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i had my interview today to become a citizen, and the uscis officer said that in california I can't legally change my last name while becoming a citizen and that I will need to do it after I become a citizen and that I will have to pay... He said the rules in California changed last year. Is it true?
1 ANSWER
Immigration and Nationality Law Attorney serving New York, NY
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Alan Lee & Arthur Lee, Attorneys at Law
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We are not aware of any rule in California or anywhere that disallows name changes with naturalization. You should note, however, that name changes cannot be made unless the naturalization oath ceremony is conducted before a state court. If the oath ceremony is to be conducted with USCIS, no name change is possible. Many individuals opt to go with a USCIS ceremony as those can be scheduled in most cases much more rapidly than in the courts. Due to the limitations of the Lawyers.com Forums, Alan Lee & Arthur Lee, Esqs.’ (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence.
Answered on Dec 24th, 2022 at 9:21 AM