Change of name - please HELP

[Katya7]

Hi guys!

I have filed for adjustment of status and have received my EAD card on 11/24/17.
While waiting for my interview notice, I wanted to go ahead and change my last name to be the same as my husband's. I did not want to change the name before filing for AOS because we wanted to sent documents asap.
My drivers licence with my maiden name expires pretty soon and I believe they need EAD (which has my maiden name now) to renew drivers license.....

My questions are: how to change the name once all the forms have been filed with my current name? Am I supposed to go and update my status at Social Security and then mail this update to USCIS?
Is it going to slow down green card process? Is it better to do after getting a green card (I think there are filing fees if changing the name after receiving GC)?
Does it worth waiting for naturalization?

Guys, please help! I am totally lost with all this change of name processes!!!!

[viri18]

Hi guys!

I have filed for adjustment of status and have received my EAD card on 11/24/17.
While waiting for my interview notice, I wanted to go ahead and change my last name to be the same as my husband's. I did not want to change the name before filing for AOS because we wanted to sent documents asap.
My drivers licence with my maiden name expires pretty soon and I believe they need EAD (which has my maiden name now) to renew drivers license.....

My questions are: how to change the name once all the forms have been filed with my current name? Am I supposed to go and update my status at Social Security and then mail this update to USCIS?
Is it going to slow down green card process? Is it better to do after getting a green card (I think there are filing fees if changing the name after receiving GC)?
Does it worth waiting for naturalization?

Guys, please help! I am totally lost with all this change of name processes!!!!

Katya first of all what is your legal name as of right now? look at your marriage certificate and that should be your legal name. If you want to have your husbands last name you have to go to court and they will charge you around $300 to $500. To do any changes on documents such as driver license or social security you need proof of new legal name such as marriage certificate or court order.
I think you should keep all the paper work with your legal name as for right now and if you want to make changes do it after you have your green card on your hands.

[rayb]

Your marriage certificate gives you the legal right to substitute your husband's family name for your family name. All government agencies have provisions for allowing change of official name based on marriage. Local court name changes are if you want to get more flexible than just a substitution of surnames, and count on court fees of $200 - $500 to do that (depending on fees in your state or county).

--Ray B

Hi guys!

I have filed for adjustment of status and have received my EAD card on 11/24/17.
While waiting for my interview notice, I wanted to go ahead and change my last name to be the same as my husband's. I did not want to change the name before filing for AOS because we wanted to sent documents asap.
My drivers licence with my maiden name expires pretty soon and I believe they need EAD (which has my maiden name now) to renew drivers license.....

My questions are: how to change the name once all the forms have been filed with my current name? Am I supposed to go and update my status at Social Security and then mail this update to USCIS?
Is it going to slow down green card process? Is it better to do after getting a green card (I think there are filing fees if changing the name after receiving GC)?
Does it worth waiting for naturalization?

Guys, please help! I am totally lost with all this change of name processes!!!!

[Katya7]

Katya first of all what is your legal name as of right now? look at your marriage certificate and that should be your legal name. If you want to have your husbands last name you have to go to court and they will charge you around $300 to $500. To do any changes on documents such as driver license or social security you need proof of new legal name such as marriage certificate or court order.
I think you should keep all the paper work with your legal name as for right now and if you want to make changes do it after you have your green card on your hands.

Hi Viri! My marriage sertificate states my maden name... I guess this means that I need to go to court - oh, well... Yeah, I think I am going to sest still for a while.
I might ask the officer during interview to change name on the green card. After interview will go to court right away if the officer will say OK on that.
Thank you for sharing!

- - - Updated - - -

Your marriage certificate gives you the legal right to substitute your husband's family name for your family name. All government agencies have provisions for allowing change of official name based on marriage. Local court name changes are if you want to get more flexible than just a substitution of surnames, and count on court fees of $200 - $500 to do that (depending on fees in your state or county).

--Ray B

Hi Ray! So if my marriage certificate states my maden name then it means that I did not use my legal name and did not change it when I had a chance, right?
Gosh, these fees to change someone's name are huge... =(

[rayb]

Your marriage certificate gives you the legal right to follow the U.S. convention of assuming your husband's family name. Some marriage certifcates give you the option of showing the name you intend to use after marriage, but you are stil not bound by this part of the marriage certificate. A court action to change your name is simply not true, unless you plan to assume some irregular name change.

--Ray B

Hi Viri! My marriage sertificate states my maden name... I guess this means that I need to go to court - oh, well... Yeah, I think I am going to sest still for a while.
I might ask the officer during interview to change name on the green card. After interview will go to court right away if the officer will say OK on that.
Thank you for sharing!

- - - Updated - - -



Hi Ray! So if my marriage certificate states my maden name then it means that I did not use my legal name and did not change it when I had a chance, right?
Gosh, these fees to change someone's name are huge... =(

[miiki]

This will vary by state. My marriage certificate says my maiden name. I took the marriage certificate to the social security office and they easily changed my last name to my husband’s (that part should be the same across the country). The new SS card took a couple of weeks to receive in the mail. I then took my marriage certificate and new social security card to the DMV and they changed my name to match my SS card.

[Katya7]

This will vary by state. My marriage certificate says my maiden name. I took the marriage certificate to the social security office and they easily changed my last name to my husband’s (that part should be the same across the country). The new SS card took a couple of weeks to receive in the mail. I then took my marriage certificate and new social security card to the DMV and they changed my name to match my SS card.

Okay, great. I guess, I should try that after the interview, don't you think? =)

[rayb]

Once you are married, you have a legal right to begin using your married name, i.e., your first name, your middle name, your husband's family name.
If your Green Care has your maiden name, it will cost you about $540 to get your Green Card changed to your married name.

A name change through the court is only needed if you don't have a legal right to assume your married name.

--Ray B

Okay, great. I guess, I should try that after the interview, don't you think? =)