What to upload as a proof of wife's legal name change?
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If it is a legal name change, upload the legal document that confirms that this action was performed.
If it is a post marital name change but not legalized yet, upload a notarized affidavit that states the different versions of name for the same person along with documents showing the different versions including passport, marriage certificate, birth certificate etc.
If it is a post marital name change but not legalized yet, upload a notarized affidavit that states the different versions of name for the same person along with documents showing the different versions including passport, marriage certificate, birth certificate etc.
Legal name change is a formal affair and involves change of name in government records for posterity. Marital name change is an informal way of changing one's name for day to day usage without having a corresponding change on official documents.
I am under similar condition. My wife has a name on her educational certificates, without her surname. While her passport carries her name with surname. If we get a notarized affidavit in this regard, will it suffice?
Regards
Regards
oh my God Asivad :/Asivad Anac said:
I came across a few of your answers, where you seem to be takling about things that you don't fully understand, but in this case I am going to reply.
Marital change of name is by all means a formal change of name, wheras official documents are changed according to merrige certificate.
In this instance, mariage certificate can in same cases be the only formal change of name document ( some conturies like croatia for example, list this change in some other records that can later be used to prove change of name - ex.excerpt from the registry of births, where all last names and names are listed in the order a person used them).
A person can not change their last name in the purpuse of day to day usage, as you are putting it.
Changing your last name by marriage creates and obligation to change all other identiy documents and all other documents a person is holding at the moment ( driving licence, ID, passport, etc.), just like any other change of name, anything else is a legal offence.
Thank you for correcting me. Always appreciate the opportunity to learn something new.yelena said:
My response was motivated by a number of posts on this forum (most of them from SE Asia) where it is apparently very common for the wife to assume the husband's name for 'day to day' usage without making it official on any records. It is probably a legal offence but I imagine no one takes that seriously enough for one reason or the other. For CIC purposes, it is imperative that one produces a legal change of name document or a self declared affidavit at the least with sufficient documents to prove that it is the same person across multiple versions of the name.
My answer would've been very different if the question was in a European context (probably the question would never have originated from there because these things work differently when you're managing a few million people not grappling with a few billion!). Hope that satisfies you that I did have some idea of the background before attempting to answer this question. Do point out the other few answers of mine were it appears that I don't understand what I'm talking about so that I can learn something or clear the air, as the case may be.
point taken and I undestand where you are comming from.. perhaps it would be beneficial to then answer in the same context, as a lot of people seem to be reading questions and asnwer and that are lead to beleave that marriage ceritficate is not an official document that proves change of name.Asivad Anac said:
I really don't know how things work in india., but from what you just said it seems to me that they dont change their last name at all, and procede to use it only in day to day interactions, othervise they would need to change their documents., so perhaps on their marriage certificate under new surname it states that the wife will continue to use her last name in legal transaction. just thinking along what you said..
from the top of my head, I remember you said ( for your case ) that you didnt see the point of having a statment notarized, as it was an original, and public notary is only used to certifiy when a copy of the document is in fact true to the original.
again, where I come from, notary public does indeed certifiy authenticity of the photocopied document, but they are primarily used to confirm that the signature on the document is indeed given by the person signing the document - hence the documents always need to be signed in the presence of public notary and backed up with the identity document or in same cases if the notary public knows the person privately and then in the statment he writes: the person xy is indeed the same person as xy, and in personaly familiar to me.
This is the reason why personal statments, should indeed be notarized and they have more authenticity if they are notarized.
I hope you will interpret my comments in a good way, and just as pointers, as I am definitely not trying to put you down in any way., you helped me with your advice many, many times before., but you did say you would like to learn something new
Absolutely! What fun is life if one refuses to learn something everyday!
On that notary thingy, I was on thin ice. Unsurprisingly, these things have minor differences in operation across the World. So I was always just answering to the majority. I know that could be confusing and it was! Got a half dozen personal messages afterwards on that one.
On that notary thingy, I was on thin ice. Unsurprisingly, these things have minor differences in operation across the World. So I was always just answering to the majority. I know that could be confusing and it was! Got a half dozen personal messages afterwards on that one.
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Hey
We were in the same situation. We first did a name change in her passport (which can be done with a marriage certificate)
If for India, this can be done at BLS (if staying abroad) with the following documents. APPLIED FROM TORONTO, CANADA
1. Marriage certificate
2. Notarized self declared affidavit of marriage.(with a combined photograph of husband and wife)
3. Applicable fees
4. Application form filled
Takes about 3 weeks to get the new passport.
Further went with the passport and changed on health card, credit cards etc .Cam be difficult to change on Drivers license.
Included the following documents while submitting to cic:
1. old passport biodata page
2. Birth certificate
3. New passport bicdata page
4. marriage certificate
5. Notarized affidavit declaring that her old and new name belongs to her.
We were in the same situation. We first did a name change in her passport (which can be done with a marriage certificate)
If for India, this can be done at BLS (if staying abroad) with the following documents. APPLIED FROM TORONTO, CANADA
1. Marriage certificate
2. Notarized self declared affidavit of marriage.(with a combined photograph of husband and wife)
3. Applicable fees
4. Application form filled
Takes about 3 weeks to get the new passport.
Further went with the passport and changed on health card, credit cards etc .Cam be difficult to change on Drivers license.
Included the following documents while submitting to cic:
1. old passport biodata page
2. Birth certificate
3. New passport bicdata page
4. marriage certificate
5. Notarized affidavit declaring that her old and new name belongs to her.
I wanted to ask the difference as well..
I'm originally from India, and customarily, women do take their husband's last name..
However, from my experience of all the cases I've seen, women cannot just change their last name to be referred by another name by any governmental or legal authority, without legally changing it on their passports.
It is the same for conversion to different religions...
One may choose to be called something else (husband's surname, legal name change, converted name etc.) but it goes without saying that this is not legal unless it has been changed in the passport. Nowadays most people stick to their unmarried name... or just add husband's last name to the unmarried last name.... if they have changed the last name to the husband's name, then it has been done as per passport, in every case I have seen so far, which a complete signed and stamped affidavit from the Indian government that she is the same person and would like to be called "first name, new surname" from this date onwards...
If there is an affidavit with the name change, I think it is fair to assume it has been changed in the passport as well - to ensure that the current document reflects the correct name. So I would send the affidavit and passport with current name.. and education documents with unmarried name.
But on the other hand, if I was being called something else by my family, friends or community without it being changed on my passport, I would not even think of mentioning it... I think it would add unnecessary complications to the whole matter... isn't it? Why mention another name if it is not on the passport.. as that is the only solid proof of an identity...?
I'm originally from India, and customarily, women do take their husband's last name..
However, from my experience of all the cases I've seen, women cannot just change their last name to be referred by another name by any governmental or legal authority, without legally changing it on their passports.
It is the same for conversion to different religions...
One may choose to be called something else (husband's surname, legal name change, converted name etc.) but it goes without saying that this is not legal unless it has been changed in the passport. Nowadays most people stick to their unmarried name... or just add husband's last name to the unmarried last name.... if they have changed the last name to the husband's name, then it has been done as per passport, in every case I have seen so far, which a complete signed and stamped affidavit from the Indian government that she is the same person and would like to be called "first name, new surname" from this date onwards...
If there is an affidavit with the name change, I think it is fair to assume it has been changed in the passport as well - to ensure that the current document reflects the correct name. So I would send the affidavit and passport with current name.. and education documents with unmarried name.
But on the other hand, if I was being called something else by my family, friends or community without it being changed on my passport, I would not even think of mentioning it... I think it would add unnecessary complications to the whole matter... isn't it? Why mention another name if it is not on the passport.. as that is the only solid proof of an identity...?
One more aspect to add to the Asian name change scenario.
Even if you were married and legally changed your name to say have husband's name as your last name and it is on passport and other docs too, still there would be two names in spouses docs IF YOU ARE IN CANADA.
The reason is that several public services such as health care insist on using women's maiden name in health records. And it is fine and accepted all across Canada.
So my spouse's name on health card shows her last name as maiden name, where as her work permit (tied to mine), passport and every other document issued in Canada uses my first name, as her last name (i am from Asia).
I know at least 2-3 other people who had similar situation (came from asia and got PR here while being on work permit).
A notary affidavit has sufficed all these needs so far. And that is what i have submitted too.
So bottom line is that as long as your name changed for some reason, even if you were from Europe but you are in Canada you might still have two names on docs and need to add affidavit for that.
Even if you were married and legally changed your name to say have husband's name as your last name and it is on passport and other docs too, still there would be two names in spouses docs IF YOU ARE IN CANADA.
The reason is that several public services such as health care insist on using women's maiden name in health records. And it is fine and accepted all across Canada.
So my spouse's name on health card shows her last name as maiden name, where as her work permit (tied to mine), passport and every other document issued in Canada uses my first name, as her last name (i am from Asia).
I know at least 2-3 other people who had similar situation (came from asia and got PR here while being on work permit).
A notary affidavit has sufficed all these needs so far. And that is what i have submitted too.
So bottom line is that as long as your name changed for some reason, even if you were from Europe but you are in Canada you might still have two names on docs and need to add affidavit for that.