A legal name change after receiving Citizenship Certificate

[gprasanna31]

First correct it in Ontario ID's (Health card/DL). Then use the same proof you used to get those ID's and apply for passport. We used marriage certificate in our case to get the new last name even though the citizenship certificate has maiden name. More information here

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/change-name.html

Hi Mexontario. To get the Ontario ID's corrected, i believe they will ask for Name change document. Without any supporting document i cannot get it corrected anywhere

 

[armoured]

Hi Mexontario. To get the Ontario ID's corrected, i believe they will ask for Name change document. Without any supporting document i cannot get it corrected anywhere

From some personal experience with this (but different from your own), you may be able to get away without a legal name change document and process by just using and documenting use of your 'new' name. (It's an old common law thing that if you use a name all the time, you've effectively changed your name and you can get it recognized).

Ontario may issue you docs with your new name with no 'legal' name change - mostly in cases where the 'new' name is an obvious and simple version of the old name. (Eg Jim instead of James, using middle name prominently eg J. Middle Lastname). A change of splitting a double-last name / no given name to traditional Given/Last might be treated the same in Ontario - I don't know.

BUT: I still think for most and for your case it will probably be better to go through the provincial legal namechange process. It's not that lengthy or expensive and it is in most cases incontrovertible and undeniable (legal) evidence that individual A changed their name to B.

The 'traditional' way above works mostly, but occasionally some institutions simply won't use or acknowledge it and it causes problems. Notably, foreign countries generally do not get the 'name change with no legal name change'.

 

[eeprofilehelp]

Hi @eeprofilehel how did it go with your name change process? How long did the process take from the application date to receiving the name change certificate? When you applied for a new passport, what IDs did you provide? Since they require to provide IDs with the passport application, did you first update the ID with the new name and then applied with that ID for a new passport, or can I just provide an old ID, old passport and the name change certificate? I'd appreciate your help here. Thank you in advance!

So, received the Name Change document Yesterday(April 27th). Sent all the documents on March 04th for Name Change. I Will be updating all the documents starting with Driving Licence, Health Card (I will give a try in the evening or on Saturday). Once these two are done, I will apply for the First Canadian Passport and update SIN information as well.

Meanwhile, I have surrendered my Indian passport, they asked me the reason for not having a Canadian Passport, to which I told them that I am in the process of doing a name change and for Name Change application until getting a Canadian Passport is months long process, and they accepted my application, still waiting on getting my cancelled passport back.

 

[iMayflower]

So, received the Name Change document Yesterday(April 27th). Sent all the documents on March 04th for Name Change. I Will be updating all the documents starting with Driving Licence, Health Card (I will give a try in the evening or on Saturday). Once these two are done, I will apply for the First Canadian Passport and update SIN information as well.

Meanwhile, I have surrendered my Indian passport, they asked me the reason for not having a Canadian Passport, to which I told them that I am in the process of doing a name change and for Name Change application until getting a Canadian Passport is months long process, and they accepted my application, still waiting on getting my cancelled passport back.

Thank you! When did they receive your application in Thunder Bay and when did they charge your credit card?

 

[eeprofilehelp]

Thank you! When did they receive your application in Thunder Bay and when did they charge your credit card?

Received by them on March 9th and Payment charged was on April 14th.

 

[iMayflower]

Received by them on March 9th and Payment charged was on April 14th.

wow, took them so long...! congrats on finally receiving it

 

[eeprofilehelp]

Updated DL, Health Card and Vehicle Permit yesterday. DL number changed(One digit changed) and the last 2 letter of Health Card also changed, lady told me DL number will change because I'm doing a name change. Got a temporary paper licence.

Not sure about Health Card, why it changed, as my both the DL & HC were up for renewal anyway.

 

[keypad]

Updated DL, Health Card and Vehicle Permit yesterday. DL number changed(One digit changed) and the last 2 letter of Health Card also changed, lady told me DL number will change because I'm doing a name change. Got a temporary paper licence.

Not sure about Health Card, why it changed, as my both the DL & HC were up for renewal anyway.

Hi everyone,
Is there anyone who did their name change in Ontario? Please share how you guys got the guarantor thing done? We asked our bank manager and a lawyer but they have refused to sign the guarantor part of the name change form.

@eeprofilehelp, @Mexontario, or anyone who can chip in, please share the info.

 

[eeprofilehelp]

Hi everyone,
Is there anyone who did their name change in Ontario? Please share how you guys got the guarantor thing done? We asked our bank manager and a lawyer but they have refused to sign the guarantor part of the name change form.

@eeprofilehelp, @Mexontario, or anyone who can chip in, please share the info.

I got mine from my BOSS.

As per the application, it can be anyone who knows you for at least five years.
"If you can’t identify anyone from this list to act as a guarantor, you must find someone other than a relative who has known you for at least five years, and knows that you have been ordinarily resident in Ontario for at least the past 12 months."

 

[Mexontario]

Hi everyone,
Is there anyone who did their name change in Ontario? Please share how you guys got the guarantor thing done? We asked our bank manager and a lawyer but they have refused to sign the guarantor part of the name change form.

@eeprofilehelp, @Mexontario, or anyone who can chip in, please share the info.

For us its a name change due to marriage and marriage certificate was sufficient.

 

[gprasanna31]

Received by them on March 9th and Payment charged was on April 14th.

That’s amazing. I applied for name change on May 01. Document received by them on May 09. Until now no idea what’s happening- credit card not charged. Any way we can contact them and ask for the application status. (Currently not having the postal tracking number as well)

 

[mumbaikar]

That’s amazing. I applied for name change on May 01. Document received by them on May 09. Until now no idea what’s happening- credit card not charged. Any way we can contact them and ask for the application status. (Currently not having the postal tracking number as well)

You can call them (ServiceOntario) at 1-800-461-2156 or 416-325-8305 (GTA) to know the status. Also ask them the file number, it will make it fast the next time you call them.

 

[Canadianavisa2017]

Hello Everyone,

My wife has applied for Canadian Citizenship and her test is due next month. She would like to change her surname i.e. from her father's surname to my surname. Can anyone suggest, how to change the surname during the citizenship application process? If we use the webform which category should we choose? Thank you

 

[armoured]

Hello Everyone,

My wife has applied for Canadian Citizenship and her test is due next month. She would like to change her surname i.e. from her father's surname to my surname. Can anyone suggest, how to change the surname during the citizenship application process? If we use the webform which category should we choose? Thank you

Strong recommendation to undertake the name change after citizenship is received. Once she gets the citizenshp certificate, undertake procedures provincially, use that documentation to apply for Canadian passport, and basically done. (Citizenship certificate can be changed but not really necessary, as after you get the passport in new name that will be enough for 99% of purposes, and for the other 1%, citcert in old name + legal name change docs will suffice)

 

[limhockkiong]

@eeprofilehelp @GokulGuruprasad @iMayflower @gprasanna31 and others who can share their actual experience or thoughts.

My family will be doing their oath ceremony at the end of January 2023. Following the advice of some of us here, we have decided to NOT change their names until after they have completed the Canadian citizenship application process. Now that they are close to completion, I'd like to ask you for your experience and timeline. In principle, we want to do the same as what you have done:

1. Go through the Oath ceremony
2. Do a legal name change (actually, it is just a name order correction. they currently have no first name, and all parts of their names are assigned as their last name, anyway, just details here and won't affect your response to this question)
3. Get a new Canadian citizenship certificate under the new name - yes, understand it may not be required at all, but it's symbolic and nice to just have one that correctly reflects their names
4. Wait for new citizenship certificate, and issue the first Canadian passport with the correct names.

Questions:
A. Did you go through the same steps above and what was your timeline?
B. In hindsight, do you think it might be better to just inform the clerk or whoever is in the Oath Ceremony virtual call about this situation and tell them not to issue the Canadian citizenship certificate under their current names. Allow us time to get the legal name change and then send all paperwork back to IRCC so they can issue the first citizenship certificate with the "new" and correct names the first time?
C. In hindsight, was there anything you think you could have done differently with regards to the legal name change?

We are Calgary based.

Hoping to hear your experience.

Thanks a lot!