legal name change

[hypoclear]

Ok.

 

When we get back to the states Bea wants to legally change her last name to mine and add her last name as a middle name. We decided to do it this way and not use a combination Xu-Sullivan as we thought it would be too long for the baby as well.

 

For them we will just add Bea's family name to the baby's middle name such as Elizabeth, Mei Xu, Sullivan. As Bea was saying, now they will have their Chinese name as well.

 

So any ideas on how this will impact her Green card and SS# etc.? She is a CR-1 which means all of this is taken care of and she will recieve them within weeks of arrival, so we of course will do this (Legal name change) after she has recieved these docs.

 

Mark and Bea and Company

[oregonknl]

LMark,

 

In the case of adoption, it is very common for the adopted girl's Chinese first name to become her middle name. Example: Tai Chun Mei became Jet Chun Mei Lathrop...

 

.... just one example..

[warpedbored]

As far as changing her name it couldn't be easier. When you to to the Social security office take a certified copy of your marriage certificate along with her passport and visa. They are very accustomed to this. Just fill out the application for ssn the way youwant her name to read. It will come in 2 weeks or less. Bing's came in 6 days. Next stop DMV. Armed with her social security card, passport and the envelope that the ssn came in go to the DMV and get a state ID card. Next stop the bank. take in the state ID card and social security card and put her on your bank account. Wallah her name is now changed. We just filled out the forms using Bings maiden name as her middle name and my last name as her family name. Do the same with all of her AOS forms if she is K-1 or K-3. If you have let the

I-130 run its course I don't know the answer to that.

[hypoclear]

No Carl she is a I-130 so she will be getting her green card and ss number very quickly and of course no AOS.

 

She is right now filling out the DS-230 part II and the great N/A none debate rages on... but they also ask on this form if you want a SS card, which she will say yes.

 

As for our/her marriage book, I have no idea who's name is on it and infact for all i know i could be married to the guy who delivered water to them that day!!! heheh I do think it is her current name as they usually keep it.

 

She says only in Hong Kong does the woman take on the man's last name here the woman never does, only their children take on the fathers last name.

 

Mark and Bea and Company and Tucker the cat.

 

little known fact Mao Zhe Dong... translates to.. "cat from the east."

[warpedbored]

She is correct that the mainland people keep their last names while Hong Kong and Taiwan people (I think) take their husbands name. I would presume that if she fills out all the forms using your last name (this is what we did with the G-325 A etc for her AOS) the visa ssn green card and all would come with her new name. Sounds a little complicated otherwise. You may have to go to court to have it legally changed once she gets here.

[Martytb]

In my wife's family it appears the child has the choice of using Mom or Dad's last name. Most use Dad's, but one son is using Mom's

[jkobman]

OK, next is my question...

Wen Xia and I will be married in Calif. when she arrives.

She will enter the US as Xiao Wen Xia.

Can we apply for a Calif. marraige license as Sarah Xiao Kobman?

Will this affect the AOS, green card, etc ?

 

Should we wait and file for a change of name in the VA coiurts after she gets her green card?

 

Anyone know?

[warpedbored]

OK, next is my question...

Wen Xia and I will be married in Calif. when she arrives.

She will enter the US as Xiao Wen Xia.

Can we apply for a Calif. marraige license as Sarah Xiao Kobman?

Will this affect the AOS, green card, etc ?

 

Should we wait and file for a change of name in the VA coiurts after she gets her green card?

 

Anyone know?

She would change her name in much the same manner as an american woman who married you. I don't know about where you live but in Oregon when you apply for a marriage licence you put down your own names. The change begins when you start filing papers. First stop Social security office where you take her visa with the I-94 attached along with your marriage certificate. Apply for the SSN with her married name. Once the SSN comes, (Bing's took 6 days) the next stop is the DMV where you get her either a state ID card or a drivers licence. All you need for that is the social security card, the envelope it came in with the post mark on it, and her passport. Wallah her name is changed. Next stop the bank where you can put her on your bank accounts. As far as AOS it doesn't affect it. You have to fill out the I-485 and a new G-325 A biographic . Just put her new married name on them. We decided to keep her last name as her middle name.

[resp]

Mark, when i fill out our I 130 I used our married name GZ change it back to her maiden name however when her green card arrived it was in our married name.

her ssi card had to be change to our married name.

[danswayne]

Mark,

 

Before you think about changing names when you arrive here listen to our story and see what you think. Diana also got a CR-1 visa and things couldn't have gone smoother after we got here. She got her green card in just a couple short weeks and social security card was just an hours wait away in the SS office. Then we decided to change her name to English officially. This is where the problems started, in Florida it cost about $200 to change a name through the court, and then you have to pay INS something like $130 for a new greencard, with new name on it. We did all of this August of 2003, and we are still waiting for her greencard with new name on it. We did not know it takes about a year for them to get the new greencard to you. So now Diana has a drivers license and greencard with chinese name on it, and she has a social security card and credit card with english name on it. Needless to say this causes some confusion sometimes with banks and stores. We have been told if she is going to become a citizen she can have her name changed then and it should be free. You might want to check on the free part, but anyway since your wife is CR-1 like us she can apply for citizenship after being here for 3 years, not too much longer than it is taking us the long and expensive way. If we had known this before we would have kept her chinese name for legal purposes and just told friends and family her name is Diana. And then we would change her name at time of citizenship. Of course this is assuming your wife is going too become a citizen also.

[hypoclear]

Mark,

 

Before you think about changing names when you arrive here listen to our story and see what you think.  Diana also got a CR-1 visa and things couldn't have gone smoother after we got here.  She got her green card in just a couple short weeks and social security card was just an hours wait away in the SS office.  Then we decided to change her name to English officially.  This is where the problems started, in Florida it cost about $200 to change a name through the court, and then you have to pay INS something like $130 for a new greencard, with new name on it.  We did all of this August of 2003, and we are still waiting for her greencard with new name on it.  We did not know it takes about a year for them to get the new greencard to you.  So now Diana has a drivers license and greencard with chinese name on it, and she has a social security card and credit card with english name on it.  Needless to say this causes some confusion sometimes with banks and stores.  We have been told if she is going to become a citizen she can have her name changed then and it should be free.  You might want to check on the free part, but anyway since your wife is CR-1 like us she can apply for citizenship after being here for 3 years, not too much longer than it is taking us the long and expensive way.  If we had known this before we would have kept her chinese name for legal purposes and just told friends and family her name is Diana.  And then we would change her name at time of citizenship.  Of course this is assuming your wife is going too become a citizen also.

Daniel;

 

Thanks for your story and the heads up. Bea read it last night as well and she said lets wait. She will apply for her citizenship in 3 years and as for the baby we have figured out what name to use so it will be done from the start.

 

She doesn't want to change her first name Binong as it is pretty easy to write, read and say. Her last name Xu is a different matter but she will shift that to her new middle name and take on Sullivan for her last name.

 

I'm wondering now, as Carl had mentioned, if it isn't a simple maiden name verses a married name and could be changed accordingly? But the moving of her last name to the middle one seems odd. Usually the maiden name is just dropped or people do the hyphen.

 

In the end the hassle and extra cost is beyond what we want to do. Her having her own last name for the next 3 years is not that big a deal.

 

As for the baby we decided to add Bea's madian name on to their middle name so it will be, if a girl Elizabeth Mei Xu Sullivan. It is a little long but not to many letters, most times she will only use the first and last and maybe a middle initial and as Bea says she will have her chinese name as well..

 

That was the important thing to me as well, that the baby have a Chinese name and understand he/she is from two cultures.

 

Yeah so filling out any more paper work, paying the gov one more cent than needed and jumping back into the endless waiting game is not for us!!!

 

Mark and Bea and baby

[hypoclear]

Mark, when i fill out our I 130 I used our married name  GZ change it back to her maiden name however when her green card arrived it was in our married name.

her ssi card had to be change to our married name.

Darn!! Terrance,

 

Wish we had thought of that!!.. so simple and easy and this whole mess would have been done with. Another thought came up regarding Daniel's post.

 

What about credit ratings? Now your wife will have 2 to 3 years of good credit and say and excellent driving record, which up north translates into reduced insurance costs etc. And of course you know the value of a good credit rating, so will all that info carry over to her new legal name?

 

Hope the heck so... geeez!! it would be so much easier if they did it the way they did it back in the old days at Ellis island.. huh? i can't read this.. what do you do? farmer.. what did you raise.. ok.. your name now is ed cornwall.. enjoy your stay in America!! heheh

 

Mark and Bea and baby

[hypoclear]

awww geez!!! I give up!..

 

think we will just call the kid .."Hey you!" for the next 18 years and than let them figure it out...

 

this is just toooooo much. But I don't understand, you hear of people with hugely long names, unless that is last name strung together and what about all the bobbie jo's and billy bob's?

 

I know these are first names but why not middle ones?

 

I know it shouldn't be a problem to give them that name here in China... coz no matter what you name them they will mess it up!! heheh and of course they are going to ask for Chinese characters which, who knows if they will have them?

 

oh well we will see how it worrks out in the end.

 

Mark and Bea and baby

[Chinese Wife!!!]

Hey Mark,

I later found out my 3 kids had re-named themselves. "Not me" was the oldest, "I didn't do it" was the middle child and "I forgot" was defininitly my son. Richard

[LeeFisher3]

Something I noticed when looking at green card renewal and removal of conditions was a recommendation by one of the field offices that any name change due to marriage be done with the renewal or removal of conditions.

 

Now I just took a look at the form and in Part 3 they have a place for other names used including maiden name. So why not wait out the the 1 year and 9 months and let the USCIS do this as part of the process and then go around and change the SSN, DMV and other records after you get the 10 year green card.

 

Another thing is to start using her married name, most places will accept that if she shows her ID and marriage certificate.

 

BTW screw the state who things adding a married name should cost extra.

Edited August 25, 2006 by LeeFisher3 (see edit history)