Where is my wife's married name entered during immigration processing if passport has

[PaulJr]

I was wondering, during the immigration processing for my wife, where or at what point can we enter her new married name during the process so the green card is issued with her married name? Currently her passport has her maiden name. Thanks

[rayb]

Normally the immigrant visa is issued in the name on her passport, even if you completed her paperwork in her married name. The only way you can be sure her visa and resulting Green Card are in her married name is if the petition was in her married name and her passport has been amended (before her interview) to reflect her married name.

--Ray

I was wondering, during the immigration processing for my wife, where or at what point can we enter her new married name during the process so the green card is issued with her married name? Currently her passport has her maiden name. Thanks

[PaulJr]

Wife name on green card

Normally the immigrant visa is issued in the name on her passport, even if you completed her paperwork in her married name. The only way you can be sure her visa and resulting Green Card are in her married name is if the petition was in her married name and her passport has been amended (before her interview) to reflect her married name.

--Ray

Thanks Ray. I paid for like an online answer from an immigration lawyer asking the same question and this is what she told me:

Hi Paul
This is perfect.
When you get the packet visa email from the NVC it will have your wife's maiden name on it.
No problem.
She can fill out the DS-260 using the married name. That way she will have her actual immigrant visa and her green card itself issued
in her married name.
If she is not able to get a passport in her married name before the interview or to have it annotated with her married name that will
not be a problem in getting the immigrant visa issued in it. The marriage certificate together with the passport is sufficient for her to
get her married name on US issued documents.


So before I do this, I asked here to see if anyone else has done it. I cant really find any answers anywhere, unless I call them myself.

[rayb]

In my experience U.S. consular posts routinely issue visas only in name on passport. I have seen the Manila Embassy insist that an applicant get her passport amended to her married name before they would issue her visa (in her marrried name).

While it is "remotely" possible that changing the name previously used on paperwork to the married name when filling out the DS-260, and then getting he visa issued in the married name, regardless of the maiden name being on the passport, I doubt that you can expect that to be the case.

I think the attorney you paid for that advice is "going out on a limb" with her statement below, and only assuming what would happen, without having direct experience with her own clients doing as she describes.

--Ray B

Thanks Ray. I paid for like an online answer from an immigration lawyer asking the same question and this is what she told me:

Hi Paul
This is perfect.
When you get the packet visa email from the NVC it will have your wife's maiden name on it.
No problem.
She can fill out the DS-260 using the married name. That way she will have her actual immigrant visa and her green card itself issued
in her married name.
If she is not able to get a passport in her married name before the interview or to have it annotated with her married name that will
not be a problem in getting the immigrant visa issued in it. The marriage certificate together with the passport is sufficient for her to
get her married name on US issued documents.


So before I do this, I asked here to see if anyone else has done it. I cant really find any answers anywhere, unless I call them myself.

[PaulJr]

Probably

In my experience U.S. consular posts routinely issue visas only in name on passport. I have seen the Manila Embassy insist that an applicant get her passport amended to her married name before they would issue her visa (in her marrried name).

While it is "remotely" possible that changing the name previously used on paperwork to the married name when filling out the DS-260, and then getting he visa issued in the married name, regardless of the maiden name being on the passport, I doubt that you can expect that to be the case.

I think the attorney you paid for that advice is "going out on a limb" with her statement below, and only assuming what would happen, without having direct experience with her own clients doing as she describes.

--Ray B

Hi Ray, you are probably right. I will just continue as I was. The name can be changed later once she gets her new passport. She still has 4 years on that. I don't want to take a chance of delaying the process if the lady was incorrect in her statement. Thanks for your help.

Paul