Influence of Name Change on Passport

[username33]

I'm doing a Direct Consular Filing, which should end in my fiancee getting her immigrant's visa pasted into her passport (See "Ok, ready to file," Step 4 http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?autocom=custom&page=dcf).

But because my fiancee is taking my last name, I'm worried the visa and passport won't match up. Does she need to get a new passport before going for her final interview? We're getting married in Russia. The form we filled out at ZAGs, the marriage office, has a line asking for how we want our last names to read upon marriage. That's where she indicated she'll take mine.

Thanks!

[LTS]

If you are doing the DCF route, then she would already be your wife when you file the 130 form. I married in UA on 4/22 and had all the forms ready to file with her new name (mine). They accepted the 130 on the spot and allowed us to begin processing on her "Internal Passport" but you need the International passport in her new name prior to the interview. My wife only had the internal passport, so she had to file the name change on the internal, then when that came back, apply for the international passport in her new name. We requested the interview when she received her international passport. So, on June 26th, we have the interview scheduled. Considering that this is only 53 days from the I130 to the interview and hopefully Visa, I think it is the only way to go. You read all the horror stories, and it scares the heck out of you, but I have found that if you READ carefully and provide them exactly what they ask, the process is relatively painless (and quick)! The only real problem that I experienced throughout this process was at the embassy in Kiev. Because I have never been to an embassy before, I had no knowledge of their procedural rules, and so I showed up at the embassy with every possible paper that I might need, and then some! All nicely organized in my briefcase...only to be told that no briefcases were allowed, and was told to take what I needed and the rest stays with security. So, of course I had to return to security to retrieve other documents half way through the process, and that was from my ignorance of embassy rules, otherwise it was painless.

[username33]

It sounds like it didn't take that long for her to get her new international passport, and that we can at least start the process August 1 on her internal passport, then get the new international, with the new name, and arrange for the final visa interview.

You did DCF as well, I take it? If so, how is the first interview different from the second? You're expected to prove the validity of the relationship at the first -- but then the girl is alone at the second and expected to do the same? It seems like overkill.

Good luck on the 26th.