Different maiden name on foreign documents for citizenship

[jt80]

Good Day,

Hope someone can provide clarity on the following.

My wife and I are about to apply for citizenship and not sure how to answer this question for my wife's application, "Have you changed your name since becoming a permanent resident?". My wife's passport expired last year (which had her maiden surname) and after renewing it, her new passport now has my surname, so now all of her Canadian documents (PR, CoPR, health card etc.) still has her maiden surname, while all foreign documents now includes her updated surname.

Should we indicate that she changed her name? Not sure if this only applies to someone changing their name in Canada, as I came across the requirement below:

If you have legally changed your name outside Canada and are residing in Canada
Then you must provide a copy of the following documents:

• A foreign passport or other national authoritative documentation amended to reflect the new name;
• A foreign name change document that links your previous name to your new name, such as a foreign marriage certificate (with an official translation); and
• A document in the new name from Canadian provinces or territories (ex. driver's licence, health card, age of majority card, senior citizen’s identification card, or social service card)

I can provide the first and second documents, but not the third since she's still using her maiden name here.

We don't mind applying with her maiden name for the citizenship and not sure how to answer this question. My only concern is that her Canadian documents won't match to any foreign documents.

Thank You

 

[armoured]

My wife and I are about to apply for citizenship and not sure how to answer this question for my wife's application, "Have you changed your name since becoming a permanent resident?". My wife's passport expired last year (which had her maiden surname) and after renewing it, her new passport now has my surname, so now all of her Canadian documents (PR, CoPR, health card etc.) still has her maiden surname, while all foreign documents now includes her updated surname.

Should we indicate that she changed her name? Not sure if this only applies to someone changing their name in Canada, as I came across the requirement below:

If you have legally changed your name outside Canada and are residing in Canada
Then you must provide a copy of the following documents:

• A document in the new name from Canadian provinces or territories (ex. driver's licence, health card, age of majority card, senior citizen’s identification card, or social service card)

I can provide the first and second documents, but not the third since she's still using her maiden name here.

We don't mind applying with her maiden name for the citizenship and not sure how to answer this question. My only concern is that her Canadian documents won't match to any foreign documents

My opinion is that you would be better off taking the extra few/several weeks or a month or so to get a couple of documents with updated name (DL, health card, etc) and then applying for citizenship.

Citizenship will take some time (I don't follow closely how long but > 6 months?). And then you will face the issue of having docs in different names, etc, and changing some later (plus possibly confusion about why docs with different names with overlapping time periods). Do it now and have citizenship with new name and not have to go through all of this later.

Again, just for simplicity and assumoing that spouse eventually wants all docs to reflect updated name.

 

[jt80]

My opinion is that you would be better off taking the extra few/several weeks or a month or so to get a couple of documents with updated name (DL, health card, etc) and then applying for citizenship.

Citizenship will take some time (I don't follow closely how long but > 6 months?). And then you will face the issue of having docs in different names, etc, and changing some later (plus possibly confusion about why docs with different names with overlapping time periods). Do it now and have citizenship with new name and not have to go through all of this later.

Again, just for simplicity and assumoing that spouse eventually wants all docs to reflect updated name.

Thank you.

We might just change update her learners and health card for now since it's probably the quickest, but will need to find out the timelines for this. If it does take some time, we might just apply with her maiden name and deal with changing it afterwards. Hoping this won't cause issues with the citizen application though.

To answer your question, based on current timelines, it can take up to 2 years to process citizenship applications

 

[armoured]

Thank you.

We might just change update her learners and health card for now since it's probably the quickest, but will need to find out the timelines for this. If it does take some time, we might just apply with her maiden name and deal with changing it afterwards. Hoping this won't cause issues with the citizen application though.

To answer your question, based on current timelines, it can take up to 2 years to process citizenship applications

I seem to recall that our DL's (new, updated, various) in Ontario took about four weeks. Health card about the same? Don't recall exactly but it wasn't very long. Note, these are for the photo versions, in both cases they give you a document on the spot that's valid albeit temporary.

Again: I've been watching some of these cases, and since citizenship can take so long, it REALLY is a lot easier to get a doc or two updated first (since the name change has already taken place) and get citizenship under new name. It just gets complicated if the name change has already taken place and then yuou've got this one thing (citizenship) that's a pain to update and slow to happen.

Up to you of course.

 

[jt80]

I seem to recall that our DL's (new, updated, various) in Ontario took about four weeks. Health card about the same? Don't recall exactly but it wasn't very long. Note, these are for the photo versions, in both cases they give you a document on the spot that's valid albeit temporary.

Again: I've been watching some of these cases, and since citizenship can take so long, it REALLY is a lot easier to get a doc or two updated first (since the name change has already taken place) and get citizenship under new name. It just gets complicated if the name change has already taken place and then yuou've got this one thing (citizenship) that's a pain to update and slow to happen.

Up to you of course.

Ah I see, not sure how long it will take here in AB, so will need to find out. Our health card doesn't include a photo so now I'm wondering if we can use that in the application, particularly for proof of name change?

 

[armoured]

Ah I see, not sure how long it will take here in AB, so will need to find out. Our health card doesn't include a photo so now I'm wondering if we can use that in the application, particularly for proof of name change?

Sorry, don't know about Alberta timing. I haven't heard particular negative comments about how long there.

I don't think / know what specific requirements are for the citizenship app, please double check. I don't think it requires that many photo ids (and don't think it has to be the one with updated name), but not sure. I shoudl think supporting ID with updated name should be enough, whether that is one or two as per the instructions..

Note in the Ontario case I probably wouldn't want to use the temporary one, just in case it mattered, but that's a slightly different case.