Changing Last Name after Marriage and PR Application issues??

[BrookeTravels]

Hey folks,

My fiancé and I are getting married next month, and plan to file my PR application soon afterwards. I'll be extending my visitors visa to stay during the process. I'm a US citizen, and she is Canadian. I plan to apply outbound - AND I am taking her last name after the marriage. (Although the BC marriage licenses do not show the last name change on them... *sigh*)

My questions:
- Should I apply for my PR with my maiden name because that is what is on my current USA Passport and drivers license? Or should I change those documents, and then apply for my PR under my new last name?
- If I apply for PR under my new assumed last name, but provide my current passport with my maiden name for my application, will that cause it to be refused?
- I want nothing to do with my maiden name... but assuming I must go through the PR process using my Maiden name, once I am approved, can I request my PR card be printed in my new assumed last name? Rather than the maiden name I applied with originally?

Questions for anyone knowledgable in USA name-change laws:
- I'm American and can assume my married spouses name in Canada without a legal name change here.... I imagine this could cause issues for me in updating my identification in the USA? I'll want a new updated Passport, California drivers license, and bank card, etc.vwith the new assumed last name. Do I have to legally change it in the USA to do this? What's the best way to go about all of this? I haven't been able to find anything about this sort of case online whatsoever.

Thanks!

 

[Decoy24601]

Hey folks,

My fiancé and I are getting married next month, and plan to file my PR application soon afterwards. I'll be extending my visitors visa to stay during the process. I'm a US citizen, and she is Canadian. I plan to apply outbound - AND I am taking her last name after the marriage. (Although the BC marriage licenses do not show the last name change on them... *sigh*)

My questions:
- Should I apply for my PR with my maiden name because that is what is on my current USA Passport and drivers license? Or should I change those documents, and then apply for my PR under my new last name?
- If I apply for PR under my new assumed last name, but provide my current passport with my maiden name for my application, will that cause it to be refused?
- I want nothing to do with my maiden name... but assuming I must go through the PR process using my Maiden name, once I am approved, can I request my PR card be printed in my new assumed last name? Rather than the maiden name I applied with originally?

Questions for anyone knowledgable in USA name-change laws:
- I'm American and can assume my married spouses name in Canada without a legal name change here.... I imagine this could cause issues for me in updating my identification in the USA? I'll want a new updated Passport, California drivers license, and bank card, etc.vwith the new assumed last name. Do I have to legally change it in the USA to do this? What's the best way to go about all of this? I haven't been able to find anything about this sort of case online whatsoever.

Thanks!

1: You have to apply with whatever last name is on your passport.
2: I don't know if it will be refused, but you will likely have issues. I'm not sure exactly what.

If you want to apply you under your new last name you have to change your last name on your passport. You cannot request the PR card in another last name than what you applied under. You have three options. You renew your passport with your new last name before you apply for PR, you apply with your maiden name with your passport in your maiden name and then you change your last name in your passport and notify them of the last name change, or you wait until your PR process is done and you change your last name in your passport and request a new PR card with that last name.

The marriage license is all you need to change your last name on documents (such as a passport, driver's license, etc) in the USA. In fact, in order to change your last name to your married name that's what you do. You change your last name with your Social Security and with the DMV and any bank accounts and your passport. You then change your last name with anything else you have in your maiden name (the last name you have with a job for example).

 

[BrookeTravels]

1: You have to apply with whatever last name is on your passport.
2: I don't know if it will be refused, but you will likely have issues. I'm not sure exactly what.

If you want to apply you under your new last name you have to change your last name on your passport. You cannot request the PR card in another last name than what you applied under. You have three options. You renew your passport with your new last name before you apply for PR, you apply with your maiden name with your passport in your maiden name and then you change your last name in your passport and notify them of the last name change, or you wait until your PR process is done and you change your last name in your passport and request a new PR card with that last name.

The marriage license is all you need to change your last name on documents (such as a passport, driver's license, etc) in the USA.

Thank you for the quick response! So it sounds like if I apply with my maiden and update my last name to reflect my new passport, I'm good to go. So glad to hear I can start my PR and get those wheels turning, and also request the new passport in the USA around the same time. That'll help save us some process of months I think!

Cheers!

 

[Decoy24601]

Thank you for the quick response! So it sounds like if I apply with my maiden and update my last name to reflect my new passport, I'm good to go. So glad to hear I can start my PR and get those wheels turning, and also request the new passport in the USA around the same time. That'll help save us some process of months I think!

Cheers!

Yeah, if you don't want to do the waiting for a change in last name with your passport, then submitting the PR application with your maiden name and change your passport to your married name later is the best option. It's your choice if you want to do that after you apply, but during the process, or after you already have a PR card in hand. Also, it will take approx. 3 months for you to get your PR card in the first place, and another 3 months to get a new PR card with your married name. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a pain no matter what way you go about it.

I'd also like to add that you will be renewing your visitor "status", not renewing a visitor's visa. Since you are from the US, you are visa exempt. This means that you don't need to apply for a TRV to enter Canada and you most likely got an automatic 6 months of entry. A tip for that, it does take a while for them to process the request to extend your status, but as soon as your current status expires you will have implied status as long as they have an extension application on hand. CIC recommends that you request an extension 30 days before your current status expires. You can also ask for a year extension and many people here have gotten that, even when they have asked for only an additional 6 months.


Edit: It also doesn't matter if the marriage license shows the married last name as yours or not. We got our marriage certificate in Washington state and it doesn't show that, either.

I tracked down some information regarding specifically how to go about changing your last name on your passport: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/services/correction.html#Changes
Not sure if this applies if you are only changing your name (not applying for the first time). I believe you submit the application package from the above link to your local US embassy/consulate. https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/applying-for-a-u-s--passport-from-outside-the-united-states.html

Double Edit: Apparently, US citizens living in Canada can still apply by mail, rather than through an embassy/consulate.

 

[carr1]

I applied with my maiden name in August 2015. We were married in March 2015.
I changed my Social Security card in July on a trip home in the states, after I received that in the mail I visited the US consulate in Toronto to change my passport. It took 10 days for new passport to arrive to me in Ontario. Once I had AOR and an application number I sent by UPS a new copy of my updated passport and a letter explaining I had changed my name to my married name. Finally in January ECAS shows my married name. It worked fine for me updating my name after applying, I was worried as I read horror stories of issues but I had none.

I've been in Canada since October 2014 and have applied for visitor visa extensions 3 times and been approved each time. Currently I have a 1 year VR (visitor record) in my passport and since receiving the VR I've had no issues crossing back into the states and back. We live in a border town and I have been back in the states for visits and shopping at least 20 times since receiving the VR.
Decoy is correct the current processing times for visitor extensions is long, my last one took 4 months to get an answer.