Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	I think it does, I'll need to double check with Skye because it was her question but thank you very much. : ) -J Edited by Jamie and Skye, 12 June 2011 - 12:30 PM.	Jamie and Skye	Female	Australia	2011-06-12 12:30:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	Thanks Vanessa, this thread has been really informative! It also seems like it's close to the topic of my question: How do we let Australia know that we're married? I doubt that changing her name and filling out section 9 on the DBM change name adult application form is enough to do it, it's just listing the reason why and not so much informing them of what's happened in any official capacity. Or would that be done when we start the process for me to move to Oz? In which case would she need to change her name before we do that? -J	Jamie and Skye	Female	Australia	2011-06-11 14:12:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	hi there... I have booked my flight tickets under my maiden name...(in my australian passport) However all of my AOS, AP AND EAD is under my married name... I have given enough time for my AP to be done before flying... so when I go there/come back...should i just show my marrage cert. to prove my last name change...which will be on the AP? Thanks Kiria	kiria&daniel	Female	Australia	2011-07-19 11:28:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	As a female choosing to change your name to your husbands name, or a variation thereof is a great feeling... suddenly interrupted by the knowledge that we need to change our name in Australia and wondering how. Changing your name when you marry overseas isn't as simple as if you married in Australia so this is a small guide (with a few links ) to explain the process a little better. Please read this entire post before continuing. Also, please be aware that I am referring to Aussie's by BIRTH because I believe there are other steps involved if you are naturalised (such as changing your naturalisation certificate, and home countries birth certificate, passport etc). First, you don't HAVE to change your name to your husbands. You also don't HAVE to change your name in Australia if you don't want to. It is perfectly fine to travel in your maiden issue BUT the issue arises when you have to book the tickets... if you Aussie passport says Jones, you book in Jones, but then on the way back to the US you will need to show your Aussie passport, US greencard and marriage licence to prove the name change from passport to greencard... confusing if you ask me but entirely possible (I could be over-thinking it but makes sense to me anyway ) Also, if you change your name in the 12 months following your marriage you are entitled to a "gratis" passport (meaning free) .. more info on that to follow. So, in order to change your passport, you first need a name change document. If you married in Australia this is as simple as your marriage licence, BUT in our case, being married overseas means we need to actually officially change our name with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM) in your birth state and obtain an official "Name change certificate" (example from Vic below). If you were born overseas (but got an Aussie passport through naturalisation), the foreign marriage licence should be accepted (links below) BUT if you were born in Australia you MUST apply for an official name change certificate. The Australian Passport office does NOT accept foreign marriage licences if you are an Aussie by birth. Also, depending on your state, they will most likely not accept the foreign marriage licence to change your driver's licence name and bank accounts (like Victoria does) so you'll need that name change certificate for that too. The process is this: APPLY FOR LEGAL NAME CHANGE:- First, you will need to apply for a name change at the RBDM in your state. You will need to find the website for your state so you can find out your specific state requirements (here is a list of the RBDM's: http://australia.gov...ages-registries ) or here are the specific links below: ACT: - name change info: http://www.ors.act.g...Pages/bdm2.html - fees: http://www.ors.act.g.../bdm_forms.html $129 at the time of posting - form: http://www.legislati...df/2009-168.pdf NSW: - name change info: http://www.bdm.nsw.g.../changeName.htm - fees: http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/OurFees.htm $140 for standard at the time of posting - form: http://www.bdm.nsw.g...t-Web180210.pdf N.T: - name change info: http://www.nt.gov.au...e/bdm/faq.shtml - fees: http://www.nt.gov.au.../bdm/fees.shtml looks to be $30 here but when you look at the form (below) it says you must also pay to get the certified copy which is $25 so $55 all up - form: http://www.nt.gov.au...2_con_adult.pdf QLD: - name change info: http://www.justice.q.../change-of-name and http://www.justice.q...hange-your-name - fees: In the second link above, $135 at the time of posting - form: http://www.justice.q...cation-form.pdf S.A: - name change info: http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/bdm/ (sorry only the form has the info that I can find, this is the main RBDM page) - fees: http://www.ocba.sa.g...#Change_of_Name ($187.50 at the time of posting) - form: http://www.ocba.sa.g..._name_adult.pdf TAS: - name change info: http://www.justice.t...e/howtoregister - fees: http://www.justice.t...nge_of_Name_Fee $146.30 at the time of posting - form: http://www.justice.t...N_Form_2007.pdf VIC: - name change info: https://online.justi... your name~&3=~ - fees: https://online.justi...and turnaround~ ($87.20 at the time of posting) - form: https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/CA256902000FE154/Lookup/BDMApplication_Forms/$file/changeofname.pdf - Notes: it can take around a month to get the form back unless you pay to expedite which takes that down to 3 days (excluding post days of course). They WILL send it overseas to you if need (most of us it will be). W.A: - name change info: http://www.bdm.dotag...-8961-4534-1476 and http://www.bdm.dotag.../marriages.aspx and http://www.bdm.dotag...ge_of_name.aspx - fees: http://www.bdm.dotag...-2312-5618-5857 $156 at the time of posting - form: http://www.bdm.dotag...name_change.pdf Now, before you get excited, you will need to send off your ORIGINAL birth certificate, if you have it (some states like N.T require you to sign a Statutory Declaration if you do NOT include the certificate). In the cases of SA and VIC (which are the only ones I know) you will, on successfully changing your name, get a name change document AND a new birth certificate listing your new married name but fear not, it does still list your birth name. On the Vic licence on the back will be your name change history. Do NOT send original documents (except the birth certificate). All documents must be certified, or if you're doing this overseas a notary is fine. Vic Name Change Certificate example: APPLY FOR AUSSIE PASSPORT:- Once you have received your Name Change Certificate you can go ahead and get your new passport! You will need to send in your marriage licence AND name change certificate to obtain the gratis passport I believe. Regarding the "gratis" passport, here is a link: https://www.passport.../FAQ.aspx#faq10 basically you need to have at least 2 years left on your passport, and have applied in the 12 months of getting married. That said, I am unable to find anything on any of the international sites that mention the gratis passport and how to ensure you don't pay for it but when I've actually called and spoken to them which they recommend you do here: https://www.passport...eries/Fees.aspx . Personally, I'm thinking of printing the page that talks about gratis above, and highlighting the section on gratis passports. I will probably have to pay a postal fee which is fine but when I have spoken with my chosen embassy about it, I'll let you know Here is the "How to Apply" form from the Australian Embassy in DC: http://www.usa.embas...assportsUS.html which is the "head office" in the US, much like the US embassy in Sydney is the "head office" in Australia for the US embassies. There are a few embassies in the US where you can interview and send your information to: http://www.usa.embas...Consulates.html You can fill in the Application form online here: https://www.passport...Passport_0.aspx When it asks "are you applying for a renewal" you must select NO because you are changing your name and not keeping the same name. This will give you all the options to change your name and enter the name change document info. At the end of answering the questions it will give you a PDF document to print which is the passport form that you can also fill in hand-written if you wish if you have the physical form. The form is called PC8 and here are the actual instructions for the form: http://www.usa.embas...ssportsPC8.html Here is a list of documents they accept for name changing a passport: https://www.passport...geWhatDocs.aspx just in case some of you don't trust me Also here: http://www.usa.embas...ssportsFAQ.html in the FAQ's when it asks for name change you will see the where they mention the name change certificate vs marriage licence, and also directly under the grey box re name changes, information regarding the use of guarantors. When asked for a guarantor you may leave this section blank (on the online form) so it prints blank or you can fill in the person information if you know it (so they only need to sign). There are special requirements for a guarantor being, it must be a person from a certain profession who has known you for more than 2 years and is not related to you by marriage or birth. They do NOT need to be an Aussie. If, like me, you haven't been in the US long enough to have one of those people, you can print the form and send it back to Australia, with your photos, for the person to fill in the appropriate places, and do their "thing" on the back of the photos. Here is the guarantor information: http://www.usa.embas...ssportsGua.html Do NOT send original documents (except the birth certificate). All documents must be certified, or if you're doing this overseas a notary is fine. When it asks for pictures, if you're having a hard time finding a place to take Aussie photos, here is a link someone sent me a while ago: http://www.epassportphoto.com/ which allows you to print photos in the correct countries size for free. I haven't used it myself yet (and will try and find an actual place first before I do) but I am told it's reliable so I hope some of you find it helpful. Here are the photo requirements: https://www.passport...nts/photos.aspx Remember to read the instructions regarding printing on the "weird" American paper size as it's NOT an issue, there are just some requirements mentioned on the FIRST page when you click on the Aussie passport form link So there you go. Once you have printed the form and sent it off, you can track your application here: https://www.passport...EntryPoint.aspx using your form number and receipt. There are different ways to pay (I will be paying for FedEx not regular post) and it depends on your embassy, mentioned here: http://www.usa.embas...ssportsFee.html . If you are applying through the LA or DC office and if you want to pay by Visa or Mastercard card, you will need to print this authority: http://www.usa.embas...ssportsCCA.html Just print the page like you would a normal website and it will print properly. Also, if you passport is undamaged they will deactivate it and return it to you. If it is damaged they won't return it. Just to be safe, take some photocopies of your visa (if it's in there) and any other important things you might need at a later date. If I've forgotten anything please let me know, or if you have any questions. This doesn't seem like it's in the wrong spot because there is no ONLY Australia area (yes there is a regional spot but it's not JUST Australia) so as this happens AFTER moving here this location seemed appropriate so Mods/Organiser, please do not move Hey I just thought I should add this for anyone in Australia looking to do the same thing.. If you change your name at the BDM and present this certificate with your foreign (USA) Marriage certificate they completely waive the fee and you get your new passport for free.. as long as you change your passport within one year of getting married! Cudo's for Australia	Aussie MarineWife	Female	Australia	2010-11-09 21:52:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	OK that's really frustrating, I spent about an hour writing step by step instructions on the process and now most of my post has disappeared. I must have accidentally deleted them when I made an edit. I'll do a new post later. Grrr... The same thing used to happen to me a lot! Now I use Mozilla Firefox as my browser and have an add-on called "Lazarus" which saves what I type (a set number of posts but still) so when it happens to me I can "resurrect" my post. Has saved me (or rather my sanity) more than once!	VanessaTony	Female	Australia	2013-02-24 23:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	I recently did my name change and got a new passport (gratis because it was within one year of marriage). I found it a super-easy process. I got all my documents notarized for free at my bank, and I supplied the photocopies myself. A law that states that the notary must photocopy documents themselves would be a state law, so it depends on which state you are in whether you can supply the photocopies yourself or if the notary must do it. Vic BDM had no issue with my US marriage certificate and sent me my new birth certificate very fast, even without the extra processing fee. They must have done it as soon as they received it as I got it back in the mail about 2 weeks after I sent everything to Victoria. Then I sent all the required documents (they had to be originals) to the Australian Embassy in Washington DC with the passport request form. They were also super-fast as I received the new passport back within a week. It only cost me the $15 courier fee. I found the whole process very straightforward and fast when compared with the K-1/green card process. To women who are deliberating whether to change their name, and are nervous about the process, it's not hard at all. Definitely do it within 1 year of marriage to get that free passport! And I don't think it's legal to get remarried in Australia if you are already married. As you did yours recently, would you mind a little run down of your process? What you included etc? It's been about 2 years since i did mine and i completely forgot to write it down (though I was in Aus at the time 'cause my dad was sick so it was easier than from here). Thanks in advance! Also, I don't believe LynJer meant to write that Vic BDM don't recognise the US marriage cert, I believe she meant that the Aussie passport office doesn't. If they did we wouldn't need a name change and oh my wouldn't that be easier!! Edited by Vanessa&Tony, 21 February 2013 - 08:05 PM.	VanessaTony	Female	Australia	2013-02-21 20:04:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	Thanks LynJer! I believe the change has come about due to people changing their names in an attempt to hide from debt. Now the rest of us get to pay for it.	VanessaTony	Female	Australia	2013-02-20 12:08:00
Australia and New Zealand	Does the embassy schedule your interview date or can you do it yourself?	These are the instructions for Sydney > http://canberra.usem...e_niv_appl.html       ~ Moved from K-1 Process to Australia regional - topic is specific to Sydney ~	KayDeeCee	Female	Mexico	2014-07-22 01:30:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	Crickey, it makes me uneasy to send originals of anything via mail (birth certificate). Thanks, Lainie B.   I sent all the documents using certified mail to Australia for the name change, and got my new birth certificate sent to me in the mail. Then I sent it with my old passport to DC and they mailed me the new passport with my new name. They sent it using Fedex. It was a piece of cake after the K-1 and AOS process.    I will write up the process soon, thanks for the reminder.	Lainie B	Female	Australia	2014-04-28 21:38:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	It is possible to do the name change by mail and then get a new passport by mail. I need to finish the post I started writing over a year ago.	Lainie B	Female	Australia	2014-04-28 17:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	OK that's really frustrating, I spent about an hour writing step by step instructions on the process and now most of my post has disappeared. I must have accidentally deleted them when I made an edit. I'll do a new post later. Grrr...	Lainie B	Female	Australia	2013-02-24 22:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	How to change your name and get a new Australian passport in the US by mail Step 1: Change your name with your birth state's BDM For Australian citizens born in Australia but married overseas, to get a new passport in your married name while you are in the US, you must first change your name with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state you were born. For Victorians: You can get the form here: http://www.bdm.vic.g...pplication form You can pay the fee (currently $98.50) via credit card by filling in the form. If you need it fast you can pay an additional $80 prio Edited by Lainie B, 24 February 2013 - 09:58 PM.	Lainie B	Female	Australia	2013-02-24 21:48:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	As you did yours recently, would you mind a little run down of your process? What you included etc? It's been about 2 years since i did mine and i completely forgot to write it down (though I was in Aus at the time 'cause my dad was sick so it was easier than from here). Thanks in advance! Also, I don't believe LynJer meant to write that Vic BDM don't recognise the US marriage cert, I believe she meant that the Aussie passport office doesn't. If they did we wouldn't need a name change and oh my wouldn't that be easier!! Sure thing. I'll dig out my notes and put something together. I think that every state has it's own slightly different procedures for name changes, it it will depend on the state each person was born in. I did have to send my US marriage certificate to Victorian BDM as a justification for why I was changing my name, that's what I thought Lynjer was referring to. I agree it would be so much easier if the Australian embassy would accept foreign marriage certificates! But I guess they have their reasons.	Lainie B	Female	Australia	2013-02-21 20:23:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	I recently did my name change and got a new passport (gratis because it was within one year of marriage). I found it a super-easy process. I got all my documents notarized for free at my bank, and I supplied the photocopies myself. A law that states that the notary must photocopy documents themselves would be a state law, so it depends on which state you are in whether you can supply the photocopies yourself or if the notary must do it. Vic BDM had no issue with my US marriage certificate and sent me my new birth certificate very fast, even without the extra processing fee. They must have done it as soon as they received it as I got it back in the mail about 2 weeks after I sent everything to Victoria. Then I sent all the required documents (they had to be originals) to the Australian Embassy in Washington DC with the passport request form. They were also super-fast as I received the new passport back within a week. It only cost me the $15 courier fee. I found the whole process very straightforward and fast when compared with the K-1/green card process. To women who are deliberating whether to change their name, and are nervous about the process, it's not hard at all. Definitely do it within 1 year of marriage to get that free passport! And I don't think it's legal to get remarried in Australia if you are already married.	Lainie B	Female	Australia	2013-02-21 16:07:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	Just for future reference for anyone else who needs to change their name with South Australian births deaths and marriages.... In the end I emailed them to ask if it would be fine for me to use my Oregon state ID, they replied about a little under a week later and said that would be fine. They also said that even though I'm doing a normal name change to still provide them with a certified copy of my marriage licence.	Travis and Meghan	Female	Australia	2012-09-05 19:35:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	I have a question for anyone who might have an idea...... I wasn't going to change my name in Australia but given that we are now aplying for an Australian visa for Travis, I thought that I should for simplicity reasons. My question is this, I am applying to the South Australian office and aswell as my birth certificate they require two other forms of ID. I'm going to use my passport as one of them but they also want one with my current address and signature but I don;t have any of the things on the list with those things. The only thing that I have with an address even on it is my Oregon state ID card. Do you know if they would accept this or does it absolutely HAVE to be one of the items on their list???? Long winded question....i know, sorry! http://www.ocba.sa.g..._name_adult.pdf	Travis and Meghan	Female	Australia	2012-08-30 19:26:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	I thought that might be the case!!! Our attorney does as well. We got him recommended to us through Immigration equality. He is wonderful but I just don't know why she can't come... weird. Anyway! She gets super nervous so it might be a blessing in disguise!    Don't be afraid to mention the fact that she is "downstairs waiting for me"!  You can bring her up to the 10th floor, and she can sit in the white chairs outside of the security area, but that's as far as she can go.  Actually, down on the plaza level is a food court.  If the weather is warm enough, she'd probably be more comfortable down there with a cup of good coffee and a pastry!   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-07-12 01:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	Oh your so lucky! the flights and Hotel cost more than the bloody Visa!!!    My partner is going to go through all the paper work tonight to see how much I need to get rid of lol. I just tried to add the MOST important things though!    Im pissed though, we stupidly went through an attorney in the USA and they have told me not to bring my partner. They said that its not a good thing to do. I TOTALLY disagree with this as I've seen a few people do it with out issues. I'm sad that she will be sitting outside while i have my interview!! I feel like they will think thats stranger than not bring her...  i think ill play dumb when I get to there and try to sneak her in. Cant hurt!    Best of luck trying to sneak her, LilSadie, but I fear you will fail.  If her name is not on the official list, and you cannot produce the email allowing her to attend, they will NOT let her up.  Even as a US Citizen, she still has to make an appointment!   I'm soooo sorry your attorney said not to bring her.  My attorney (who specializes in same-sex cases) said it was a GOOD thing for the spouse/fiancee to be there!   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-07-11 23:51:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	2014 August   Later next month Sept 2014, my 2 year GC will expire, I'm doing the I-751 form to 'remove the condition' to get the 10 year GC. My Australian passport (in my maiden name) is gonna expire Jan 2015. I want to get a new passport in married name before I send my i751.   I'm an Australian by naturalisation (1998), birth certificate is from China. I have a Sydney NSW BDM for changing my first name in 2003. I got married in San Francisco city hall in June 2012, then marriage certificate from contra costa county in California.   Just called San Francisco AUS consulate about this, they said with form PC8 alone is not enough to give me a new passport with married name. I need to get my California marraige certficate legalised. And I should call NSW BDM (i will later today) to ask if I need to officially change name with them, I may not have to since I haven't been living in Australia since 2011 or 2012.    To get it legalised there are 3 ways, http://www.usa.embas...rtsNmChgOS.html and http://www.usa.embassy.gov.au/whwh/Passports_ApostillesPassports_Apostilles.html  1. Secretary of the state, something about notary, but seems notary at the bank is just one of the steps 2. Clerk and deputy clerks of federal courts 3. The US Department of State Authentication Office affixes apostilles to documents issued by federal agencies of the United States.   It seems like when Vanessa did hers, people born overseas, their non-AUS marriage certificate is enough as a proof to change to married name.   it sounds too complicated, doesn't it? Anyone in California changed their married name in the last year?	Athena13	Female	Australia	2014-08-04 13:54:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	Thank You Vanessa, you are very kind, loads of useful info you gave me.	Athena13	Female	Australia	2012-06-17 04:07:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	Update on the above....I thought I would include the costs involved. You will need to get your identifying papers photocopied and get a notary to sign them stamped with the true and certified copy notice...but here in the USA the law states that the Notary has to photocopy the required documents himself. So an extra 15c per copy. Therefore, Photocopying and 2 notary seals, plus a witness of my signature on the VIC BDM form. = $12 I got all this done at the local UPS store Postage to Vic - UPS Express - I need this URGENTLY FOR WORK..= $68.00 Aussie Consulate in Washington DC gave me their fax number and an email address, to include with my notes to Vic BDM. They told me to write a written request to BDM to either email or fax the new birth certificate through to DC from Melbourne which will allow Consulate to start processing my passport expediting the proceedure significantly. But, they wont start until you submit your PC8 application along with required documentation and MONEY to DC first. (saves waiting 7 days for the Birth Cert to be posted back to USA) VIC BDM charges $10 extra for the fax. You must request this in your explanation notes to BDM. Consulate suggests you ask BDM to notify you before they fax the certificate so you can then organize your money and passport form to them so that it all gets to embassy together....(im too scared to ask BDM to do that for fear they'll charge again) Vic BDM charge $93 for the processing of a change in name + $80 extra if you need it processed in 5 working days compared to 30 days? then $26.50 for the new birth certificate, and another $14 for the postage of the certificate back to the USA. Aussie Consulate/embassy love to charge as well. The new passport is going to cost me around another $235 and 10 days to process. Or pay an extra $108 and it will be ready in 2 days. The consulate mentioned they could post it out or I can drive down and pick it up...by the time they said $15 bucks extra for postage, I think I was going into cardiac arrest, over the whole expensive exercise. Mind you if you get your passport changed within 12 mths of marrying there is still no $235 charge. - at this stage - I wonder how much longer that offer will last I would strongly advise everyone to try and AVOID ALL THIS, If you can. Not sure how, but If the Vic BDM doesnt recognize the USA marriage cert...then maybe you can get re-married in Australia next your visiting... or simply dont change your name to your husbands! btw...I just tracked my documents with the 68 buck express postage with UPS and they have arrived in Hawaii as of 1pm today...not bad for posting them at 6pm last night....being that its a 9 hour flight from Hawaii to Melbourne....I doubt they will arrive in time for Vic BDM COB Friday arvo	lynJer	Female	Australia	2013-02-21 13:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	Thanks LynJer! I believe the change has come about due to people changing their names in an attempt to hide from debt. Now the rest of us get to pay for it. Well yes you would think that...but from what I was told off a GOVT official dealing in this stuff, they did it as a result of a large underworld crime syndicate that was established out of the Asian countries....no idea how that correlates to only Women having to go through this exercise everytime we marry overseas - but whatever.... Apparently it was only recently that the Consulates had the ability to read USA marriage certificates and USA Govt issued ID, Im buggered as to why they cant do that anymore.... anyway....I will keep you posted as to what occurs next.... PS....the entire process is even harder should you have had any criminal record on file....or youve got a court appearance due for what ever reason....(even family court) a complete credit history on names previously used and the one you use now was just the minimum....	lynJer	Female	Australia	2013-02-20 12:44:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	OK....Thought I would add some horrible news regarding passports for those who are Australian Citizens born in the state of Victoria, AND married here in the USA. In order to change your name on your Aussie passport - to match your husbands you will, as before, still need to apply to VIC BDM, completing the 'change of name' form which will result in a new birth certificate with your new married name and this is presented to the embassy for processing. They can then get you your new passport. HOWEVER, only in the last few months, VIC BDM have altered their forms and the wording is misleading. (thats VIC BDM words to discribe it...not mine) If you havnt been married before, and if your passport is simply going from your maiden name to your new husbands surname...it may not cause you too much heartache....but if you have had a husband or two before prepare yourself for Q 18 through to 20....by ignoring the question regarding 'have you ever been known by any other name in AUstralia and overseas' Because if you answer YES here...you will need to supply a complete credit history on all names used and you will need to obtain these reports yourself and they COST $60 bucks each. (and you need an aussie licence and address to get them) I have since got it in writting that the wording should read FORMAL name change...not name change by marriage....apparently VIC BDM sees that as different??? I was told to write a note referring to this question on a separate piece of paper acknowledging that I have been married and to include all copies of marriage certificates and divorce decrees. Im still going through this ardous task, so Ill update further information as it comes to hand.....BUT, as of this date...no other state have altered their process, however, be warned... watch this space....I would get in and change your passport name NOW...or as soon as possible, especially if you know you HAVE to do it....I need mine altered for work...otherwise I would be leaving it in my married name.... and yes...I cant help feel discriminated in some way with this whole process - I dont see too many men having to go through it! .	lynJer	Female	Australia	2013-02-20 10:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	Next exciting topic: THE WEDDING...	I got married in Vegas (I am a Kiwi even though my country shows UK, we did it through London as thats where I was living) and i changed my name when I submitted my AOS application.   You only need a marriage certificate as proof of name change, it doesn't matter what State issues it. In Vegas of course they have an office that issues marriage licenses 24/7 and we had a small wedding with just us and our kids at the Bellagio Hotel last Nov and then a big party to celebrate in NYC at my husbands parents home last month.	Kiwinyc	Female	United Kingdom	2014-07-26 12:16:00
Australia and New Zealand	Next exciting topic: THE WEDDING...	We had a courthouse wedding I had to schedule a day so we could have a judge marry us which was pretty easy. We basically showed up with his parents from the UK and registered with my drivers license and his passport plus the fee money. My parents were late and so we waited till they finally arrived and finally had the ceremony. I loved it lol the courthouse is also the DMV in my city so the halls were packed with people waiting in lines for car tags and whatnot all cheered us on while we left.	Tracey&Greg	Female	United Kingdom	2014-07-17 08:16:00
Australia and New Zealand	Some questions (IR1 visa)	lirpa your process is going really really fast so pat yourself on the back I have learnt that every single case can be different, I would have the joint sponsor as a back up ahead of time just in case   when things start to move forward a lot it goes super fast and is a lot easier cheers	razspaz13	Female	Australia	2014-07-21 09:03:00
Australia and New Zealand	sydney sukie and more...	sweets I gotta message you   don't know what a 221 g is? LOL not on here much flat chat with everything LOL cheers!	razspaz13	Female	Australia	2014-07-21 09:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	sydney sukie and more...	what a wild ride........   good to meet you sukie and I think "Jennifer", sorry after a weird day memory is shot again LOL   we were not approved, but know what we need to do pretty easy , we don't have to go back to syd   I had so much fun at the metal detector who knew that my wedding rings would set off alarm and I would have to get special wand LOL   and then getting stuck in lift at hotel, OMG   wish had more time to chat, hope to hear you all got approved!! did anyone else have their ears pop in lift on way to floor 59? LOL   cheers	razspaz13	Female	Australia	2014-07-01 08:00:00
Australia and New Zealand	Does the embassy schedule your interview date or can you do it yourself?	they schedule it for you but you can change it, they will require you to reconfirm the appt believe they are almost always on a tues cheers	razspaz13	Female	Australia	2014-07-22 01:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	It is possible to do the name change by mail and then get a new passport by mail. I need to finish the post I started writing over a year ago.    Crickey, it makes me uneasy to send originals of anything via mail (birth certificate). Thanks, Lainie B.	Snag	Female	Australia	2014-04-28 19:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Passport & Name Change process	Ahem. Resurrecting this ol' thread because it was exactly what I needed after countless fruitless Google searches.   I went home (Australia) for almost three weeks in December, and what I realised is that this takes a whole lot of time to do and effort (and when you're visiting loved ones, that's rather hard to put in!). Anyway, I'm over a year married, so I assumed I wouldn't be getting the "newly wed special" anymore (Passport fees waived)... Until I read this on the Passport page of Australia:       If you cannot access a state or territory RBDM in Australia to change your name, you may use a name from a foreign marriage or a foreign name change certificate provided it has been legalised (apostilled or authenticated) by the issuing government in a form that meets our requirements and it was issued after you obtained Australian citizenship.   Well, given that I'm thousands of miles from Australia at the moment, it seems through the wording that I can change it with just my marriage certificate. Is that true?	Snag	Female	Australia	2014-04-28 15:57:00
Australia and New Zealand	Some questions (IR1 visa)	Chiming in a little late, but hopefully can help you out a little.   1. You've already answered this, but yes Sydney is your only option for the interview. There are a number of medical practitioners who can do the medical though, just be sure to check the consulate website for approved Drs   2. Unfortunately you have a ways to go until the interview as NVC is substantially backlogged at the moment. Once your case arrives at NVC you are looking at 30 business days for a case number, then 30 days until you can complete the DS260 and pay the AOS fee, then 30 days until you can complete the DS261 and pay the IV fee. When you pay the AOS fee and IV fees and post your packages it will take 30 business days for them to be reviewed, and they are reviewed in order of receipt. They (NVC) are currently working on mail received from the 5-6th of June for IR1-CR1 cases. Once you receive a Case Complete, depending on the time of month you may have to wait a couple of weeks for an interview to be scheduled. On the plus side, the Sydney consulate seems to be scheduling interviews about 3-4 weeks from case complete. Don't be disheartened by all of this - NVC may well pick up their game like USCIS did and put on extra staff to clear the backlog. It's worth having all your paperwork ready to go in anticipation   3. The interview is scheduled by NVC on your behalf and is subject to availability of the consulate, not your availability. I think the Sydney consulate only does interviews on Tuesdays and Thursdays (someone else correct me here if I'm wrong) which limits openings   4. I'm pretty sure that if you are using assets to qualify, you actually have to satisfy 5x the poverty level. 3x is for when you are using income to qualify. That being said, we used assets as our primary means of qualification with no issue. There are a lot of instructions in Saylins wiki - http://www.visajourn...php/NVC_Process. I suggest you review that and include a covering letter explaining how you have arrived at your equity figure. We used cash and equity in our house as our assets, and included currency conversions with all of our statements, property valuation, etc. Be careful about using a vehicle as an asset - I can't remember exactly what the rules are, but there is something around whether you can use them. Also worth noting in your cover letter that all assets can be converted to cash within 12 months, and that there are no limitations on the amount of cash you can take out of Australia at any one time (some countries have restrictions on this so worth highlighting that it isn't a problem). You don't have to liquidate the assets, but it's worth noting that they can be liquidated easily   5. The interview is to confirm that all details you have submitted to date are true, and that the intending immigrant is legitimate. They can ask you questions from any part of the process so it's worth being prepared for interrogation. You can find lists of interview questions in the IR1-CR1 forum. That being said, from what I gather the Sydney consulate is pretty relaxed in their interviews so it may not be too much of an issue for you   Check in on the NVC thread on the IR1-CR1 forum. Lots of people going through the same process there who can help with any questions that Saylins wiki doesn't answer.   Good luck with it	meehan	Female	Australia	2014-07-18 06:33:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	The passport tracker has no information, it just says :There is no status update available for the passport number submitted   Looks like it's a waiting game! What your attorney said gives me a little comfort Hopefully it's just bureaucracy at work.  It's normal for it to go back and forth like that! don't panic til Tuesday, that's 5 business days so let's give it time	sweetswinks	Female	Australia	2014-07-17 01:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	Like name and stuff? I wwouldn't of, im far to excited to actually read things properly! Good point though. Ill make sure I do! So, in the envelope are all of the docs we submitted in there? Im an idiot and Deannas original birth certificate is in with the docs I submitted :/ And yes!! I need Vegemite or ill go crazy!!   Check the passport number, name, date of birth etc!  Did you not get her birth cert back at the interview? make sure you don't open the packet,  you can ask the immigration officer at the POE that there was an error and your spouses original BC is in the packet, and could you possibly retrieve it. if they say no, there is a form (I can't remember which one) that you can fill out after you have sent off your AOS package which requests a return of original documents, it might take a while but it is an option!	sweetswinks	Female	Australia	2014-07-16 20:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	Mine too!! but... I wasnt home have to puck it up from the post office tomorrow! aww i'm sure you already know this but make sure you check the details properly on the visa!        lol-  we have already organized with Matt's sister that she is going to send Tim Tams and Vegemite regularly!   And Gravox.  My man loves that gravy.  He has tried every kind of gravy over here I think and hates it all.       Thats a good point!! I didnt think about the gravy situation!!! Ill have to send a care package to myself before we fly out!!! Has anyone found any cheap flights? Ive been looking but 1 way looks just as expensive as return. We should all just start an Aus-USA food delivery club, we can take turns receiving packages from australia and sending them out to each other in the u.s.	sweetswinks	Female	Australia	2014-07-16 20:31:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	The online passport tracker through us travel docs was saying passport cannot be found then it changed to preparing to send then I got an email from Toll priority with a tracking number! Should be delivered tomorrow or Friday. My visa arrived! WOOHOO!!  visa packet.jpg   73.02KB   0 downloads  visa instructions.jpg   110.51KB   0 downloads	sweetswinks	Female	Australia	2014-07-16 19:55:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	How did you get it? Email? It will be tomorrow for sure! The online passport tracker through us travel docs was saying passport cannot be found then it changed to preparing to send then I got an email from Toll priority with a tracking number! Should be delivered tomorrow or Friday.	sweetswinks	Female	Australia	2014-07-16 05:24:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	I will! I just looked on the passport tracker and it says its being prepared for delivery... Im looking at the first week of September!! Its so exciting! Hey, ill inbox you my email address and we can add each other on Facebook if you like? It might be nice to be able to have contact with an Aussie who is going through the same changes!!! I will! I just looked on the passport tracker and it says its being prepared for delivery... Im looking at the first week of September!! Its so exciting! Hey, ill inbox you my email address and we can add each other on Facebook if you like? It might be nice to be able to have contact with an Aussie who is going through the same changes!!!   I had a look at the passport tracker just now and mine says "Passport has been received from the consular section, and is currently being processed for delivery"    I would love to keep in touch! send me your email address and i'll find you on Facebook  EDIT: And I just got Tolls email tracking notice!!!! Edited by sweetswinks, 15 July 2014 - 11:28 PM.	sweetswinks	Female	Australia	2014-07-15 23:18:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	YAY YAY YAY!!! I JUST GOT ONE TOO!!! I been beside myself all day and night thinking I wasnt going to get approved or something was wrong so im so so happy now!!! When are you going to leave? WOOHOO!!! Lemme know when you get your passport or when Toll contacts you?! haha i'm stressing about it's arrival!  I am leaving August 20th, when are you leaving? Edited by sweetswinks, 15 July 2014 - 11:10 PM.	sweetswinks	Female	Australia	2014-07-15 23:10:00
Australia and New Zealand	How is everyone feeling about the interviews on Tuesday?	I just found this! You can track your passport on here  http://ustraveldocs.com/au/au-niv-passportretrieve.asp	sweetswinks	Female	Australia	2014-07-15 20:48:00