N-400 name change (by marriage)

[IvanaJ 0]

I'm about to file my N-400. When I filled my very first request for a GC years ago I didn't know how the system worked so I filled everything in my maiden name. Then my GC got issued with my maiden name and I never fixed it. Now I'm filing for citizenship and I finally want to correct this.

 

There is an option for name change in N-400, but in the instructions it says "You do not need to request a name change if your name has changed through marriage, divorce, or other court order.". What would be the best/easiest way to go about this? Should I go to SS, DMV and bank just with my marriage certificate, change it, then file the N-400 under my new name - so under my Legal name I would write my husband's last name and name as it appears on my GC I would put my maiden name; or should I request the name change through N-400 first, wait for the certificate of naturalization and then go to the SS and DMV?

[Mollie09 1,543]

File N-400 with the name you want, list your maiden name under your "other names". The N-400 will ask for your marriage certificate so you can use that as a name change document.

Use your marriage certificate as proof of name change for anything you need, starting with SS then DMV. Doing this first might simplify things, but it's not necessary.

 

Does your marriage certificate specify a name change?

 

[IvanaJ 0]

43 minutes ago, Mollie09 said:

File N-400 with the name you want, list your maiden name under your "other names". The N-400 will ask for your marriage certificate so you can use that as a name change document.

Use your marriage certificate as proof of name change for anything you need, starting with SS then DMV. Doing this first might simplify things, but it's not necessary.

 

Does your marriage certificate specify a name change?

 

Thank you for your reply. No it doesn’t... it just says his name and my maiden name. That’s why things got screwed up in a first place. Where I come from, after the ceremony you sign a paper where you choose your last name and you go from there. Nothing of that sorts happened to me so I filed my original GC paperwork under my maiden name and it’s been dragging on for years, with the condition removal etc. I feel like right now (before I file N-400) I should get this straightened out but my husband is worried that it will impact my immigration process since my GC name won’t be matching my new legálny name (in a case if I need to show it to someone, however I do have a state ID)...

[Mollie09 1,543]

This is the best time to fix it, honestly. Well, might have been better before, but now is better than later in my opinion.

It's ok that your green card won't match your legal name.