Mailing passport name change, international money order/ bankers draft

I’m in England on a FLR spousal visa. My passport is due to expire soon so I’d like to get my renewal passport with my married name.

I see there is an option to do this by mail but I must send it with an international money order AKA ‘banker’s draft’ or ‘teller’s check’, as the embassy specifies:
https://uk.usembassy.gov/passport-payment-faqs/

Does anyone know where to obtain one of these in US $$? I’ve called HSBC, Santander and the post office with no luck.

Sorry if this is in he wrong area... I searched all over for similar topics!

Here's a recent thread on the subject. Try Barclays. 

https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=93809.msg1234681#msg1234681

I can't really help with the money order/banker's draft, but just wanted to check:

Are you aware that if you change your name on your passport, you MUST also change your name on your BRP card within 3 months, or you can be fined £1,000 and potentially have your visa cancelled?

It costs £161 to change your name on your BRP, and you have to send away both your passport and BRP card to get it done... which can take up to 6 months (which means you'll be without your passport and visa for that time).

See: https://www.gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp

Or, if you keep your passport in your maiden name, you don't have to do anything with your BRP.

I can't really help with the money order/banker's draft, but just wanted to check:

Are you aware that if you change your name on your passport, you MUST also change your name on your BRP card within 3 months, or you can be fined £1,000 and potentially have your visa cancelled?

It costs £161 to change your name on your BRP, and you have to send away both your passport and BRP card to get it done... which can take up to 6 months (which means you'll be without your passport and visa for that time).

See: https://www.gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp

Or, if you keep your passport in your maiden name, you don't have to do anything with your BRP.

Just making sure it's really clear - you can't travel during that six months that your visa is having the name changed.   

Oh, also, just to clarify: if you applied for your visa in the US, you do NOT have an FLR visa.

Spousal visas and FLR(M) visas are two different visas, so you can't have an 'FLR spousal visa' or a 'spousal visa with FLR'.

Spousal visa:
- only issued OUTSIDE the UK (it's an LLE visa - Limited Leave to Enter)
- cost £1523 (as of April 2018, was £1464 between April 2017 and April 2018)
- valid 33 months


FLR(M) visa:
- extension visa (it's an FLR visa - Further Leave to Remain)
- only issued INSIDE the UK
- cost £1033
- valid 30 months

Thanks so much, Larabee, I will try Barclays!

Thank you very much, ksand24 and KFdancer! That clarifying information really helps. I must've had the terms all mixed up.

I did not know about that penalty and hassle... So how do most people go about name changes? Is it better to wait until 2020 after applying for (and hopefully obtaining) ILR status (I think that's the correct term)? Would I then apply with my married name? Trouble is my passport expires in 2019 so I guess I'd also have to renew it in my maiden name?

This is disappointing because we just had a son and are going to the US Embassy soon to register his birth abroad and I thought I could get my name change done simultaneously if the mailing wasn't possible. Sigh.

Most people wait until just before their visa is about to expire/until they qualify to apply for the next visa (within 3 months) to change their name in their passport, and then they can just apply for the new visa in their married name.

If you arrived in the UK in 2017, your next visa will be FLR(M) in late 2019 and then you will qualify for ILR in mid-2022.... so you could change your name just before applying for either of those.

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Me again! I messed up and just applied (May 1st) for my UK ILR visa in my maiden name instead of getting my US passport sorted first with my married name ... Is my only option to complete the process with my maiden name and apply for a new passport and BRP later? Or will I still be subject to the fines, etc.?

Me again! I messed up and just applied (May 1st) for my UK ILR visa in my maiden name instead of getting my US passport sorted first with my married name ... Is my only option to complete the process with my maiden name and apply for a new passport and BRP later? Or will I still be subject to the fines, etc.?

If you have already applied for ILR then your new visa will be issued in your maiden name to match your current US passport.

This is not an issue for your ILR.

However, if you plan to apply for UK citizenship, you can only apply for it in the name on your US passport.

So, in that case you have 2 options for your citizenship:
1)
- apply for UK citizenship in your maiden name
- apply for UK passport in your maiden name
- change your name on your US passport
- change your name on your UK passport

So that would involve 3 passport application fees (about £160 for 2 U.K. passports and $110 for the US passport)

Or

2)
- change your name in your US passport
- change your name on your BRP card (I assume this will still need to be done even though you will be applying for citizenship as you will still have the BRP as evidence of your immigration status while the citizenship is processing)
- apply for UK citizenship in your married name
- apply for UK passport in your married name

So that would involve 2 passport application fees (£80 plus $110) plus about £150 for the BRP change


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Alternatively, don't change your name. 

Thank you so much, @ksand24 & @larrabee! Super helpful, as always.

I hope to deal with the name change (if we go that route!) & citizenship once the ILR is sorted. I hope that will be sooner than later but I'm still awaiting notification of whether I can use the app and book an appointment.

"UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) is currently assessing whether your application can be progressed via the Identity Verification app (IDV app).

UKVI aim to carry out this checking process within 7-10 working days from registration with UKVCAS/UKVI. You can not book an appointment at a UKVCAS Service Point or use the IDV app until we contact you again."

The good news is, that if you change your name within 12 months of a US passport being issued, you don't pay the fee.  So at least that means only two passport fees to pay for. While not ideal, applying for citizenship, then UK passport in maiden name and THEN making the switch is the best option after ILR has been applied for.  If one hasn't applied for ILR (or any visa), best to change it then.  Just in case anyone is reading this.