PR card under maiden name

[VHMMBC]

I landed in April 2015 and recieved my PR card. But I got married in June 2015, so my last name changed. Now I want to change my last name on my PR card but I still live in my home country (visa exempt). Will they even process my case if they see that I don`t live in Canada right now. I do have a canadian mailing adress, as my parents in law live in Canada. Also, do I have to pick up the new PR card or will they just send the card by mail? I could also just wait till I actually move to canada and just show them my marrige certificate when I arrive in canada but then again it will take month to get a new card and also as of march 2016 I need to have a valid PR card as to be able to travel to Canada, right?
Thank you for your help!!

 

[Lammawitch]

I landed in April 2015 and received my PR card. But I got married in June 2015, so my last name changed. Now I want to change my last name on my PR card but I still live in my home country (visa exempt). Will they even process my case if they see that I don`t live in Canada right now. I do have a canadian mailing adress, as my parents in law live in Canada. Also, do I have to pick up the new PR card or will they just send the card by mail? I could also just wait till I actually move to canada and just show them my marrige certificate when I arrive in canada but then again it will take month to get a new card and also as of march 2016 I need to have a valid PR card as to be able to travel to Canada, right?
Thank you for your help!!

1. Conflicting statements. Have you or have you not received your PR card? Or do you mean the replacement card with new married name? Usually a PR card is sent by mail. Very occasionally, people are required to collect it in person.

2. I'm always a fan of Keeping Things Simple. Wait until you return to Canada.

 

[VHMMBC]

I recieved my card, they send it per mail to my parents in law and I picked it up from them when I was in Canada during the summer. But now my name on my new passport and my name on this PR card are different because I got married recently. So I need to apply for a new PR card because of a legal name change. I just found out that I can only apply from inside canada, and know I think the best way to do it is to send all my documents to my parents in law, so that they can send it to the office from a canadian adress. But then again there are questions about my adress history and my working history. Will they even process my case if they see that I don't actually live in Canada right now (I still work in Europe)?
The other option is to wait till christmas, because I will be in Canada anyways, and send all the documents then. But when I arrive at the airport, do I have to show them my passport (new name) and my PC card (old name) or can I just say nothing because I am from a visa exempt country? But the problem is the same, when it comes to the work history question, they will see that I have been to canada during christmas but I am still working in Europe.

So you thing the chances that they will just send the new PR card by mail are pretty high? Because it is extremly expensive to fly from Europe to Canada just to pick up a card and I won't be moving to canada for another year.....
But I guess with this new law starting in march 2016 I need a passport and a PR card that are actually showing the same last name, right?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

But I guess with this new law starting in march 2016 I need a passport and a PR card that are actually showing the same last name, right?

Provided you have your marriage certificate, you should have no issues travelling with your maiden name on your PR card.

 

[lwoodi]

Provided you have your marriage certificate, you should have no issues travelling with your maiden name on your PR card.

Is there any where I can check this? I tried checking the official website but found nothing. I guess I can call them. I am in the same boat.

My PR card is in maiden name, my passport is in my married name ... I am assuming that once I travel with my marriage certificate it should be fine getting back into Canada.

My US visa is also in my maiden name and I have checked their websites which say once you travel with marriage certificate then having a visa in one name and a passport in the other it is OK.

I will call Canadian immigration tomorrow to verify and see if I can get something in writing to travel with.

Thanks

 

[Lammawitch]

Is there any where I can check this? I tried checking the official website but found nothing. I guess I can call them. I am in the same boat.

My PR card is in maiden name, my passport is in my married name ... I am assuming that once I travel with my marriage certificate it should be fine getting back into Canada.
Yes, it will be fine.

My US visa is also in my maiden name and I have checked their websites which say once you travel with marriage certificate then having a visa in one name and a passport in the other it is OK.

I will call Canadian immigration tomorrow to verify and see if I can get something in writing to travel with.
Canada immigration probably won't be able to answer the question/won't care. They will certainly not issue anything relevant in writing. CBSA is responsible for admittance to Canada.
Thanks

I travelled in & out of Canada for seven years with a passport, landing papers & (eventually) a PR card in different names. With no problems. I just carried relevant supplementary documentation (in your case, your marriage certificate).

 

[lwoodi]

I travelled in & out of Canada for seven years with a passport, landing papers & (eventually) a PR card in different names. With no problems. I just carried relevant supplementary documentation (in your case, your marriage certificate).

I didnt expect immigration to issue anything in writing - I was hoping to find something online in writing that I can print out. I'm very much aware that they never put follow up stuff in writing

Thanks for confirming re: the marriage certificate! I spoke to the Help Centre and they confirmed that once I travel with other documents (marriage certificate, licence, health card etc.) that shows the link between my old name and my new name it is not a problem getting back into Canada/boarding flights (although some airlines may get on a way/it is to the airline's discretion)

My next question relates specifically to the US visa ... so similarly my US visa is in my maiden name and my passport in my married name. Is border patrol in the US as accommodating? I can't find any information online about this and I can't call any numbers or maybe I am not finding the right numbers. I have sent some messages to US Embassy but they have said in an automatic response that they do not have to reply.

 

[Lammawitch]

I didnt expect immigration to issue anything in writing - I was hoping to find something online in writing that I can print out. I'm very much aware that they never put follow up stuff in writing

Thanks for confirming re: the marriage certificate! I spoke to the Help Centre and they confirmed that once I travel with other documents (marriage certificate, licence, health card etc.) that shows the link between my old name and my new name it is not a problem getting back into Canada/boarding flights (although some airlines may get on a way/it is to the airline's discretion)

My next question relates specifically to the US visa ... so similarly my US visa is in my maiden name and my passport in my married name. Is border patrol in the US as accommodating? I can't find any information online about this and I can't call any numbers or maybe I am not finding the right numbers. I have sent some messages to US Embassy but they have said in an automatic response that they do not have to reply.

I have no specific knowledge of the US & their requirements for visas - my experience is with a visa-exempt passport. I had no problems with travelling to & from the US in the situation I described above. I always carried supplementary documentary proof in case of questioning.

I don't think you need to worry about this! . I travelled (as mentioned above) for many years with a passport in my (former) married name, a PR card/landing papers in my own (maiden) name, & with my children who have a different family name to mine. We just carried the extra paperwork that showed our links.

When I changed my passport back to my own (maiden) name, and renewed my PR card, CIC added what they call a "name flag": I.e. they have a record that I used to have a passport with a different name. It hasn't been a problem.

 

[Msafiri]

lwoodi,

Border authority conventional practice is to compare documents proffered at the port of entry that have different names with an acceptable form of evidence/ paper trail substantiating the name change as proof that the person named in both documents is one and the same. A marriage certificate is a typical document often seen at the border as per the CBP commentary (ignore that its for USCs/PRs it applies to any traveller) so carry a copy. As you are entering on a visa you will be finger printed and CBP will have further proof you are the same person that was issued the visa. If you are referring to the ESTA scheme as a VWP national then you need to make a fresh ESTA application with the new passport name.

 

[lwoodi]

lwoodi,

Border authority conventional practice is to compare documents proffered at the port of entry that have different names with an acceptable form of evidence/ paper trail substantiating the name change as proof that the person named in both documents is one and the same. A marriage certificate is a typical document often seen at the border as per the CBP commentary (ignore that its for USCs/PRs it applies to any traveller) so carry a copy. As you are entering on a visa you will be finger printed and CBP will have further proof you are the same person that was issued the visa. If you are referring to the ESTA scheme as a VWP national then you need to make a fresh ESTA application with the new passport name.

Thanks so much!