Name change for new wife

[Roland3337 1]

My Russian fiance and I were recently married in Istanbul. I filed for her visa almost a month ago, and I had some questions about her name change (which was required by Turkish civil officials). When I filed the I-130 form, I used her new married name. Right now, we are trying to determine if she needs to go through the tedious process of obtaining a new Russian passport with her new name. Or whether or not we can wait until after she arrives, and we apply for her SSN.

Getting her name changed for the new Russian passport would require getting an apostille stamp on our marriage certificate. And that would require either another visit to Istanbul, or sending the certificate to a Turkish consulate either in Russia, or here in the US. So, we are trying to avoid this if possible.

I also wonder: which name will the American Embassy use when sending her the forms she will need to complete, when the process here with the USCIS is finished? Will they use her new married name (which could confuse a Russian post office or mail carrier), or will they use her maiden name, or both?

Or is all of this stuff done online now, so her name (maiden or married) makes no real difference?

Thanks in advance.

[mallafri76 1,012]

Why did you put her new name on the papers when that's not her official name in her home country? Once you get to NVC, your wife's gonna send in supporting documents and fill out her actual visa application. Ok that the US immigration process is not the most logical or structured thing in the world but I doubt they'll let through a case with the forms saying one name and all the supporting documents saying another name. Get her name changed before hitting NVC.

Once at NVC, your wife will do her visa application online. All communication can be done online.

[NikLR 13,220]

If you want her green card in married name without paying $450, then I suggest changing her passport.

Visa in passport name

Green card in visa name.

PERIOD.