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cwespalmore

Help w/ Name Change

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I need help figuring out what to do with my wife's name. She is from the Philippines. When we met, she had two first names 1 2, her moms last name has her middle name 3, and her fathers last name 4. When we got married, she took my last name 5 and changed her middle to her previous last name. 

 

The issue is the different ways they have her name. After we got married, ss let her change her name to F12 M4 L5. Drivers license wanted it F12 M3 L4. During green card process they wanted it F12 M4 L5. Wife got her citizenship and certificate today, but they said it had to me F12 M3 L5. 

 

So she has all these different names on card, certificates, etc bc each seemed to have their own way how they wanted to do the name and we are lost at what to do. Thanks and sorry for the long post!

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Since she now has citizenship she can change her name to whatever she wants.. the gc is no longer applicable to her, so it’s really just getting the citizenship certificate, ssn and DL to align

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  • I-485 etc filed 23 April 2020 
  • NOA1 I-485 June 3 2020 
  • NOA1 EAD 23 April 2020
  • Biometrics 5 Jan 2021
  • EAD approved 12 March 2021
  • Interview Completed 24 March 2021
  • EAD Card Received 1 April 2021  
  • Case under review 2 April 2021
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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
Timeline

Was she not able to change it during the Citizenship process?

🇷🇺 CR-1 via DCF (Dec 2016-Jun 2017) & I-751 ROC (Apr 2019-Oct 2019)🌹

Spoiler

Info about my DCF Moscow* experience here and here

26-Jul-2016: Married abroad in Russia 👩‍❤️‍👨 See guide here
21-Dec-2016: I-130 filed at Moscow USCIS field office*
29-Dec-2016: I-130 approved! Yay! 🎊 

17-Jan-2017: Case number received

21-Mar-2017: Medical Exam completed

24-Mar-2017: Interview at Embassy - approved! 🎉

29-Mar-2017: CR-1 Visa received (via mail)

02-Apr-2017: USCIS Immigrant (GC) Fee paid

28-Jun-2017: Port of Entry @ PDX 🛩️

21-Jul-2017: No SSN after three weeks; applied in person at the SSA

22-Jul-2017: GC arrived in the mail 📬

31-Jul-2017: SSN arrived via mail, hurrah!

 

*NOTE: The USCIS Field Office in Moscow is now CLOSED as of February 28th, 2019.

 

Removal of Conditions - MSC Service Center

 28-Jun-2019: Conditional GC expires

30-Mar-2019: Eligible to apply for ROC

01-Apr-2019: ROC in the mail to Phoenix AZ lockbox! 📫

03-Apr-2019: ROC packet delivered to lockbox

09-Apr-2019: USCIS cashed check

09-Apr-2019: Case number received via text - MSC 📲

12-Apr-2019: Extension letter arrives via mail

19-Apr-2019: Biometrics letter arrives via mail

30-Apr-2019: Biometrics appointment at local office

26-Jun-2019: Case ready to be scheduled for interview 

04-Sep-2019: Interview was scheduled - letter to arrive in mail

09-Sep-2019: Interview letter arrived in the mail! ✉️

17-Oct-2019: Interview scheduled @ local USCIS  

18-Oct-2019: Interview cancelled & notice ordered*

18-Oct-2019: Case was approved! 🎉

22-Oct-2019: Card was mailed to me 📨

23-Oct-2019: Card was picked by USPS 

25-Oct-2019: 10 year GC Card received in mail 📬

 

*I don't understand this status because we DID have an interview!

 

🇺🇸 N-400 Application for Naturalization (Apr 2020-Jun 2021) 🛂

Spoiler

Filed during Covid-19 & moved states 1 month after filing

30-Mar-2020: N-400 early filing window opens!

01-Apr-2020: Filed N-400 online 💻 

02-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received online 📃

07-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received via mail

05-May-2020: Moved to another state, filed AR-11 online

05-May-2020: Application transferred to another USCIS field office for review ➡️

15-May-2020: AR-11 request to change address completed

16-Jul-2020: Filed non-receipt inquiry due to never getting confirmation that case was transferred to new field office

15-Oct-2020: Received generic response to non-receipt inquiry, see full response here

10-Feb-2021: Contacted senator's office for help with USCIS

12-Feb-2021: Received canned response from senator's office that case is within processing time 😡

16-Feb-2021: Contacted other senator's office for help with USCIS - still no biometrics

19-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice - canned response from other senator's office 🌐

23-Feb-2021: Interview scheduled - notice to come in the mail

25-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice arrives via mail

01-Mar-2021: Interview notice letter arrives via mail  ✉️ 

29-Mar-2021: Passed interview at local office! Oath Ceremony to be scheduled

13-Apr-2021: Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

04-May-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 Unable to attend due to illness

04-May-2021: Mailed request to reschedule Oath to local office

05-May-2021: "You did not attend your Oath Ceremony" - notice to come in the mail

06-May-2021: Oath Ceremony will be scheduled, date TBA

12-May-2021: Oath Ceremony re-scheduled for June 3rd, then de-scheduled same day 😡 

25-May-2021: New Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

16-Jun-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 - DONE!!

17-Jun-2021: Certificate of Naturalization issued

 

🎆 Members new and old: don't forget to fill in your VJ timeline! 🎇 https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

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Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Brazil
Timeline
7 hours ago, cwespalmore said:

I need help figuring out what to do with my wife's name. She is from the Philippines. When we met, she had two first names 1 2, her moms last name has her middle name 3, and her fathers last name 4. When we got married, she took my last name 5 and changed her middle to her previous last name. 

 

The issue is the different ways they have her name. After we got married, ss let her change her name to F12 M4 L5. Drivers license wanted it F12 M3 L4. During green card process they wanted it F12 M4 L5. Wife got her citizenship and certificate today, but they said it had to me F12 M3 L5. 

 

So she has all these different names on card, certificates, etc bc each seemed to have their own way how they wanted to do the name and we are lost at what to do. Thanks and sorry for the long post!

You posted all the different ways but didn't say what she wants to do. Does she want to remove any name? Does she want to include a new name? 

 

I have 5 names (2 firsts, 3 last, in brazil we don't have middle names). If I included my spouse's name it would be 6, so I decided not to do it. I then had the same issues as her. All my IDs, cards have different variations of my name because they can never fit the whole thing in their systems. I went to court and changed my name to just one first and one last name.

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1 hour ago, Ayrton said:

You posted all the different ways but didn't say what she wants to do. Does she want to remove any name? Does she want to include a new name? 

 

I have 5 names (2 firsts, 3 last, in brazil we don't have middle names). If I included my spouse's name it would be 6, so I decided not to do it. I then had the same issues as her. All my IDs, cards have different variations of my name because they can never fit the whole thing in their systems. I went to court and changed my name to just one first and one last name.

She would like to keep her name 12 4 5. Her original first two names, her maiden name as her middle, and my last name as her last. We had it changed this way at social security when we got married. When she had her citizenship interview two days ago and today at the oath ceremony, they said she couldn't change her middle name to her previous last name because that's not how it read on her birth certificate, despite social security changing it when we got married. 

 

Now that the green cards aren't an issue since they took them, I was wondering what the best way to get the certificate changed is. Or should she just keep it and get used to it.  Thanks!

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
Timeline
12 minutes ago, cwespalmore said:

When she had her citizenship interview two days ago and today at the oath ceremony, they said she couldn't change her middle name to her previous last name because that's not how it read on her birth certificate, despite social security changing it when we got married. 

I just thought there was an option to do an official name change during citizenship, and I assumed that would result in the certificate having the preferred, changed name. Was that not an option?

🇷🇺 CR-1 via DCF (Dec 2016-Jun 2017) & I-751 ROC (Apr 2019-Oct 2019)🌹

Spoiler

Info about my DCF Moscow* experience here and here

26-Jul-2016: Married abroad in Russia 👩‍❤️‍👨 See guide here
21-Dec-2016: I-130 filed at Moscow USCIS field office*
29-Dec-2016: I-130 approved! Yay! 🎊 

17-Jan-2017: Case number received

21-Mar-2017: Medical Exam completed

24-Mar-2017: Interview at Embassy - approved! 🎉

29-Mar-2017: CR-1 Visa received (via mail)

02-Apr-2017: USCIS Immigrant (GC) Fee paid

28-Jun-2017: Port of Entry @ PDX 🛩️

21-Jul-2017: No SSN after three weeks; applied in person at the SSA

22-Jul-2017: GC arrived in the mail 📬

31-Jul-2017: SSN arrived via mail, hurrah!

 

*NOTE: The USCIS Field Office in Moscow is now CLOSED as of February 28th, 2019.

 

Removal of Conditions - MSC Service Center

 28-Jun-2019: Conditional GC expires

30-Mar-2019: Eligible to apply for ROC

01-Apr-2019: ROC in the mail to Phoenix AZ lockbox! 📫

03-Apr-2019: ROC packet delivered to lockbox

09-Apr-2019: USCIS cashed check

09-Apr-2019: Case number received via text - MSC 📲

12-Apr-2019: Extension letter arrives via mail

19-Apr-2019: Biometrics letter arrives via mail

30-Apr-2019: Biometrics appointment at local office

26-Jun-2019: Case ready to be scheduled for interview 

04-Sep-2019: Interview was scheduled - letter to arrive in mail

09-Sep-2019: Interview letter arrived in the mail! ✉️

17-Oct-2019: Interview scheduled @ local USCIS  

18-Oct-2019: Interview cancelled & notice ordered*

18-Oct-2019: Case was approved! 🎉

22-Oct-2019: Card was mailed to me 📨

23-Oct-2019: Card was picked by USPS 

25-Oct-2019: 10 year GC Card received in mail 📬

 

*I don't understand this status because we DID have an interview!

 

🇺🇸 N-400 Application for Naturalization (Apr 2020-Jun 2021) 🛂

Spoiler

Filed during Covid-19 & moved states 1 month after filing

30-Mar-2020: N-400 early filing window opens!

01-Apr-2020: Filed N-400 online 💻 

02-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received online 📃

07-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received via mail

05-May-2020: Moved to another state, filed AR-11 online

05-May-2020: Application transferred to another USCIS field office for review ➡️

15-May-2020: AR-11 request to change address completed

16-Jul-2020: Filed non-receipt inquiry due to never getting confirmation that case was transferred to new field office

15-Oct-2020: Received generic response to non-receipt inquiry, see full response here

10-Feb-2021: Contacted senator's office for help with USCIS

12-Feb-2021: Received canned response from senator's office that case is within processing time 😡

16-Feb-2021: Contacted other senator's office for help with USCIS - still no biometrics

19-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice - canned response from other senator's office 🌐

23-Feb-2021: Interview scheduled - notice to come in the mail

25-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice arrives via mail

01-Mar-2021: Interview notice letter arrives via mail  ✉️ 

29-Mar-2021: Passed interview at local office! Oath Ceremony to be scheduled

13-Apr-2021: Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

04-May-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 Unable to attend due to illness

04-May-2021: Mailed request to reschedule Oath to local office

05-May-2021: "You did not attend your Oath Ceremony" - notice to come in the mail

06-May-2021: Oath Ceremony will be scheduled, date TBA

12-May-2021: Oath Ceremony re-scheduled for June 3rd, then de-scheduled same day 😡 

25-May-2021: New Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

16-Jun-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 - DONE!!

17-Jun-2021: Certificate of Naturalization issued

 

🎆 Members new and old: don't forget to fill in your VJ timeline! 🎇 https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

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Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Brazil
Timeline
4 minutes ago, cwespalmore said:

She would like to keep her name 12 4 5. Her original first two names, her maiden name as her middle, and my last name as her last. We had it changed this way at social security when we got married. When she had her citizenship interview two days ago and today at the oath ceremony, they said she couldn't change her middle name to her previous last name because that's not how it read on her birth certificate, despite social security changing it when we got married. 

 

Now that the green cards aren't an issue since they took them, I was wondering what the best way to get the certificate changed is. Or should she just keep it and get used to it.  Thanks!

I don't think you can change the name on the certificate. When you do naturalization, you have the option to change the name to anything you want. 

 

I think her only option now is getting it changed in the court. She will use the court order to get a passport with the new name, DL with the new name.

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1 hour ago, millefleur said:

I just thought there was an option to do an official name change during citizenship, and I assumed that would result in the certificate having the preferred, changed name. Was that not an option?

Maybe for last name. She wanted her middle name to match our marriage certificate and her social security card. They specifically said during her citizenship interview and then again after she took her oath that her name first and middle name had to match her original birth certificate. I guess $500 to the court for a name change it is. Thanks everyone!

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I know when we filled out the application it had a section if she wanted to change her name. She chose No because her green card and social security card had the name correct as she wanted it. But the one who interviewed her said it needed to match her birth certificate and said she couldn't change it. Ugh maybe they were being quick with everything going on. She was in and out in 15 mins, didn't even ask her 5 questions.

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