Name change after marriage?

[Mango Icecream]

I am hesitated to change my name after marriage. The reason is that:

 

My AOS application is on the process for 3 months, including I-485, I-765 (EAD) and I-131 (AP). If I change right now, I have to notify USCIS to name change and that will cost me another $450 for filing fee and biometric if my research is right. And I have to change my SSN card name although it is free. And I am going back to China this October with AP. Does it effect my trip?

 

Also, I wonder if I change my name, does it effect my Chinese ID card, banking account, insurance etc in China?

 

Fortunatelly I have not opened account or get employed by any company at the moment. So it is seemed for me only need to change the name on SSN card, green card, EAD and AP.

 

If I decided to change my name, shall I take my husband's name as my last name and keep my last name as middle name? Or just take his last name as my last name without middle name? Which one is more common practise?

 

Could you guys share me your experience?

 

Thanks again!

[dnoblett]

My wife changed name with marriage, and we filed the I-485 using married name, resulting in green-card in married name. Her Chinese passport and national ID remained in married name, and as far as China is concerned her name remained unchanged.

 

Changing name after filing I-485 and receiving green-card involves filing an I-90 and paying a $400+ fee, better to wait until removal of conditions or perhaps naturalization to do a name change.

 

As far as China and travel, there is no need to change name in passport, simply book airline tickets using passport name, and carry something showing why Green-card has different name than passport (Copy of marriage cert) though my wife traveled to China with Passport and Green-card showing different name and had no issues traveling without copy of marriage cert.

[2mike&jin]

Everything that Dnoblett said...but I would highly recommend you name-change at Naturalization time, IF you plan on becoming a USC. We just went through it, my wife became a USC two weeks ago - and we had used our marriage certificate to get a new SS card a few months before filing(BTW- if you've been married more than three years they require other documentation - we got one of our Dr's to sign a letter), used that and the marriage certificate to get a new "Federal ID card" (or in others cases drivers license) and then waited until the filing of the N400 for Naturalization. It was very straightforward and all we did was list old name, new name, copy the documents and her name was changed in the eyes of immigration and naturalization. All of her new papers and US passport are now with her married name. FYI - she choose to keep her maiden family name as her middle name. We obviously will not alter or change anything in China. Best of Luck

[dnoblett]

Yep, when we married my wife took my family name and made her family name her middle name.

[credzba]

My wife did not change her name.

 

She was comfortable with keeping her old name, because that was the normal way in China.

We have never had any issues.

 

I think it is just a personal decision or what feels right for your marriage.

The paper work and forms can all be taken care of with either decision.

[Mango Icecream]

So that means I can change my SSN name while keep my old name on conditional green card, EAD and AP until removal of conditions, right?

In this case, does SSN card conflict with EAD if I find a job in the future?

[dnoblett]

So that means I can change my SSN name while keep my old name on conditional green card, EAD and AP until removal of conditions, right?

In this case, does SSN card conflict with EAD if I find a job in the future?

I would keep name at SSA matching what USCIS has, and only change at SSA after name has been changed with USCIS. Best to keep all records in the USA consistent.

[Mango Icecream]

I think you are right. Appreciated your answers again!

[MRS. GRAVESTEY]

 

So that means I can change my SSN name while keep my old name on conditional green card, EAD and AP until removal of conditions, right?

In this case, does SSN card conflict with EAD if I find a job in the future?

I would keep name at SSA matching what USCIS has, and only change at SSA after name has been changed with USCIS. Best to keep all records in the USA consistent.

Dan, i wanna change my name to my married name, is it ok to change now? And if it is, what do we do? Thanks again as always...

[warpedbored]

I am hesitated to change my name after marriage. The reason is that:

 

My AOS application is on the process for 3 months, including I-485, I-765 (EAD) and I-131 (AP). If I change right now, I have to notify USCIS to name change and that will cost me another $450 for filing fee and biometric if my research is right. And I have to change my SSN card name although it is free. And I am going back to China this October with AP. Does it effect my trip?

 

Also, I wonder if I change my name, does it effect my Chinese ID card, banking account, insurance etc in China?

 

Fortunatelly I have not opened account or get employed by any company at the moment. So it is seemed for me only need to change the name on SSN card, green card, EAD and AP.

 

If I decided to change my name, shall I take my husband's name as my last name and keep my last name as middle name? Or just take his last name as my last name without middle name? Which one is more common practise?

 

Could you guys share me your experience?

 

Thanks again!

You've already filed AOS but since you haven't had an interview yet you may be able to make an info pass appointment and change it that way. Otherwise you'll have to legally change your name in court, file an I-90 and pay a $450.00 fee. Many don't have an AOS interview anymore but when my wife and I went through the process it was standard practice. At our interview the IO told us my wife couldn't use her family name as a middle name she could only use her last name, my last name or a hyphenated name ie Smith-Jones. We opted for my last name but when the green card came it was just how we wanted it in the first place. Her family name as middle name and my last name.

 

Mrs Gravestey, since you came on a CR-1 visa you won't have the option of an infopass appointment. You would have to change your name legally in court and file an I-90 or wait until you remove conditions on your green card.

[MRS. GRAVESTEY]

 

I am hesitated to change my name after marriage. The reason is that:

 

My AOS application is on the process for 3 months, including I-485, I-765 (EAD) and I-131 (AP). If I change right now, I have to notify USCIS to name change and that will cost me another $450 for filing fee and biometric if my research is right. And I have to change my SSN card name although it is free. And I am going back to China this October with AP. Does it effect my trip?

 

Also, I wonder if I change my name, does it effect my Chinese ID card, banking account, insurance etc in China?

 

Fortunatelly I have not opened account or get employed by any company at the moment. So it is seemed for me only need to change the name on SSN card, green card, EAD and AP.

 

If I decided to change my name, shall I take my husband's name as my last name and keep my last name as middle name? Or just take his last name as my last name without middle name? Which one is more common practise?

 

Could you guys share me your experience?

 

Thanks again!

You've already filed AOS but since you haven't had an interview yet you may be able to make an info pass appointment and change it that way. Otherwise you'll have to legally change your name in court, file an I-90 and pay a $450.00 fee. Many don't have an AOS interview anymore but when my wife and I went through the process it was standard practice. At our interview the IO told us my wife couldn't use her family name as a middle name she could only use her last name, my last name or a hyphenated name ie Smith-Jones. We opted for my last name but when the green card came it was just how we wanted it in the first place. Her family name as middle name and my last name.

 

Mrs Gravestey, since you came on a CR-1 visa you won't have the option of an infopass appointment. You would have to change your name legally in court and file an I-90 or wait until you remove conditions on your green card.

Warpedbored: my green card is still arriving, if i decided to change name after green card arrives, will they issue a new green card with new name or as it is? Thank you for the help.

[warpedbored]

That's what the I-90 is for. To replace an already issued green card if it is lost or you've had a name change. The instructions say

3. Has your name legally changed since the issuance of your Permanent Resident Card? Check the appropriate box.

If your name has changed since the issuance of your Permanent Resident Card check "Yes" and proceed to nmuber 4.a-4.c You must submit a copy of the original court order reflecting your name or a copy of your original marriage certificate, divorce decree, birth certificate, adoption decree, passport or applicable court documents, etc. Legal name change documents submitted as evidence of a name change must have been regsitered with the proper civil authority. If your name has not changed since the issuance of your Permanent Resident Card or if you never previously received your Permanent Resident Card check the appropriate box and proceed to number 5.a-5.i.

Since your name hasn't changed since your green card was issued due to marriage I am assuming this means a legal name change in a court of law would be required.

[dnoblett]

Also since the card will be reissued due to no fault of USCIS as in lost in mail or typo, you would end up paying a $450 fee. Is why I tend to say do it later when removing conditions or naturalization.

[warpedbored]

A legal name change in Michigan seems pretty convoluted. It seems each county has their own instructions but the one consistent I noticed is they all seem to require that you've lived there for a year. It may be worth a shot to take your marriage certificate to the county office and see if you can do it based on marriage. If so then you need only submit those documents to the USCIS along with the I-90 and a $450.00 fee. Here is a link to the instructions for name change in Macomb county.

http://www.macombcountymi.gov/clerksoffice/pdf/NameChangeForms.pdf

[True Blue]

Everything that Dnoblett said...but I would highly recommend you name-change at Naturalization time, IF you plan on becoming a USC. We just went through it, my wife became a USC two weeks ago - and we had used our marriage certificate to get a new SS card a few months before filing(BTW- if you've been married more than three years they require other documentation - we got one of our Dr's to sign a letter), used that and the marriage certificate to get a new "Federal ID card" (or in others cases drivers license) and then waited until the filing of the N400 for Naturalization. It was very straightforward and all we did was list old name, new name, copy the documents and her name was changed in the eyes of immigration and naturalization. All of her new papers and US passport are now with her married name. FYI - she choose to keep her maiden family name as her middle name. We obviously will not alter or change anything in China. Best of Luck

 

This is our plan too. We were a little afraid of changing names at the time of marriage as that might have created a few problems with things that are "in transit". Since the USCIS lost our papers several times before we obtained the 10 year green card, having to explain paperwork with a different name might have added some additional complexity. Also going back and forth we never had any problems with passports, visas, air tickets, transcripts and other documents as the legal names were still the same. From the beginning my wife and stepdaughter have always used their "English names" aroudn me so that is how everyone refers to them and how they refer to themselves except when signing legal documents. Other family members and friends have asked me to help them decide on their "English names" and some have tried to pick their own names which can get pretty funny at times. I had to laugh when my friend's Chinese wife thought that "Muse" might be a good English name. Often the names they pick come from 1930's and 1940's American movies and are not too popular now but they seem to like using those names so that's fine with me.

 

Now that my wife has been here for awhile to establish herself, we plan to follow Mike and Jin's advice and wait until Naturalization time. We can then do up some form letters including a copy of the name change form and send them back as we receive bills and other correspondence in the mail and get some notarized copies of the form for name changes in investments bank accounts, insurance beneficiary designations and the like. Our plan may be a little different in that my wife will actually change her first name (to her "English nickname" which is essentially the closest "Americanized" name that begins with the same letter and sort of sounds like her Chinese first name. Like Mike and Jin, she will use her family name as a middle name.

 

She and her family don't seem to have middle names....is that the norm in China?...It is kind of funny to me that they have lillions of people, many with no middle names and most last names only range from 2 to 4 letters. But I guess because everyone is called Lao or Xiao something that sort of makes up for it. I still crack up seeing 85 year old men and women referred to as Xiao but I guess it is now different than my buddy's 92 year old Great Uncle "Sonny" and his 71 year old boy "Junior". Maybe the thought is if you have a young sounding name, then you will feel and act younger!

 

Regards,

True "Baby" Blue