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Married name Passport vs maiden name PR card

Belgiandank

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Hello,
My PR card shows my maiden name but recently updated my Philippines passport to reflect my married name. My dad passed and I need to go to the Philippines. I am worried that I will have problem since those 2 documents show different last names. How do i go about this?
 

jakklondon

Hero Member
Oct 17, 2021
582
139
Hello,
My PR card shows my maiden name but recently updated my Philippines passport to reflect my married name. My dad passed and I need to go to the Philippines. I am worried that I will have problem since those 2 documents show different last names. How do i go about this?
You may not have any problems going to Philippines, as your passport is all you need to accomplish that. You may have a problem upon return. They will ask you to "prove" that you, the passport holder, are the same individual whose name appears on PR card. You may have trouble boarding a plane (if they ask for PR card, you will have to demonstrate that it's for the same person who booked the ticket, and if your ticket booked under your new name, then those will mismatch. If ticket is booked under your old name, then it's not really valid ticket, because the name on it is no longer yours, etc.). If you somehow clear all those hurdles, the next will be to convince border agent at POE that you are who you say you are, with two documents with different names. They can give you a lot of crap (even if you have your name change docs), so the optimal solution is to apply for emergency travel documents abroad (PRRD) or for PR card from within, if such options exist. Situations like yours make me wonder, why aren't there sensible ways to deal with people who must go to mourn their close relatives, or whose close relatives are on deathbed?
 
Last edited:

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,226
7,753
Hello,
My PR card shows my maiden name but recently updated my Philippines passport to reflect my married name. My dad passed and I need to go to the Philippines. I am worried that I will have problem since those 2 documents show different last names. How do i go about this?
You should be fine if you have your old passport as well (eg photocopy) and documentation that supports your change of name. Ideally that would be govt doc that says 'change of name' but if done by marriage, marriage documentation that shows full maiden name before marriage and name after should do the trick. Unfortunately a bit more variance between jurisidictions about how change of name by means of marriage is documented - but PH probably straigthforward.

Note, one issue is airline, the other is at airport port of entry in Canada. You should check with airline in advance if possible. Port of entry in Canada should be a bit more predictable - docs above should be pretty self-explanatory.
 

Alloul82

Newbie
Nov 17, 2021
4
0
I have a similar issue. My last name on passport os written Hammoud EP Mazen El Cheikh (my husband) so my COPR and PR card are same as passport. But all other documents (driving license, health card, credit card) has only Hammoud. Is there a way to change my pr card ?
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,226
7,753
I have a similar issue. My last name on passport os written Hammoud EP Mazen El Cheikh (my husband) so my COPR and PR card are same as passport. But all other documents (driving license, health card, credit card) has only Hammoud. Is there a way to change my pr card ?
Why do you want to change it? What problem are you trying to solve?

It's important: it helps most if PR card and your (foreign) passport match, because where you're going to show it matters - at airports mostly to board planes, and that's where it REALLY can make a difference if they do not match.

Whereas all the other stuff in Canada: as long as they match amongst themselves and there's several you shouldn't have much trouble. Canadian domestic institutions tend to be reasonably forgiving esp for complicated names. Presumably you also have marriage certificate to show (should anyone in Canada ask, and they probably won't) that eg your maiden name X husband name Y hence longform on passport of X, Y is just combination.

That said, if you want to change them all, change them all - including your foreign passport and PR card.
 

Alloul82

Newbie
Nov 17, 2021
4
0
The problem is that I cannot change my foreign passport because I came as refugee and my passport was taken on the border. The issue is that I don’t want my PR card, and thus my Canadian passport (later on) have my husband’s name attached to mine. I want my name to be simple (first and last only). Also my notice of decision has my name without my husband’s (as per my request). Correct me if I’m wrong: so the only thing with my name on PR card is when I want to travel? Nothing to worry about inside Canada? And will I be able later to get a Canadian passport without EP husband’s name on it?
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,226
7,753
The problem is that I cannot change my foreign passport because I came as refugee and my passport was taken on the border. The issue is that I don’t want my PR card, and thus my Canadian passport (later on) have my husband’s name attached to mine. I want my name to be simple (first and last only). Also my notice of decision has my name without my husband’s (as per my request). Correct me if I’m wrong: so the only thing with my name on PR card is when I want to travel? Nothing to worry about inside Canada? And will I be able later to get a Canadian passport without EP husband’s name on it?
Are you still with your husband or divorced? Not that it's my business, but if you're separated or divorced, the reason to change name is established and hence (I think) a bit easier.

Now you are asking slightly different questions - I was emphasizing what name is on documents when you travel (so that you have fewer problems when travelling, but the issues of using your foreign passport as a refugee are complicated so hopefully you're not doing that).

You are asking when the name on PR card will 'propagate' (be used by other institutions). There's no universal answer to that question - but in short, if you don't show passport or PR card, not likely anyone will use that name. (Federal government may continue to use though). Eg in places like Ontario driver's license will be used by most.

At any rate, you can try this for fixing the 'error' or otherwise changing for your PR card:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/identity-management/naming-procedures/managing-existing-records-change-name-request.html

If you have separated, I think Ontario makes this a bit easier (you'll have to check for other provinces):
https://www.ontario.ca/page/change-your-last-name

If general change of name, a bit more tedious perhaps but still not that complicated:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/change-name

I don't believe either of these are limited to Canadian citizens, i.e. as a PR you can still avail yourself of the procedure to change name. Federal government will accept provincial change of name.

Note, this may get VERY complicated if you ever need to use that foreign passport and can't change your name abroad - but as a refugee I udnerstand that is a very bad idea anyway. In other words please do NOT take any of this as related to what you should do for your refugee status.

Good luck.
 

Alloul82

Newbie
Nov 17, 2021
4
0
Thank you for your reply.
I am still with my husband and of course not planning to use my foreign passport at all. I will wait to get my Canadian passport or travel document if I need to travel.
I know it is complicated but my only issue is that I don’t want all this long name as my family name. I want it to be simple. If i will be able to get my Canadian passport without my husband’s name, I will wait and not change PR card now. But I am just worried that passport will be issued based on my name on COPR or PR card.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,226
7,753
Thank you for your reply.
I am still with my husband and of course not planning to use my foreign passport at all. I will wait to get my Canadian passport or travel document if I need to travel.
I know it is complicated but my only issue is that I don’t want all this long name as my family name. I want it to be simple. If i will be able to get my Canadian passport without my husband’s name, I will wait and not change PR card now. But I am just worried that passport will be issued based on my name on COPR or PR card.
I can't answer the question about what they would put in passport.

You can see the links above. If you're not about to start your citizenship process right away, I'd start working on it now. While it's possible you could convince them - later when applying for passport - to go with what your other docs say, if you fix it now, you'd know for sure.

(Point about applying for citizenship right away is only that chnging name during citizenship process might cause some delays or minor problems - so if you can deal with the name issue in advance, do so).
 

cindy09

Star Member
Sep 5, 2020
112
58
Hi anyone here just recently travel to Philippines with different last name on PR card and Passport? I am planning to travel soon and looking forward to have some infor on you’re recent exprience. Thanks
 

CVJ2019

Newbie
Apr 10, 2022
5
0
Hi anyone here just recently travel to Philippines with different last name on PR card and Passport? I am planning to travel soon and looking forward to have some infor on you’re recent exprience. Thanks
have u travelled already? We are on the same page. Just recently applied for a pr card renewal and i requested for a marital name change. However, I haven’t change my last name on my passport as i am planning to change it in the philippines.
 

cindy09

Star Member
Sep 5, 2020
112
58
have u travelled already? We are on the same page. Just recently applied for a pr card renewal and i requested for a marital name change. However, I haven’t change my last name on my passport as i am planning to change it in the philippines.
I was planning to travel on July. I just recently renew my passport in Vancouver, even it cost a lot, since we are living here in Alberta just to avoid stress. I contacted the airline and told me that they will not allow me to, since passport and pr card are not the same. but cbsa here in Canada are okay with that matter as long I have my marriage certificate. Our country is always complicated on this kind of stuff.
 

CVJ2019

Newbie
Apr 10, 2022
5
0
I was planning to travel on July. I just recently renew my passport in Vancouver, even it cost a lot, since we are living here in Alberta just to avoid stress. I contacted the airline and told me that they will not allow me to, since passport and pr card are not the same. but cbsa here in Canada are okay with that matter as long I have my marriage certificate. Our country is always complicated on this kind of stuff.
what airline are you planning to fly with? i think you’re all set if you’re travelling on July. If only it’s not urgent for me to go home to attend a family member’s funeral, then I wouldn’t have to be so stressed out right now.
 

cindy09

Star Member
Sep 5, 2020
112
58
what airline are you planning to fly with? i think you’re all set if you’re travelling on July. If only it’s not urgent for me to go home to attend a family member’s funeral, then I wouldn’t have to be so stressed out right now.
Philippine Airlines, cbsa adviced me to contact the airline of choice before making decisions. I hope airline will allow you since it will be an urgent matter