Name change before interview
- Thread starter laddoorao
- Start date
There are 2 ways to change name: If you do it during through the N400, it would be by the federal government,, that change is accpted everywhere and costs nothing but couple of more months for name check. If you change it afterwards, You dont have to wait for additional name checking time but you pay some amount of county court fee but that name change may/may not be accepted everywhere.
What will happen is that after your file is completed still it needs to be sent to court for name change process and judge still need to finalize the process.So technically still court has authority to do it not USCIS.This might take some time and delay your citizenship process depending on how often USCIS in your area sends the name change requests to the court.
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Jackolantern
Registered Users (C)
You can change it separately from the N-400 process before the interview, using a court process in your jurisdiction. However, if you do that, you have to report the new name at the interview, and the new name would cause them to request another FBI name check*, which could delay your naturalization by several months. So if you want to avoid those delays, it is better to change your name as part of the N-400 process itself (you can request it at the interview), or in a separate court process after the oath.
*exception: if you are a married woman changing your name to match your husbands last name, they probably will not require another name check, because they most likely would have already run the name check including your husband's last name as one of the name variations they search for.
What name check are you talking about? haven't they already done fbi name check and other checks on your name.
Court before Oath or directly to Oath
Since my last name change is due to marriage and will be my husband's last name I go to the interview and tell IO about this. Then what happens? Will I have to go to court first after interview and before oath to change my last name or I directly go to Oath ceremony and change my last name there??
Since my last name change is due to marriage and will be my husband's last name I go to the interview and tell IO about this. Then what happens? Will I have to go to court first after interview and before oath to change my last name or I directly go to Oath ceremony and change my last name there??
ATLANTA_N400
Registered Users (C)
That is exactly correct. My name change is to match with my husband's last name. Anyway I scheduled a Infopass with my DO 2 days later. Let me see what they have to say.
If you provide a valid marriage license( or Marriage Certificate), you don't have to go through a court based Oath Ceremony or an official namechange at a civil court. Marriage license will be accepted as evidence when a wife decides to use husband's last name. But if you want to use his first name as your last name( Common, some places in India), then you have to do an official name change.
Alternatively, just finish with the whole stuff using either your current name or maiden name( they will use birth certificate). When you are ready to apply for passport use your husband's last name , just have to send in the marriage license also. Similarly you can use the marriage license and Naturalization Certificate togther where ever required.
If you want to use any other name including your husband's first name, Get the name changed at the local county court (It cost $15 for me, got it done in less than 2 hours) and use it along with the Natz Certificate.
However once you got your passport in new name, chances are that you will never need to use the naturalization certificate. Most poeple just safe store it.
Hope This Helps.