Citizenship & name change question

Hi all, hope you are all well.

My US wife has ILR here in UK and we would like to get her UK citizenship this year.

Her current US passport is in her maiden name and she is known by that in the USA.
Ever since she has been in the UK she has been known by her married name.

My question is, what do we need to do when getting her citizenship? Just apply in her married name (which is what we want her UK passport to be in)?

I understand using the NCS means we won't have to give up her passport for a period of time?

We also want to change her US passport into her married name - how do we go about that please?

Many thanks!

DT

My question is, what do we need to do when getting her citizenship? Just apply in her married name (which is what we want her UK passport to be in)?

It used to be that you could do it this way, but they changed the requirements for the citizenship application last year and now the name you apply for citizenship in MUST be the same name as in her US passport.

So your options are:

- Apply for citizenship in her maiden name, then apply for the UK passport in her maiden name, then go about the process of changing her name in the UK and US passports after that... but that would mean making 2 UK passport applications (one for the first passport and one to change the name in that passport) and 1 US passport application (to change her name).

- Change her name on her US passport first, then apply for UK citizenship in her married name. However, if she changes her name on her US passport, she will have 3 months in which to change the name on her BRP card or she can be fined £1,000. This would involve sending off her US passport and BRP card and can take a couple of months, before she could apply for citizenship. Recently, citizenship applications have been taking about 4 months or so, which means it's unlikely she would get the citizenship before the 3 months to change the BRP are up.

I understand using the NCS means we won't have to give up her passport for a period of time?

Yes, they just make a copy of all the documents, including her passport, and hand them all back to you.

We also want to change her US passport into her married name - how do we go about that please?

You should be able to do it by post through the US Embassy in London: http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/acs/passports/renindex.html

Thank you very much for the information.

Incredibly frustrating though!

First option sounds like least stressful. Despite the extra applications, means less worry about changing the BRP and waiting times!

Hi all,

Further to my queries before in Jan and the great help we received, we are considering next steps...

- Renew US passport in wife's married name via postal application to US embassy in early May
- Apply for UK citizenship once US passport is returned, in married name.

Now I then now that her ILR card will show her maiden name and her US passport will be in her married name.

My question is, and taking into account the BRP point raised before, once the US passport is changed to the married name and we send off the UK citizenship application, is the BRP name change a SEPARATE process? Or does this happen as part of the UK citizenship application?

Given the name change issue, we are a bit confused and frustrated as to what to do next.

We also have quite a few travel plans between now and July... so that's a worry.

Oh and my wife's passport has barely any space left in it for stamps, maybe 1 or 2 ... so that's another worry!!! Ah!!!

Just want to get her done with a UK passport and be sorted asap with the married name too!

Thanks again

I would:

1.  Renew US Passport in maiden name - this gives you the ability to travel this summer and the necessary pages needed to do so

2.  Apply for citizenship AFTER travel plans are completed - in maiden name

3.  Apply for first UK passport in maiden name

4.  Change name on US passport (no fee if done within one year of a renewal)

5.  Change name on UK passport

Thank you.

We are due to travel in 3 weeks time.

Is it feasible to renew a US passport before that time? Can you expedite the process in London at all?

Thanks again

She can apply for an emergency passport in person with proof of travel plans

You would normally need a couple of months for processing (though usually takes about a month).

Ok thank you

Hi all,

I am just bumping this up again, as we are now going to start the process for applying for my wife's citizenship.

I just wanted to double check that the following was still the best plan of action?

- Apply for citizenship in maiden name

- Apply for first UK passport in maiden name

- Change name on US passport (no fee if done within one year of a renewal)

- Change name on UK passport

We have travel plans in December, but can use the NCS for the citizenship application.

My only concern is for the application, will we have to send off my wife's BRP ILR card?

She will obviously need this to come back into the country in December... so I'm not sure what happens here?

Thanks again

Hi all,

I am just bumping this up again, as we are now going to start the process for applying for my wife's citizenship.

I just wanted to double check that the following was still the best plan of action?

- Apply for citizenship in maiden name

- Apply for first UK passport in maiden name

- Change name on US passport (no fee if done within one year of a renewal)

- Change name on UK passport

We have travel plans in December, but can use the NCS for the citizenship application.

My only concern is for the application, will we have to send off my wife's BRP ILR card?

She will obviously need this to come back into the country in December... so I'm not sure what happens here?

Thanks again

I can't speak to the maiden name/married name issue, but here's my experience on the length of the process:

I applied around this time last year (15 September through NCS) and was approved end of November.

The earliest date for a ceremony was mid December and once I had that, I applied for my UK passport straight away (literally went home from my ceremony and walked to the post office to send off my passport application).

Apparently, they sent me a letter calling me for an interview that I never received (still have never received).

I did get their second letter end of January, scheduled an interview for the next day and got my passport within a week.

Presumably, if I'd received the first letter, I could have gone from citizenship application to received UK passport in about 3.5 months. Obviously, any name change will add considerable time to your process.

A few things to remember:
- If she applies through NCS, they'll take a copy of her BRP and she'll hold on to it.
- Once she's been approved, she's got three months (?) that she needs to have the ceremony in. If she doesn't have the ceremony in those three months, she has to reapply for citizenship.
- Once she's had her ceremony, she's British and really should have a UK passport for travel. Her BRP will be invalid, but some users on here have been able to get back in with their old BRP and/or naturalisation certificate, albeit with a bit of hassle.
- The rules on BRPs have changed and now, so she's supposed to send in her BRP within 5 days of her ceremony. http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=86683
- To apply for her UK passport, she'll need to send off her US passport, but she can pay an extra few quid to have it returned separately. My US passport (and naturalisation certificate) were returned within a week of applying.
- Between applying for her UK passport and receiving it, she'll have to go for an interview. The interview is easy peasy and nothing to stress about, but it is something that she needs to be in the UK for.

It might work out fine with reentering the UK as a new UK citizen without a UK passport, but if you can wait until after you're back from your December trip, they'll be a lot less to worry about.

I try at all cost to avoid any potential problems when it comes to visas & citizenship and might come across a bit paranoid about all the problems that could crop up - you may feel it's a possible, but unlikely complication worth taking and it may be smooth sailing for you.

I believe you can apply for both the first passport and naturalisation at the same time now.  I believe you just need to return the BRP within 5 days of naturalising.  I've heard it's pretty cool, as it helps accelerate the process a bit.

Hi all,

Another query on my thread below please, as we are re-visiting the process....

Can anyone advise me on what would be the best option out of the below choices please? -

1.  Apply for citizenship and first UK passport in maiden name with NCS
- Change name on US passport (no fee if done within one year of a renewal)
- Change name on UK passport

2. Change name on US passport to married name
- Change name on Biometric ILR card asap
- Apply for UK citizenship and passport in married name with NCS

Just wondering which would be fastest / least hassle / most cost effective, as we really don't know what to do.

We have a baby due in a month and want to ensure all our names tie up and my wife has her citizenship and passport sorted.

Many thanks again

#1 will be cheapest and fastest.

Neither will be done before baby though.  But I'm pretty sure she can use her married name for the birth certificate.

Ok great thank you.

And in terms of the NCS, can you do it anywhere or does it have to be your nearest Council?

We are in Wandsworth in London but could make it to any NCS in London really....

You can do it anywhere.