thairath

Are you the petitioner or the beneficiary?

You should get the specifics from the benefits administrator at your job or the insurance company. My husband was covered (as my fiancee since he came on a K1) from the minute his plane landed in the U.S. and before he had a SSN. We also got married a week after he came here and applied for a SSN a couple of days later. Also, have you asked them specifically:

- Would your pregnant fiancee/wife (depending on how soon you get married) be covered under your insurance

- How soon could she get coverage after arriving and/or getting married (depending on what they cover)

- Does she need even need a SSN to get coverage? (We didn't)

Depending on the state you live in, the insurance company, and the plans your employer offers, you may have different options. We were able to get my fiance (now husband) coverage because my job offered plans same sex partner/committed relationship plans that were for both heterosexual and homosexual couples and didn't make a distinction between the two.

Lamest thread ever. If you don't like the questions asked, don't hang around. Not everyone is a native English speaker, has had experience with the beast that is American bureaucracy, uses a PC/Mac, approaches this whole immigration game through the same channels, or isn't frustrated and fretting about the process and doing it right. You don't get it your way, every day overly smug people complaining about the "caliber" of questions asked here.

You need to look at a copy of their marriage certificate to be absolutely certain what the actual date is.

Does your MIL even want to be here in the US or would she rather go back to live w/her boyfriend? Also, it doesn't even sound like this is going to get better once your BIL gets here. Where would the MIL go to live then? Would she and your BIL get a place together?

Sorry, I know this doesn't answer your question, but would be something to perhaps consider as you sort out the immediate problems. Sounds like a nasty situation for you and your wife - messy any way you look at it. Maybe if your MIL were forced to fend for herself for a time she might figure out that she needs money to fend for herself and that sending all of her money back home isn't going to work. Hope you are able to come to a manageable solution for all of this soon...

What were his reasons for getting that particular tattoo?

No, you do NOT need a letter as you were 26 years of age already and were not eligible to sign up for selective service. My husband was in a similar situation (he turned 26 then received his PR 4 months later) Good luck with your interview!

My husband was also in a similar situation and did need the letter. They asked for it at his interview and we were thankful we had it. Perhaps it varies with the interviewer...?

I will be going to my naturalization interview next week. On the interview letter they ask for evidence of selective service registration. I didn't register with selective services because I move to the US after my 26 birthday. My 26th birthday was in August and I move here in Dec on K-1 visa and I became permanent resident in April of the following year.

Can anyone tell me if I might still have to provide the interviewer with a status letter from selective services?

Was anyone in a similar position?

Info regarding how men in your exact situation need the letter and how to go about obtaining it: http://www.sss.gov/Status.html

Does she have a lot of work experience? It's hard right now for new grad nurses to find work in many areas right now.

Haha I know for the OP the point is moot, but I was offering advice for future readers who are in the divorce process and may be wondering about this

Good grief, here's hoping they find something more useful than this thread

It says MAY. This is not something to "agree to disagree" about unfortunately because your advice can make it harder for people in the future who think "ahh I'll worry about it later, after the divorce".

The best advice is, assume that it needs to be on your Judgment and decide BEFORE you sign it whether you want to change your name. If that changes after signing it, be aware there MAY be a need for a court order and that usually costs a bit of time and money. So don't just assume that divorce changes it. Assume it DOES need to be in the Judgment, DOES need to be decided prior to divorce and put some serious thought into it (just like you should with marriage). Then you won't be upset down the line if it doesn't work that way and you're forced to pay for it.

**Edit - also, mightn't hurt to check the rules in your home country (for the immigrant) because that might be different as well (as in Australia for example, the overseas marriage certificate is not enough).

Your original advice to the OP was that if the name change didn't appear on the original decree then they would need a court order, period. My original response was no, that's not true and I stand by that original advice in the context in which it was given. You have now twisted my advice to be "worry about it later" which is completely untrue. I do not appreciate having my responses twisted like this, don't understand why it was given, and am surprised since you usually give good, sound advice.

Again, you are wrong. In the state of Illinois for example the request must be included in the Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage with the Judges signature. I suspect you are not an attorney or you would know this.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/change-name-after-divorce-faq-29090.html

(Emphasis added)

Again, it varies from state to state. Preferably it's mentioned in the Judgment so that you're not hassled.

**Note - In Illinois for example, you need to take a certified copy of the Judgment, received from the courthouse, to the SSA. They will not accept a regular photocopy, needs to be a certified copy.

Says right in the passage you provided: "Even if your divorce papers don't show your name change, you may still be able to resume your former name without much fuss, especially if you still have some proof of that name, such as a birth certificate or old passport. In most states, you can simply begin using your former name consistently, and request that it be changed on all your personal records (see Changing Identification and Records)."

This means that all you need is a copy of the decree and can still have your name changed back to your maiden name simply by going to the SSA. I'm speaking from personal experience having taken a decree from one state and obtained a name change in another simply by going to Social Security with that document. Not interested in arguing with you and willing to agree to disagree.

Actually you're wrong. This varies from state to state, just like it does for marriage certificates. If there is an option to elect going back to her maiden and she didn't, then she will need a court order. If there is no option then it can be either. Usually there is an option.

No, I'm sorry this is not correct. Name changes are done at Social Security which is a federal agency - no variation state to state. Anytime a divorcee wishes to return to their maiden name, the divorce decree itself is the sole legal document necessary to do this, regardless of how that person's name appears on it (married or maiden name) and regardless of when the decree was issued. There is no time-limited option that you speak of. The procedure's the same as with a name change based on marriage.

IMO, if you show that to a supervisor at SSA office, that should be enough to facilitate them changing it, as it IS a court order showing the change.

Exactly, the document ITSELF is enough for a legal name change regardless of how your name appears on it (maiden or married name) and it doesn't matter if your divorce was last week or 10 years ago. Too much incorrect info on this topic here I'm afraid...

Didn't Rin & John obtain a court order of sole custody?

Go to your closest Thai Consulate General Office and apply. You will need to have a picture of you baby with Biometric data (finger prints), birth certificates (baby, mom & dad as well). You can have a picture taken and Biometric data done there as well. I am doing one for my child as well in Los Angeles.

Thank you very much for this information and good luck with everything!

The Center for Immigration Studies is an anti-immigration think tank. Something to keep in mind whilst reading this piece...

Well I guess I'm special because that's all I do.

And the passport you use to enter the US is from which country?

I changed my name after AOS but before removing conditions. We did it this way because there's so much paperwork involved with AOS - time-consuming process of adding him to all of our accounts, listing him as a beneficiary, going to Social Security, etc. - and thought it'd drive us crazy having to manage the process for both of us at the same time.

There's soooo much that happens when the beneficiary beau arrives that you may want to consider making it as easy as possible on yourselves even if that means postponing doing something you really want to do like changing your name. Either way, it'll happen.

We've just had a baby and want to register his birth and also get him a Thai passport. Does anyone know what the procedure is? I've looked on the websites of the Thai embassies here in the U.S. but the info is only in Thai. Thanks in advance!

What type of visa did you apply for - F1?

True but I have my mom as a co-sponsor and she makes much more than enough...so at the interview back at the consulate, the lady didn't even look at my stuff regarding money....I know: whole different ball game now!

So your mother is co-sponsoring your husband's AOS? If so, they may be asking for her most recent tax returns as well.

Regardless of the name (maiden or married) on the marriage certificate, it is considered a legal name change document. Some states list your name as the maiden name and others list names as married names. I was married in a state that listed my name as "Jane Doe" (maiden name) even though I went on to change my last name to my husband's name. As with everything, different states do different things...

it doesn't matter if you are k1 visa holder...but you MUST be married to be included in any kind of health insurance. A "girlfriend" status doesn't quailified...

This blanket statement about having to be married first is incorrect. As another poster said earlier (and in my case as well), fiance(e)s were able to be added to the health insurance plan - it is possible. Your fiance just needs to check w/his insurance company and mention that you will be here on a fiance(e) visa. That's what we did and the insurance coverage started the day (my now husband) entered the U.S.

Keeping couples and families together, I love it. Best of luck to you and other same-sex couples dealing with the road block that is our immigration system.