I-864-Prinicipal Immigrant Name-Marriage name or Maiden name?

[gmf3000 9]

This is a little confusing. For the I-864 when you are listing the name for the principal immigrant/beneficiary, do you list the name in the passport or the marriage name? My wife's marriage name is not the one in her passport, it is her maiden name in the passport. The reason I am asking is because the DS-260 they want the name in the passport. So also, what name is printed on the green card? This is kind of confusing and there are no straight forward answers when I contact the embassy. Has anyone been through this or know what exactly is the correct answer?

[smilingstone 393]

You provide her current legal name, which, if married, is typically the married name. Except for the DS-260, if it specifically asks for the name detailed in the passport.

 

I would assume on documents asking for the beneficiary's information, it asks for her current name and any previous names used. This is where you would list her name prior to marriage.

 

On my I-485, I did this, and on any relating docs, I am detailed under my married name, despite my passport showing my previous name.

Edited May 21 by smilingstone

[gmf3000 9]

7 minutes ago, smilingstone said:

You provide her current legal name, which, if married, is typically the married name. Except for the DS-260, if it specifically asks for the name detailed in the passport.

 

I would assume on documents asking for the beneficiary's information, it asks for her current name and any previous names used. This is where you would list her name prior to marriage.

 

On my I-485, I did this, and on any relating docs, I am detailed under my married name, despite my passport showing my previous name.

Thanks. In that case, what name is printed on the green card?

[smilingstone 393]

7 minutes ago, gmf3000 said:

Thanks. In that case, what name is printed on the green card?

 

I would guess the married name, if that is what is detailed as her current legal name.

[OldUser 9,222]

1 hour ago, gmf3000 said:

This is a little confusing. For the I-864 when you are listing the name for the principal immigrant/beneficiary, do you list the name in the passport or the marriage name? My wife's marriage name is not the one in her passport, it is her maiden name in the passport. The reason I am asking is because the DS-260 they want the name in the passport. So also, what name is printed on the green card? This is kind of confusing and there are no straight forward answers when I contact the embassy. Has anyone been through this or know what exactly is the correct answer?

Did she take your last name when she married your or she didn't? She didn't have to. But if she did, she can use married name. If she never took your last name, she can continue using her maiden name.

[gmf3000 9]

10 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Did she take your last name when she married your or she didn't? She didn't have to. But if she did, she can use married name. If she never took your last name, she can continue using her maiden name.

She took my last name when we got married. Thats why its a bit confusing because the DS 260 wants the passport name regardless if its the married name or not. Thats why im also curious what name will the green card be in then. Because the I 130 was approved in the married name as well. But for some reason the DS 260 has everything in the passport name.

Edited May 22 by gmf3000

[OldUser 9,222]

1 minute ago, gmf3000 said:

She took my last name when we got married. Thats why its a bit confusing because the DS 260 wants the passport name regardless if its the married name or not. Thats why im also curious what name will the green card be in then. Because the I 130 was approved in the married name as well. But for some reason the DS 260 has everything in the passport name.

She could've / should've updated name on passport after she married and changed name.

 

The green card may have different name to her passport name, this is common when people don't update passport. While a bit messy, it's not the end of the world. General recommendation is carrying marriage certificate to explain discrepancy of names on passport and GC.

[gmf3000 9]

6 minutes ago, OldUser said:

She could've / should've updated name on passport after she married and changed name.

 

The green card may have different name to her passport name, this is common when people don't update passport. While a bit messy, it's not the end of the world. General recommendation is carrying marriage certificate to explain discrepancy of names on passport and GC.

Passport wasnt updated due to the visitor visa being issued before marriage.

[OldUser 9,222]

11 minutes ago, gmf3000 said:

Passport wasnt updated due to the visitor visa being issued before marriage.

Generally, it's not an issue. Typically passport can be replaced and issuing country normally returns old passport after invalidating it. Tourist visa in old passport along with new passport (without visa in it) allows travelling to the US.

Edited May 22 by OldUser

[Edward and Jaycel 1,619]

1 hour ago, gmf3000 said:

But for some reason the DS 260 has everything in the passport name.

 

This is because the DS-260 information is what will be use by the IV Section in issuing and printing the visa which has to match the name in the passport into which it is placed. For the I-864 you should have no issue using her married name as that is the name you used in the I-130

[gmf3000 9]

30 minutes ago, Edward and Jaycel said:

 

This is because the DS-260 information is what will be use by the IV Section in issuing and printing the visa which has to match the name in the passport into which it is placed. For the I-864 you should have no issue using her married name as that is the name you used in the I-130

Thanks for clarifying. So how can you get the green card in the married name?

[Edward and Jaycel 1,619]

6 minutes ago, gmf3000 said:

Thanks for clarifying. So how can you get the green card in the married name?

 

Unfortunately I don't know how this would be done

[Lemonslice 5,167]

1 hour ago, gmf3000 said:

Thanks for clarifying. So how can you get the green card in the married name?

You need to update the passport before the interview/visa being issued. 

 

Other options:

- Requesting a new card in a different name after arrival by filing a i-90.  That's a few hundred extra $$

 

- Requesting card in married name during removal of conditions (if applicable), in about 2 years.

 

- Changing name when becoming a US citizen.

 

 

[S2N 120]

A lot has been written on this before but the short version is:

—The visa will be issued in the name of her passport, and the green card will be issued in the name on the visa.
—What you put on the I-130 or DS-260 doesn’t matter. They’ll still issue the visa since they can figure out who the person is, but it’ll be in the name on the passport. DS-260 you should use the passport name, but if you already submitted and didn’t they’ll be able to figure it out.

—If having her green card in the passport name is important, change the passport name before the interview

—If she is from a country where it’s not common to change last names upon marriage, it’s easiest to just wait until naturalization. This is basically all of Latin America (unsure of where she’s from.)

—It’s cheaper and easier to change to married names upon naturalization than to change the green card after issuance.

 

 

Edited May 26 by S2N

[pushbrk 13,478]

4 hours ago, S2N said:

A lot has been written on this before but the short version is:

—The visa will be issued in the name of her passport, and the green card will be issued in the name on the visa.
—What you put on the I-130 or DS-260 doesn’t matter. They’ll still issue the visa since they can figure out who the person is, but it’ll be in the name on the passport. DS-260 you should use the passport name, but if you already submitted and didn’t they’ll be able to figure it out.

—If having her green card in the passport name is important, change the passport name before the interview

—If she is from a country where it’s not common to change last names upon marriage, it’s easiest to just wait until naturalization. This is basically all of Latin America (unsure of where she’s from.)

—It’s cheaper and easier to change to married names upon naturalization than to change the green card after issuance.

 

 

It is not advisable to have the green card changed, so it doesn't match the passport.  First step is get a new passport.  Should have been done long ago, if she wants to use married name.