TakeTheSky1138

Just a quick one guys:

i am filling in the form to bring my spouse to the US; we were married about a week ago so my name is yet to be changed legally. We want to start the I-130 process ASAP so should I wait till I have a new social security card with my married surname before starting the process or should I just continue with my maiden name?

I appreciate any any help or advice!

Rete

You already have the legal right to use your husband's surname if you so choose.

Start the I-130 with whatever surname you wish. Your marriage certificate will attest to the fact that you changed your surname due to marriage.

S Folinsky

That was my first reaction to the post. Then I wondered if the name change was other than simple adoption of husband’s surname. I wonder how that would be handled.

PetrifiedExPat

Let's hope the name change was accounted for on the marriage certificate..

Rete

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PetrifiedExPat

I couldn't remember what we (or my wife, specifically) had to do for this. Maybe nothing, to long ago!

Rete

If you were married in the US, then there is nothing for the female spouse to do other than apply to have their surname changed at social security administration, motor vehicle department, credit card company, etc. That is if she wants to. Otherwise she can use one surname in one place and another in another place, i.e. bank accounts in maiden and married surnames, etc.

tht

If you were married a week ago was your name not changed then? In NYC it was on the marriage lisence that signed when the marriage was solemnized. There was a section for both of us to put a new sure name if we wanted.

It took a week or 2 to get the marriage certificate back, but it’s my understanding that the name change took place when the lisence was signed.

So while you can use it right away, in practical terms updating things happens after you get back the certificate as evidence of that change.

We did some quickly, but waited on others like my wife’s passport because we had the main honeymoon booked late that year due to the rainy season in Maldives and her ticket was booked in her maiden name.

PetrifiedExPat

This was my point, made badly. Hope they accounted for the name change then, or its time to dig out some $$$

lizzyq

Where did you get married? In the UK there is no "name change" section on the marriage cert but you can use your new married name immediately or later or not at all as you so wish from that point forward. I have no knowledge of US marriage certs or licenses.

Nutmegger

I have had both UK and NYS marriage certificates; neither said anything about a name change. It’s a matter of personal choice after the fact.

S Folinsky

The marriage certificate is considered evidence of permission for married women to use husband’s name without further documentation.

tht

Since marriage rules are very local in the US, I assume there is a lot of variance, just like there is in things like if it’s legal to marry your first cousins…

My own NYC marriage lisence/marriage certificate both had a specific field for both parties for the name after marriage. I have only been married once, but have also officiated 2, 1 wedding in the Hamptons, that one had the fields for an new name, but both grooms kept their own names. I officiated another wedding in a county near Austin Texas and that wedding lisence did not include a field for a new name. What was also different there was that only I signed the license after I solemnized the rites of matrimony, while I am used to the couple also signing.

Rete

I have two NYS marriage certificates. One is from 1968 obtained in NYC and the other from 1998 obtained in a suburb of NYC. Neither have any language about a name change or an area to indicate your choice of surname.

tht

things have obviously changed in the past 24-54 years as noted below and as can be seen here:
https://images.app.goo.gl/zQ3gsBfZJt7ftJjYA
And even if a marriage certificate does not show the field for a new surname the lisence may, as that’s completed before the wedding and the marriage certificate is evidence of the marriages recording after the fact.