Will my fiancee's changing her last name cause complications?

[mambocowboy]

If my fiancee changes her last name (eg., adopts my last name) when we marry in the States, will this cause any complications with adjustment of status, getting her a SSN? thanks

[fathertime]

Hey mambo...it will NOT cause you ANY problem at all!  My wife did the same thing.


Fathertime! 

[ArtVandelay]

I just finished with my wife's paperwork last week and sent it out.  All of the paperwork will have "Other names used", which will be where you would put her maiden name.  Also, on the I-485, it will ask you for the name used on the I-94 upon entry.  The lady at the SSN office actually reminded me to make sure all the paper work is done in her married names, so her Green Card will be accurate. 
Also, I really didn't think about this, just kind of lucked into it.  Wait until after you are married... if possible... to obtain your wife SSN Card, so you don't have to go back and get it with her married name. But I got her SSN Card before I sent in her AOS paper work.  I don't know if will delay things with getting her permission to work if I didn't have her SSN at the time of application but I didn't want to take any chances.  She's starting to go stir crazy during the week when I'm at work.
My wife almost threw away her I-94.... Thank god, I took all her paperwork, EVERYTHING! when she cleared customs.  Good advice... YOU keep ALL her paperwork, from the initial Visa application paperwork, SSN paperwork, AOS together and organized, so when you need it, you have it, and you know where to find it.
Best of Luck

[mambocowboy]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback. It's looking like she'll adopt my last name and drop hers....

[Ray]

 
Nothing to worry about.
　
She shouldn't have any major concerns by changing her name to yours. Just make sure that she consistently uses her exact new name on ALL official documentation, including SS Card, driver's license, ID cards, immigration forms, etc. Her Green card should match her new married name.
　
Virtually all married women have a married name and a maiden name and most all forms have a place for both.
　
Have her keep a copy of your marriage certificate with her current passport to explain any questions about the difference in the names. She can change her name on her passport when she renews it or she may need to apply for a new one after marriage. It depends on the country she is from. Some countries may want her to report her marriage to their consulate here.
　
Also consider how she will list her new middle name. Here, most ladies drop their maiden surname and keep their same middle name. In many other cultures, the lady would drop her middle name, use her maiden surname as her new middle name, and adopt her husband’s surname. Some women prefer to use two middle names or hyphenated names but this can cause some minor problems when filling out forms, etc. Some states have statutes dictating how married women change their names, but I believe that this is largely ignored today.
　
In the Philippines, law dictates how a woman changes her name after marriage. I know of at least one case where the married lady had problems renewing her Philippines passport because she didn’t follow Philippine law in how she changed her name, specifically her middle name, after marriage. She had to follow Philippine law in how her name was listed on her new passport.
　
Note: If your wife eventually becomes a naturalized US citizen, she will have the opportunity to legally change her name to almost anything she likes at the time of her naturalization.
　
　
　
Ray
　

[robert angel]

Re: Will my fiancee's changing her last name cause complications?


Probably not, unless it's now 'Bin Laden'   

[mambocowboy]

The only complication it seems is  her Colombian passport. FT or any other guys whose wives adopted their last names, did she have to get a new passport?

[Alabamaboy!]

I know this topic has been closed for awhile, but wanted to know what you did about the name change? Since we got married in Colombia, and we did not want to have any more delays, confusion, or anything else waiting for documents  we just got married, did the visa application, everything using her maiden name. It seemed to make everything go very smooth, but someday we will need to change all the passports, cedula, and everything else.

[Bob_S]

My wife still has her home country citizenship (just had our 9th anniversary btw), and on all official documents for her country (passport), she still uses her maiden name.  But for all American official paperwork (DL, SSN, etc), she uses my family name.  It hasn't caused too many issues yet.  Just when we book international flights, we need to enter her under her maiden name since that is her name in her passport.

[mambocowboy]

My wife still has her home country citizenship (just had our 9th anniversary btw), and on all official documents for her country (passport), she still uses her maiden name.  But for all American official paperwork (DL, SSN, etc), she uses my family name.  It hasn't caused too many issues yet.  Just when we book international flights, we need to enter her under her maiden name since that is her name in her passport.

Just got her social security card in the mail today with my last name. Good to know we'll have to use her maiden name purchasing plane tickets since her passport  still has her maiden name...

[Capstone]

My wife still has her home country citizenship (just had our 9th anniversary btw), and on all official documents for her country (passport), she still uses her maiden name.  But for all American official paperwork (DL, SSN, etc), she uses my family name.  It hasn't caused too many issues yet.  Just when we book international flights, we need to enter her under her maiden name since that is her name in her passport.

Just like in your wife's case, my wife retains her home country citizenship and uses my family name on all her U.S. documentation (green card, DL, SSN, bank accounts, etc) but still uses her family name on all her Chinese documentation (national ID, passport, bank accounts, property ownership, etc). The only difference is that she got an 'Also Known As' amendment stamp in her Chinese passport which also shows her name listed with my family name - so when traveling internationally, she can book tickets using either her family name or mine.

[Ray]

The only difference is that she got an 'Also Known As' amendment stamp in her Chinese passport which also shows her name listed with my family name - so when traveling internationally, she can book tickets using either her family name or mine.

 
Do the Chinese consulates here provide that service?
 
Is there a fee?
 
What documentation, if any, do they require?
 
 
Ray
 
 

[Capstone]

 
Do the Chinese consulates here provide that service?
 
Is there a fee?
 
What documentation, if any, do they require?

I can not say for sure, but I would assume so, since passport renewals can be done at the Chinese consulates in the US. We took a trip back to China a couple of months after getting married and my wife got the passport amendment stamp done at that time. She first took our US marriage certificate to a certified notary in China and had it officially translated into Chinese and then took that along with her passport to the local PSB (Public Security Bureau) which covers her hukuo in China and they added the stamp to her passport.


My wife has a hookup at her PSB and so she was able to get it done in only a couple of days and at no cost. The stamp is actually several stamps - one on each of the passport information/amendment/observation pages in her passport. It is also more than a mere stamp as it includes a hologram of her passport photo on it has well.

[Bob_S]

Just got her social security card in the mail today with my last name. Good to know we'll have to use her maiden name purchasing plane tickets since her passport  still has her maiden name...

Remember that's for international flights.  For domestic flights (like when we flew out to visit Mr. Angel last year!), we book her under my family name since her DL has that name and that is the ID she uses for security check when just in-country.  That's the one complication we have if you can even call it a complication.

The only difference is that she got an 'Also Known As' amendment stamp in her Chinese passport which also shows her name listed with my family name - so when traveling internationally, she can book tickets using either her family name or mine.

Hey, that's pretty useful.  I'll ask my better half if the Japanese consulate has that option.  Thanks for the info!

[mambocowboy]

Remember that's for international flights.  For domestic flights (like when we flew out to visit Mr. Angel last year!), we book her under my family name since her DL has that name and that is the ID she uses for security check when just in-country.  That's the one complication we have if you can even call it a complication.
Hey, that's pretty useful.  I'll ask my better half if the Japanese consulate has that option.  Thanks for the info!

thanks.