Jan Alaska

OK so here goes. Yes I procrastinated on renewing my passport, when I was married to my now Ex we could never afford to travel to the UK so I didn't bother changing the name on my passport.
Now I have remarried and am able to travel, I have a lot of stuff to sort out in the UK since my mother died in December.
So I filled out the passport application, had my photos done, gathered all my original documents and sent it off. I even had my persona witnessed as it had been over a year since my previous passport expired.

This morning I got a call from the British Embassy in Washington. They wont accept my Alaskan divorce certificate as it looks like a copy. This is the letter I received when my divorce was made final it is the only piece of paperwork I have there is no 'certificate'. I have spoken with the court and they can get me an official court copy with a seal and notorized however on calling the British Embassy they inform me that they still can't use anything thats a copy not even if its notorized. Their suggestion was that I apply for my passport in my previous married name which doesn't even sound legal to me.

Any help or advice gratefully recieved. I'm at my wits end ... now I can't even get a UK passport it may be time to naturalize and let my British citizenship go altogether.

Anian

There is no "legal name" in the UK, you can use whatever name you like as long as it isn't for fraud. Just use the name they will accept if you want the least hassle, it will still be legal.

Jan Alaska

I don't live in the UK I live in the USA where all my other documents (SSN Greencard) are in my legal married name, not the name they want me to use.

rpjs

As a general rule the "original" of all vital documents stays in the registry, and all anyone can get is a "certified copy", which is what you'd get from the court. (This is why the whole "birther" thing wrt President Obama's "original" birth certificate is so stupid.) The person at the Embassy is either being deliberately obtuse or is an idiot. I'd suggest get the sealed/notarized copy from the court and submit that.

Deeks

When applying for our marriage license in Leeds I only had a "copy" of my divorce certificate. It wasn't accepted. So I called my home state/city and they sent me a certified official pretty copy with the embossed seal. That's what the UK court wanted, the official bumpy seal they could feel with their fingers. (that's how the lady explained it) You'd think the same would apply for your passport.

Mummy in the foothills

My Dh's UK passport is still in his birth name, not the same name we married with or that his US passport says. It doesn't seem to matter. Once we move back to UK he will change everything but till then he has two passport in two names, undercover spy style

Bob

It's worth naturalising anyway if you're eligible and can afford it. You won't lose your Brit citizenship by doing it.

Get the court stamped copy...and for piece of mind, you might want to PM the Brit Consul, Dean on BE...though he might be on holiday, but he might be able to help or offer advice.

md95065

Well, that's OK then, because all of your US documents are in the name that you want to use and the only time that you will need to use your UK passport is if you travel back to the UK.

Remember that when you reenter the US CBP doesn't give a toss about your UK passport or what name is on it as long as you have your green card with you.

Jan Alaska

A friend just pointed out that they don't seem to have a problem with my marriage certificate ... how do they think I got remarried if that divorce cert isnt valid. I asked them about notorization which would give the cert a 'bumpy' seal and they told me NO as it would still be a copy and not the original. I don't know what to tell them, the original is a letter with the details and a rubber stamp in the top right corner no bumpy notorized seal nothing ..

As for the name issue, its insulting to me to have to change my name back to my previous married name and none of my travel documents will be in that name which I'm sure can/will cause issues. I'm aware I don't need my UK passport to get back into the US. This is just so damn stupid.

Oh and I want to know where to get a Consul job, our consul in AK was away for nearly 10 weeks over Christmas returning in Feb and is gone again now for another 3 weeks, charmer of a job !!

CAdreaming

hi I have just started a thread about this as i had a question but just to point out that my passport and green card were in my maiden and married names respectively and it WAS an issue
I was told that they had to match when i came back into the US hence my new thread as to the process to do this

Moonshadow_Girl

That just sounds ridiculous! While I may not have a green card, my PP is still in my maiden name while my CADL is in my married name. (I'm a cheapskate. I plan on waiting until my PP expires in 2013 to change it to my married name!) I have never had an issue going several times through SFO (or LHR). All that mattered is that my ticket was in the same name as my PP is.

Sorry to hear about your problem!

Jan Alaska

Update: My passport arrived on Monday, now I wonder how long it will be before they return my documents :\

Trip to the UK is booked for 23rd April