Last Name Change

[Honesto]

Hi there! I was married for 5 mos. and preparing to submit my spouse sponsorship application. It bothers me a lot now because I already change my Last Name in CRA and my SIN.Is there any conflict with my other ID's which is not change yet like (PR,Passport,HealthCard,Drivers licence and bank/credit cards account) if I will submit right away the application? If so,what I might do? I need your advise...Thank You.

 

[canadianwoman]

Just attach a letter explaining that you have changed your name on some IDs and not on others, with a list of them.

 

[QuebecOkie]

There's no conflict. I didn't even send an explanation, just sent my passport (maiden name) and other information (married name) and included our marriage certificate. However, your COPR and PR card will only be issued in the name that appears on your official travel document (passport). I have the same issue, that I changed most of my info in the US, but because of the timing of when we got married, when we traveled to Canada to look for a house, and when we moved, I never had enough time to safely send off my passport for the name change. I am a PR under my maiden name. After some travel we have booked for March, I'll start the large pain-in-the-butt process of first sending off my passport to be changed, then requesting a new PR card in the correct name, and then trying to get my named changed on my SIN, etc. I wish like crazy I could go back in time and change the passport before applying. :-/ Especially because I live in Québec, where it's a fight to get them to recognize my legal name anyhow.

 

[truesmile]

We corroborate with QuebecOkie. One of the forms evens asks if you ever went by another name, maiden name being one of them. We attached no additional letter, completing the forms accordingly and submitting your M/C as required is plenty.

 

[keesio]

A CIC call centre rep once told me that the most common "issue" they deal with is people changing their last names after getting married and the mismatch of last names on documents. They are very used to this "issue" and said as long as you list the other last name as an alias and provide your marriage certificate, they can figure it out.

 

[blueangel371115]

Can I do this for my medicals? Short story - I was married on halloween and scheduled my physical for december 2 as my JP who performed the ceremony said it take a week to get my certificate . However my town clerk didn't even file it until Monday of this werk and my parents received it (my legal address, they wouldn't send it to Canada ) Wednesday , with work schedules and thanksgiving I won't get it in time but I need to show my passport at the appointment, I was told anyway. Since I already did my Fbi clearance (didn't make sense to do it in my married name) and should receive those any day now, can I do my medicals in my maiden name but still file in my married name when I get my new passport? I ask as I have already done my clearance so the clock is ticking. I tried to arrange things to work efficiently but my marriage was not filed in a timely manner so it caused a hiccup.

 

[truesmile]

Yes you can. In fact if you're in Quebec you would have to do it that way. They won't accept or recognize your married name as your surname.

 

[blueangel371115]

Yes you can. In fact if you're in Quebec you would have to do it that way. They won't accept or recognize your married name as your surname.

Awesome thanks. I am visiting my husband in Quebec but we are going to do my immigration paperwork through Ontario as we are in the process of moving to Ontario.

 

[Catou]

Especially because I live in Québec, where it's a fight to get them to recognize my legal name anyhow.

You haven't got a hope in hades of getting QC to recognise your married name as your legal name unless you married before the cut-off date in 1981. The best you can hope for is to have two legal names - your legal name in QC (your maiden name) and your legal married name in the rest of the world. I imagine this would be a nightmare with having legal ID's in two separate names.

QC cannot change it unless you first married prior to 1981 because its enshrined in law.

 

[blueangel371115]

You haven't got a hope in hades of getting QC to recognise your married name as your legal name unless you married before the cut-off date in 1981. The best you can hope for is to have two legal names - your legal name in QC (your maiden name) and your legal married name in the rest of the world. I imagine this would be a nightmare with having legal ID's in two separate names.

QC cannot change it unless you first married prior to 1981 because its enshrined in law.

The CSQ asks for her husbands surname if you use it ( which she does) so maybe they would otherwise why would they care? IMHO. Maybe I'm wrong as I haven't attempted, just studied the paper in case we did stay. and when I asked the forum prior no one I found answered either way, successful or not.

 

[Catou]

The CSQ asks for her husbands surname if you use it ( which she does) so maybe they would otherwise why would they care? IMHO. Maybe I'm wrong as I haven't attempted, just studied the paper in case we did stay. and when I asked the forum prior no one I found answered either way, successful or not.

The CSQ gives maiden name up the top, which is the legal name, and in a section for other names it gives the other (non-legal) name you may be known by - in this case, your married name. The legal name they enter into the system is also shown in the letter that comes with the CSQ.
In this way, the CSQ can be used as an identity document to show that you are known by one name socially and that name is different to your legal name.

 

[blueangel371115]

Makes sense. Personally I think it just makes extra work for the government to regulate that if nothing else. If a person is just going to change it now or five years from now ( which the province allows supposedly ) why not let her? Saves them having to review paperwork and proofs. Saves moneytSorry folks I'm very opinionated on this issue as it seems really ridiculous. But I should let it go I guess. I want to fit in and I have to except things as they are. Even if I don't agree with it.

 

[Catou]

Makes sense. Personally I think it just makes extra work for the government to regulate that if nothing else. If a person is just going to change it now or five years from now ( which the province allows supposedly ) why not let her? Saves them having to review paperwork and proofs. Saves moneytSorry folks I'm very opinionated on this issue as it seems really ridiculous. But I should let it go I guess. I want to fit in and I have to except things as they are. Even if I don't agree with it.

Quebec will only consider a change of last name for a woman in exceptional circumstances. First, you have to be a Canadian citizen and have lived in Quebec for more than a year. You have to have used the name you want to change to for at least five years. Then there has to be really serious reasons for changing. Marriage and taking the last name of a spouse isn't one of those reasons.

 

[QuebecOkie]

If you have used a name other than your birth name (for any reason) for five years, you can petition for a change of name, regardless if it's because of marriage or not. Also, it depends what office you go to, on what day, and which person helps you. Had I had my named changed in my passport, because I wasn't married in Québec, the woman at Service Canada would have issued my SIN in my married name. However, she couldn't do so because my maiden name is still in my passport. If you get married outside of Québec, you can often argue people into using your married name, haha. I have a Canadian friend who had zero difficulty getting her married name on her Québec drivers license. I have another who had some trouble, but ended up with both her maiden and married last names on her license. It's very inconsistent.

 

[Catou]

It's very inconsistent.

LOL One word: Quebec