USA immagration - child with different name to mine

[Lasvegas]

Just booked 2 tickets for USA for DD and myself. Travel agent mentioned that immigration won't refuse entry but that it will involve lots of questions because I am travelling without DD's father and that her passport surname is different to the name on my passport and the name she is known by. They said to get a letter from her father to say he gives me permission to travel with DD. But then said anyone can write the letter and just forge it! Anyone come across this? I cannnot find anything USA immagration web site not USA embassy.

Both DD have UK passports and are covered on visa waiver scheme.

Knowing how they love their paperwork over here, bring a copy of the birth certificate with you - better safe than sorry. They do like fathers to give written permission for children to travel here in the States if parents are separated or unmarried, so I think what your Travel Agent suggested is a good idea.

I've had this same problem with Canada. I am married to my kids' father, but we have different surnames, and nationalities. I've only gone to Canada without DH once or twice, but was careful to carry birth certificates and a letter. I think I was asked for all that at least once.

Yeah, anyone could forge the letter, I think a notarised one is probably 'better', but I don't think anyone expects that ... go figure.

(Oh, in the case of Canada, this isn't a 50s timewarp thing, so much as concern about parents abducting their own kids and moving to another country. I'm pretty sure a father travelling with kids, without a mum, would get the same problem.)

Make sure the name on the tickets is the same as on the passport - you probably already know that but you said she doesn't normally go by the name on her passport....

So those who have experience does this sound ok - it is the truth.

I am the mum and my name is Mrs Brown. Here is my passport in name of Mrs Brown. My marriage certificate shows I was previously known as Smith. I am now called Brown as my current husband is called Mr Brown.

This is my 4yr old dd. Her passport is in the name of Smith and her birth certificate is in the name of Smith. I do not have a letter from Mr Smith her bio father saying I can take her on holiday as we haven't seen him a few weeks after birth of DD.

There is no point asking DD as she has only ever known her name to be Brown and she believes her step dad to be her bio dad.

muminfife - how can UK imigration refuse DD entry when she has a UK passport? I have never even had a comment in the past when returning from europe.

Don't know the answer to that one I'm afraid -did you have to do anything special when getting her passport in the first place because of her biological father not being around? We hold Irish passports so only know about that process I am afraid - they are very strict about issuing child passports, lots of paperwork which has to be witnessed, etc, even if parents are married to each other... someone I know who is a single mother (and father's name is not on birth cert) had to get some extra thing because of that....

Ktee - Your question reminded me that bio father did sign passport application, along with papers to sell marital home. The form wanted lots of information on both bio parents - I guess coz so much identity theft around and lets face it photo of new born could be any child.

californication - the problem is I don't even know if bio father is dead or alive, let alone have an address for him. Are you saying forge a letter from bio father and get someone to impersonate him if they phone up? The whole thing is mad what if bio father is dead or a sperm donor , how do they give permission then?

I would just go with taking your marriage cert and birth cert - that way you can show you are her mum

Thanks blonde - trying to pretend something after a transatlantic flight with a small child would need a more convincing actress than me!

I know the reason the Irish passport application process is so tortuous is because of the risk of children being abducted in custody cases - I think if I was you I would get some proper legal advice beforehand - though if you have taken her out of the country before it probably won't be a problem really - I would have thought officials would be more concerned at the point of departure rather than arrival, iyswim

Maybe now is the time to think about sorting out the whole thing with your dd, to save constant hassles in the future - if she is using your dh's name and thinks of him as her father have you thought about him legalling adopting her? You would probably need to trace her birth father to get his permission though....

DH is in process of adopting DD. But it won't be sorted out before July when we fly.

In case people think I am weird DD knows that Daddy chose her when she was one yr old, and gradually as she grows she will understand the concept of bio father.

It is already causing a bit of an issue with schools. Private schools happy for her to use her 'actual' name (though not legal name). But I also applied to a state school who said that she would have to be X but known as Y.

Hi just a thought, could you not just change her name by deed poll (I think you can get application forms from the post office) and get new passports issued till the adoption goes through that way she would legally be xxxBROWN and you are MRS BROWN. Its pricy though getting new passports but easily done.

It's best to be prepared but I've never been questioned in the US about flying alone with my dd's. They've always been more interested in the Marmite or Christmas puddings in my bags!