Last Name (as shown on passport)

[leenicka06]

I am a U.S. citizen planning to marry my fiance in July. I will then be applying for her to sponsor me as soon as we receive the marriage certificate in the mail. I won't have time between then to send in a name change for my passport. On my applications for PR, should I be writing my name (as shown on my passport --- as it states on the application), or my new married name?

 

[Asta]

i didnt change my name. and im sending in application using my old name. im gonna change my name when ill finish with application process, cause changing name means changing passport, and to do that being in foreign country is hard and takes lots of time. if they ask me why i didnt change my name im gonna tell them exactly as i say here. its not a must to change name when u got married.


oh and definitely put ur name as in PASSPORT. u can change ur name and passport after sending in papers. but when u do that, u need to warn immigration centre. when any data of urs is changed u gotta tell them.

 

[fallenstar831]

Legally, you don't have to change your name on a passport until it expires. I sent everything in in my maiden name but filled in the forms with my married name. No worries, they get that it takes a while to get it all changed.

 

[moo48]

I just changed my name on my passport, and actually it very quick. I got married in New York state, they sent the marriage certificate within 2 weeks, and it only takes one day to change your name at the social security office and the DMV. I mailed in my old passport with new pictures and my marriage certificate, and it was back in a week. I paid to have it sent there and back overnight. If you are getting married in Canada, though, it's supposed to take much longer to get your marriage certificate. Definitely fill out the paperwork with the name that's on your passport, though. I know I read that in the guide...

 

[BlueDragon17846]

I just changed my name on my passport, and actually it very quick. I got married in New York state, they sent the marriage certificate within 2 weeks, and it only takes one day to change your name at the social security office and the DMV. I mailed in my old passport with new pictures and my marriage certificate, and it was back in a week. I paid to have it sent there and back overnight. If you are getting married in Canada, though, it's supposed to take much longer to get your marriage certificate. Definitely fill out the paperwork with the name that's on your passport, though. I know I read that in the guide...

Wow! I'm from New york State too, and definitely makes me wish we had gotten married there. We decided to get married in Ontario, and it takes 10 weeks to get your marriage certificate. We were married in September and unable to send out the application until December.

As far as the last name, I just put my maiden name as it appears on my passport. There should be a space right underneath (at least on the inland app), where it says other names you go by or something like that. I put my married name there. Then I filled out the rest of the app with my married name. Its my husband (sponsor's) last name, so I figured they'd put it together and figure it out.