Canadian PR question and Ontario red tape!!

[Barbie38]

I have one question about the name changes. I have friends in the DR and none of their wives changed there names upon marriage. I asked them about it and they told me it wasn't customary to change your name legally, but in social situations you may say your frist name and then 'de la' and your husbands father last name to indicate you are of their family. Not sure if anyone who has experience with Dominican customs might shed more light on this. I did ask my husband about changing my name and explained in Canada many women do change their last names and he said WHY? your name is from your family and although we are married we are not blood related? I did not change my name the first time I was married and did not change it this time either. It is a personal preference but many of my friends never changed their names, many for professional reasons and others for personal reasons.

As for proof of combining affairs there are LOTS of different ways to do this before your husband comes to Canada. Some are as simple as changing the beneficiary on your RRSP, life insurance, making a will etc... These are all documents you should be updaeting when you get married regardless if your spouse is here or abroad.

 

[kacy]

everyone in my husband's family took their name - his brothers wives all changed their name. but I have heard that not all do. we chose to - not for immigration - but for us.

 

[Fiesta Mama]

everyone in my husband's family took their name - his brothers wives all changed their name. but I have heard that not all do. we chose to - not for immigration - but for us.

Exactly!!!! I picked my name based on what I wanted my name to be for MY future and did not think of the immigration implications. We still have to respect ourselves despite sponsoring our husbands and for that reason I was not willing to change my name to something solely for the purpose of the Haiti office thinking it sounded like we were more "integrated" as a couple.

I kept my maiden name and just added my husband's father's name. Not hypenated. A big part of the not hypenated part was because I am my own person and if, God forbid, things did not work out with us, I did not want to lose my maiden name!

Think of yourselves ladies...... don't make all decisions based on what you think would be perceived more favourably by Immigration Canada!!!

 

[depena]

I started with Sin card and did the rest after, it wasn't an issue. I had my marriage documents from Dominican republic and gave them the information and it was done. No questions asked but I have a long name , doesn't bother me a bit. I dropped my maiden name alltogether.

 

[redheadkatie]

I went to do my health card and filled out the form changing my name to my husband's 1st last name only. The girl glanced at the marriage certificate but didn't really care too much so I'm not sure if she noticed that he had 2 last names! LOL We'll see how it goes at the driver's license place.

 

[Shiraz72]

I have two different questions....


How many of you who have successfully sponsored a spouse to Canada submitted any reference letters or character appraisals with your application?
How many and from whom were they?


So my next question...how to bypass stupidity and red tape?
In my experience, 99% of Ltin American people have both their mother and fathers' last names...yes, you and I know that.
So I finally go out to a Service Ontario Centre to change my name and try to explain to the miserable womam behind the counter that I will only assume my husbands "first last name", that being his fathers.
She proceeds to call a supervisor, who may I mention had an equally low IQ. She said she could change it free of charge to both last names and then I could do a legal name change for $130!!! Do these people ever quit scamming us?? And did I mention this would take 8 weeks??

If anyone has successfully assumed their husabnds first last name in Ontario at no charge, please tell me where and how, thank you!

I live in Ontario and assumed my Colombian husband's father's last name, and ended up with a hyphenated name with my maiden name 1st and his father's last name 2nd. I think it depends on what his birth record or immigration docs show and what you've put down on your marriage licence. He used his father's last name on our marriage docs. I used my marriage doc as evidence to obtain all my ID with no problem. We've been separated for a number of years and I went back to using my maiden name which is your legal right without performing a name change. All my ID is under my maiden name now but I'm having an issue with Canada Customs and Revenue Agency reverting me back to my married name in their system which resulted in my being audited last year and had to prove that I have been separated all this time by producing bills and records etc...... I wish they would get their sh^t together. :ermm:

 

[sangria]

Shiraz,

According to the Registry office of Ontario it is the marriage certificate that is used to determine your options for assuming your spouses last name. Your choices are to assume your spouses last name exactly as it appears on your marriage certificate or hyphenate your maiden last name with your spouses last name exactly as it appears on the certificate.

I will agree that doesn't meet everyone's needs and the rule should be changed because you can give your child any last name you want when they are born & check off "cultural/religious" reasons and it should be the same for marriage.

Some people are lucky enough to get someone who doesn't notice or care.