ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
ChinaChinese Spouse Name Change Issues
What does my wife need to do to go about changing her surname to mine once in the United States?

My wife and I were married in China where there is no custom of the wife taking her husband's family name. Now she has successfully received her CR-1 visa and we will be relocating to the US later this year. I realize now that we probably could have used my surname on all the douments we filed during the application process and listed her surname in the alias or maiden name categories but at the time I thought everything had to follow her passport.

When her Social Secuity card and Green Card arrive they will all list her maiden name.

Can we file an I-90 in the States to change her green card surname to mine even though we were married back in 2007? Can I do the same for her Social Security Card (and which of these should be changed first)?

I have read that for the I-90 and SSC change you need to bring a Marriage Certificate/License showing the new name but in China marriage certificates reflect names on the spouses' IDs which means our marriage certificate also lists her maiden name.

I think we could get the Chinese embassy in the US to add an addendum page in her name with my surname, would this help?

I would appreciate any help or advice from anyone with any experience in this.

Sincerely,

Ikenna
Nigeria22MaleChina2009-04-11 08:42:00
ChinaQuestions Concerning IR1/CR1 Applications Filed Abroad
My wife successfully received her CR-1 visa last week after a process we initiated at a foreign consulate in late August of 2008. If anyone is planning a similar application and has any questions I would be happy to offer any advice.

Sincerely,

IMN
Nigeria22MaleChina2009-04-14 22:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR-1/IR-1 Name Change Issues
What does my wife need to do to go about changing her surname to mine once in the United States?

My wife and I were married in China where there is no custom of the wife taking her husband's family name. Now she has successfully received her CR-1 visa and we will be relocating to the US later this year. I realize now that we probably could have used my surname on all the douments we filed during the application process and listed her surname in the alias or maiden name categories but at the time I thought everything had to follow her passport.

When her Social Secuity card and Green Card arrive they will all list her maiden name.

Can we file an I-90 in the States to change her green card surname to mine even though we were married back in 2007? Can I do the same for her Social Security Card (and which of these should be changed first)?

I have read that for the I-90 and SSC change you need to bring a Marriage Certificate/License showing the new name but in China marriage certificates reflect names on the spouses' IDs which means our marriage certificate also lists her maiden name.

I think we could get the Chinese embassy in the US to add an addendum page in her name with my surname, would this help?

I would appreciate any help or advice from anyone with any experience in this.

Sincerely,

Ikenna
Nigeria22MaleChina2009-04-11 08:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions Concerning IR1/CR1 Applications Filed Abroad
QUOTE (Dan & Juan @ Apr 15 2009, 07:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Congratulations! Happy life for you both!


thanks, wish you guys luck as well
?????
Nigeria22MaleChina2009-04-15 22:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions Concerning IR1/CR1 Applications Filed Abroad
My wife successfully received her CR-1 visa last week after a process we initiated at a foreign consulate in late August of 2008. If anyone is planning a similar application and has any questions I would be happy to offer any advice.

Sincerely,

IMN
Nigeria22MaleChina2009-04-14 22:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 not touched yet
QUOTE (simps @ Apr 14 2009, 06:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
crying.gif Hii guys... I wonder why they are not touching our case?? its been more then one month now and still pending.. Anyone got approved or touched yet?? They received Our I-130 on 12th of march.. anybody sent I-130 on same date approved or touched yet?? I feel so sad.. I read so many VJ member got approved only in 20days so i was thinking ours will be fast too but now i m really upset...is it anything good or bad if they do not touch?? I to have smooth and easy visa journey..Thank you somuch


Officially it is supposed to be approved or denied within 2-3 months so I wouldn't start worrying yet. My wife's took about 2 1/2 months but I know others who had theirs approved in less than 3 weeks. Everything else went smoothly for us after the I-30 and my wife now has her visa.

-IMN

Edited by Nigeria22, 15 April 2009 - 04:24 AM.

Nigeria22MaleChina2009-04-15 04:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSlightly Complicated
QUOTE (sdwusa @ Apr 17 2009, 07:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thanks both for your replies.

So my wife will need to fill out an i-864.

Her mum will need to fill out an i-864 and her dad will need to fill out an i-864a rather than his details being included on the form filled out by her mum as they both live together.

So its definintely a 4 person household then, so basically just her mum and dad's income will have to suffice as my wife is working here in the UK.


Household of 3 if your wife was not claimed on the most recent tax return her parents filed.

Edited by Nigeria22, 17 April 2009 - 08:10 AM.

Nigeria22MaleChina2009-04-17 08:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSlightly Complicated
QUOTE (sdwusa @ Apr 17 2009, 06:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
My wife is a US citizen who is legal and lives with me in the UK. Yesterday we filled an i-130 for me to move to the US as she's really not happy in the UK. As she has the right to live and work in the UK we have filled in London which helps us avoid the dreaded NVC in the US. I have a couple of quick questions that i hope you good people will be able to help me out with.

1) How long does it normally take for the whole process to be sorted out?

2) This is the one i really dont know about. My wife works here in the UK at McDonalds and we are going to use her parents as a joint sponsor to really give the income a chance. How on earth do we put that on the i-864??? We will go and live with her parents whilst we sort ourselves out so do we take the poverty line as a household of 4 which includes my wife and I, or just as 2 which is what it is currently with her parents?? Any help with what to put on the AOS would be greatly appreciated. I honestly dont know how to put down her income as the form is all in dollars and also confused about the household size.

3) How stressful is the visa interview in London? I'm hoping it will be easier as we've already gone through the USA - UK visa process which shows its a proper marriage.

Any help greatly appreciated

Regards

Simon


1) Less than six months from filing the I-30 through receiving the immigrant visa if you have all your paperwork together.

2) First check the federal poverty guidelines to see the threshold you need to meet [http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/08Poverty.shtml]. Even if her parents filed a joint return you only need one of them to act as a co-sponsor and fill out the other I-864 (especially if one parent's income meets the requirements) the other parent will file a I-864a. To determine the household size use the number of dependents on her parents' last tax return plus yourself (not your wife unless she was claimed as a dependent on their most recent return). From your information it sounds like it will be a household of 3.

For your wife's income use the current exchange rate to translate her income from pounds sterling to US dollars. She has filed US tax returns for the 3 most recent years correct?

3) Your situation seems pretty similar to mine. Our visa interview was a breeze and my wife is Chinese (a high fraud country) so the London interview should be no problem.

Good Luck


Nigeria22MaleChina2009-04-17 08:06:00