Name Change - Advice Please ??

H

helper

Member
NAME CHANGE - ADVICE PLEASE

My wife will be applying for Naturalization soon. She would like to change her last name. My questions are :

1) Should we get the name change first with local court and file citizenship after the name change ? I heard that name change can be long procedure at local courts.
(OR ) Should we request name change during naturalization process by requesting in N-400 ?
(OR ) Should we request the name change after Citizenship ?

What are the pro and cons in each case and what is advisable ?

2) How does the name change works during naturalization process ? Do we get a Oath certificate with new name along with some kind of court order ?

Please comment ! :)
 
JoeF said:
Doing a name change with the N-400 is the easiest way. It is painless. No delay, no courts, etc. At the swearing in, she will get her new name right there.
Anything else requires lengthy court proceedings.
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Thanks. Do you get any court order also along with certificate of naturalization at Oath.
What document do you show to other authorities ( like SS, Bank etc..) to update the old name with new name.
 
Name Change Wait for 4 month to be Schedualled

Some people have the same date interview with me on Septermber 23, 2005, they went to a 2000-people ceremony in miami convention center in December 2005. And I had to wait till Janurary 23rd (2 month later) when received oath letter.

The Ceremony held for only 200 people in a federal court in Miami on Feb 17th, 2006. All people over over there have requested a name change. I received 2 paper, 1 court order, 1 certificate.

good luck to you!
 
JoeF said:
Doing a name change with the N-400 is the easiest way.
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I was told you can't change names at some INS districts, such as SFO. The only way is to go through the court...
 
Procedure at San Francisco/ Oakland DO

Here is what I found on USCIS website for San Francisco office:

“ Naturalization Information:
IMPORTANT: The San Francisco District Office can no longer provide Name Changes as part of the Naturalization Process. This change is necessary because the District now conducts “Administrative” rather than “Judicial” Oath Ceremonies. Name changes can be obtained by filing a petition with your local Superior Court. "

http://uscis.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/sanfran/aboutus.htm

Seems like SFO District office has different procedure for name change.
Please advice what to do for cases in San Francisco / Oakland DO?

Anyone else has any experience at San Francisco / Oakland DO with name change?

Regards
 
Like I said in another similar thread, requesting a name change in the N-400 process is just not worth it (which JoeF resoundingly refuted, but I firmly stand by my point). The USCIS is retarded, period. Anything, seemingly harmless though it may be, that you add to this already messy process, will introduce another complication.

By the way, I requested a name change too.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have not requested it. Just change the name after the N-400 prcess. It may take longer overall, but by that time you will already be a U.S. citizen ! Any problem you have then will be a better problem to have.

Walter
 
San Francisco District Offices

I took Oath today. The whole process took about 1:30 hr and we got naturalization certficate after the ceremony. I am USC now :D
Coincidentally, the officer who took my interview was there and checked my Oath appointment and green card.
I asked the immigration officer about name change. The immigration officer told me that San Francisco District office DO NOT do name change during naturalization process . You have to go to local court.
One rule is :
If you have california marriage license, you wife gets your last name automatically. Otherwise, you have to get the name change. In Alameda county, it takes about 8-10 weeks for whole process.

Regards.
 
Is your wife thinking of a completely new name, or just changing her last name from her maiden name to husband's last name.

If it is just changing from maiden to married name, the procedure is not at all complicated (time consuming - yes).
Don't have to go to a court house for that....marriage certificate is good enough.
 
JoeF said:
Well, first off, I have requested a name change, and it is very simple here in LA. Just an entry on the N-400, that's it.
.
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I've changed my name, and I had the oath in LA.
Like "ocworker" posted a while ago, they gave me a piece of paper stating my old name and my new name, signed by District Court Clerk without any Seal or anything else.

A couple of day ago, I've applied for US Passport, and the people from County Clerk where I've applied, reluctantly accepted my application because the name change paper didn't have the Court Seal, and "anybody could type a paper like that and sign it"...they said :confused:

I hope my application will not be returned by US Dept. of State...the way the County Clerk employee predicted :eek:
 
harvydonald said:
Is your wife thinking of a completely new name, or just changing her last name from her maiden name to husband's last name.

If it is just changing from maiden to married name, the procedure is not at all complicated (time consuming - yes).
Don't have to go to a court house for that....marriage certificate is good enough.
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I agree that marriage certificate is enough ( for last name change) , but the local court told me that marriage has to be registered in State of California. Then your wife get's your last name automatically.
If your marriage is registered abroad ( in my case), than the option is to go thorugh name change process which takes about 8 weeks and $500.

Well, after talking to Immigration officials & local court and reading lot of experiences, I decided to have a name change done at local court after the Oath Ceremony.
 
helper00 said:
I agree that marriage certificate is enough ( for last name change) , but the local court told me that marriage has to be registered in State of California. Then your wife get's your last name automatically.
If your marriage is registered abroad ( in my case), than the option is to go thorugh name change process which takes about 8 weeks and $500.

Well, after talking to Immigration officials & local court and reading lot of experiences, I decided to have a name change done at local court after the Oath Ceremony.
Click to expand...

did you guys come here on separate visas since you've been married abroad and you just became a USC and she's on her way to become one?
 
ateganda29 said:
did you guys come here on separate visas since you've been married abroad and you just became a USC and she's on her way to become one?
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We came here on seperate visas. We met in US , but got married aborad. I recently became USC and she is on her way to become USC.

Just curious why you asked this question ?
 
oh, nothing in particular. i just wanted to get a clear picture of your situation. good luck on your wife's name change.
 
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