LLandTT

Our DS260 and all documents submitted on 24th Feb, interview was 22nd May (notified of appointment on 15th April.) Honestly seems like it took FOREVER, but so glad it's done!

Thanks everyone, got the new passport fast tracked, interview went smoothly with new name!

10 minutes ago, Juniper said:

This is really important information with regard to your Option A ...

 

This proves I-130 beneficiary name is married name.  The CO at interview can probably be swayed that a name change error did occur after you filed the DS-260 with visa applicant married name and got "documentarily qualified" response back with her maiden name.

 

The CO will be able to see the I-130 and DS-260 and because they have the married name as beneficiary and visa applicant ... can legally issue the CR-1 visa in the married name.  If that is done,  the green card and social security card will have the married name.  I really think the CO will make sure this happens with your input of course on the subject. 

 

Write back with your results.  Good Luck !!!!

Thanks for your help!

I don't know if they will respond, but I am going to attempt to call the Embassy in the morning. If they can't help, I'll follow the instructions on their website and consider it a "technical" error, and show screenshots of the married name in all its uses, then screenshots when they changed her name back to maiden name.

I'll update the thread as this progresses!

4 minutes ago, Juniper said:

That is really crazy.  Please tell me.  You filed I-130 with married name as beneficiary.  The I-130 NOA1 that came back in a few days ... What name (maiden/married) came back as beneficiary ?

Married name on everything from USCIS; Married name on NVC's Notice of Immigrant Visa Case Creation; Maiden name on Notice regarding your Immigrant Visa Case becoming Documentarily Qualified as well as Immigrant Visa Interview Appointment... It's as if they changed it on their end once they saw her UK passport. Madness...

14 minutes ago, Juniper said:

 "I understand now (which I did not before) that the Green Card will beissued only to the name on the passport." ....   I am answering only this statement with this post.

 

Assume that your wife's valid passport name remains as her maiden name.

 

When you filled out the Spousal Visa I-130 Petition, you could have used her married name as the beneficiary name ... where your marriage certificate is evidence of name change.  

 

Also when filling out the electronic DS-260 visa application for NVC, you could have used her married name there as well as visa applicant, once again where your marriage certificate is evidence of name change.

 

If you had done either of the two things above in your document filings, her green card would have her married name on it and her passport would remain a valid document with her maiden name (thus always travel with the marriage certificate).

 

We filled out I-130, I-130A, and DS-260 all with married name. Nowhere except "other names" did we list her maiden name. Still, in our correspondence with NVC, they refer to her by her maiden name. The last thing you wrote is what I remembered reading a year ago when we started this process. Thank you!

Hello,

I apologize if I'm asking something that's clearly written on 20 posts, but I just want to confirm from people who have actually done this (rather than a lot of hypotheticals.)

My wife received her CR1 interview letter today, interview scheduled for May 22, which is very exciting! We have done all the paperwork ourselves, no lawyer, and so far so good. All paperwork has been filled out with her new Married name. The only issue that we didn't notice until just now is that NVC has been referring to her as her Maiden name. I understand now (which I did not before) that the Green Card will be issued only to the name on the passport. So in my mind, here are the possible scenarios:

A) Attend interview, hope to present/reference marriage certificate with new name, cross our fingers and hope they put married name on visa?

or

B) Attend interview content with the fact that they will use her maiden name and we will have to go through all the processes later to change it. 

**Issues with both of the above: I have read some people have visas denied due to mismatching last name/improper name change documentation. (Ours is a California-issued marriage certificate with the name change on it)

or

C) Apply for an expedited UK passport with new name which should arrive within a week (lots of time before interview), and take new and old passport to interview

**Issue in my mind: New document the NVC had never seen, will this cause an issue that it doesn't match what we've submitted and the name they've been using for her?

I hope I've thought this all through and if not, feel free to let me know what I've missed. I'd appreciate if anyone has successfully completed options A or C. We are getting so excited for this incredible milestone and for this process to be over. We don't want to screw it up at the last step. If I tell my wife "I don't know, I've never done this before either" again, she might just call off the whole process 😂

Thanks so much in advance! I wish I had been using this site from the very start of our process!

-T