Name Change after Marriage K1

[audacieux89 256]

11 minutes ago, Georgia16 said:

Your two friends.

They did go to the ss office within 2 weeks of entering the US on a k1 visa. So their i94 was well more than 14 days valid. Its Just unfortunate, like @usmsbow said, some employees are ignorant. More so even the manager was ignorant of their own office's policies. Even when person printed out the policies on their website, manager refused to give an ss number. ☹

Edited November 17, 2017 by audacieux89

[audacieux89 256]

2 minutes ago, Scandi said:

It's only the knowledge between SSAs that differ. Some SSA employees aren't smart enough to figure it out, while others know perfectly well that it's fine to have the name on the SSC changed based on the marriage certificate.

 

I got my SSN in my maiden name since we weren't married yet (I applied for my SSN 4 days after I arrived in the US), then after we got married and I received the marriage certificate I took it with me to the SSA and had the name changed on my SSC. Easy and fast, had the new card in the mailbox just 4 days later. Yes, this all happened in California and before I had even filed for my AOS. 

 

It was out of the question for me to not take my husband's name and only 3 months after the marriage I had changed my name everywhere (also in my home country of course) and had my new passport in married name etc. It was well worth it and not as difficult as some want it to seem like.

You're very lucky then!

[Georgia16 2,858]

Just now, audacieux89 said:

They did go to the ss office within 2 weeks of entering the US on a k1 visa. So their i94 was well more than 14 days valid. Its Just unfortunate, like @usmsbow said, some employees are ignorant. More so even the manager was ignorant of their own office's policies. Even when person printed out the policies on their website, manager refused to give an ss number. ☹

Exactly so it's not that he can't go with the marriage certificate or in their case with the K-1 visa it's the employees there aren't trained proporly this is also the case at the DMW! 

[Jmoses 1]

I am getting confused again.

 

Here is what I have done so far:

Married my K1 Fiance

Obtained a SSN with her maiden name because the SS Office told me the name has to match her visa.

 

What I want is to change her last name to my last name, so what should I do going forward? I still need to get the work permit as well as do the AOS for the green card/permanent residence. 

1) Since she has a SSN now, can we go back to the SS Office and request a name change solely with just the marriage certificate? This should allow me to fill out all other applications with her marriage name. or

2) Apply for the other applications with the name I want her to have (marriage name), and change the SS Card later.  or

3) Apply for the other applications with the same name on the SS Card and do a name change after everything has been approved? 

 

Thanks, 

[Scandi 3,970]

2 minutes ago, Jmoses said:

I am getting confused again.

 

Here is what I have done so far:

Married my K1 Fiance

Obtained a SSN with her maiden name because the SS Office told me the name has to match her visa.

 

What I want is to change her last name to my last name, so what should I do going forward? I still need to get the work permit as well as do the AOS for the green card/permanent residence. 

1) Since she has a SSN now, can we go back to the SS Office and request a name change solely with just the marriage certificate? This should allow me to fill out all other applications with her marriage name. or

2) Apply for the other applications with the name I want her to have (marriage name), and change the SS Card later.  or

3) Apply for the other applications with the same name on the SS Card and do a name change after everything has been approved? 

 

Thanks, 

1. It's always worth a try, some are lucky some aren't. Either way, you fill out all AOS/EAD/AP related stuff in her married name anyway so she can get all the documents in her married name (to USCIS the marriage certificate is proof enough of legal name change), once she receives her EAD in her married name you can go back to the SSA and have her name changed on the SS card (if you had no luck changing her name prior to that).

 

2. Yes, nevermind the SS card, just file for AOS/EAD/AP in married name.

 

3. You don't want that. It'll cost you about $500 to hve the name changed on the greencard if you insist on filing in maiden name. Just file in married name and save you that extra cost.

[doggieandsam 765]

13 minutes ago, Jmoses said:

I am getting confused again.

 

Here is what I have done so far:

Married my K1 Fiance

Obtained a SSN with her maiden name because the SS Office told me the name has to match her visa.

 

What I want is to change her last name to my last name, so what should I do going forward? I still need to get the work permit as well as do the AOS for the green card/permanent residence. 

1) Since she has a SSN now, can we go back to the SS Office and request a name change solely with just the marriage certificate? This should allow me to fill out all other applications with her marriage name. or

2) Apply for the other applications with the name I want her to have (marriage name), and change the SS Card later.  or

3) Apply for the other applications with the same name on the SS Card and do a name change after everything has been approved? 

 

Thanks, 

Let me share with you exactly how i did my name change. I came on a K1 visa too and a day after i arrived I got my ssn in my maiden name. I also got bank accounts in my maiden name.

 

- when i filled out my AOS/EAD/AP application forms, i filled it out with my new married name, and included a copy of marriage certificate (among other things) as proof of name change. side note, the forms ask you to list all your previous names, so i listed my maiden name there too. 

- USCIS recently released an new edition of the EAD form. in that updated form, they have a section that asks whether you already have an ssn or not and if you do have one already, to list it and to specify if you want a new card mailed to you. since i already have an ssn in my maiden name, i listed my ssn and said yes to the new card (which should hopefully come with my new married name already, saving me a trip to the ss office).

- i applied for a driver's license. i live in VA. they allowed me to apply for the DL in my married name but i have to show them a copy of my marriage certificate.

 

the NOAs for my AOS/EAD/AP came with my married name already. so from the day I received those, I have been writing / using / signing using my married name.

 

hope this helps you.

Edited November 17, 2017 by iamdegie

[Orangesapples 1,954]

1 hour ago, Jmoses said:

 

 

What I want is to change her last name to my last name, so what should I do going forward?

Does she want to change her name? It's 21st century, no need for men to claim ownership of women. If you insist on having the same name, changing yours will be less of a hassle. 

[Zzyzx 106]

1 hour ago, Orangesapples said:

Does she want to change her name? It's 21st century, no need for men to claim ownership of women. If you insist on having the same name, changing yours will be less of a hassle. 

I agree it is a hassle.  But that's a mighty big assumption that changing a name has to do with "ownership".  It may surprise a lot of people but there are a lot of women who want to change their name.  In my case I asked my fiancée what she wanted to do, explaining it is a hassle.  She still elected to take my last name, because it gave her a sense of happiness and pride.  

[Sarasota 178]

4 minutes ago, Zzyzx said:

I agree it is a hassle.  But that's a mighty big assumption that changing a name has to do with "ownership".  It may surprise a lot of people but there are a lot of women who want to change their name.  In my case I asked my fiancée what she wanted to do, explaining it is a hassle.  She still elected to take my last name, because it gave her a sense of happiness and pride.  

You mean I don't own my wife now? I usually just let her out in the mornings, along with the pet cat

[Orangesapples 1,954]

15 minutes ago, Zzyzx said:

I agree it is a hassle.  But that's a mighty big assumption that changing a name has to do with "ownership".  It may surprise a lot of people but there are a lot of women who want to change their name.  In my case I asked my fiancée what she wanted to do, explaining it is a hassle.  She still elected to take my last name, because it gave her a sense of happiness and pride.  

Just because many women have internalized sexism doesn't mean that originally changing a woman's last name didn't mean ownership. It may not mean this nowadays but that's where it came from. The OP has said nothing about what his wife wants. 

Edited November 17, 2017 by Orangesapples

[audacieux89 256]

2 hours ago, Jmoses said:

What I want is to change her last name to my last name, so what should I do going forward?

When you got the marriage license, did she change her name on the license?

[Jmoses 1]

10 minutes ago, audacieux89 said:

When you got the marriage license, did she change her name on the license?

No, they said I had to her present name on the license. 

[Georgia16 2,858]

20 minutes ago, audacieux89 said:

When you got the marriage license, did she change her name on the license?

That has nothing to do with it. Our Marriage certificate also states my maiden name. The certificate is still a proof of name change if I wanted to.

[audacieux89 256]

2 hours ago, Georgia16 said:

That has nothing to do with it. Our Marriage certificate also states my maiden name. The certificate is still a proof of name change if I wanted to.

Of course it should reflect the maiden name. What I was pertaining to was if OP's spouse declared the name change on the marriage license. My marriage license and certificate has a portion at the very bottom regarding "NEW NAMES".

 

When we got our marriage license here in Alameda County in Northern California, the county clerk office officer said that name changes can only be made during the application of the marriage license. Changes could not be made after that. I would assume that if I did want to change my last name after purchasing the marriage license and the marriage ceremony, I would have to file an amendment to my marriage record, etc.

 

FYI you might find this helpful for your case @Jmoses http://statelaws.findlaw.com/maryland-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-maryland.html

 

Quote

1. Identify and Follow the Correct Maryland Legal Name Change Process

Marriage

Tying the knot is the most common time for changing names. A large majority of women take their husband's name when getting married. Other couples will take one partner's last name, hyphenate their names together, or agree on some form of combined name.

Maryland recognizes all of these options. Anyone can take any name after getting married in the Old Line State. You just have to do so consistently and without any fraudulent or illegal purpose.

Once married, a copy of your marriage certificate will be sufficient to change your name with the Social Security Administration and the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.

http://www.courts.state.md.us/clerks/calvert/faqsmarriage.html

Edited November 18, 2017 by audacieux89

[doggieandsam 765]

2 hours ago, audacieux89 said:

Of course it should reflect the maiden name. What I was pertaining to was if OP's spouse declared the name change on the marriage license. My marriage license and certificate has a portion at the very bottom regarding "NEW NAMES".

 

When we got our marriage license here in Alameda County in Northern California, the county clerk office officer said that name changes can only be made during the application of the marriage license. Changes could not be made after that. I would assume that if I did want to change my last name after purchasing the marriage license and the marriage ceremony, I would have to file an amendment to my marriage record, etc.

 

FYI you might find this helpful for your case @Jmoses http://statelaws.findlaw.com/maryland-law/how-to-change-your-name-in-maryland.html

 

http://www.courts.state.md.us/clerks/calvert/faqsmarriage.html

It varies from state to state. Here is VA for example, our marriage license does not have a part that asks for new names.

Edited November 18, 2017 by iamdegie