scrubbedexpat084

Hi,
When applying for jobs what would be my legal name? My Green Card has my maiden name, my social security has my married name, my passport (expired) has my maiden name. I did not ever legally change my name as that can only be done by changing it on your birth certificate. I'm thinking I should put the one on my social security but not sure. I will be changing that soon though. Thanks in advance.

Rete

What name do you choose to be known as? Charelle Maiden Name or Charelle Married Name or Charelle Maiden-Married Names. Why didn't you change your name at the time of your I-485 AOS interview to simplify things if you were going to use your married name.

When you renew your passport change it to your married name if you wish to use that name. You can change your name to your married name at the time you naturalize, if that is your choice.

For now, use whichever of the above you wish to use. Bring your marriage certificate along with you in case you need it.

christmasoompa

Out of interest, which country is this for? I'm from the UK where it's not possible to change the name on a birth certificate, so just intrigued really!

scrubbedexpat084

I choose to be known as my maiden name as I am now divorced. I never legally changed my name. When I got the 10 year extension for the GC they said I could put whatever name I wanted, so I chose my maiden name as I was divorced. I have no idea what the I-485 is.

scrubbedexpat084

I'm from the UK and it seems people over here in the USA don't understand that you cannot legally change your name unless you do that with your birth certificate.

kimilseung

In the UK your legal name, as much as such a thing is, is the name that you use. I have never heard what it is in the USA, and suspect it might have 50 different answers. While I think I don't have a problem using intuition when asked the question, it annoys me, probably more than it should. as I can empathize with situations like the OP. Why would you ask someone a legaly based question, when they are unlikely to have the legal knowledge or have a lawyer present?

Nutmegger

Then your maiden name is your name. Use it everywhere! (And get a new ss card.)

SpoogleDrummer

You understand UK laws don't apply in the US right? I could've changed my name when I became a US citizen, I could also go and change it now if I wanted to and it would be legal, it has nothing to do with your UK birth certificate.

christmasoompa

That's not correct, you can't change the name on your birth certificate anyway (hence my question above!). You could do it via deed poll, but no need to. If one wants to change their name upon marriage, they just need the marriage certificate to do so.

kimilseung

Deed poll is evidence of the name change, it is not the name change itself, that happens just by usage.

christmasoompa

Unless a child, then it needs to be done via deed poll IIRC?

kimilseung

Here in the US my kids name is all over the place. School records are all now in one name, but recently applying for a drivers license, we went with the dead name, as it seemed the only option. I have no idea what their actual legal name is.

TexanScot

As a general matter of principle you can call yourself whatever you want in the UK at any time of your choosing, so long as you're not trying to engage in any sort of fraudulent conduct.

You are correct that you cannot update your birth certificate, but that's more to do with it being a historical record of fact rather than anything to do with being able to "legally change your name"; there is no central registry of names that you need to update in order for your new name to be official.

It's possible that you're getting confused with the administrative process for updating your identity documents with your new name once you've announced it to the world, and you'd generally want to obtain some sort of formal document like a Statutory Declaration or (if you're in England or Wales) a Deed Pool.

Note that whilst updating your identity documents will make life easier in all sorts of ways, it's not something that's required in order for you to successfully have changed your name - your name is changed whenever you want it to have been changed.

tht

If this is for a job I would use whatever name you have on the document you will provide for the I9 verification. If you have a Green card that’s probably the best as it is in the A list and will verify both your identity and employment authorization:

https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/fo...able-documents

Glasgow Girl

I use my maiden name at work, and my married name everywhere else. Before I became a citizen, my green card was in my maiden name and my SS card in my married name. I never had any problems anywhere so long as I had a copy of my marriage certificate to prove that I was the same person when using ID that was in the other name. Employers accepted the SS card and Green Card in different names, and the airlines were fine with a passport in a different name from the ticket. The key is to have your marriage certificate available, or in your case perhaps your divorce deceee.