down the line?

Change her first name? Can't change the first name just because one got married. Need to go to court for that.

[Caryh 5,206]

Change her first name? Can't change the first name just because one got married. Need to go to court for that.

This depends on the state you live in, but in general I agree with you. My own state does allow for the changing of your first name when you get married.

[Hank_ 9,171]

Anyone know of a state that allows for the first name to be changed upon marriage? Doing a search I came up with z-i-p.

[Pitaya 2,576]

~Moved from K1 Process to Moving to the US and Your New Life in America Forum~

~Inquiry is after POE, not K1 related~

[Caryh 5,206]

Anyone know of a state that allows for the first name to be changed upon marriage? Doing a search I came up with z-i-p.

Minnesota's marriage license allows for changing your name completely, including your first name. The name after marriage and before marriage will be shown on the final marriage certificate. BTW my first wife took advantage of this option to change her name from the long form of her first name, to the shortened version of the name. When we got divorced, she changed back to the long version.

Edited September 29, 2014 by Caryh

[Hank_ 9,171]

Minnesota's marriage license allows for changing your name completely, including your first name. The name after marriage and before marriage will be shown on the final marriage certificate. BTW my first wife took advantage of this option to change her name from the long form of her first name, to the shortened version of the name. When we got divorced, she changed back to the long version.

That is very interesting. There is a solution for many then... get married in Minnesota!

Wonder if there are other states like that, be nice to have a list, it would come in handy on here.

[Caryh 5,206]

That is very interesting. There is a solution for many then... get married in Minnesota!

Wonder if there are other states like that, be nice to have a list, it would come in handy on here.

What I like more than anything is it clearly spells out the name after marriage. So you don't get some bureaucrat telling you what you can and cannot do with the name after marriage, when its only their opinion and not the law.

[Hank_ 9,171]

What I like more than anything is it clearly spells out the name after marriage. So you don't get some bureaucrat telling you what you can and cannot do with the name after marriage, when its only their opinion and not the law.

Exactly! And the bureaucrat that sprang to my mine was SSA staff, I read of them giving many so much ####### about their married name in the traditional Philippine format. Now we didn't have that issue but the guy behind the counter was pretty sharp.

[Caryh 5,206]

Exactly! And the bureaucrat that sprang to my mine was SSA staff, I read of them giving many so much ####### about their married name in the traditional Philippine format. Now we didn't have that issue but the guy behind the counter was pretty sharp.

New York actually has a law stating you can only change the last name with marriage. This throws a real monkey wrench in getting a Filipina the name her country requires her to have. But yes, I've heard of many running into trouble in states that do not define things clearly. You end up with some bureaucrat making his/her opinion the law.