Name Changes re. visas

Hello all!

I'm looking for a little help from you lovely people before I start harrassing the Canadian Embassy.

I'm getting married at the end of March and I want to change my name to the double barreled version (ie. hypenated). However, I will be applying for a spouse visa, and am not sure whether to do that with my new name or my old seeing as how my passport has my old name in it.

If I go about getting a new passport that could slow down getting my spouse visa, which I'd like to get asap.

Has anyone gone through this and could give some advice on what to do and in what order?

Thanks!

When I got married I sent in my passport to the Canadian High Commission in London and they added an "observation" (sticker) stating my new surname.

HTH

I saw a thread on this exact situation on www.britishexpats.com, if you fancy doing a search for it. If I recall, the upshot was that the simplest way was just to apply with whatever name is on your passport.

Sorry I can't be more help. My mom goes through this every time she needs anything official done. She has ID in her old married name (my dad's surname), her maiden name, and her new married name. However, when she asked for a copy of her birth certificate, they told her they "had no record of that event", so they issued her with a new one. Unfortunately, at the time she only had ID with my dad's surname, so now her birth certificate has the wrong name on it. How complicated is that? I have no idea what name is on her passport, and I can never remember who to ask for when I call her at work.

katsmum: Who did you get in contact with? Consular services? There doesn't seem to be any answers on the internet!

Susie D: Wow! Your poor mum! I can't think of a more complicated system! How can this be so hard!!

I imagine things will continue to be this complicated for identification until we have an international database cross-referencing DNA, retinal scans and fingerprints. This "name" business is so 20th century!