HELP PLEASE. I HAVE BEEN A GREEN CARD HOLDER FOR 7 YEARS AND I WANT TO APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP. HOWEVER, MY GREEN CARD SHOWS MY NAME BEFORE I GOT MARRIED. CAN I APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP WITH THIS CARD, OR DO I NEED TO GET A NEW GREENCARD SHOWING THE NAME CHANGE BEFORE I APPLY (IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A WASTE OF $195 TO CHANGE MY NAME TO SHOW MY MARRIED NAME WHEN ALL OF THE INFO WILL BE REFLECTED ON MY APPLICATION ANYWAY). PLEASE HELP. THANKS.
Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, P.C.
Green Card Name Change/citizenship
- Thread starter CKTJDAVIS
- Start date
phillydude
Registered Users (C)
You can change your name when you apply for citizenship. There is a question on N400 that asks if you like to change the name. So go ahead and apply for citizenship.
Good Luck.
P.S. I am not an immigration lawyer
Good Luck.
P.S. I am not an immigration lawyer
BPBJHL042002
Registered Users (C)
what happens if you decide to change your name after naturalization?
phillydude
Registered Users (C)
Name change after Naturalization
I believe you need to go through the court system.
I believe you need to go through the court system.
BPBJHL042002
Registered Users (C)
Thanks!
Thanks phiilydude...
Thanks phiilydude...
CKTJDAVIS: marriage certificate is the OFFICIAL legal document of your name change (to your husband's last name). You do not need to go through court to re-officialize your name. Your green card+marriage certificate is the enough proof for your new name to BCIS or any other agency in my view.
not a good idea
well, name change in N 400 process might seem easy and
paper less. BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.... if u change ur name in N400 then u must wait extraordinary time for oath after interview. Thats what MY and other ppls situation is. After a long wait u get ur interview and those ppl who have same day oath as interview are the lucky ones.
After interview waiting for oath for long time? thats really a hard one.
because u just wanna get it done with. so i would recommend IF u want to change name on documents do it after u get oath. and before u apply for US passport, so the passport u will get will be in ur new name and thats ur proof of new name AND the court documents .
good luck.
well, name change in N 400 process might seem easy and
paper less. BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.... if u change ur name in N400 then u must wait extraordinary time for oath after interview. Thats what MY and other ppls situation is. After a long wait u get ur interview and those ppl who have same day oath as interview are the lucky ones.
After interview waiting for oath for long time? thats really a hard one.
because u just wanna get it done with. so i would recommend IF u want to change name on documents do it after u get oath. and before u apply for US passport, so the passport u will get will be in ur new name and thats ur proof of new name AND the court documents .
good luck.
Well it depends on your service center. I did a name change and got my oath done in 3 1/2 months after I had my interview. Doing this way is also free, but as i said, it depends on your service center. Some of them are quick, my service center was Baltimore and my whole citizenship process was done in like 9 1/2 months. Good Luck!
Vaarun
Oath letter in 3 1/2 months with name change...? hmmmmm
thats not bad , but do u happen to know the process , like after u pass ur interview , name change is donr in court before u get ur oath OR its dont at the oath ceremony,.
I am lil confused can u plz tell me that ur name was changed before oath ceremony and then u got ur oath and just attended ur ceremny and no judge asked u to sign any paper work for name change in oath ceremony.????
Or every thing was done at oath ceremony like signing the name change papers and stuff.
i will really appreciate ur help and experience.
Thank you in advance...
Oath letter in 3 1/2 months with name change...? hmmmmm
thats not bad , but do u happen to know the process , like after u pass ur interview , name change is donr in court before u get ur oath OR its dont at the oath ceremony,.
I am lil confused can u plz tell me that ur name was changed before oath ceremony and then u got ur oath and just attended ur ceremny and no judge asked u to sign any paper work for name change in oath ceremony.????
Or every thing was done at oath ceremony like signing the name change papers and stuff.
i will really appreciate ur help and experience.
Thank you in advance...
shaky,
What happens at the interview is, you fill out paperwork, basically indicating your old and new name along with your signature. I believe it then goes to the court for processing. I got a letter in like three months after, to appear at a court for my oath ceremony. They kinda group other applicants who are making a name change. There were about 60 other applicants getting the same done. They had all the papers ready, including your official name change document. You take the oath get both the naturalization certificate and the official name change certificate. Hope this helps.
What happens at the interview is, you fill out paperwork, basically indicating your old and new name along with your signature. I believe it then goes to the court for processing. I got a letter in like three months after, to appear at a court for my oath ceremony. They kinda group other applicants who are making a name change. There were about 60 other applicants getting the same done. They had all the papers ready, including your official name change document. You take the oath get both the naturalization certificate and the official name change certificate. Hope this helps.
Thanks Vaarun
vaarun Thank you soooo much for ur post it helped me relax and be patience.
vaarun so u meant to say that name change applicants take their oath in **court** .while process of taking oath for other with no name change applicants is different...
Only 60 ppl in court who took oath with u indicates that name change applicants go through lil diff process... am i right.?
because usual oath ceremonies are crowded and they have more then 200 ppl in regular oath ceremonies.
Thank u again vaarun...
regards
shaky
vaarun Thank you soooo much for ur post it helped me relax and be patience.
vaarun so u meant to say that name change applicants take their oath in **court** .while process of taking oath for other with no name change applicants is different...
Only 60 ppl in court who took oath with u indicates that name change applicants go through lil diff process... am i right.?
because usual oath ceremonies are crowded and they have more then 200 ppl in regular oath ceremonies.
Thank u again vaarun...
regards
shaky
Shaky
Yes, the name change applicants take their oath in court, well at least I did. I do not know if the process is different for name change applicants as opposed to other applicants without a name change, have no clue as to what happens behind the scenes. Again, I think it depends on your service center with regards to time frames, but it seems like that you have already gone ahead with your name change, if so you just have to wait. Which state are you in? Good Luck!
Yes, the name change applicants take their oath in court, well at least I did. I do not know if the process is different for name change applicants as opposed to other applicants without a name change, have no clue as to what happens behind the scenes. Again, I think it depends on your service center with regards to time frames, but it seems like that you have already gone ahead with your name change, if so you just have to wait. Which state are you in? Good Luck!
CKTJDAVIS
I would think that even though you did not change your married name on the green card it should still be good as you should have a marriage certificate. I guess, you can apply with your married name and not ask for a name change. Please check with a qualified person on this one. I think it should be ok though. Virginia is a little slower with the naturalization process. I am in Maryland and its much faster. I have a friend in VA who is still waiting for his interview. Good Luck!
I would think that even though you did not change your married name on the green card it should still be good as you should have a marriage certificate. I guess, you can apply with your married name and not ask for a name change. Please check with a qualified person on this one. I think it should be ok though. Virginia is a little slower with the naturalization process. I am in Maryland and its much faster. I have a friend in VA who is still waiting for his interview. Good Luck!
Vaarun
I am in New York State... vermont service center....
Other two ppl i know who went for interview one 12 days after me already got their oath letters in mail.... so looks like oath is fast in NY.... but again for name change no one knows how fast it will be... Thanks Vaarun for ur posts....
Regards...
Shaky...
I am in New York State... vermont service center....
Other two ppl i know who went for interview one 12 days after me already got their oath letters in mail.... so looks like oath is fast in NY.... but again for name change no one knows how fast it will be... Thanks Vaarun for ur posts....
Regards...
Shaky...