Legal Change of Name of Sponsor: Before or After Sponsorship Application?

[kcorbin]

Hi everybody! I have made a search of this forum regarding change of name and checked every thread to make sure I'm not being redundant. 8) Most of the topics are about changing one's maiden name to their married name but nothing about a husband's change of name. Good thing there were only 10 pages of topics for me to go through. LOL! Since I haven't found anything that is related, I will be posting a new thread.

Here's the situation:

My fiance and I are going to apply for spousal sponsorship after we get married this May!

My future hubby (sponsor) wanted to apply for a legal change of name, switching his surname with his middle name. His primary reason is that he wanted the middle name (last name of his mom) to last longer through generations since it is not common, and if he wont do that that surname will end with his mom.

Our question is: when is the most convenient time for him to get his surname changed given we will be going through the spousal sponsorship?

1) Before we apply for spousal sponsorship?
- does this mean he has to update the name on all supporting documents (PR card, passport, SIN etc.) before we submit our package? or can he just submit all supporting documents bearing his old name then simply attach the change of name certificate? Will this delay our sponsorship application?
- if this can be done, it would be easier for me to change my surname to his new one via marriage, since I'm not required to apply for a legal change of name.. And I'm guessing it's easier to update my other important documents to my married name just by showing our marriage certificate... Err right? I've also read that in the middle of our application, I could update my passport bearing my married name, then submit the updated passport so they could release my PR card bearing that name too.

Or...

2) After we apply for spousal sponsorship?
- if we go through this, both of us needs to apply for a legal change of name and will be more inconvenient since both of has to apply for a new passports, new PR cards, new SIN, new everything!

Both of us prioritizes that I get PR status in the earliest time possible but we are also hoping to make the transition with his change of name in the most convenient way.

I appreciate your feedback guys.

 

[Rob_TO]

Both of us prioritizes that I get PR status in the earliest time possible but we are also hoping to make the transition with his change of name in the most convenient way.

IMO, I would just wait until after your application is approved and you've actually landed as a PR, and then start process for name change.
Anything done before just opens the door for possible delays in processing.

 

[kcorbin]

Hmmm.. That could possibly raise red flags for our application? I wouldn't want any of that.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[taffy7]

I would definitely wait until after .It really isn't that hard to do afterwards.