mark2019 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 02, 2021 9:18 pm
Hello Guys
When is the best time to change my wife’s maiden name to my name? Her passport is still valid for over a year in her maiden name. Any advise would be much appreciated. Also with regards to cohabitation proof does it matter if the documents state miss or Mrs?
Your post is somewhat unclear.
Since you mention cohabitation, I am guessing your spouse is already in the UK on the first spouse visa and is now looking to apply for the next 2.5 years?
If that is so, I am also guessing that she has not officially changed her name anywhere? Passport, day-to-day life, etc.?
If she decides to apply for the next 2.5 years and then decides to change her name when getting her next passport in a year's time, she will have to notify HO within three months of that name change, apply and pay for a change in her BRP. So, it may well be easier to get a new passport with her married name now, before applying and have a clean changeover. Personally I'd then also notify anywhere she has a contract (mobile, insurances, utilities, etc.) or where her name may turn up in correspondence (council tax, GP, etc.) about the change in name.
Even if the UK is a bit whatever regarding usage of names, our life was quite a bit more internationally mobile than we had expected and my husband had a very stressful and expensive experience applying for a visa because he had not corrected a misspelling of his name (and it still was clearly his name!) on his degree certificate, so you never know when you may need to have been meticulous about such things.
I am not a regulated immigration advisor. I am offering an opinion and not advice.
