Canadian PR question and Ontario red tape!!

[drbabe]

I have two different questions....


How many of you who have successfully sponsored a spouse to Canada submitted any reference letters or character appraisals with your application?
How many and from whom were they?


So my next question...how to bypass stupidity and red tape?
In my experience, 99% of Ltin American people have both their mother and fathers' last names...yes, you and I know that.
So I finally go out to a Service Ontario Centre to change my name and try to explain to the miserable womam behind the counter that I will only assume my husbands "first last name", that being his fathers.
She proceeds to call a supervisor, who may I mention had an equally low IQ. She said she could change it free of charge to both last names and then I could do a legal name change for $130!!! Do these people ever quit scamming us?? And did I mention this would take 8 weeks??

If anyone has successfully assumed their husabnds first last name in Ontario at no charge, please tell me where and how, thank you!

[margaret]

Congratulations! Wish you many years of happiness.

Regarding the name change, why not try the Driver's Licence bureau and see what they say. Maybe they have a different interpretation of surname... I doubt it. It's the government of Ontario's definition of surname and double surname that matters.

If you were to create a double surname from your surname and his with or without a hyphen, I think they would let you drop the last component. This is how it's done in other jurisdictions (SASK).

Regarding fees, yes, assuming a spouse's surname is free, creating a double surname from yours and his is free. (Reverting back is free also.) A change of name however is another process. 6-8 weeks is the standard time for all bureaucratic applications. Don't change you name legally.

Your father's name... his father's name... down with the patriarchy. I like drbabe better. Ms. Drbabe

[viajar]

Hi Drbabe

Answering your first question we sent in two letters of recommendation.
As for the second we did not change any names in order not to delay the immigration process.

Good luck with your application

[Johana]

Drbabe,
I also had no luck with taking just one last name. According to the MTO their legal last name is both names therefore to assume their name you get both even after I explained that only his sister would have the same 2 last names. And yes just to take one name you would have to legally change it.

Jo-Anne

[sangria]

It is nearly impossible to get around this in Ontario.

If you happen to be lucky and get someone at the drivers licence office to change your name to 1 last name then the health card office should follow suit.

I called to the Registrars office to get the final word after speaking with both the ministry of transportation and the ministry of health.

Everyone said the same thing you were told....you can legally change your name including your birth certificate or you can assume both of your spouses last names as they appear on your marriage certificate.

What's interesting is that when you have a child you can give them any name you want as long as you check off the box that says its for cultural or religious reasons.....I think we should have the same option when it comes to marital name changes but our government isn't in agreement right now.

My only suggestion would be to try a different MTO location and see if you can sweet talk them into doing it...otherwise you will be stuck with 2 names like the rest of us.

I only have 2 names on my official documents and don't use both in everyday situations, work etc. Its hard enough to spell 1 of my 2 last names let alone deal with both.

Good Luck!
Sangria

[sangria]

In regards to Margarets suggestion about hyphenating and dropping 1 of the names.

Here is the response I got to asking that question..(Ontario Canada)

Your 3 options are:

1) Keeping your own last name

2) Hyphenating your last name with you spouses last name (exactly as it appears on the marriage certificate) = 3 LAST NAMES

3) Assume your spouses name (exactly as it appears on the marriage certificate) = 2 LAST NAMES

[la_barbie]

Our son has both my husbands and my last name... they never questioned it... i just recently went and got my drivers lisense changed to my husbands last name... paid the $10 or whatever it is and that's it... next it's health card and passport...

why would you go to service ontario first ???

[sangria]

la_barbie,

Service Ontario is now in charge of driver's licences, health cards, marriage licences, birth certificates, sin numbers etc.

If you have a question about anything that has to do with the above or a major life event (birth, marriage, death etc.), Service Ontario is where you are directed.

[XXKWISIT]

Hey,
I was successful in assuming only the first last name. I did my driver's license first (just at one of the small kiosks), then I did my credit cards with my drivers license as proof, then my bank card and mortgage and finally my health card. When I went to change my passport, they didn't even want the marriage certificate, all they wanted was my new driver's license. There was no charge for any of this.
Hope this helps.

CAT

I haven't changed my sin card, yet, but I know have to go to services can. I will let you know how that goes, when I get around to it.

[drbabe]

Originally Posted by XXKWISIT

Hey,
I was successful in assuming only the first last name. I did my driver's license first (just at one of the small kiosks), then I did my credit cards with my drivers license as proof, then my bank card and mortgage and finally my health card. When I went to change my passport, they didn't even want the marriage certificate, all they wanted was my new driver's license. There was no charge for any of this.
Hope this helps.

CAT

I haven't changed my sin card, yet, but I know have to go to services can. I will let you know how that goes, when I get around to it.

Wow, would you like to tell us all which location you went to to successfully get one last name??