# What if passport has married surname & BRP has maiden?



## PuffinFancier (Aug 29, 2013)

Hi there,

I'm new here and I've done a search for answers to this specific question. I apologise if I've missed any - the closest I've found is a thread where someone asked about having their visa transferred from maiden name-passport to updated passport, and they were told to just carry both passports. I'm not sure this applies to my case so I'd really appreciate any thoughts.

I married in May 2012 and applied for my Spousal visa after the honeymoon in order to get it in before the rules changed in July. This meant I didn't have time to update my American passport to reflect my married name. 

Finally, after not having a chance to travel to the USA for 18 months, I was able to visit family 3x since the wedding. Now that I've not got anything booked for awhile, I want to renew my American passport to reflect my new name. I understand this takes about 5 weeks, sent through the US embassy. That's fine.

Once that's done, though, I'll still have my maiden name on my BRP card. I'm afraid to apply for the name change because I hear it's taking as long as 6 months, and I dread the thought of being unable to get a job/travel again for an unknown length of time.

In September 2014, I'll be applying at a PEO for IDL (when my 2 years' probation is up). I assume I'll get a new BRP card from that new visa. I could just wait until then to have my name changed on my BRP, but what about travel in the meantime? Is it possible to travel with my married surname on my American passport, but my maiden name on a BRP, if I carry both old and new passports and an original marriage certificate (married in Scotland)? Or should I immediately apply for my BRP once my passport is changed? I don't like being without my documents for months on end again, but neither do I want to get on the bad side of the powers that be. :decision:

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Until you get your new passport, just travel with your existing passport and BRP. When you get your new passport, in addition take your Scottish marriage certificate (but book flights in your passport name), and when you apply for ILR, you will get your new BRP in your married name.


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## PuffinFancier (Aug 29, 2013)

Joppa said:


> Until you get your new passport, just travel with your existing passport and BRP. When you get your new passport, in addition take your Scottish marriage certificate (but book flights in your passport name), and when you apply for ILR, you will get your new BRP in your married name.


My new passport should arrive in about 5 weeks, so I won't be travelling again until I have the married-name passport to go with my maiden-name BRP. So you're saying until I apply for ILR and get my new BRP, I could theoretically travel with the mismatched documents as long as I had my marriage certificate?

Thanks for your super fast reply, Joppa. I really appreciate your help!


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