Changing Name...

[m_aju]

Hi Friends:
Our Green Card was approved in June 2004. My wife wants to change her name to my First Name (Indian Style). We have a new Indian Passport in this format. We went to the Local Drivers Office and they refused to change it to my first name telling that they can only change it to my last name. But my wife wants it to be my First Name. What should I do now. Do we have to file for a name change petition in the local court or to get the Passport converted back to the old way.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Matt

 

[pralay]

Hi Friends:
Our Green Card was approved in June 2004. My wife wants to change her name to my First Name (Indian Style). We have a new Indian Passport in this format. We went to the Local Drivers Office and they refused to change it to my first name telling that they can only change it to my last name. But my wife wants it to be my First Name. What should I do now. Do we have to file for a name change petition in the local court or to get the Passport converted back to the old way.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Matt

I think the person in DMV was not aware of the custom in your local native area. Normally if you have marriage certificate with her changed name (her last name = your first name), that should work. If the clerk in DMV does not allow it, try to talk to her supervisor and explain the situation.

BTW, if you tell them it's "Indian style" nobody is going to believe you because most of the regions in India do not follow that custom. Tell them that it's the local custom in the area where you came from.

 

[NJOY_SCUBA]

she can formally change her name and then get the name on her license changed. This way her name change can be applied anywhere you would want to and will not be questioned.

I think you have to file some simple paper work in a local court to do the name change. You can change it to anything u want it to.. no questions asked....

 

[pv1976]

I think the person in DMV was not aware of the custom in your local native area. Normally if you have marriage certificate with her changed name (her last name = your first name), that should work. If the clerk in DMV does not allow it, try to talk to her supervisor and explain the situation.

BTW, if you tell them it's "Indian style" nobody is going to believe you because most of the regions in India do not follow that custom. Tell them that it's the local custom in the area where you came from.

No...there is nothing of that sort. She has the rights to change her last name to whatever name she wishes. Changing one's name is anybody's right. It doesnt have to depend on one's native custom.
You just have to follow the norms.

 

[pralay]

No...there is nothing of that sort. She has the rights to change her last name to whatever name she wishes. Changing one's name is anybody's right. It doesnt have to depend on one's native custom.
You just have to follow the norms.

Well, who questioned that she does not have right to change name? If she wants to change name (whatever she likes), then she has to go thru formal name change procedure in court or (if her name change is thru marriage) she needs to have marriage certificate with changed name. Bottomline is that she needs a valid document to prove her name change (and passport is not a valid document to prove name change). I just can't go to DMV without valid document and say "hey, I changed my name.". And if I don't have any document I have to better explain the local custom.

 

[compguy222]

pralay,

"passport is not a valid document to prove name change"

I am not for the above statment at all. Where did you get such a stupid statement from? Passport is the most widely accepted form of identification around the world. So take you passport with you and explain it at DMV. They should be able to help you.

 

[pralay]

I am not for the above statment at all. Where did you get such a stupid statement from? Passport is the most widely accepted form of identification around the world. So take you passport with you and explain it at DMV. They should be able to help you.

Yes, passport is a form of idenification document. Unless you are stupid I hope you understand the difference between identification document and document for name change. I don't know any place where passport is considered a document for name change. Similar way you cannot use EAD card, DL as document for name change, even though they are considered identification document. On the other hand, court document or marriage license (or certificate) are valid form document for name change, even though none of them are document for identification.

 

[sandeepM]

Essentially what you are saying is that your wife wants to change name out of the blue....and not as a result of your marriage..as you were married a while back and your wife wants to change name now.
So in that case you cannot use the reason of marriage as reason of name change.
she would probably have to go thru the standard process of name change
( other option is to wait till citizen ship, when you can legally change your name which is an option on the n400 form)


BTW: it is not an "indian custom" . i am an indian and this is first time i heard of this.
probably a local custom in your parts..

 

[pralay]

So in that case you cannot use the reason of marriage as reason of name change.

It's perfectly fine to change name years after wedding-date provided marriage certificate/license contains the changed name. For non-citizens name change is hectic especially when I-485 is pending. It's quite usual to change name later and many people take time to do that.

 

[sandeepM]

if marriage certificate contains changed name..that means you have changed your name during marriage, as you are addressed by the new name in your marriage cetrificate

 

[pralay]

if marriage certificate contains changed name..that means you have changed your name during marriage, as you are addressed by the new name in your marriage cetrificate

Yes, she changed her name in marriage. But there is no requirement that she has to change her name in DL or passport or GC immediately after that - or within some timeframe. Basically her name is already changed, but she is taking time to change "other documents".