Travelling on AP question

R

regskins

Registered Users (C)
Hi all,
I have been checking this forum almost daily for the past couple of years and I have finally decided to register and ask a few questions. I hope to get answers soon from you all gurus:
As you can tell from my signature I have an approved AP. I need to travel internationally for work at the end of March. My question is, my relatively new passport from my country has my maiden name and I am apply for GC using my married last name. will it be a problem re-entering the US with a passport and AP that have different last names on it. My husband suggested that I take our marriage certificate with me to show proof of the discrepancy. Do you guys think that will work? I am also about to request a visa for the country I will be visiting. I guess that will be the first test of the discrepancy since embassy will require to see AP before they can issue visa.

Thanks for your help.
 
regskins,

yes I think this will work ... but let me understand correctly, the passport was issued before your name change, is that correct? I'm sure many newlywed women are in this situation (e.g. travel internationally on honeymoon with their passport in their maiden name). Perhaps you may also want to have some secondary proof in addition to your marriage certificate, just in case, although marriage certificate by itself should suffice too. Do you already have a driver's license and social security card in your married name, for instance? Have you considered the option of getting a new passport from your consulate in the US, or perhaps the consulate can annotate the existing passport with the name change? (You'll need one in your married name eventually!)
 
yes, you should carry a copy of your marriage certificate with you when you travel in lieu of discrepancies on names, and that's pretty common/normal etc etc etc.

For the visa that you are going to apply you should send a copy of your marriage certificate, I would send an original copy from the court, you can ask for one and it's like 5 bucks or something like that, since normally consulates and embassies ask for originals.
 
Thanks Austriacus and Cherr1980 for your suggestions. Yes Austriacus, I got my new passport actually shortly before the wedding. i have a new SS card with my married last name and I am about to get a driver's license with my new last name as well. Hopefully all those together with the marriage certificate should help.

I will also request a second "original' marriage certificate. I only have one "original' and I will need for the interview. If the embassy or the POE takes it I will be screwed since I am supposed to come back from this trip just days before my interview.

Thanks again all
 
I don't think they will take your original copy at the interview. In the instructions provided with the ID letter, it states they may keep it if you don't bring a copy, so just be sure to have one.
 
You always can ask for more certified copies (that is the same as you have) of your marriage certificate.

No POE wants more paper, they don't take that...if they ask about your AP and your passport you just said "I got married and change my name, my married name is...." (as appears on the AP). If they ask for proof of it or you say "I have a copy of my marriage certificate.."...they just will see it and that's it.

You get your originals at your interview AND copies, make an exact match of your file. When I went to my interview, he ask for a copy of our bank account and I had all that in hand, I just had to give it to him and that was it.

Don't worry...a lot of people have pass through it, is not new, is not a big deal, you are not the only woman who decided to change her name and go through immigration.
 
My wife got 5 certified copies of our marriage certificate ... and many name changes with passport, SSA, DL, banks, apartment, etc. etc. later we have one left!
 
Today I went to apply for a Maryland license (I had a DC one) and have my new last name on it as well. It went very well. Got in and out in about one hour with a shiny new MD license with my new last name. Was told I have 60 days to register my car to MD from DC.

My name is officially changed on everything now except my passport. Yeay!
 
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