Name Change Application

In the province of Ontario, there is a 12 month residency requirement before you can legally change your child's name.  Matteo arrived in Canada on Dec. 6, 2010, therefore he has now met the residency requirement, and I can proceed with legally changing his name so that we will share a last name.  I am keeping the same middle name Bao that he was given so he will officially be Matteo Bao + .....after this process is complete I will therefore reapply to change his name on his Health card, Citizenship card, Passport, RESP, and any other document where his name is still in his Vietnamese name.

So this morning I went to our family lawyer. He acted as both the Guarantor and the Commissioner of Oaths for our Name Change Application. As Commissioner he can Notarize documents and this is what he did.  The application will be mailed today, December 8, 2011.

  The application asks for certain documents -  a photocopy (front and back) of the Citizenship card and then "Court documents".  In our case the "Court documents" will be the adoption papers to attest to the fact that I have legally adopted Matteo and have sole custody of him and therefore can apply for a name change.

  I will not be sending any of the original Vietnamese documents, however I brought them with me.  Our lawyer photocopied the originals, and then notarized, stamped and signed each photocopy attesting to the fact that he saw the originals and these are photocopies of the originals.  While in Vietnam, Loan our TDH representative, had two certified translations made of each of the documents by a Vietnamese translator and each translation is stamped, signed and has an affidavit attached.  I will be sending one of these original certified translations, with affidavits, for three documents. 

So here is the list of the documents I am sending.

1. Photocopy of Matteo's passport - Notarized, stamped, and signed by lawyer (this was
    not requested but I sent it anyway.)
2. Photocopy of front and back, of Matteo's citizenship card - Notarized, stamped, and
    signed by lawyer
3. Photocopy of Ontario Ministry of Children Letter - Letter of No Objection - Addressed
    to Department of Adoption in Vietnam - and has both my name and Matteo's
    Vietnamese name on it - Notarized, stamped, and signed by lawyer (again not
    requested but felt it as a Canadian document that attested to the fact that I adopted
    Matteo.)

4. Photocopy of Vietnamese Birth Certificate - Notarized, stamped, and signed by lawyer
5. Photocopy of Decision to Adopt documents - Notarized, stamped, and signed by
    lawyer
6. Photocopy of G&R documents - Notarized, stamped, and signed by lawyer

7. Original Translation of Vietnamese Birth Certificate - With Affidavit by Vietnamese
    Translator attached.
8. Original Translation of "Decision to Adopt" Document -With Affidavit by Vietnamese
    Translator attached.

9.  Original Translation of "G&R" Document - With Affidavit by Vietnamese Translator

    attached.

10. Cheque in the amount of $137.00

I will post on this blog the application as it  processes and if there are any glitches.  I know from other information and blogs, there seem to be issues about having original documents translated by a Canadian translator, however the person I spoke to at the Ministry, insisted that all they need is the affidavit by the translator, regardless of country of origin..so I'll see if that applies.

Okay off to the postoffice!!  So so much paperwork!!