Name Change and Lifting of Conditions

[Shane & Len 11]

Hello all,

I apologize if this has been asked elsewhere, I couldn't find anything.  We are about 3 weeks from mailing the I 751 and due to a number of circumstances my wife has not yet had her name changed.  She wants to do this so that her 10 year card would reflect her new last name.  Just as everything came together so we could apply for the name change - Covid19 shut everything down and our window has been lost.

Long story short.  Is it wiser to wait until after the new 10 year card is issued and then go back for a new card after the name change.  Or, can we simply add additional paperwork to the application showing the name change has done?  There is obviously no documentation, showing her with a new last name at this point.  Our marriage license lists her with her maiden name.  We felt at the time it was the better way to go rather than lose months and months in the Philippines waiting for name change documents and passport updates there.  She needs her passport for work related travel and could not afford the delays that we believed we would face then.

I know we should have gotten it done sooner once she had immigrated.  But we didn't.  We got comfortable and just lived - now we need to find the best path forward.

 

A short novel for a short question - wait or move forward with name change?  We prefer to get the name change done quickly as she needs to renew her passport soon anyway but not sure what documentation should be included with the I751 if we do so.

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks

 

[Just Paul 4,591]

11 minutes ago, Shane & Len said:

Hello all,

I apologize if this has been asked elsewhere, I couldn't find anything.  We are about 3 weeks from mailing the I 751 and due to a number of circumstances my wife has not yet had her name changed.  She wants to do this so that her 10 year card would reflect her new last name.  Just as everything came together so we could apply for the name change - Covid19 shut everything down and our window has been lost.

Long story short.  Is it wiser to wait until after the new 10 year card is issued and then go back for a new card after the name change.  Or, can we simply add additional paperwork to the application showing the name change has done?  There is obviously no documentation, showing her with a new last name at this point.  Our marriage license lists her with her maiden name.  We felt at the time it was the better way to go rather than lose months and months in the Philippines waiting for name change documents and passport updates there.  She needs her passport for work related travel and could not afford the delays that we believed we would face then.

I know we should have gotten it done sooner once she had immigrated.  But we didn't.  We got comfortable and just lived - now we need to find the best path forward.

 

A short novel for a short question - wait or move forward with name change?  We prefer to get the name change done quickly as she needs to renew her passport soon anyway but not sure what documentation should be included with the I751 if we do so.

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks

 

You might want to split into 2 questions with the passport being the Philippines section. Depending on what you wife wants to do with retaining her Filipino citizenship may factor into the choices.  Mary got her new (married) passport while we were in Mexico. (They wouldn't issue it the the Philippines since we didn't have a recorded copy of the ROM plus it was a 6+ week wait for an appointment.)  Her name is listed the Filipino way - First Name (actually two), Maiden Name, Last Name.   Her visa and green card were issues fIrst name and last name.

 

Since she changed her last name for her passport they let her keep her old passport while waiting.   They considered it a new passport not a renewal.  Check with  the consulate here to make sure.

 

I haven't done a name change other than with AOS and Citizenship.  So I'm not sure the best way to do it at ROC.

 

 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

Drivers license?  SS card?  Why didnt you file the petition with her married name?

Do the Philippine consulates do a recorded name change here in the US?  It’s like a notation + a stamp

Edited May 9, 2020 by Nitas_man

[Shane & Len 11]

1 hour ago, Nitas_man said:

Drivers license?  SS card?  Why didnt you file the petition with her married name?

Do the Philippine consulates do a recorded name change here in the US?  It’s like a notation + a stamp

SS card, Drivers License, all documents in her current (maiden) name.  Like I said, at the time, it was easier and faster to leave it that way and we were racing deadlines of our own - we even got expedited at NVC.  Just trying to figure out the best way to go from here.

 

Her married name is her maiden name - due to the document timelines at the time we decided to wait on changing her last name until later.

 

[Phoenix777 73]

I would advise first get 10 y green card and then change the name or do it during the naturalization. Especially during these crazy slow times due to Covid. Good luck 

[Shane & Len 11]

On 5/9/2020 at 8:52 PM, Phoenix777 said:

I would advise first get 10 y green card and then change the name or do it during the naturalization. Especially during these crazy slow times due to Covid. Good luck 

Thank you.  

[SB5130 88]

On 5/9/2020 at 1:30 PM, Shane & Len said:

Hello all,

I apologize if this has been asked elsewhere, I couldn't find anything.  We are about 3 weeks from mailing the I 751 and due to a number of circumstances my wife has not yet had her name changed.  She wants to do this so that her 10 year card would reflect her new last name.  Just as everything came together so we could apply for the name change - Covid19 shut everything down and our window has been lost.

Long story short.  Is it wiser to wait until after the new 10 year card is issued and then go back for a new card after the name change.  Or, can we simply add additional paperwork to the application showing the name change has done?  There is obviously no documentation, showing her with a new last name at this point.  Our marriage license lists her with her maiden name.  We felt at the time it was the better way to go rather than lose months and months in the Philippines waiting for name change documents and passport updates there.  She needs her passport for work related travel and could not afford the delays that we believed we would face then.

I know we should have gotten it done sooner once she had immigrated.  But we didn't.  We got comfortable and just lived - now we need to find the best path forward.

 

A short novel for a short question - wait or move forward with name change?  We prefer to get the name change done quickly as she needs to renew her passport soon anyway but not sure what documentation should be included with the I751 if we do so.

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks

 

If you havent sent out I751 yet, you can change name at ROC. I successfully changed mine during ROC. 

 

What I did was, make sure to fill up the forms in married name, make sure to attach marriage certificate (even if it didnt have a married name in it.), add IDs in married name (Drivers license, passport etc) since changing PH maiden name is a little different from US. Just to ensure it's done correctly.

Edited May 11, 2020 by SB5130