# Name Changes, Spousal Visa.. oh my



## kataniash (Aug 8, 2011)

Hi

I'm getting married at the end of August and I am unsure on what paperwork I should start on first once we are married. He is a natural-born British Citizen who works and resides in England. I will be moving to England as soon as possible after our wedding. I am taking his last name and I am unsure how to apply for my Spousal Visa after our wedding. We don't plan on returning to live in the U.S. for 2-5 years. I know my S.S. Card, ID Card (don't have a Driver's License), and Passport will have to change, but if I'm not staying in the U.S. do I have to change these things before I do my spousal Visa or do they all have to be changed before I can apply. Plus I still have my plane ticket to purchase so I'm really not sure how to go about all this. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Kat


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

kataniash said:


> Hi
> 
> I'm getting married at the end of August and I am unsure on what paperwork I should start on first once we are married. He is a natural-born British Citizen who works and resides in England. I will be moving to England as soon as possible after our wedding. I am taking his last name and I am unsure how to apply for my Spousal Visa after our wedding. We don't plan on returning to live in the U.S. for 2-5 years. I know my S.S. Card, ID Card (don't have a Driver's License), and Passport will have to change, but if I'm not staying in the U.S. do I have to change these things before I do my spousal Visa or do they all have to be changed before I can apply. Plus I still have my plane ticket to purchase so I'm really not sure how to go about all this. Help would be greatly appreciated.


You are worrying unnecessarily.
What most people do is to apply for your spouse visa on your present passport, in your maiden name. Then after moving to UK, renew your passport in your new name and carry both passports when travelling internationally. Then apply for your settlement (ILR) on your new, now current passport after 2 years.
You can change your SS card etc when you move back to US.
Buy your plane ticket once your visa is issued, preferably in your maiden name to match your passport name. If you want to book in your married name, carry your marriage certificate with your passport.

You can of course get a passport in your new name before applying for spouse visa, but this will involve a delay of several weeks, depending on passport processing time. In UK, there is a facility of getting a post-dated passport in your new name pending your marriage, but I don't think this is possible with US passport.


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## AnAmericanInScotland (Feb 8, 2012)

Oh boy is Joppa ever right about the time delay in getting the US passport changed to the new married name!

After our wedding in the UK whilst on a visitor visa (had a CoA, no longer issued, so I squeaked in under the wire on that one back in 2010), I returned to the US to apply for my probationary spouse visa. I was away from my brand new husband four months!

I stayed with my adult son (bless him!) and the first thing I did was get my driver's license, bank, and SSN info changed. Simples, took altogether a few hours one day.

I then sent my passport to New Orleans. Who sent it to South Carolina. Who sent it to Washington. Who sent it to NYC. Who sent it back to NO, where it was finally processed. The whole process took over two months!

Then, lol (but it really was not funny then) I chose to send my visa application without using the priority service offered by the UKBA, so getting my determination took nearly another two months.


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## Liz in UK (Jul 31, 2011)

I changed my name in my passport before applying for my spousal visa. I was already in the UK on a fiancee visa. My passport was sent to the embassy in London, then shipped to Philadelphia for processing, then sent back to London, then mailed back to me. Even with my initial mistake of sending the UK sized passport photo instead of the US sized photo on the application, I had my passport back in 15 working days (A little under a month) just as they promised. So I think the logistics of doing it in a timely manner will depend entirely upon how quickly they are processing applications. Of course, if you are changing your name on your passport from the US, you can pay for expedited processing, which you can't if you apply outside of the US through an embassy. Best of luck to you.


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## MRSREILLY (Mar 14, 2012)

i changed everything before i applied for my spouse visa. and it didnt take long at all. you can go to social security and get your new card in about 2 weeks. mine came in about a week and a half after i changed it. and my passport change from the day i sent it off i got it back literally in 5 days i paid the extra $60 to get it expedited well worth it. and i also sent it straight to philidelphia. im close to it lol. it saves the hassel of having to carry both passports. especially since the passport agency punches holes out of your old passport making it invalid. depending on how quick you want to file for your visa, and you want to keep your social security up to date since your suppose to let them know of any address changes and things like that so when it comes to doing your taxes its easier. because they can see it as why would you be filing your taxes with a different name then what the social security would have on file. and in my opinion, if you change your name after you get to the uk, then you have that time where you dont have proof of your visa or anything, and the thought of that worried me. 

like i said it was quick for me. and all they needed was certified copies of the marriage certificate. which i paid to get like 6 just in case for different things. i had my name changed on everything from social security to passport to banks to credit cards everything in 3 weeks time. and i got married on new years eve. so it was pretty fast i had all the paperwork printed and signed ready to go just had to insert the marriage certificate and mail stuff or call.  thats my experience hope it helps with your decision.  good luck!

also quick one! whatever your valid passport says is what you have to buy your ticket on. you can not purchase your ticket in your married name and travel with a passport that says your maiden name. TSA can be touchy lol(but im sure everyone knows that TSA has been touchy since 2001. )


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## AnAmericanInScotland (Feb 8, 2012)

*Very important point to highlight, that TSA frowns on passport not being in the same name as the ticket*. I forgot about that part-probably because I had everything changed before applying for the visa, so all my 'papers were in order'

So many horror stories about the TSA agents being very difficult, I don't think I would have wanted to go through any prolonged exposure to them.


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## MRSREILLY (Mar 14, 2012)

AnAmericanInScotland said:


> *Very important point to highlight, that TSA frowns on passport not being in the same name as the ticket*. I forgot about that part-probably because I had everything changed before applying for the visa, so all my 'papers were in order'
> 
> So many horror stories about the TSA agents being very difficult, I don't think I would have wanted to go through any prolonged exposure to them.


i dont think anyone in their right mind would want to lol


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## AnAmericanInScotland (Feb 8, 2012)

MRSREILLY said:


> i dont think anyone in their right mind would want to lol


So many things to consider when becoming an expat! Best to make sure all the identification is in the same name just to avoid having to cope with things like unnecessarily complicated border crossings. 

Still worth all the hassles, though, to be with the spouse or partner


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## kataniash (Aug 8, 2011)

Joppa said:


> You are worrying unnecessarily.
> What most people do is to apply for your spouse visa on your present passport, in your maiden name. Then after moving to UK, renew your passport in your new name and carry both passports when travelling internationally. Then apply for your settlement (ILR) on your new, now current passport after 2 years.
> You can change your SS card etc when you move back to US.
> Buy your plane ticket once your visa is issued, preferably in your maiden name to match your passport name. If you want to book in your married name, carry your marriage certificate with your passport.
> ...



Thank you so much. I just want to make it as easy, simple, and less stress as possible. We've been doing the long distance relationship since October 18th, 2010 so we just want it all to go smoothly. 

Just to make sure I understand:

1. I should just apply for my spousal visa under my maiden name. 


2. Once approved, purchase my plane ticket.

2a. If I purchase my ticket under my married name bring my marriage certificate.


3. Renew Passport with married name in the UK. 
(At the US Embassy? When would I be able to apply for a UK Passport.)


If I apply for my Spousal Visa under my maiden name, will that lower my chances of approval or are they used to seeing that? 

Or should I write a letter stating that I will change my passport to my married name when I have settled?

Will I have to add a copy or the actual marriage certificate to my visa application?


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## MRSREILLY (Mar 14, 2012)

kataniash said:


> Thank you so much. I just want to make it as easy, simple, and less stress as possible. We've been doing the long distance relationship since October 18th, 2010 so we just want it all to go smoothly.
> 
> Just to make sure I understand:
> 
> ...


that would be a way to do it but i recommend chaning everything before you leave

and no. purchase your ticket according to your passport.


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## kataniash (Aug 8, 2011)

It depends on how long it would all take and cost. I'm guessing we would have to marry first before I start all of these name changes.

Changing my SS card, my ID, my passport and then applying for my spousal visa and waiting for approval, seems it would take awhile even if I expedite it all. I live in Illinois and am getting married in Chicago. 

It would be nice to see my new married name on everything, but at the same time I'm not returning to live in the U.S. for two to five years.

I don't think I'll be using any of those things in England except my visa, current passport, and ID (to get a name change on my passport) . Plus if I can change my passport over there I rather wait and at least be with my husband than to have to wait til all of this goes through in the States and fly later.

Should suggest we just marry in New York City since most of the time-consuming stuff has to go through there.


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## MRSREILLY (Mar 14, 2012)

kataniash said:


> It depends on how long it would all take and cost. I'm guessing we would have to marry first before I start all of these name changes.
> 
> Changing my SS card, my ID, my passport and then applying for my spousal visa and waiting for approval, seems it would take awhile even if I expedite it all. I live in Illinois and am getting married in Chicago.
> 
> ...


No. theres no reason to change your wedding plans. Here is a simple time frame. And this was how i.did it. We got married Dec. 31 2011. I had printed everything I needed for my name change about a week before the wedding. And got my passport photos done too. I had social security and my passport mailed off by the 5th. I paid expedited for my passport and had it back by the 10th. I then had social security back by 18th. And was able to change my military id cards on the 20th. so literally I had everything changed in 15 days. 

We wait to file for my visa because we needed to save the money. $1337. $300 for priority. 

I filed my application and got my biometrics done and stuff sent off on the 13th of April. I got my visa in hand yesterday through ups. 

Also if you expedite and pay for priority service you can be in England in a month. And it doesnt matter if you change your name after you leave and because your not coming back to the states for a few years, you still have to change your name with social security. You still have to file taxes in the united states if your working in the uk. And that information is suppose to be up to date. (social security) and to change it when your over there you have to send in an actual id card not a copy thats certifies the real thing. Amd they can take as long as the want to get to it when it has been mailed. So if you change nothing at all, change your social security. you dont want to have to remember that when you come back.


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## kataniash (Aug 8, 2011)

MRSREILLY said:


> No. theres no reason to change your wedding plans. Here is a simple time frame. And this was how i.did it. We got married Dec. 31 2011. I had printed everything I needed for my name change about a week before the wedding. And got my passport photos done too. I had social security and my passport mailed off by the 5th. I paid expedited for my passport and had it back by the 10th. I then had social security back by 18th. And was able to change my military id cards on the 20th. so literally I had everything changed in 15 days.
> 
> We wait to file for my visa because we needed to save the money. $1337. $300 for priority.
> 
> ...


When you mean an ID, do you mean a US ID with my married name?

My husband wouldn't be able to take off a month from work. I would hope they would send my SS Card back before the year was over if I sent all things needed for it in to the US Embassy before September was over. I know Americans living outside the U.S. get an extra two months, filing in June.


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## MRSREILLY (Mar 14, 2012)

kataniash said:


> When you mean an ID, do you mean a US ID with my married name?
> 
> My husband wouldn't be able to take off a month from work. I would hope they would send my SS Card back before the year was over if I sent all things needed for it in to the US Embassy before September was over. I know Americans living outside the U.S. get an extra two months, filing in June.


I mean my us military id card. And the only extension for taxes is military personel who are away on deployment get an extwnsion. But you as a civilian living over seas I do not believe you get an extension of any kind unless you write them and request one with a really good reason. but like I said you need to do it before you leave. Better to do it now.then later.


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## MRSREILLY (Mar 14, 2012)

kataniash said:


> When you mean an ID, do you mean a US ID with my married name?
> 
> My husband wouldn't be able to take off a month from work. I would hope they would send my SS Card back before the year was over if I sent all things needed for it in to the US Embassy before September was over. I know Americans living outside the U.S. get an extra two months, filing in June.


And why would he have to take off work?? You dont need him with you to file fore you visa.


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## kataniash (Aug 8, 2011)

We wanted to go back together.


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## MRSREILLY (Mar 14, 2012)

kataniash said:


> We wanted to go back together.


Well see to make plans like that you have to know 100% that you woukd get your visa. Which depending on the way you go they.could take longer than you plan because everyones visa process is different.


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## MRSREILLY (Mar 14, 2012)

And best thing to do if you want that have him fly back a week before you go after you have been approved for your visa then fly back together. Then he wouldnt be taking the whole time off.


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## mme (Jan 3, 2012)

I opted not to change my name in the States and decided to wait till I was in the UK to start that process, so everything I filled out was in my maiden name

I didnt want to wait any longer being apart from my husband


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## kataniash (Aug 8, 2011)

mme said:


> I opted not to change my name in the States and decided to wait till I was in the UK to start that process, so everything I filled out was in my maiden name
> 
> I didnt want to wait any longer being apart from my husband



How long did it take you to get your visa? Did you expedite?


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## mme (Jan 3, 2012)

We sent it on Monday next day, we got an email they received it and it was being processed that Thursday. We got an email the following Wednesday that it was issued! I've been in England two and half weeks now! We didn't expedite other then how we mailed it


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## kataniash (Aug 8, 2011)

mme said:


> We sent it on Monday next day, we got an email they received it and it was being processed that Thursday. We got an email the following Wednesday that it was issued! I've been in England two and half weeks now! We didn't expedite other then how we mailed it



So it took less than two weeks for your Visa to be processed and all you did was mail it next day?


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## mistbound4england (Dec 26, 2011)

Just remember there are alot of people trying to beat the supposed June deadline so its taking a bit longer to process applications unless you pay the 300.00 extra for priority. Tomm is business day 14 and Im still waiting on some further word on my visa.


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## kataniash (Aug 8, 2011)

mistbound4england said:


> Just remember there are alot of people trying to beat the supposed June deadline so its taking a bit longer to process applications unless you pay the 300.00 extra for priority. Tomm is business day 14 and Im still waiting on some further word on my visa.



June deadline? We're already planning to pay the extra $300. Not taking any chances.


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## mistbound4england (Dec 26, 2011)

yes there is a rumor that come June the Uk sponsor will have to have annual funds of a little over £25,000.00 which is pretty much impossible for many. Are you jut applying for a spousal visa since ur marrying in the states? If so then forget abt the June deadline lol i just read ur not marrying until August


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## kataniash (Aug 8, 2011)

mistbound4england said:


> yes there is a rumor that come June the Uk sponsor will have to have annual funds of a little over £25,000.00 which is pretty much impossible for many. Are you jut applying for a spousal visa since ur marrying in the states? If so then forget abt the June deadline lol i just read ur not marrying until August




I'm American, he's British. We're marrying in the States at the end of August.


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