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Going to States after changing my last name

under_construction

under_construction

New Member
I have a question about name change that happened while being out of States.

I am a green card holder who got divorced in home country. I want to change my last name (from husbands to maiden) which means that next time I go to States my passport and green card will not be compatible.

1. How do female green card holders handle these situation with name change at the port of entry?
Is it enough if I just show some document (such as divorce certificate) proving that it is the same person?

2. Also, how do I book my plane ticket? Putting my passport name or green card name?

3. How long does it take to renew a green card?
 
under_construction said:
I have a question about name change that happened while being out of States.

I am a green card holder who got divorced in home country. I want to change my last name (from husbands to maiden) which means that next time I go to States my passport and green card will not be compatible.

1. How do female green card holders handle these situation with name change at the port of entry?
Is it enough if I just show some document (such as divorce certificate) proving that it is the same person?

2. Also, how do I book my plane ticket? Putting my passport name or green card name?

3. How long does it take to renew a green card?
Click to expand...

This is not the correct forum for these questions, but I can tell you from experience with traveling after a name change that the ticket must match your passport or the airline won't let you board.

I do wonder though seeing as you are a US resident why you don't rather change your name within the US which would seem to solve your traveling name issues. Then change your green card and apply for a new passport via your embassy all from within the US.
 
under_construction said:
I have a question about name change that happened while being out of States.

I am a green card holder who got divorced in home country. I want to change my last name (from husbands to maiden) which means that next time I go to States my passport and green card will not be compatible.

1. How do female green card holders handle these situation with name change at the port of entry?
Is it enough if I just show some document (such as divorce certificate) proving that it is the same person?

2. Also, how do I book my plane ticket? Putting my passport name or green card name?

3. How long does it take to renew a green card?
Click to expand...

Your flight ticket needs to match the name on your passport and your GC in order to fly and be admitted back into the US.

Like Susie said, the logical process is to apply for a replacement GC from the US, (you'll need to include your divorce papers as evidence of the new name change), following which you apply for a new passport in your new name.
 
I am not sure if I can apply for a replacement GC showing only my divorce certificate.. I guess they need appropriate passport too?!
Also, I am not sure if I can apply for a new passport from US.. When I apply for documents in my home country I need to be present here.

Thank you a lot!! @Sm1smom @SusieQQQ
 
under_construction said:
I am not sure if I can apply for a replacement GC showing only my divorce certificate.. I guess they need appropriate passport too?!
Also, I am not sure if I can apply for a new passport from US.. When I apply for documents in my home country I need to be present here.

Thank you a lot!! @Sm1smom @SusieQQQ
Click to expand...

We told you precisely what you need to submit to USCIS in order to apply for a replacement GC due to a name - your divorce certificate in this case. Your passport is not required.

Are you saying all the other people from your country currently living in the US have always had to go back to the home country to renew their passports because they need to be there in person?
 
under_construction said:
I am not sure if I can apply for a replacement GC showing only my divorce certificate.. I guess they need appropriate passport too?!
Also, I am not sure if I can apply for a new passport from US.. When I apply for documents in my home country I need to be present here.

Thank you a lot!! @Sm1smom @SusieQQQ
Click to expand...

Where are you actually living at the moment? In the US or in your home country? From your posts I am getting the impression it's the latter but not sure if I am misunderstanding.
 
You're right, I am living currently in my home country cause I am finishng studies here.
Okay, I didn't know that only GC and divorce certificate (from another country translated in english) is enough for applying for replacement. That's good to know!
I am not one hundred percent sure if they need to be back to home country, but what the embassy in US need is
-birth certicicate
-certificate of citizenship
So, I guess those two documents have to be compatible with the name that is gonna be in your new passport.

What I'm trying to say is - in my home country it goes like this:
1. You divorce
2. You change your last name (to maiden)
3. They issue you new birth and citizenship certificate
4. In that moment you are finnaly ready to apply for a new passport (maiden last name)

So if embassy in US need my birth and citizenship certificate with (maiden name), I simply need to bring it from my home country. And if I ask for it in my home country I will also be obligated to apply for new documents, which returns me at the begin of my post.
 
Not to get sidetracked, but do you have a re-entry permit? If you're living somewhere else without one, you may end up losing your green card anyway and this discussion becomes irrelevant.

Usually for most countries, all civil documents can be replaced through embassies if you are living elsewhere. I don't know the intricacies obviously of your country which sounds more complicated than usual (it's not usual to change birth certificates when you change your name later in life for example, though I know some countries do). And this case is even more complicated because replacement green card procedures assume you are living in the US.

By the way a replacement green card takes many months. We've been waiting 6 months for my daughter's and when we inquired were told it is still in the normal frame which apparently can be as long as 9 months.
 
Last edited:
Yes, I have a reentry permit since January this year (I just didn't want to mention it to confuse you even more; anyway it is irrelevant cause all changes with reentry permit will be followed by GC changes).

And - yes, they give us new birth certificate and citizenship certificate if we ever change our name in any case (marriage, divorce...)

What I was thinking to do is:
1. Change my last name in next few weeks
2. Get new certificates
3. Wait for my passport to be issued
4. Book the ticket (passport name)
5. Go to US with GC, passport, divorce certificate translated in english (hoping they accept to let me in US)
6. Apply for replacement and wait on it (acctually my reentry permit is valid up to 2019. So I can finish my studies and be ready to stay in States as long as it takes to be replaced)

Do you think it can work like that?
 
It looks like that may work.
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...anent-residents-name-does-not-match-documents

However be aware that airline staff do not always know all the rules. A few cases we have heard of, of people who are allowed to travel to the US but are denied boarding because the staff don't know all the intricacies. So in your instance I would go to the airport well ahead of time in case you need to be arguing your case and going to superiors etc to be allowed to board.

I presume in your plan when you say "wait for it" you don't mean actually waiting in the US, given the length of them a replacement green card takes.
 
Thank you so much for all advice and this last link also!

I will call airline (luckily there is a direct flight from my home country to US) and see what they suggest.

Isn't it a rule that I must wait for new GC in US? Once I apply for a replacement I am not allowed to leave and I have to wait for it in US as long as needed?
 
under_construction said:
Thank you so much for all advice and this last link also!

I will call airline (luckily there is a direct flight from my home country to US) and see what they suggest.

Isn't it a rule that I must wait for new GC in US? Once I apply for a replacement I am not allowed to leave and I have to wait for it in US as long as needed?
Click to expand...

I don't know the rules if it's about a name change. But if you're prepared to wait 9 months you may as well just transfer to a US college and start living there properly?
 
By the way...I'm going to assume you didn't get your green card through your spouse and weren't only married to him long enough to get one.
 
That's not an option unfortunatelly cause transfering to US college requires a lot of time and money. I am in the very end of my srudies here so this was the best option.

I don't understand your last post... I obtained GC (expires in 10 years) cause my spouse got it through DV lottery. The things just didn't work between us due to long period of separation...
 
under_construction said:
That's not an option unfortunatelly cause transfering to US college requires a lot of time and money. I am in the very end of my srudies here so this was the best option.

I don't understand your last post... I obtained GC (expires in 10 years) cause my spouse got it through DV lottery. The things just didn't work between us due to long period of separation...
Click to expand...

Just trying to preempt any difficult questions you may get.
 
They won't let you board the flight if your information in their system does not matches with your documents. Its much easy if you travel and them apply for name change while staying in US as a citizen.
 
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