US Immigration from Netherlands

When we filed our I-130 we were under the assumption we would be able to change my last name to my husbands name, and in the documentation of the I-130 it said you could fill in your married name as long as you provided a copy of the marriage certificate. So we did. We filed about 7-8 months ago, and we're hoping to be able to go to the next stage soon. As we're looking to change my last name, the Dutch government told us that I am unable to do so. You can only change your surname in very specific circumstances, and getting married isn't one of them. I still find this a little difficult to believe, but all evidence points to the fact that they were correct.

Instead, you can add a field in your passport ("e/v") which translated means, "spouse of", and then have your married name written there. I would really like my GC (and all subsequent documentation) to have my married name rather than my maiden name.

My question: What should we fill out on the DS260?

1.) Do we use my maiden name and fill in my married name under "other names"

or

2.) Do we use my married name and fill in my maiden name under "other names"

I understand that option 1 would not produce the desired result of having my married name on my GC, but I understand we might have to go down that path if option 2 is not allowed. Or is there any other option I'm not thinking of?

I read through this whole thread and I'm not clear on the exact details. I had an I-130 for a parent approved almost a year ago (February 2023) but we have not started the NVC process. I logged into the CEAC with the credentials given in the welcome letter. Is logging in sufficient to keep the case open? In the pinned post it seems like more is needed, including submitting DS-260, but this is Step 6 in the NVC process, so I am confused. Any advice appreciated!

Hi all,

My case got DQ'ed late November and my wife just gave birth to our son. On January 23 I have my interview.

I want to use the belt and suspenders approach to minimize any risk, thus I bringing an updated affidavit with me to the interview.

I am simply adding 1 dependent child to the i864 of my wife and let her sign it.

My actual question is: do the i864 of my joint sponsor and the i864a of the js spouse need to update anything in theirs?

I found this thread, but I was unable to figure it out:

Thank you all for helping!

Background: I have a 10 year GC that will expire in Spring 2024. Atm I am living abroad, waiting on my Re-Entry Permit approval for the last ~7 months.

I used a lawyer to help me apply for the Re-Entry Permit at the beginning of the year, and recently inquired about help with my GC renewal since I will be abroad until Summer 2024. The fee for the lawyer would be more than $3000; is this worth it? It seems like a crazy large amount to me.... But will I run into any problems applying for the renewal because of the situation I am in? Or is it the same straightforward application as it would be if I was in the currently in the US?

Has anyone here dealt with GC renewal while abroad temporarily? Any advice would be appreciated.

Hello! finally after 2 years I am reunited with my husband in california and now I am busy arranging practical matters.. I need to transfer money from my dutch bank account to my new American bank account. Does anyone know the rules regarding foreign transactions? Are there any limits on the amount that I should be aware of? thank you!