Transferring Visa For America

[Dr. Burrito]

My wife, bless her soul, decided recently to change her last name to mine. Of course, that necessitated a pilgrimage home to the Amphur, et al.

Now she wants to get a new passport with her new last name. Why anyone would want to actually choose Burrito as a last name, I've no idea.

Anyway, she ahs a 10-year visa in her existing passport.

- Will the Thai authorities make her surrender her old passport?

- Will the U.S. Embassy painlessly transfer the visa to he new one or will there be some screwy reapply process.

Not trying to slag on the folks over there, I jsut realize there are rules they have to live by.

Anyone with any experience or knowledge in this by chance?

[lopburi3]

There is no need for a new passport and her name can be changed in the current passport.

Normal procedure is to keep old passport with the US visa (Thai authorities do not keep it) and show along with new passport but if you change names not sure that is going to be accepted. You will probably have to obtain a new visa if you go the change passport route. But it would probably be best to ask Embassy directly.

[Dr. Burrito]

Thanks for the information.

[samran]

There is no need for a new passport and her name can be changed in the current passport.

Normal procedure is to keep old passport with the US visa (Thai authorities do not keep it) and show along with new passport but if you change names not sure that is going to be accepted.  You will probably have to obtain a new visa if you go the change passport route.  But it would probably be best to ask Embassy directly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just to add to what Lop said, this will only be true if the US visa in the old PP isn’t damaged. What usually happens when they cancel a passport is to chop off one of the corners and stamp in red ink ‘cancelled’ all over the biographic pages of the PP. If the visa is damaged in any way during the cancellation process, then a new visa will be required. It is unlikely, but just check afterwards to make sure.

I have travelled a couple of times using a valid US visa in an expired passport and it was never a problem.