American Name

[shaffja]

Since you married in China and all of her visa papers show her maiden name she will be stuck with that until after she gets her green card.  After that she could go to court to legally change her name then go back to the USCIS to have another green card issued in her married name.  Another good reason for K-1 instead of K-3.

As for the spelling of her name it will likely be the same as you put on all of her immigration forms.  Pin yin so most likely Li.

189991[/snapback]

Thanks for the information.

[IluvmyLi]

So for a K1 we can't legally change her last name until after she receives her green card?

 

Does that mean if I put her on my bank account and insurance soon after she arrives, I have to use her chinese last name?

[RLS]

I can't add too much cause I'm fairly new in here, however, it all reminds me of a Beatle song: "Her name is McGill, she calls herself Lil, but everyone knows her as Nancy." My So's real name is Yonghua. She calls herself Ahua, but she wants me to call her Ivy. Actually, I asked her which she preferred and she said either Ivy or Ahua is fine with her. She likes the American name of Ivy. As far as legal name changes, I won't get into that. Just don't call me late for dinner. Ron

[yuan fen]

I was asked the same question, although Jie also creatively came up with the name "Jieny."

 

But I said when you come to America your Western Name will the "B"-word"

 

If I make a mistake I'll call you the "B-word."

If you don't like what I'm doing..."B-word."

If you raise your voice to me..."B-word."

 

Yes you will be my,,,,,, "B-word."

Yep,......"B-word."

My only,."B-word."

"B-word."

"B-word."

"B-word."

 

"BOSS"

 

Hehehehehehehehehe

 

I had her going with this one.

 

E

[david_dawei]

So for a K1 we can't legally change her last name until after she receives her green card?

 

Does that mean if I put her on my bank account and insurance soon after she arrives,  I have to use her chinese last name?

189996[/snapback]

I put how to change the name in the AOS FAQ... can happen at almost any point for K1: on marriage cert, at SS office, at AOS...

[IluvmyLi]

So for a K1 we can't legally change her last name until after she receives her green card?

 

Does that mean if I put her on my bank account and insurance soon after she arrives,  I have to use her chinese last name?

189996[/snapback]

I put how to change the name in the AOS FAQ... can happen at almost any point for K1: on marriage cert, at SS office, at AOS...

190067[/snapback]

David no link?

[david_dawei]

My wife's name is quite difficult to pronounce (zi xuan)... and we both did not want her to take an american name, even though her english class in China wanted her to. She kept forgetting any name we came up with so the teacher finally stopped asking her for one.

 

Once she was here, it was evident that even the most well-intentioned person could butcher her name...

 

Finally, we settle on an english name which is extremely close to her 'childhood' name (lele >> lily)... But most friends and family use her chinese name, but might introduce her to their friends with the english name...

[mercator]

Of course Chinese women traditionally keep their own name at marriage. Traditionally in the West, they change, hence the dilemma. Personally, I don't care. The name I use for myself is an abbreviation. Just like many Jim's I know are legally James (I even know a guy who's legal name is Jimmy, but goes by Jim).

 

Anyway, my wife has thought about this quite a bit, but just hasn't found a name yet. I think that if she keeps her Chinese name for legal purposes, I am totally cool with that. If she wants to have my name as a nickname or a conversational name, great. I do know that her name is one that gets massacred regularly, so we'll wait and see once she is here what we'll do with the whole naming thing.

[IluvmyLi]

So for a K1 we can't legally change her last name until after she receives her green card?

 

Does that mean if I put her on my bank account and insurance soon after she arrives,  I have to use her chinese last name?

189996[/snapback]

I put how to change the name in the AOS FAQ... can happen at almost any point for K1: on marriage cert, at SS office, at AOS...

190067[/snapback]

Why don't I see AOS FAQ under CFL links?

[jim_julian]

Something just occurred to me ... many of our SO/wives names are difficult for Americans to pronounce because we automatically assume that the "correct" pinyin spelling must be used.

 

In a number of cases one could envision a name spelling that would cause an American to come much closer to a correct pronunciation. Has anyone ever gone down that path?

[shaffja]

Something just occurred to me ... many of our SO/wives names are difficult for Americans to pronounce because we automatically assume that the "correct" pinyin spelling must be used.

 

In a number of cases one could envision a name spelling that would cause an American to come much closer to a correct pronunciation.  Has anyone ever gone down that path?

190088[/snapback]

I think my wife "Li" is going to use "Leigh". She still keeps her name with no confusion with the pronunciation.

[IluvmyLi]

Something just occurred to me ... many of our SO/wives names are difficult for Americans to pronounce because we automatically assume that the "correct" pinyin spelling must be used.

 

In a number of cases one could envision a name spelling that would cause an American to come much closer to a correct pronunciation.  Has anyone ever gone down that path?

190088[/snapback]

I think my wife "Li" is going to use "Leigh". She still keeps her name with no confusion with the pronunciation.

190093[/snapback]

Li is much easier then Leigh imo

[shaffja]

Li is much easier then Leigh imo

190094[/snapback]

 

My wife is actually Li Hua... and I am sad to say that I botch the tone on the "Hua" portion quite frequently.

[jim_julian]

What actually reinforced this idea was making an appointment for Lao Po at my dentist. I made an appointment for June (hopefully married by then and on company insurance) and spelled her name for the office person. She asked me how to pronounce and then wrote down a phonetic approximation, much different from the pinyin.

[obxtrainman]

My fiancee asked me something the other day about an American Name. She asked me, will I get an American Name. I have not heard of this before, so I told to wait, I will ask someone. So Here I am asking ........

What does she mean?

How is it done.

thanks

Rick

189876[/snapback]

I think the main thing to think about here is, not to be anxious. If you, or your wife wants to change her name for whatever reason, don't make any changes untill after she receives the visa. No alias's. That is what it would be, if you put down your wifes name on official government documents as her name, other than what is on her passport.