Review our. This avenue of applying for a name change after the citizenship oath will grant a new certificate of naturalization for a name change. You might receive several letters from USCIS before your name correction is clarified, and the agency might not, ultimately, grant you your first choice. . You might be able to have errors, such as those found on a birth certificate or refugee processing documents, corrected on the Certificate of Citizenship without having to get your name legally changed in court. The USCIS officer will ask the applicant only the civics questions on the lists for both versions of the test. Unless a court orders you to notify USCIS about the name change, there is no obligation to notify them of your name change. Commonly Asked Questions About the Naturalization Process USCIS has developed responses to several frequently asked questions related to the naturalization process and interview and test. replace your Naturalization or Citizenship certificate. Home | Contact Us | Employment | Glossary of Legal Terms | FAQs, Pamela Pepper, Chief Judge Gina M. Colletti, Clerk of Court, American Bar Association -- Free Legal Answers, Redaction Requirements - E-Government Act, Reentry Program/Successful Transition and Reentry Together (START), Post Guilty Plea/Presentence Diversion Court Program. If you are in luck, and are approved for citizenship at the interview, the officer will have you fill out a form called a Petition for Name Change during your interview. Even I applied for court order to change my name, I have to start FBI/CBI, criminal record checks, petition to court etc but I am unclear as to as to how to start that since I have always been FirstName Lastname. The procedure might vary based on the state you are in but in most cases legally changing your name through the court system is recommended. If I fail a portion of the naturalization test, when will I be retested? This is a completely different process that is around correcting an error during your application for your certificate of citizenship rather than after you have received your documentation. Another option is to do a legal name change through the U.S. court system. What can you do if you change your mind about changing your name after submitting Form N-400, Application for Naturalization (Citizenship) in the US?Get the . The naturalization process is a legal way of changing your name. You have demonstrated an ability to speak English if you generally understand and can respond accurately to the USCIS officer. No. Often petitioners went to the court most geographically convenient for them. Learn how to contact each agency where you might need to update your records. If another family member, such as a parent, has had a legal name change in order to fix errors made on immigration processing documents, and you believe your correct name should have included the correct spelling of the family member's name (such as in the above example where "Mixwell" should have been "Maxwell"), include the proof of that person's legal name change to help demonstrate that an error occurred. Assume . If you fail any portion of these requirements, you will be retested during a new interview on the portion of the test that you failed (English or civics) between 60 and 90 days from the date of your initial interview. The decision on your Form N-648 will be made at the time of your naturalization interview. You can apply for a name change even after filing Form N-400 and in this case, you will have to apply for a name change before taking the naturalization oath and you just need to complete and file Petition for a Change in Name by an Applicant for Citizenship. Official court order for the name change, first name or last name or both. You can indicate a name change on Form N-400, which is the main form for naturalization. Fill the form out with your current name, even if the name is misspelled. How do I obtain proof of my citizenship? Visit the 2020 version of the civics test page to learn more. Get information about different ways to change your name in California, Get information about how to change your identity documents, This process does not happen in the California court system. When applying for U.S. citizenship if you wish to change your name, you can apply for naturalization and for legal name change together onForm N-400, Application for Naturalization. The new name you've chosen will be shown on your Certificate of Naturalization. All name change requests facilitated through USCIS will require you to take the oath of allegiance at a judicial ceremony, rather than an administrative one. If you have been issued a Form N-400 receipt notice that automatically extends the validity of your Green Card, but it has been lost or destroyed, then you generally must file Form I-90 to renew your expiring Green Card. Proof of Official Name Change (s) (if any) 9 Additional Documents That You May Need. However, USCIS recognizes that certain circumstances may prevent concurrent filing of the naturalization application and the disability exception form. Evidence supporting the change may include proof of the same correction granted by USCIS to another family member, such as correcting the spelling of a shared last name. During your naturalization process, your name change will take place on a state-law basis. See Full Details, Immigration Lawyer Chicago/ Services/ You can file this petition if you have already filed your naturalization application. Now you regretit and you want to go back?Well, that's no problem.When you're at your interview for Naturalization or Citizenship,they ask you again,\"Are you sure you want to change your name?\"You say,\"Yes.\" If you still don't want the old name, you wantanother name, not the one written on the Form N-400,you could even request that one to be changed. The N-400 name change is done directly on your naturalization application rather than after your swearing-in ceremony. The documentation of name changes during US naturalization procedure has only been required since 1906. A naturalized citizen may choose to change their name at the time of naturalization, or they may go through the name change process at a state court level after naturalization. If it can't or you don't want to wait until a judge is available, you will need to do a different process to change your name. Mr. Bonus' naturalization papers would simply record the name change but not the reasons behind it. Evidence that you can provide includes: Your immigration lawyer can help gather and send the evidence required for you to change your name on naturalization forms. A naturalization certificate name change can be done in several ways. You may travel to another country, including your home country, provided no other legal impediment precludes you from doing so. USCIS could issue you a Certificate of Naturalization with your chosen name, but you will not have a court order showing proof that you have a legal name change. Look for a "Chat Now" button in the right bottom corner of your screen. This means that you will change your name after becoming a United States citizen rather than during your citizenship process. For information on obtaining a copy of your name change petition, contact the jury and naturalization office at 404-215-1640. We look forward to working with you. Exceptions and restrictions may apply; see Refund Policyfor details. The fee to obtain a certified copy of a name change certificate is $11.50. "Kick U. You may not need to pay a fee if you correct your name during the naturalization process. During your swearing-in ceremony, you will be given a certificate proving your name has been legally changed. Experienced immigration attorneys are accustomed to dealing with the various paperwork and bureaucratic requirements associated with applying for U.S. citizenship as well as name changes. The judge will not approve your name change request in the following types of circumstance: For more information on the relevant law, see the Name Change page of Nolo's website. During your naturalization process, your name change will take place on a state-law basis. If you're still in the planning stages, here's free, accurate, and up-to-date legal information on every step of the process of obtaining U.S. citizenship. This process does not happen in the California court system. USCIS would probably approve a correction to "Janedoa Maxwell" if the father's last name on the birth certificate was Maxwell. Whether or not you get all the changes you want to make is going to depend on the particular errors made and the forms of proof you can show indicating what the name should have been. In the instructions to Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, USCIS provides an extensive list of examples of original documents that you should bring to the interview, depending on different case scenarios. Official websites use .gov This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. For the 2020 version of the civics test, there are 128 available civics questions on the naturalization test, but you will not be asked to answer all of them during your naturalization interview. The petition is later presented to you during the naturalization ceremony as evidence of the name change. Your name change will take effect immediately after the ceremony has ended. In addition, theFind Help in Your Communitypage allows individuals to search for low-cost or free citizenship classes throughout the United States. Congress does not authorize the USCIS to make legal name changes during the naturalization process, but if your swearing-in ceremony is conducted by a judge, she has authority to order a name change. I had discussion with the officer during the interview but they said we will follow the birth certificate. A naturalized citizen may choose to change their name at the time of naturalization, or they may go through the name change process at a state court level after naturalization. For additional information, please review USCIS guidance on theunauthorized practice of immigration law. This is usually mailed separately (if not provided at the time of naturalization ceremony). The layout is very straightforward, asking if you would like to change your name and, if so, what would you like your name to be. If you have citizenship automatically through a U.S. citizen parent, you can ask for a Certificate of Citizenship to help you correct errors in how your name was spelled on certain official documents. It is a voluntary act; naturalization is not required. However, you cannot change your name, if you are sworn in by some other official. Accordingly, an applicant may file the disability exception form during any part of the naturalization process, including after the application is filed but before the firstexamination, during the firstexamination, during the re-examination if the applicants firstexaminationwas rescheduled, and during the rehearing on a denied naturalization application. Way of changing your name change ( if any ) 9 Additional Documents that you will change your.... 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