Received 10 year Green Card - Steps to Change Last Name?

S

SpanishGirl

Registered Users (C)
My 10 year green card just arrived!!! FINALLY!!!

I know it would have been easier to do this before, but now i'm ready to take my husband's last name & would love some help.

I have talked to many people but have received different answers. After hours of research online I believe I need to file I-90 form ($395) for replacement green card first, but then I am not sure is social secutiry card or drivers license come next... :confused: I just received my new green card & would hate to pay the hundreds of dollars and do it wrong...

Thank you very very much for your help. You are all always so wonderful.
 
If your name change is only to take your husband's last name, you could have gotten the new name on your green card as part of the I-751 process, for no extra fee. Unfortunately it's too late for that.

Based on the timeline in your signature, it appears that you're eligible to apply for US citizenship next month. With citizenship eligibility so close, it doesn't make sense to pay the nearly $400 fee and wait 3-6 months for a new green card. Just wait until you apply for citizenship, and request the new name on the citizenship form in the part where it asks if you want a name change.

If your only name change is to take your husband's last name, point out that fact in the citizenship interview so they don't unnecessarily put you in a judicial oath which could cause you to wait a couple extra months for the oath date (name changes normally require judicial oaths which are held less frequently, but marriage-based name changes to take the spouse's last name can be handled in a regular administrative oath). And make sure to bring the marriage certificate to the interview.
 
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Jackolantern said:
If your name change is only to take your husband's last name, you could have gotten the new name on your green card as part of the I-751 process, for no extra fee. Unfortunately it's too late for that.

Based on the timeline in your signature, it appears that you're eligible to apply for US citizenship next month. With citizenship eligibility so close, it doesn't make sense to pay the nearly $400 fee and wait 3-6 months for a new green card. Just wait until you apply for citizenship, and request the new name on the citizenship form in the part where it asks if you want a name change.

If your only name change is to take your husband's last name, point out that fact in the citizenship interview so they don't unnecessarily put you in a judicial oath which could cause you to wait a couple extra months for the oath date (name changes normally require judicial oaths which are held less frequently, but marriage-based name changes to take the spouse's last name can be handled in a regular administrative oath). And make sure to bring the marriage certificate to the interview.
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Thank you for your fast reply! I am not sure if I will apply for citizenship right away. I need a break from anything immigration to be honest. Thus I wanted to surprise my husband with the name change. Even though it will cost me a ton of money, any idea what the steps are?
 
Jackolantern,

I just read on the USCIS website that a green card is only good if I don't plan on leaving the US for more than a year, my husband and I may move to Canada soon and stay for a few years. This being said I guess it makes sense to apply for Citizenship.
 
So you definitely want to change your name on your GC? You technically don't have to. You won't have problems entering the country. Take your marriage certificate when you travel.
 
I would like my name changed on everything, social security, license & green card, I just need to know what steps to take first if I chose to do it before I apply for citizenship.
 
Jackolantern said:
Based on the timeline in your signature, it appears that you're eligible to apply for US citizenship next month. With citizenship eligibility so close, it doesn't make sense to pay the nearly $400 fee and wait 3-6 months for a new green card. Just wait until you apply for citizenship, and request the new name on the citizenship form in the part where it asks if you want a name change.
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Does this mean I need to give-up my Canadian passport?
"Responsibilities
To become a U.S. citizen you must take
the Oath of Allegiance. The oath includes
several promises you make when
you become a U.S. citizen, including
promises to:
• Give up all prior allegiance to any other
nation or sovereignty;"

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/M-476.pdf
 
SpanishGirl said:
I would like my name changed on everything, social security, license & green card, I just need to know what steps to take first if I chose to do it before I apply for citizenship.
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If you want a name change outside of the citizenship process, file I-90 to get a green card with the new name. Then you'll wait 3-6 months for the updated green card. Then once you have it, you can take the new green card and your marriage certificate to the DMV and SSA to request your driver's license and Social Security card with the new name.

Note that the new green card could take longer to arrive than the time it takes to complete the citizenship process.
 
SpanishGirl said:
Ok thank you! If I chose to change my name before citizenship, what are the appropriate steps?
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Both the N-400 and I-90 demand that the adjudicator obtain and review your A-file. Do not file these at the same time and do not file one while the other is pending. You would cause an internal tug of war for the file. Also, if you are on the cusp of being naturalized, the I-90 would likely be held in abeyance and then denied when the N-400 is approved.

Your plan is a waste of time, money, and effort. Just naturalize because it will be quicker and less expensive and even if you got a new greencard, you'd have to surrender it when you naturalize.

Lastly, you can change your name on the other documents without changing your greencard.
 
BigJoe5 said:
Lastly, you can change your name on the other documents without changing your greencard.
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Maybe, maybe not. For noncitizens the SSA and DMV sometimes will insist that the name on the immigration document matches the name requested on the DL/SS card, thus forcing the individuals to either present an updated passport with the new name and I-551 stamp, or wait for the updated green card.
 
Jackolantern said:
Maybe, maybe not. For noncitizens the SSA and DMV sometimes will insist that the name on the immigration document matches the name requested on the DL/SS card, thus forcing the individuals to either present an updated passport with the new name and I-551 stamp, or wait for the updated green card.
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That is illegal. IF someone gets that kind of treatment, then make a complaint and such nonsense will stop. No married or divorced woman need show anything but her bridging document, i.e. marriage certificate or divorce decree.
 
BigJoe5 said:
That is illegal. IF someone gets that kind of treatment, then make a complaint and such nonsense will stop. No married or divorced woman need show anything but her bridging document, i.e. marriage certificate or divorce decree.
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I live in the state of Florida and went to the DMV website, put in all my information to book an online appointment to change my name and it said to ensure I have my new changed name on my alien/resident card before I come. This is why I started this forum.
 
Jackolantern said:
If you want a name change outside of the citizenship process, file I-90 to get a green card with the new name. Then you'll wait 3-6 months for the updated green card. Then once you have it, you can take the new green card and your marriage certificate to the DMV and SSA to request your driver's license and Social Security card with the new name.

Note that the new green card could take longer to arrive than the time it takes to complete the citizenship process.
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Yes. Makes much more sense to wait. I downloaded all forms needed for naturalization and will start filling them out to submit next month... but on the instructions it said that I would need to submit name change outside filing for citizenship? Any idea why?
 
SpanishGirl said:
Yes. Makes much more sense to wait. I downloaded all forms needed for naturalization and will start filling them out to submit next month... but on the instructions it said that I would need to submit name change outside filing for citizenship? Any idea why?
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Which page of the instructions says that? And there is only one form (N-400), not "forms". Did you download the "forms" from somewhere other than uscis.gov?

This is what I see in the official instructions (page 2, right side of the page):
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/n-400instr.pdf
D. Name change (optional) - A court can allow a change
in your name when you are being naturalized. A name
change does not become final until a court naturalizes
you. For more information regarding a name change,
see the Guide. (for convenience I've included a link to the Guide: http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/M-476.pdf])

If you want a court to change your name at a
naturalization oath ceremony, check ''Yes'' and
complete this section. If you do not want to change
your name, check ''No'' and go to Part 2.
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The reference to the court means that oaths with name changes are (usually) done in court, or at another facility with a judge supervising the ceremony. However, as I mentioned above in post #2, name changes that only involve taking the spouse's last name can be done in a regular administrative oath.
 
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BigJoe5 said:
That is illegal. IF someone gets that kind of treatment, then make a complaint and such nonsense will stop. No married or divorced woman need show anything but her bridging document, i.e. marriage certificate or divorce decree.
Click to expand...

Such treatment is illegal for citizens, but I'm not so sure that's true for noncitizens.
 
Jackolantern said:
Such treatment is illegal for citizens, but I'm not so sure that's true for noncitizens.
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The rights embodied in the law stem from the rights in the Constitution and while there are a few specific limitations for non-citizens, that is not one of them.
 
BigJoe5 said:
The rights embodied in the law stem from the rights in the Constitution and while there are a few specific limitations for non-citizens, that is not one of them.
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The DMVs don't agree. They treat noncitizens differently from citizens in various ways, often requiring a higher document burden and/or limiting the license to shorter periods of stay (even shorter than the authorized stay -- people with F1 or 3-year H1B are getting only 1 year licenses in FL). Good luck in trying to overturn such disparate treatment on constitutional grounds.

The Florida DMV says this: http://www.flhsmv.gov/realid/index.html
For Non-Citizens:

Valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card – I-551 for Lawful Permanent Residents
Valid Passport for non-immigrants except for asylum applicants and refugees
Other government issued document showing your full name
Department of Homeland Security document showing proof of lawful presence
If your name has changed by marriage/divorce, you must have your name changed on your Citizen and Immigration Services (CIS) documents.
Click to expand...
 
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