Can I request for a name change during interview?

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wifey246

Registered Users (C)
If, in my application, I didn't indicate that I wanted a name change, but while waiting for the interview had a change of heart, can I request for a name change during the interview?

I've been thinking about it for a while. I'm sticking to my maiden last name but I want to change my first name. The only thing that's stopping me is that I don't want to offend my parents for their choice of name for me.

I understand that I can still get my name changed in a court for a fee but I'd like to know if the option is still open for me during the naturalization process.
 
First of all you should find out if your local office does name changes. There are some offices that don't do judicial oaths (like in San Jose) and you cannot change your name through naturalization in those offices. Other than that I don't have an answer to your question. My guess is that it would be possible, but would probably delay things.
 
Yes, you can request the name change at the interview even if you didn't request it before. But for name change you will have to do a judicial oath instead of an administrative oath, and judicial oaths are less frequent so you may have to wait anywhere from an extra couple of weeks to 2-3 months for the oath.

If you change your name before completing naturalization, that could complicate and delay your case in other ways, including making USCIS redo the name check for the new name. So if you're going to change your name, better to do it as part of the naturalization process itself or wait until after naturalization.

I've been thinking about it for a while. I'm sticking to my maiden last name but I want to change my first name. The only thing that's stopping me is that I don't want to offend my parents for their choice of name for me.
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You could add the new first name and move the old first name to your middle name. That should make it less painful for your parents and also less hassle for you in the future when you need to convince people that you are the same person that is listed on your older documents.
 
Thanks for the replies!

A judicial oath seem more attractive to me, even if it delays the process by a few weeks. My DO is Los Angeles where there's 2 ceremonies held in a day with 6000 people in each ceremony. I suppose there's considerably less people in a courtroom.

Thanks for the advice on the middle name. That's a very good idea!
 
In fact, thats a nice compromise,, atleast thats what I thought when I moved my original first name to my to-be new first name. The advantage of doing it through naturalization is that it will be in your naturalization certificate,, yes, it will add few more weeks but its cheaper and it superseeds any other court name changes as it is Federal Judge thats making that change. In WA, it costs about 200 dollars to do a name change and then few more weeks before it is recorded,, ends up being the same amount of time, it would've taken for name change through Natrualization.
 
Yes you can. That is what happened to me. I marked the sheet as no name change .

But I didn't notice, my birth certificate has my dad's original name spelled one letter different. This is over 33 yr old certificate so i never noticed. My greencard, passport, every other record is my current name. But the I/O noticed and changed my name and put the name I use everyday as the "New" name. In effect I am changing my name tot he name I already use.

Don't ask-it made my head spin too! But I didn't wan't to argue with the I/O at the time of interview. the interview went smoothly and I passed with request for name change. So my naturalization certificate would have my current name-which is fine. A different I/O might have ignored it.

Again the point is yes you can request for name change unless of course like above they don't have judicial ceremonies.
 
wifey246 said:
A judicial oath seem more attractive to me, even if it delays the process by a few weeks. My DO is Los Angeles where there's 2 ceremonies held in a day with 6000 people in each ceremony. I suppose there's considerably less people in a courtroom.
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It doesn't have to be physically in a courtroom for it to be a judicial oath. As long as an authorized judge is present it can be made into a judicial oath, whether it is in a courtroom or auditorium or parking lot. In some districts all the oaths are judicial oaths, so they always have a judge present at the huge ceremony outdoors or in a place bigger than a courtroom. But in the districts where they have separate administrative and judicial oaths, the judicial oaths will almost always have fewer people, because only a small percentage of applicants will have a name change.
 
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Anyone in San Jose or bay area CA done name change through the naturalization process?

I am contemplating if it can be done...
If yes but may delay the process by a few weeks as a judge ceremony has to be arranged I am ok with that but I need to know if that is possible on the first place in san Jose area.

Anyone knows? Thanks!!
 
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