Help! How can I validate my wife's identity?
Aug 1st 2001, 5:05 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hopefully someone can help me!
I was born in Canada, but my wife immigrated to Canada when she was very young. When
she first came to Canada, she was given an English name because her foreign name was
hard to pronounce. However, no one in her family ever legally changed her name to the
English name... legally it remained her foreign name. When she received her
Citizenship card, it had only her English, non-legal name printed on the front. Her
English name should never have been printed on any part of the Citizenship card,
since it was never legal. However, no one realized this error, so throughout the past
20 years, my wife has gotten her passport, her Social Insurance Number, her bank
accounts, her school records, etc, under her English name because she used her
Citizenship card as her primary identification.
The problem now is that we are ready for our green card interview for the US in 3
weeks, and they are asking us for proof of the name change from her foreign name
which appears on her birth certificate, to her English name that appears on every
other single piece of her identification. When she asked her family, she was shocked
to find out that her English name is not her legal name. They were shocked to find
out that her Canadian identity is based on only her English name, since they didn't
realize that her Citizenship card had her English name on the front.
What are our options?
If she changes her name from her foreign name to her English name now, what does that
mean about her passport, marriage license, etc that were issued before her name
change. Are they invalid? What's worse is that she doesn't have any documentation
that proves that her foreign name is actually her besides her birth certificate, so I
don't know if she could even change her name.
Can she somehow get a notarized letter from her mother stating that her foreign name
and her English name are indeed the same person? Is this considered a legal document?
Thanks for any help.
I was born in Canada, but my wife immigrated to Canada when she was very young. When
she first came to Canada, she was given an English name because her foreign name was
hard to pronounce. However, no one in her family ever legally changed her name to the
English name... legally it remained her foreign name. When she received her
Citizenship card, it had only her English, non-legal name printed on the front. Her
English name should never have been printed on any part of the Citizenship card,
since it was never legal. However, no one realized this error, so throughout the past
20 years, my wife has gotten her passport, her Social Insurance Number, her bank
accounts, her school records, etc, under her English name because she used her
Citizenship card as her primary identification.
The problem now is that we are ready for our green card interview for the US in 3
weeks, and they are asking us for proof of the name change from her foreign name
which appears on her birth certificate, to her English name that appears on every
other single piece of her identification. When she asked her family, she was shocked
to find out that her English name is not her legal name. They were shocked to find
out that her Canadian identity is based on only her English name, since they didn't
realize that her Citizenship card had her English name on the front.
What are our options?
If she changes her name from her foreign name to her English name now, what does that
mean about her passport, marriage license, etc that were issued before her name
change. Are they invalid? What's worse is that she doesn't have any documentation
that proves that her foreign name is actually her besides her birth certificate, so I
don't know if she could even change her name.
Can she somehow get a notarized letter from her mother stating that her foreign name
and her English name are indeed the same person? Is this considered a legal document?
Thanks for any help.
Aug 3rd 2001, 11:32 pm
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
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No. They were obtained in good faith.
In the U.S. people may use any name they please. It's not illegal as long as it is
not used for fraud. However, for certain documents like (U.S.) passports and green
cards, the U.S. government insists on proof of the real legal name, backed up by a
legal document like a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, or a legal name
change court order.
What's worse
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To make the U.S. government happy, she will have to produce a legal document. I
suggest she do a legal name change in Canada. Since it is a change *to* the name she
is already using as a practical matter, I don't see how it can hurt.
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It probably won't work for this purpose. But you may consider consulting with a good
immigration attorney on this problem.
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No. They were obtained in good faith.
In the U.S. people may use any name they please. It's not illegal as long as it is
not used for fraud. However, for certain documents like (U.S.) passports and green
cards, the U.S. government insists on proof of the real legal name, backed up by a
legal document like a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, or a legal name
change court order.
What's worse
>
>
>
To make the U.S. government happy, she will have to produce a legal document. I
suggest she do a legal name change in Canada. Since it is a change *to* the name she
is already using as a practical matter, I don't see how it can hurt.
>
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>
It probably won't work for this purpose. But you may consider consulting with a good
immigration attorney on this problem.
