Travel Issues & Paperwork Errors...Help!

[NitroLiq]

Hi There,

Well, we're in quite the situation here and need some advice. My wife got her greencard several months ago and is scheduled to fly back home from Sept. 25 - Oct. We asked around awhile back to find out if there would be a problem flying with her passport still as her maiden name and her greencard with her married name. Everyone we talked to basically said, she'd be fine as long as she brought an official copy of our marriage certificate. So, we basically didn't think anything of it.

Now, here is where it gets a little weird. My wife is Filipino and they usually follow the Spanish way of taking their maiden last name as their married middle name so amidst the paperwork we filed at the time....her green card has the wrong middle initial. We didn't think this would be a big deal as the ticket is just in her first and last name but my wife is very anxious because she tried applying tor a non-driver's state ID at the DMV here in NYC the other day and they refused to issue it because her SS# lists her middle initial as "O". Since they didn't match up exactly, they said, "No." This has got her very worried about the upcoming trip.

Since we didn't think there would be any real travel issues as long as she had her passport, greencard, and marriage certificate, we had intended to wait until she was eligible for naturalization to make the correction (to avoid paying the $186 INS requires for greencard amendments) but now we've decided to go ahead and do it....at least so she can get her state ID. I know it won't be ready before her trip which is rapidly approaching but I was wondering: Have any of you travelled without updating your passports to reflect your married name? Were there any problems? Is there some kind of immigration officials we can contact at the airlines to make sure things go smoothly? Any help is immensely appreciated.

Pete

[Ray]

... in response to Travel Issues & Paperwork Errors...H..., posted by NitroLiq on Sep 2, 2004

Pete,

I’m not sure I fully understand the nature of the problem. If the CIS screwed up the middle initial then they will fix it without charging you a fee. Was this a typo error? Does the green card match the name you put on the I-485? Is her full middle name shown at the bottom of her card? However, if you do ask for a corrected card, they will possibly first collect the old card and then make you wait for over a year to make the new one.

I think she will be better off with the card as it is. The green card identifies her not only by name but also by photo, fingerprint, birth date, etc.  I don’t think the middle name is that big of a deal. The California DMV also told my wife that she couldn’t get a driver’s license unless she amended her SS Card so the middle names matched up, but the lady at the next window issued the license anyway.

I would check with the airlines. Usually it’s best to use the same name on the tickets as on the passport. Otherwise, thousands of people fly back and forth every day with their single name on their passport and their married name on their green card. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.

If you turn in the card for correction, she should get an I-551 stamp in her passport which acts as her temporary green card. She “should” be able to travel OK with the stamp, but some people have had problems in Manila, especially with PAL. See my post from last year:

http://www.planet-love.com/wwwboard/asian/archives/display.php?archive=000135&id=43152

Ray

[NitroLiq]

... in response to Re: Paperwork Errors, posted by Ray on Sep 3, 2004

Hi Ray,

No, I think it was my fault in that we waffled back and forth as to what she would be using as her middle initial...I used her former middle name, not her last name on the AOS paperwork. Everything else uses her former last name. Because it was our fault we'd have to file an I-90 and pay $186 for the change (which can be done online now) but we'd still have to make an appt to go to an INS application support center so she could get her photos and fingerprints re-done.

The airline ticket is just her first and last name so we didn't think it would be a big deal but the whole thing with the DMV kinda unnerved us. We've decided to just not change anything right now and see how it goes. Hopefully, with the passport in her former name, our wedding certificate, and the greencard, things will be okay. Just worried about tightened security and folks at the airport scrutinizing things. She's traveled domestically with the passport and wedding cert with no problem but not internationally.

Pete

[Ray]

... in response to Re: Re: Paperwork Errors, posted by NitroLiq on Sep 3, 2004

Which airline is she flying? The one that seems to give you the most hassles in Manila is PAL. I think that's because they have been busted and fined so many times by the U.S. government for letting Filipinos on the plane to the U.S. with fake papers.

Ray

[NitroLiq]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Paperwork Errors, posted by Ray on Sep 4, 2004

Cathay and Cebu Pacific. Cathay has always been pretty accomodating in the past so I hope this won't be a problem with all the various stops.

[shadow]

... in response to Travel Issues & Paperwork Errors...H..., posted by NitroLiq on Sep 2, 2004

Pete.

So long as you are traveling with the proper paperwork that shows you married to her, and all of her particular names are on the paperwork, there should not be any problem whatsoever with travel.

With considerable effort it is possible to get her middle name changed to reflect a different countries requirements on the passport. I would suggest you research this while in the RP. If you like, I can try to find out more about this particular type of situation.

Ray may know more about this than I.

Larry.

[NitroLiq]

... in response to Re: Travel Issues & Paperwork Errors..., posted by shadow on Sep 3, 2004

Hi Larry,

I think you misunderstood. She's traveling by herself this time around. I just started a new job in June and am still accruing my days off. That's why we were a little worried. I won't be there to stick up for her if any of the airport folks give her a hard time.

Pete