Legal Name

[serrld113 0]

I'm about to apply for naturalization based on 5 years. I recently married and went to change my name (not to my spouse's but rather to shorten my 6 names to 2). The Social Security office had no problem, they just had to run it by DHS so it took a few weeks to get the all clear and my new card with my new name came in last week! But then I went to the DMV in Florida and they told me that my legal name was the one on my Permanent Resident card and not the one on my SS card and that they wouldn't change my name on my Driver License till I got my immigration document changed.

 

Now, my question is pertaining to the application. At the top of the form I get to put in my "Legal Name" (Part 2.1) and then after that (Part 2.2) I get to put in my name exactly as it appears on my Permanent Resident card. I am now confused since FL DMV refused to take the name on my SS card as my legal name. What is my legal name?? And why in the world would they have the option to differentiate between a legal name and your green card name if the states won't???

[marcusa 31]

3 hours ago, serrld113 said:

I recently married and went to change my name (not to my spouse's but rather to shorten my 6 names to 2). The Social Security office had no problem

 

how did you change your legal name in the U.S. ?  do you have legal document showing the name changed ? this legal document will be the official evidence for your name change .

 

in my experience with legal name change, i changed my name through local court order. (dont know if the name change through marriage in the U.S. has the same type of legal document ) bring  the legal documents with you and then visit SS office  and DMV for name change as well, then also your bank account and many others.

 

The current name on your green card does not necessarily need to be changed (USCIS takes 0.5-1 year and $$ to file name change on green card ),as you might need it to match the name on your passport for international travel. for these reasons, i dont recomment to change name on green card. plus, you will file N400 anyway, so it doesn't matter the green card has new name. 

 

later  when you fill the N400, it will ask your current legal name and it asks if your current legal name is the same on green card. Select NO, then leave the old legal name on the form as well. Once submit,  the legal name in USCIS system will be your new legal name and will show on all the USCIS documents. but please be aware that you need to always have the copy of your name change legal document with you whenever you are dealing with USCIS before your oath day and receive your certificate(new name). for instance, when you take your fingerprint, you need to bring GC(old name) and legal document(showing new legal name),as the biometrics notice( new legal name on it). The ASC staff needs to confirm your legal new name before proceeding. 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2017 by marcusa

[serrld113 0]

Here in the U.S. a marriage certificate is a legal name change document. Which is what I used to change my name with the Social Security Administration. Like I said, the SS card is already changed and good. DMV told me to get the green card name changed, which I won't do, because it is absurd to spend that kind of money when I'm about to file for naturalization. I have the paperwork ready to ship out. I just want to make sure that if I put my new name as my legal name on the N400 it will be okay (which according to SSA my new name is my legal name...and since they had to get approval through DHS, I presume it is my legal name through DHS too).

 

FL DMV has put an annoying roadblock since because of them I won't be able to go to banks and such to change my new name on everything. They told me that since I'm about to file for naturalization, to just wait on that and bring in the certificate of naturalization with my new name on it to change my name on my DL.

[marcusa 31]

44 minutes ago, serrld113 said:

Here in the U.S. a marriage certificate is a legal name change document. Which is what I used to change my name with the Social Security Administration. Like I said, the SS card is already changed and good. DMV told me to get the green card name changed, which I won't do, because it is absurd to spend that kind of money when I'm about to file for naturalization. I have the paperwork ready to ship out. I just want to make sure that if I put my new name as my legal name on the N400 it will be okay (which according to SSA my new name is my legal name...and since they had to get approval through DHS, I presume it is my legal name through DHS too).

 

FL DMV has put an annoying roadblock since because of them I won't be able to go to banks and such to change my new name on everything. They told me that since I'm about to file for naturalization, to just wait on that and bring in the certificate of naturalization with my new name on it to change my name on my DL.

you have to stay with double-ID before your N400 approval,which is not an overnight process.

the DMV staff has no idea how the N400 is processed and how long it takes considering current situation. 

Edited December 8, 2017 by marcusa