Filing for OCI - name changed USC

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linuxrox

Registered Users (C)
Got my USC with name change. Have the court issued name change document with me.
The name on my Indian passport is longer form of my current first name.
Looking up the OCI website, the below caught my eye:

Name Change

IF YOUR NAME IN YOUR US PASSPORT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE IN THE INDIAN PASSPORT:

a. In case of name change due to marriage please submit notarized copy of the marriage certificate and first 2 pages of spouse passport

b. Otherwise YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ADVERTISE CHANGE OF NAME IN A NEWSPAPER IN YOUR LOCALITY IN USA, AND IN INDIA.

c. In both a and b cases please COMPLETE AND NOTARIZE THE CHANGE OF NAME (pdf file) AFFIDAVIT.

Did anyone apply for OCI with a name change ?
Does the embassy accept the name change document issued by US court ?
Is there a need to go down the path of advts in indian and US papers ?
 
Looks like no one has filed for OCI who went through a name change?
Replies please - what process did you follow for "name change advertisement" ?
 
I changed my first name during USC. I got my SC couple of days back. I have gone through the pains of placing ads in US and Indian news papers, obtaining the news paper cuttings; notarizing the affidavit etc. I sent the package yesterday. Will keep you posted the status.

I did enclose the copy of the US court order. All these ad business sounds very crazy! CGI is beyond logic. Just went ahead blindly.
 
thanks indyexcel -
how did you manage the ads in India ? Any idea if we can get that done from here ?
 
Indyexcel said:
I changed my first name during USC. I got my SC couple of days back. I have gone through the pains of placing ads in US and Indian news papers, obtaining the news paper cuttings; notarizing the affidavit etc. I sent the package yesterday. Will keep you posted the status.

I did enclose the copy of the US court order. All these ad business sounds very crazy! CGI is beyond logic. Just went ahead blindly.
Click to expand...

Can't we get SC part of OCI application? I mean by including the application and $175 with OCI application?
 
how did you manage the ads in India ? Any idea if we can get that done from here ?[/QUOTE]
Linuxrox,
I am not sure which city you belong to india but you can google your city's local news paper, you can find the phone and email address of them, if everything is working you contact them, fax them the necessary papers and regarding money if you can arrange from some one in india to pay for it or transfer money and ask the bank to deliver to the news paper compnay with your note. But make sure some one from India should be able to send you the paper cutting - that is the only proof the consulate requires.

I also went through the same process, regarding money I took help of my dad to pay through cash, it costed me around Rs 800/- for two days
 
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In Indian passport I had fathers name in the Middle Name area. The US passport does not have middle name. Will that be considered a name change? The first and last name are the same in Indian Passport, Naturalization Certificate and the US Passport. Just that the neither the naturalization certificate nor the US Passport have middle name for me.

Please advise.
 
LiveAndLetLive,
Did you get a name change certifcate from court during your naturalization? If not, I would say give a try of sending the OCI application to consulate and if they return then you can take further action, all you can loose in this way is your postage charge to the consulate. (This is just my personal advice, advertising name change is hassle and it needs solid proof from the court else the newspaper addvertisement team will not accept your request. You have to run around court to get it)
 
vm1214 said:
LiveAndLetLive,
Did you get a name change certifcate from court during your naturalization? If not, I would say give a try of sending the OCI application to consulate and if they return then you can take further action, all you can loose in this way is your postage charge to the consulate. (This is just my personal advice, advertising name change is hassle and it needs solid proof from the court else the newspaper addvertisement team will not accept your request. You have to run around court to get it)
Click to expand...

I did not really change anything. I simply omitted my middle name in naturalization and passport applications as the concept of middle name in US and India seems to be different. On my Indian passport, the middle name is my fathers name. Hence the question.
 
LALL,
That's what I think, you didn't change anything so give it a shot of sending the OCI application, if they reject it then you can take any action.
 
LiveAndLetLive,
I have the same situation with my imddle name as yours. I did not receive a name change certificate from USCIS and they told me that I only dropped my middle name so name change certifcate is not required. Looks like Indian Embassy is clueless when it comes to US naturalization process and name change is part of that legal process. I am also pursuing publishing ads in US and India. I sent the name change affidavit notarized to my brother in India to check with newspaper if that is enough to publish the ad since I am in US and can't notarize documents in India. I will post in this thread once I know something.
 
bg2k81 said:
LiveAndLetLive,
I have the same situation with my imddle name as yours. I did not receive a name change certificate from USCIS and they told me that I only dropped my middle name so name change certifcate is not required. Looks like Indian Embassy is clueless when it comes to US naturalization process and name change is part of that legal process. I am also pursuing publishing ads in US and India. I sent the name change affidavit notarized to my brother in India to check with newspaper if that is enough to publish the ad since I am in US and can't notarize documents in India. I will post in this thread once I know something.
Click to expand...

So in your case they sent back your application? Or are you doing this proactively?
 
Looks like DC website showing different set of rules now for name change-this update showed up on the website 6/13/2010.
h. In case of change of name, addition or deletion in a part of name (if it differs in cancelled Indian passport and present U.S. passport), document proving name change from competent authorities.
Absolutely no idea what this means. Hoping they will publish further guidelines. I am holding off on preparing my packet for the third time. Now they don't need most document notarized except a couple. They want self-attested now. Go figure!!
 
bg2k81,
Thanks for posting the new rules I would have not seen otherwise, hell with these consulate people, they changed the complete instruction. I spent so much on publishing in papers in USA and India and now they don't require it and also all the notarized copies looks like they don't want it. Now they need proof of address and also an extra photo, I am not sure what else they will change. Its driving crazy. All the friends were saying it is a simple process, it doesn't look like it is going to be simpler any more.
 
vm1214 said:
bg2k81,
Thanks for posting the new rules I would have not seen otherwise, hell with these consulate people, they changed the complete instruction. I spent so much on publishing in papers in USA and India and now they don't require it and also all the notarized copies looks like they don't want it. Now they need proof of address and also an extra photo, I am not sure what else they will change. Its driving crazy. All the friends were saying it is a simple process, it doesn't look like it is going to be simpler any more.
Click to expand...

I can relate to how you feel. I am so frustrated with these people and even hesitant to start this process again but I need to do it only once and that is my driving force-Do once and be done with it!.
 
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