Non-US citizen name change

[wherezdabearz 0]

I wondering if anyone can offer any advice about the implications of changing your surname? I'm the non-US citizen and I'm trying to decide if I should just add John's surname to mine, making my old surname a middle name, or whether I should add it to mine with a hypen. Is one way easier than the other from the point of view of changing documents seeing as I'm adding a name rather than changing an existing name? Or doesn't it really make any difference?

I was also wondering about my UK passport? Would I need to change this and seeing as my K1 visa will be in my old name, would I have to also carry my old passport along with me? Or could I use old passport and carry my marriage certificate (which in Montana is the size of a world map!)? BTW, on the Montana marriage certificate, there is no part which asks you to say what your name will be after marriage (I know some states do have this).

And if I do have to get a new passport, could I do this in the States seeing as I won't be able to go back to the UK until I get advance parole?

Also, is it possible to change my name with UK banks while I'm in the States? Can I just post them a copy of my marriage certificate from the States?

Sorry - lots of questions! Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. And wish me luck in my visa interview tomorrow!

Alison

[MichelleandCraig 1]

VERY best wishes for your interview Allison..yayyyy, it's almost here!! :)

I don't know the rest for SURE so won't add, but you can change your name to WHATEVER you wish. Long as it's done legally, noone cares what it's exactly changed to. M.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Cant advise about name change.... thats up to you.. I changed to my husbands name...

you can get your UK passport changed to your married name at the British Embassy in Washington.. you can download the form from their website... the will return your old passport to you along with your new one...

Why would you be carrying your K1 around?? all you need to have is some ID.... new passport, old passport, state ID, state DL, EAD any of those will do for ID...

I have been unable to change my name with my UK bank as they need my new signature and wont accept it in the mail...

Good Luck

Kezzie

[wherezdabearz 0]

I thought the K1 visa was inside my passport?

And I'm imagining I'll have to carry my passport around for a while before I get state ID. I've never learned to drive so I'm not sure if I'll be getting a Montana driving licence.

[Kitty_Cat 0]

I don't have a last name (Indonesians frequently only have one name) So I'll definitely take my fiance's last name after we get married. So I can stop having random made up name, in my K1 Visa, they put FNU(First name Unavailable?) as my first name and put my first name as my last name. In my arrival card I put my first name in first name field and left the last name field blank, the officer put an arrow moving my first name to my last name field and put FNU as my first name. Then when we went to get a marriage license, they had problem giving us one cuz the computer wouldnt let them proceed when the last name field is still blank, so they put 'No last name' in last name field, so my name in the license appeared to be 'XX No Last Name'. Five minutes after we left the office they called and told us to come back to get a new marriage license cuz they decided to change my last name, we went back, they gave us a new license, and my name on it is 'XX Legally Omitted' So I'm Miss Legally Omitted until we get married, I wonder if the minister will go 'Will you, XX Legally Omitted take this blablabla'

Wonder if there are any other FNUs in VJ

[LostInIllinois 1]

my name on it is 'XX Legally Omitted'

Yikes! Good thing they didn't give you the name "XXX Legally Omitted", people would have thought you were some sort of porn star.

[sadie33138 0]

I don't have a last name (Indonesians frequently only have one name) So I'll definitely take my fiance's last name after we get married. So I can stop having random made up name, in my K1 Visa, they put FNU(First name Unavailable?) as my first name and put my first name as my last name. In my arrival card I put my first name in first name field and left the last name field blank, the officer put an arrow moving my first name to my last name field and put FNU as my first name. Then when we went to get a marriage license, they had problem giving us one cuz the computer wouldnt let them proceed when the last name field is still blank, so they put 'No last name' in last name field, so my name in the license appeared to be 'XX No Last Name'. Five minutes after we left the office they called and told us to come back to get a new marriage license cuz they decided to change my last name, we went back, they gave us a new license, and my name on it is 'XX Legally Omitted' So I'm Miss Legally Omitted until we get married, I wonder if the minister will go 'Will you, XX Legally Omitted take this blablabla'

Wonder if there are any other FNUs in VJ

I can relate. My husband has no middle name so on our marriage license and certificate it read FirstName NMN LastName. Several times we have had to use our marriage certificate for things to be changed and many folks have said: Hmmm, what kind of name is NMN?

[Lou Lou 1]

I saved myself a whole lotta hassle by not bothering to change my name but that is entirely up to the individual

[silly_chick 0]

I don't have a last name (Indonesians frequently only have one name) So I'll definitely take my fiance's last name after we get married. So I can stop having random made up name, in my K1 Visa, they put FNU(First name Unavailable?) as my first name and put my first name as my last name. In my arrival card I put my first name in first name field and left the last name field blank, the officer put an arrow moving my first name to my last name field and put FNU as my first name. Then when we went to get a marriage license, they had problem giving us one cuz the computer wouldnt let them proceed when the last name field is still blank, so they put 'No last name' in last name field, so my name in the license appeared to be 'XX No Last Name'. Five minutes after we left the office they called and told us to come back to get a new marriage license cuz they decided to change my last name, we went back, they gave us a new license, and my name on it is 'XX Legally Omitted' So I'm Miss Legally Omitted until we get married, I wonder if the minister will go 'Will you, XX Legally Omitted take this blablabla'

Wow, I never knew that about Indonesians! How cute!! BTW, the person who will perform the marriage ceremony most likely will refer to you by your first name only, so you won't be called Legally Omitted at your wedding for sure!

And that NMN instead of a middle name is real weird - I have no middle name either, and always leave this space blank. It has always worked.

Oh, by the way, I don't know about other states, but in CA you just need to show your marriage certificate if you want to change your name - that's enough. Our certificate doesn't have a specific part which says smth like "I want my last name changed to", but it's perfectly okay to just tell everybody that you want your name changed to your husband's, and point at the line where your hubby name is on the certificate.

And you can change your passport too, but, as far as I understand, you're not obligated to do it at all.

Best of luck to you all!