Karolyn
03-03-2016, 10:05 PM
Yay! After almost a year of procedures, I was able to change my name and gender on my driver's license. So happy!
I am French, but not American citizen, so that became much more tricky. It took me 9 months between the moment I started the procedure with an attorney and the final court order being sent to me. And it was considered fast, as I was told 18 months originally. Several thousand dollars later, I received the court order, which made me confident enough to start the American procedure. My passport and green card have to ultimately match, so it was too risky to change the US side alone. Currently, my birth certificate is being updated. It has been 2.5 months so far and it is not finished yet. I then need to update my identity records, then I will finally be able to go to the embassy in Miami to update my ID, driver's license (not sure about this one) and passport. That is going to take a few more months.
In December 2015, I started the name change procedure at the court, and it was done in about a month. At the court itself, I cannot believe how easy it was in front of the judge. I think it took between 30 and 45 seconds total. But then was the problem: the Social Security would not update my documents because my green card had to be updated first! But that procedure takes months! So I started the procedure, after a month I had an appointment for my fingerprints and photo, and at that moment, I was told I had to wait about 9 months to receive the new card. Oh my gosh, that made me mad (and sad). So I took the risk of going again at the Social Security, I had nothing to lose other than time. At first, she told me no, because I needed the physical card. Then I told about the 9 months wait, and she told me she could update the name with the receipt I gave, but not the gender. A friend of mine was in that situation, so it made me realize that it will be OK. I did it, such a relief!
I then went to the DMV to change my name AND gender, and everything worked! I now have my new driver's license! Shortly before my one year full-time.
In France, I need to wait a few months to be done with the name change. The gender change is a whole different procedure, and I will not do it for a while (I think they require SRS, I have to check in more detail). In the US, I'm updating my personal information in many places, and in 9 months I will update the Social Security, and I will be done!
I am French, but not American citizen, so that became much more tricky. It took me 9 months between the moment I started the procedure with an attorney and the final court order being sent to me. And it was considered fast, as I was told 18 months originally. Several thousand dollars later, I received the court order, which made me confident enough to start the American procedure. My passport and green card have to ultimately match, so it was too risky to change the US side alone. Currently, my birth certificate is being updated. It has been 2.5 months so far and it is not finished yet. I then need to update my identity records, then I will finally be able to go to the embassy in Miami to update my ID, driver's license (not sure about this one) and passport. That is going to take a few more months.
In December 2015, I started the name change procedure at the court, and it was done in about a month. At the court itself, I cannot believe how easy it was in front of the judge. I think it took between 30 and 45 seconds total. But then was the problem: the Social Security would not update my documents because my green card had to be updated first! But that procedure takes months! So I started the procedure, after a month I had an appointment for my fingerprints and photo, and at that moment, I was told I had to wait about 9 months to receive the new card. Oh my gosh, that made me mad (and sad). So I took the risk of going again at the Social Security, I had nothing to lose other than time. At first, she told me no, because I needed the physical card. Then I told about the 9 months wait, and she told me she could update the name with the receipt I gave, but not the gender. A friend of mine was in that situation, so it made me realize that it will be OK. I did it, such a relief!
I then went to the DMV to change my name AND gender, and everything worked! I now have my new driver's license! Shortly before my one year full-time.
In France, I need to wait a few months to be done with the name change. The gender change is a whole different procedure, and I will not do it for a while (I think they require SRS, I have to check in more detail). In the US, I'm updating my personal information in many places, and in 9 months I will update the Social Security, and I will be done!