Sodaboy

Cool. Thanks so much for all your help! I really appreciate it.

Going to get started on what we need, ASAP... Well, as soon as we get our certified copy of the marriage certificate!

Wowo! Form I-131 too. OK!! Haha. So many! OK!! I think I'm finally on the path here then...

So, we're going to file with her NEW name, in total:

- Form I-485 along with forms I-693, G-325A (making sure to put her old name in the previously used names area), I-864, I-130, I-131, and I-765.

We'll make sure not to forget the birth certificates, photos, marriage certificate, joint account statements, lease and bills, affidavits, and all that other stuff!

When we receive her EAD, we can get her SSN and Driver's License!

PHEW! Sound good?

I didn't know we had to file for an EAD, too. I had always assumed that once you filed for a Green Card and the whole process to get the Green Card was finished, that she could work in the US. That's not true?

So we have to file Form I-485, Form I-130 *and* Form I-765 (first I've heard of this form)?

Also, my wife has a DMV California ID now, not a Driver's License, so I had figured we could have changed that before receiving the Green Card, but you're telling me that's not the case.

Thanks for the tip about traveling with our marriage certificate. We won't forget to do that in the future for sure!

EDIT: Yep, you're right! I must have missed needing to file Form I-765 too!!! OK!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! I would have missed something VERY IMPORTANT.

Just need the certified license/certificate. As she got married to you being single the license/certificate will probably show as she got married to you, with her maiden name, which is ok. She takes that with her passport to the ss office and apply for a new card with the name changed as she wants it. If she has already a ssn she can just state that in the form, if not, it's ok! both ways work!

Good luck!

Ah, this is a little confusing to me.

When you're saying... new card... are you talking about new SSN card?

She has no SSN card at all now.

From what I'm understanding about your post:

1. We can just file all the paperwork for the Green Card using the new name she wants.

2. Should everything be accepted, after receiving the Green Card we can go to the SSA and get a brand new SSN card for her with her new name.

3. At the same time, we can request a new Passport for her with her new name from the SSA office too?

Also, about a question I had above, do we do the Form I-693 Medical Examination and Vaccination with her new name or old? I understand if we do it with her new name, we'll need the certified certificate and possibly an already changed DMV ID. (Which, I guess, is easy to get once we get the certified marriage certificate.)

I do my aos through my lawyer who started the process in my new name even before I changed my driver license.With a certified marriage license she can change her driver license name no problem.

Ah, that's something I forgot to say. We plan to do all the paperwork ourselves.

So, was your license change done before or after the Green Card?

We are wondering what name to use when going to the Civil Surgeon for the Form I-693 appointment too... her old name or her new name?

Hi, guys, I've been scouring the Internet and have had been totally confused on this process...

My wife and I were just married yesterday. I am a US Citizen, she is not, and she wants to take my last name. On our marriage license, we specified this as well.

We haven't got the marriage certificate yet, but should be able to obtain a certified copy in a couple of weeks.

My question to you all is what is the process we need to do to make sure that she can change her name to mine successfully and not have any problems obtaining a green card?

I've read that she should just do everything with her old name, get the green card, then pay for the name change fee after receiving the green card... then I've read otherwise.

Not sure if this is TMI, but, my wife came to the US, legally, on a student Visa. We met through a friend of her's, dated for over a year, and then got married.

She does not have a current SSN or social security card... She only has her passport, Visa, and California ID.

Is it really just a matter of filing the paperwork, using the name she would like (her first name, my last name) for the adjustment of status and alien petition while specifying her old name as a previously used name on the G-325A?

Do we have to do anything with the DMV before filing the paperwork?

What about the SSA, even though she doesn't have a social security # or green card?

Even if we end up getting the green card after marriage that has her new name on it, will we have some issues when we want to travel outside of the country? I know, at that point, we'd have to get a new California ID from the DMV using the Green Card and, hopefully, a SSN/card that the SSA will provide with her new name on it. But how can we take care of her Japanese Passport which has her maiden name on it?

Ah, I guess I had a lot of questions. But I appreciate ANY answers you guys/girls can provide!

Thank you so much!