Legal Question in Immigration Law in California

Are you sure you really want to do that? It will certainly complicate her life by requiring her to show the chain of her names from birth to name change to any further name change she might later seek. If you do, be sure to keep several notarized copies of the application to show that the change took place at this time. Naturalization certificates are not supposed to be copied, or that's what they say on the front of the certificate, though for purposes of petitioning others, the Citizenship & Immigration Services does accept copies. But to prove her name, copying that document might cause her grief in future because they're not supposed to be copied and anyone looking at a copy of the document will see that.

You can make the name change official if you want to. I'd think seriously about it because of the future problems it will cause her when she has to prove who she is.

The above is general information is not legal advice. It doesn't not form an attorney client relationship. For further information, contact me at 818 609 1953 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

Alice Yardum-Hunter, Attorney at Law, Certified Specialist, Immigration & Nationality Law

State Bar of CA, Bd. of Legal Specialization