Married name change during permanent residence application.

[djein]

We are around 9 months into our permanent residence application with an ETA of 13 months. While waiting for medical tests which will take a minimum of 3 more months we decided to change my wife’s passport to reflect our shared last name as it will reduce complication once she is in Canada changing names. It will take 2 weeks for her passport to be returned.

Our questions are:
1. Is it possible to update our new name change with the CiC while they continue to process our permanent residence application?
2. Any estimates on how and if this will delay our application?
3. What is the proper procedure to submit the new change of name?

 

[volkov]

a good luck bump to you, we decided not to change her name until after the whole PR is finished, but wondered about the same questions

 

[profiler]

We are around 9 months into our permanent residence application with an ETA of 13 months. While waiting for medical tests which will take a minimum of 3 more months we decided to change my wife’s passport to reflect our shared last name as it will reduce complication once she is in Canada changing names. It will take 2 weeks for her passport to be returned.

Our questions are:
1. Is it possible to update our new name change with the CiC while they continue to process our permanent residence application?
2. Any estimates on how and if this will delay our application?
3. What is the proper procedure to submit the new change of name?

We also tried to avoid the assumption of my last name until PR was complete.

You will have to request a new passport with the new name from country of origin. At the same time, send a Case Specific Enquiry to CIC to indicate the name change.

They will respond with a document request (probably updated passport, updated general application, etc).

There is no telling how long it will slow your process up because you have to wait for a new passport, updated government docs from country of origin, then CIC has to update their side, and you will have additional docs to submit..

I will defer to anyone who has better info on this, as we did avoid it on purpose.

Best of luck!

 

[just a square]

I changed my name in the middle of the process. I sent CSE and mailed a photocopy of the new passport to my VO. A few days later after they physically received it, I noticed my name change in ECAS. Can't tell if it slowed down the process but I doubt it did.

 

[djein]

I changed my name in the middle of the process. I sent CSE and mailed a photocopy of the new passport to my VO. A few days later after they physically received it, I noticed my name change in ECAS. Can't tell if it slowed down the process but I doubt it did.

So you only photocopied your new passport and physically sent that to your VO? No additional documents or cover letter of explanation? I think we will also send a Case Specific Enquiry telling them of the updated name change as well as informing them of the photocopy being mailed their direction.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

1. Is it possible to update our new name change with the CiC while they continue to process our permanent residence application?
2. Any estimates on how and if this will delay our application?
3. What is the proper procedure to submit the new change of name?

1. Yes, you can update your name.

2. The majority of people who have done this report no delay.

3. Just send a CSE with a copy of the new passport attached.

They will respond with a document request (probably updated passport, updated general application, etc).

There is no telling how long it will slow your process up because you have to wait for a new passport, updated government docs from country of origin, then CIC has to update their side, and you will have additional docs to submit..

OP simply needs to send a CSE with a copy of the new passport and IRCC will update their system. There will be no need for updated forms and documents.

 

[profiler]

Thanks Canuck.. as I said I would defer to others who had done it. I knew the basics behind completing it. But grateful for the education!

The lawyer we hired to give us tips before we started suggested to do the change either before or after, but not during... probably trying to save us extra legal fees...

 

[djein]

Thanks for the amazing responses and clarifications! We feel a lot less stressed about this situation now and will go ahead with the name change.

 

[JayneC]

Hello
I just did this and it was relatively straightforward.

As suggested above I simply sent a CSE with a copy of my new passport attached. A few weeks later I got DM, but ecas still had my maiden name. So I sent a follow up email. They responded to that email to confirm that they were doing the COPR in my married name. I've just received the COPR and it is all correct.