Confused
 

If I wanted to change my name would I have to take the following course of action=

1. Change passport. Where is this done now I am in Canada?

2. Change PR card. Does this even need to be done?

3. Sin card. Is this also necessary?

4. Drivers Licence. ??

I got married three months before I came to Canada. The fact that I was getting married was known by the high commission throughout my application, but my visa was issued three weeks before I got married in my maiden name. If at some point I want to change it to my married name how difficult will it be?............... in fact it already sounds like nightmare looking at the list above.

Re: Confused
 

The government has a site addressing this, but rather unhelpfully its not a one shot deal to tell them, you have to do each individually.

http://www.gov.on.ca/ont/portal/!ut/...n?docid=012160

UK passport you would contact the British high commision in Ottawa

Pr card you might be as well to wait till you are eligable for citizenship and just travel under you maiden name? As long as the two match you will be OK...not that you would need the PR card often traveling with a british passport with IMM0001 form. Wouldnt your passport still have your maiden name in it anyway?


SIN Drivers License and health card will all need doing.

Re: Confused
 

Yep my passport is still in my maiden name in fact had to get it renewed just before the visa was issued.



Thanks for the link.

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I was thinking about the replacement passport. I think it would still have a name that matched the PR card somewhere once they get out of sync.

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Really? I didnt know that. So the somewhere on the replacement passport would still have my maiden name?

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Im not sure??? If it does I wouldnt bother changing the PR card, especially if its will be superceded by citizenship at some point in the next few years.

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Why bother changing? It is pretty standard practice for Canadian women to keep their maiden names. Changing just sounds like cost and hassle to me.

Souvette has a number of aliases and it cause problems sometimes. We had great fun trying to rent a car in Phoenix. Her credit card and driver's licence had different names.

Re: Confused
 

Hi Smelly

Changing your name on anything is a hassel. I did mine in the UK and it took me a good 6 months to get everything done, and I wasn't helped by the fact that one company decided to keep my marriage certificate rather than send it back!!!!!!

On the passport front, if your passport is in your maiden name but your credit cards and tickets are in your married name you will have to take your marriage certificate with you everytime you travel to prove you are one in the same person. Also since 9/11 I am not sure on how this will affect you if you were going to the US. A British passport does not show your maiden name in once you change it over so again could cause hassel with the PR card
The good news now is if you change your name on your British passport they will give you a new 10 year one and not just change the name and give you the exsiting validity (which happened to me so had to pay out for 2 new passports in the space of 3 years OUCH!)

Sorry I have no experience within Canada but hope this helps you reach a decision on whether to change your name.

PS hope your knee is feeling better.

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I was just going to say... I didn't realise women still did this. :blink:

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how does this work? i thought you had to hqave your PR card as the old paper landing documents were not valid anymore.

reason why i ask is im waiting for my pr card, and have had to return to the UK and will likely make a few more journeys in the next 6 months and i have had to get a travel permit. do i not need to do this each time until my pr card arrives?

Re: Confused
 

Still standard practice back home as some suggest it causes hassle with identification?

When we got married in 2005 I suggested that Mrs Madmac keep her own surname. Never understood why someone would want to change it.

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Yes I have noticed this. I wasn't overly happy giving it up anyway, it does sound like a lot of hassle. Thought about doing the double barrelled thing but it just doesn't work. Its still seems quiet a tradition in the UK. I am in no hurry, I will do it eventually though.

One thing I do need to do is get a will.

Re: Confused
 

PR card was intended to make it easy for airline staff to know who has status in Canada.. too many counterfeit long forms around. If a passenger is refused entry, the airline foots the bill for repatriation, so it was something the commercial carriers wanted.

If you have a british passport, its good for entry to canada as a visitor at a minimum (nominally for 6 months), so you can board a flight no problem anyway. You also have a big piece of paper stapled into it thats good for proving to the Immigration officer at the airport that you have PR when you arrive. If he wants to double check, he can look you up in the database...something airline staff dont have access too..hence the creation of the PR card with its security features.

If you have a UK passport you can board a flight anyway, and if you have the IMM1000, you can prove you are a PR (if you have too) Hence no need for PR card or travel documents if you have a "visa waiver" passport. Travel documents only apply to people who would otherwise need a visa to enter Canada, so dont apply to UK citizens.

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but on the cic website it says PR's MUST have either a PR or a travel permit. cos i dont really want to enter as a visitor. does this cause any probs at all?
so why did CIC london bother giving me a travel permit?
basically as i havnt been in canada for a number of years i was lucky to get my pr back, so i dont want to loose it now as im hopefully going back for good.

Re: Confused
 

CIC website assumes everyone outside canada have no right to be in Canada at all, and would require a visa to visit. Its confusing and should probably be rewritten, but as it is it errs on the side of caution I suppose, and is less confusing for non native english speakers who might not have visa waiver status.

CHC london handles travel documents for a very wide range of countries in europe and beyond who dont necessaril have visa waiver status to enter canada unhindered.

Your circumstances are somewhat exceptional though as your PR status is "confused" to say the least, and you would have a tough time prooving ties to Canada and meeting the residency requirements at this time, so perhaps playing it safe is for the best.