Maiden name or married name

[Briberry 65]

I recently got married and signed the marriage certificate with my maiden name, the paperwork didn’t give an option for a married name. I am in the us on a K1 visa and am looking to adjust my status, should I fill out the I485 using my maiden name or am I able to begin using my married name?

 

If not, how can I go about changing my name before submitting my paperwork?

 

I wasn’t aware that I was able to get an ssn when I entered the country, so I didn’t get one before my i94 expired. 

 

 Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[JFH 12,189]

You can use whichever name you wish. You are not required to change your name. It’s a personal choice how you wish to be known. 

[payxibka 10,044]

5 minutes ago, Briberry said:

I recently got married and signed the marriage certificate with my maiden name, the paperwork didn’t give an option for a married name. I am in the us on a K1 visa and am looking to adjust my status, should I fill out the I485 using my maiden name or am I able to begin using my married name?

 

If not, how can I go about changing my name before submitting my paperwork?

 

I wasn’t aware that I was able to get an ssn when I entered the country, so I didn’t get one before my i94 expired. 

 

 Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You fill out the i485 in the name you want on your green card. 

[Briberry 65]

I would like to use my husbands last name, would my paperwork be rejected if I put his name as my “legal name” and list my maiden name as “other name used”?

[SalishSea 16,769]

1 minute ago, Briberry said:

I would like to use my husbands last name, would my paperwork be rejected if I put his name as my “legal name” and list my maiden name as “other name used”?

No, why would it?  The marriage certificate itself serves as the legal name change document, and obviously you will be including that in the AOS packet.

[Briberry 65]

Just now, Jorgedig said:

No, why would it?  The marriage certificate itself serves as the legal name change document, and obviously you will be including that in the AOS packet.

It is just a bit confusing for me, because the marriage certificate and all my other Id’s have my maiden name, I just want to be sure that if I put my new name down that I won’t be hit with an RFE or rejection. I tried calling uscis multiple times, but no one had an answer for me.

[payxibka 10,044]

6 minutes ago, Briberry said:

It is just a bit confusing for me, because the marriage certificate and all my other Id’s have my maiden name, I just want to be sure that if I put my new name down that I won’t be hit with an RFE or rejection. I tried calling uscis multiple times, but no one had an answer for me.

The uscis is the worst source of advice.   Right up there next to Facebook and YouTube 

[aratamorne 164]

We completed the AoS with my wife's married name as that was the name she was taking after marriage.  You complete the form with the name you will keep now that you are married.  The only place you will most likely list your maiden name is where they ask for your name as it appears on the I-94.  No issues for us or RFE.

[aratamorne 164]

The marriage certificate lists your maiden name as that was your name when you were married.  It would not list a different name.

[Briberry 65]

2 minutes ago, aratamorne said:

We completed the AoS with my wife's married name as that was the name she was taking after marriage.  You complete the form with the name you will keep now that you are married.  The only place you will most likely list your maiden name is where they ask for your name as it appears on the I-94.  No issues for us or RFE.

Did your wife sign the marriage certificate with her married name? And did they send the GC and SSN in her maiden name or married name?

 

 Thank you so much for answering, it’s good to know that there are other people in my situation that has everything turn out ok!

[Briberry 65]

2 minutes ago, aratamorne said:

The marriage certificate lists your maiden name as that was your name when you were married.  It would not list a different name.

Thank you for the clarification! I really do appreciate it. I feel a bit silly after reading some of these replies for being so stressed!

[aratamorne 164]

The marriage certificate was signed with her Maiden as that was her name when she married me.  Her EAD, AP, and GC were all issued in her married name.  And it was even more complicated for her as she is Filipina, her middle name gets dropped and her maiden last name becomes her new middle name 🙂  When we did biometrics they confirmed the name change was what she wanted, but that was the extent of it.  Everything went smoothly.  Relax, take your time, there are no dumb questions when going through this process.  The folks on here are always willing to help each other.

Edited May 28, 2020 by aratamorne

[Briberry 65]

11 minutes ago, aratamorne said:

The marriage certificate was signed with her Maiden as that was her name when she married me.  Her EAD, AP, and GC were all issued in her married name.  And it was even more complicated for her as she is Filipina, her middle name gets dropped and her maiden last name becomes her new middle name 🙂  When we did biometrics they confirmed the name change was what she wanted, but that was the extent of it.  Everything went smoothly.  Relax, take your time, there are no dumb questions when going through this process.  The folks on here are always willing to help each other.

The folks on VJ are definitely very helpful, thank you so much for your advice and kind words!

[SalishSea 16,769]

3 hours ago, Briberry said:

Did your wife sign the marriage certificate with her married name?

This isn't how it is done.  At least, not in my state.  My husband and I both signed our original names, and since then I have used that document as evidence of my name change.  There is no other "official" name change document.  It is what I used to change my name on my US passport, social security card, at my work place, driver's license etc.

[Just Paul 4,591]

3 hours ago, aratamorne said:

And it was even more complicated for her as she is Filipina, her middle name gets dropped and her maiden last name becomes her new middle name

I have no idea what my wife's real Filipina name is anymore . . . even with her "married" passport. But that's a whole other story.

 

@Briberry, I asked friends in NYC that got married last fall what they did.  She just took the marriage license to social security and filed for the green card in her husband's last name.  She got her EAD/AP no problem in March.   Hasn't been out of the house since