Hey Everyone :)
I am a British citizen who has been living legally in America for 17 years and transitioning for a year and a half from male to female. I would like to start the process of naturalization soon to become an American citizen.
Has anyone had any experience on American natrualization and a name change and marker change all at the same time? Is it even possible?
My high st. immigration lawyer says that i can change my name at the time of Naturalization to anything I want but the marker change will have to be a different process that comes later. I'm concerned that he may just be wrong due to inexperience of this scenario.
Does any of this make sense? Has anyone been though this?
Thanks in advance,
xoxo Deborah
I think at some point when you go through the naturalization process, many people americanize their name so I suspect the lawyer is correct on this point. As for the gender marker, I don't have a clue because it isn't very common but a little google asking the right question turned this up bottom half of first page (https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/n-565instr.pdf).
So this is what Ive found out so far...
In Nevada (where i live) I can go to my HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) doctor and have him fill out a certain form that he has at his office. I can then take this form to the DMV and have my marker and photo (but not name) changed to female for a total of less than $6.
At the time of becoming an American I can pick whatever name i want.
Once I have my new name as an American I can then go back to the DMV and have my name changed.
Beyond that I'm not sure but I think once my name and marker have changed on my drivers license I will be able to apply for my american passport as a woman and with my new name.
Make sense?
xoxo Deborah
To apply for a passport, I would suspect you would need your drivers license and your naturalization paper work. Normally we would use our birth certificate but your naturalization paper work will substitute for the birth certificate.
You might only need your Naturalization papers to apply for the passport.
It should count as proof of citizenship and since it has your photo, as proof of identity too.
Ask a passport clerk at your local post office to verify what may be used.