Advise needed.

THIGV wrote:

In Vietnam, it is not customary for anyone, spouses or children, to change names as a result of marriage.  Children take the surname of their biological father whether married or not.  Asking Vietnamese authorities to do so would probably simply get a flat refusal because the whole idea is incomprehensible.

You could probably change their names once you reach England but doing so could create problems for them upon return to Vietnam.  Apparently name changes are no longer required under British law:  http://www.ukdp.co.uk/name-change-marriage/

Best to leave that one alone.

The fact that my wife of 43 years has my surname on all of her legal documents, except birth certificate and my two oldest children, both born in Viet Nam have my surname on their Vietnamese birth certificates, American passports etc.  has caused no problems for any of us in Viet Nam over the last 40 odd years. Not having my wife and children sharing my name would cause inconveniences in America and elsewhere.

I really believe that The British Embassy and/or a lawyer who is familiar with Both Vietnamese law and custom as well as British law an custom should be giving the advice. I just don't have enough professional knowledge and unless you are an experienced lawyer who has dealt with these issues, I don't believe that you have the professional knowledge either.

70 years old wrote:

I don't believe that you have the professional knowledge either.

I certainly agree with you on that one.      I recently posted on another thread that someone should seek the advice of a lawyer.  My post was immediately followed by a few more that told the poster to just go ahead with their plan.

Our not having my own wife change her name on arrival in the US was based on advice from a professional immigration advisor who had been a licensed paralegal in the US.  Her goal was to retain dual citizenship with minimal effort after becoming a US citizen.  As such he stressed that she must remain in her mother's house book and that her name should not change.  It may be changing but I believe that Vietnam does not formally recognize dual citizenship.  However, like many countries, including the US, they seem to tolerate it.  Your case may be a little different based on your having married during the ancien régime and having had little prospect of return before 1995.  Does your wife have some kind of affidavit (and requisite red stamps) to go along with her birth certificate?

When it is all said and done, both our experiences may be worth little as the OP is from Britain (or the perhaps soon to be renamed Kingdom of England and Wales.) 

THIGV wrote:

70 years old wrote:

I don't believe that you have the professional knowledge either.

I certainly agree with you on that one.      I recently posted on another thread that someone should seek the advice of a lawyer.  My post was immediately followed by a few more that told the poster to just go ahead with their plan.

Our not having my own wife change her name on arrival in the US was based on advice from a professional immigration advisor who had been a licensed paralegal in the US.  Her goal was to retain dual citizenship with minimal effort after becoming a US citizen.  As such he stressed that she must remain in her mother's house book and that her name should not change.  It may be changing but I believe that Vietnam does not formally recognize dual citizenship.  However, like many countries, including the US, they seem to tolerate it.  Your case may be a little different based on your having married during the ancien régime and having had little prospect of return before 1995.  Does your wife have some kind of affidavit (and requisite red stamps) to go along with her birth certificate?

When it is all said and done, both our experiences may be worth little as the OP is from Britain (or the perhaps soon to be renamed Kingdom of England and Wales.) 

Looks like we essentially agree. The issue revolves around the impact on the multiple citizenship opportunities of both wife and child. My wife has been an American Citizen for 36 years and has no real interest in reacquiring Vietnamese citizenship. Due to her medical condition; even if she was interested in reacquiring Vietnamese citizenship, this would be essentially a wasted effort, even if she lives long enough to complete the process.

70 years old wrote:

My wife has been an American Citizen for 36 years and has no real interest in reacquiring Vietnamese citizenship. Due to her medical condition; even if she was interested in reacquiring Vietnamese citizenship, this would be essentially a wasted effort, even if she lives long enough to complete the process.

I think I can say without fear that I speak for everyone here that we wish your wife the very best.  A lot of wartime marriages between GI's and Vietnamese women fell apart before long, unable to withstand the problems of cultural adaptation.  Your wife must be an exceptional woman.

THIGV wrote:

70 years old wrote:

My wife has been an American Citizen for 36 years and has no real interest in reacquiring Vietnamese citizenship. Due to her medical condition; even if she was interested in reacquiring Vietnamese citizenship, this would be essentially a wasted effort, even if she lives long enough to complete the process.

I think I can say without fear that I speak for everyone here that we wish your wife the very best.  A lot of wartime marriages between GI's and Vietnamese women fell apart before long, unable to withstand the problems of cultural adaptation.  Your wife must be an exceptional woman.

She was actually a war buddy. We served together 1970-1971 down in the Delta. After we became an ARVN unit rather than a USN unit in 1971, she lost her USN Civilian job and needed help to support her widowed mother, widowed grandmother and two younger siblings. I was her chosen victim and she was able to "trick" me into the totally outrageous bride price of two cows.

The GI/VN girl issue had a lot to due with governmental paperwork. In Sai Gon it was doable. Down in the Delta not. I finished up at Nha Be and was able to arrange things to keep my "fiancee" going before I was transferred to Japan in 1972. Roughly half way to retirement, I arranged to be discharged in Japan 1974 where, I was then stationed and caught the next flight to Viet Nam as a Civilian. I attended U of Maryland Sai Gon Branch and taught ESL at the U of Saigon till 15 April 1975 when we flew out on a USAF C-141.

Later in the US, I joined the National Guard and eventually retired as an Army Staff Sargent.