Passports, maiden name and visa question.

[NicolaRobert 7]

Ok, so I'm wondering if someone can help me with this one. I changed my name when I got married (double-barrelled it anyway), but never changed my passport, partly because I was overseas at the time and doing so would require sending it off to another country (and I was so not comfortable with being in another country without my passport) and I also had about 5 years left before it expired.

We started the process and half my paperwork has my married name, and half the paper work has my maiden name.

As in, even the stuff from the NVC. One thing I have from them is addressed to my married name, but my visa interview letter is addressed to my maiden name. I'm a little worried that it might cause confusion come the time of my interview etc.

Any advice?

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Assuming you are now in the UK, getting a new passport in your married name before leaving for the US might be a good idea. There are ways to do expedite and same day. Otherwise you'll be mailing it off from another country like you didn't want to do before. Do it before your interview.

All of your immigration applications should have been in your married name, despite what your passport or birth certificate, etc name was. Discuss the name question at the interview to assure that your visa and greencard are issued in your married name if that is the name you wish to go forward with. Changing a greencard name later will cost you around $400.

[NicolaRobert 7]

Yeah, I live near Peterbourgh so I can easier go up there to get the passport done in a day.

The downside is my in-laws have already booked a christmas trip away for hubby and I, and booked it under the name in my passport now. And the fee to change the tickets is probably around $400 too.

I guess my point is, can my green card (visa stamp) be under my married name, but in the passport with my maiden name? If so, I'll just leave it and sort the passport out in a few years. I don't mind so much sending it off from the US - but the post on the Caribbean island I lived on before was notoriously bad. I once got a Christmas card from my mum in April. I didn't want that happening to my passport.

[NikLR 13,220]

visa in passport name

green card in visa name

Change your passport if you don't want to pay $450 for the green card to be in married name.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Perhaps you take your old passport, new passport, and marriage license to the airlines and see if that is sufficient for your travel. I was told at Heathrow once (when the guy was shouting out tickets had to match passports) that a marriage certificate proves a name change. I had asked him what if somebody got married and their passport name didn't match. He said "marriage certificate...we see it all day long." Call the airlines is my suggestion. I can't see why they would charge unless you changed dates. You are the same person as the reservation.

I don't know the answer to your question about the visa matching the passport. I guess you'll find out at the interview if you want to keep your passport the same for your holiday.

[aaron2020 11,651]

No. The name on the visa must match the name in the passport. The green card will be issued in accordance with what's on the visa.

If you want a green card in your married name, then you must get a new passport.

[NicolaRobert 7]

Urgh - yeah I guess I'll call the airline and check that one out.

I just really don't want to have to change my passport right now. I have literally 10 days when I get back from my current visit to the US until my interview, so I'm freaking out enough about getting everything done, without the hassle of changing my passport as well.

I guess the further question would be, does it really matter if my visa/green card is in my maiden name? It a double-barrelled name anyway, so it's the same name, just with a little extra added on the end!

But the visa paperwork all has my married name on it, not what's in my passport. Or most of it does. So I'm just not sure what they are going to use. Which is the case? That the paperwork has to match the passport or not?

[NikLR 13,220]

Urgh - yeah I guess I'll call the airline and check that one out.

I just really don't want to have to change my passport right now. I have literally 10 days when I get back from my current visit to the US until my interview, so I'm freaking out enough about getting everything done, without the hassle of changing my passport as well.

I guess the further question would be, does it really matter if my visa/green card is in my maiden name? It a double-barrelled name anyway, so it's the same name, just with a little extra added on the end!

But the visa paperwork all has my married name on it, not what's in my passport. Or most of it does. So I'm just not sure what they are going to use. Which is the case? That the paperwork has to match the passport or not?

The interview letter should have your maiden name. This is to match your passport. People often mess up on their paperwork like this because they dont realize the visa will come in passport name. see if you can get an expedited passport.

Your US ID will end up being in your maiden name as well. If you want to change it, you can take the marriage certificate and do so, but be aware that it can cause hassles occasionally. DMV and SSA employees aren't always the brightest crayons in the box.