to renew passport with maiden name or not

[vpct]

hi everyone! i have a dilemma now which i hope you can be of help. we are about to send our passport for visa stamping to the Canadian embassy in Manila. i am the principal applicant but my passport, which i used for my application, is still in my maiden name but my marital status is already married in my application. i just used my maiden name for the application because that is what was in my passport at the time i applied. my Philippine passport will expire exactly 6 months from the time of our due landing in Canada.

my question is: should i renew my passport here in Manila and have it changed to my married name already before submitting it to the embassy or should i wait for the visa first and then have my passport renewed still in Manila? will they consider it a discrepancy if the visa issued is in my maiden name but my new passport is in my married name? will i be questioned for that upon arrival? the critical issue with this option of renewing my passport first and changing to my married name is that issuance of a new passport do take some time here in the Philippines and the embassy has given me only 45 days to submit my passport for visa stamping.

another option for me is to just renew my passport in the philippine embassy in toronto. however, since my PR card and visa is still in my maiden name will i have problems transacting (such as finding work, buying a house, opening a bank account, applying for a credit card, applying for the canadian medical exam, enrolling my child in school, buying a car) in canada?

thanks a lot and i do hope i get a quick response from all of you. my family and i are planning to fly to Canada already on July.

[wilson]

I have two suggestions.

1. If you are prepared to wait more, then go ahead and renew passport with your corrected family name. You should send copy of new passport and a covering letter explaining the situation, why did you changed your name at this stage. Perhaps, because of this action, the processing of your file may get a little bit delayed. But do it only if you have sufficient time ahead for the medical and passport request.

2. I prefer you to get your passport renewed at the Philippine consulate in Toronto ( or Embassy, I don't know) which would be more safe if your plan to travel to Canada well in time before the expiry of your passport. You can get everything done according to your corrected name after you get the new passport.

[vpct]

thank you Wilson for the quick reply. we're bound for toronto this July already so i'd probably just do the latter. i'll just prepare many original copies of my marriage certificate just in case, and for sure, they would require it. 

[wilson]

Yes vpct, you are welcome. Keep all useful documents handy. It is not so difficult get the name changes in Canada, if there are sufficient proof. Good luck

[vpct]

i was looking also at the website of the Philippine consulate in Toronto and they do process passport renewal and changes in name there also. i might take that route then since it is difficult to expedite the renewal of my passport at this stage and there is also no assurance from the DFA that they will be able to release my new passport on time.
thanks again Wilson! by the way, are you in Canada already? i do have other queries which you might be of help too...

[wilson]

Yes vpct, I arrived in Canada in 2009 March. If you have any more questions you can even send personal messages.  click my name to view profile and then click "Send this member a personal message."  I will try to answer my best.