petition for my mother -- question about name difference

[mimijean1234]

Hello All.

I am a U.S. citizen and I plan to petition my mother to immigrate to the U.S. I am about to file the I-130 form but now I have a question about the name difference:

I was originally from China and my birth certificate is in Chinese with an official English translation. The tricky thing here is that the English translation of my Chinese name on my birth certificate is "Fang Wanrong", in which Fang is the last name and "Wanrong" is the first name, while my official name here in the U.S., which appears on my naturalization certificate is "Fang Wan Rong", in which Fang is the last name and "Wan" as the first name and "Rong" as the middle name.

The problem is that I have never officially changed my name. The difference here is simply a translation issue due to cultural variation. "Fang" "Wan" and "Rong" each corresponds to one Chinese character in my original Chinese name and the Mainland China government agencies simply put the two characters in my given name together.

Now the only secondary document I have is my cancelled Chinese passport. On the information data page, my name appears as "Fang Wanrong", but there is a notarization given by the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. indicating that my name could also be spelled as "Fang Wan R.". In this case, will it be enough to submit my cancelled Chinese passport and a written explanation along with my I-130 form?

Does anybody here have similar experience and could offer me some advice? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jackolantern]

Are you saying that the correct translation should be three separate words - Fang Wan Rong? If that is the case, just get another translation done by a qualified person or company in the US, and use the new translation for your mother's immigration process. The translation doesn't have to be done by the original issuing government.

 

[mimijean1234]

Thank you Jackolantern. But the problem here is that in my original birth certificate, the English translate is attached to the Chinese version (The Chinese version is the first page, the English translation the second page and there is a third page certifying that the English translation of the birth certificate is true and faithful to the original notarized certificate in Chinese). In this case, I could not simply tear the first page apart. Are you saying that I had better find another qualified agency here providing a proof saying that my Chinese name on my birth certificate could also be translated as "Fang Wan Rong"? Could you please recommend any qualified agency here in the U.S. that could do this sort of work?

 

[Jackolantern]

Who attached the English translation to the certificate? Was it the same agency that issued the original? How is it attached? By glue? Staples?

If it's attached by staples, just use a staple remover to take out the staples.

But if it's attached by glue, pulling it apart would damage it so you'll need another solution. If the translation was not attached by the same agency, have your mother order another birth certificate from the issuing agency. If they don't attach English translations as standard procedure, the new certificate would not have the attached translation. Then she can send it to you so you can get a new translation.

There are numerous companies in the US that do translations of documents. Search for them on the web or look in the yellow pages. When you're getting the translation done, show them your ID so they see how your name is written as you use it. With name translations that don't use the A-Z alphabet, there often isn't just one correct way to translate the name, so it's OK for them to see your preference.

 

[mimijean1234]

Thank you Jackolantern. One additional quick question: I've searched on the USCIS website and the USCIS requires that applicants "submit certified translations for all foreign language documents. The translator must certify that s/he is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate." In this case, how could I evaluate the company's qualification as being able to provide "certified translation"?

Who attached the English translation to the certificate? Was it the same agency that issued the original? How is it attached? By glue? Staples?

If it's attached by staples, just use a staple remover to take out the staples.

But if it's attached by glue, pulling it apart would damage it so you'll need another solution. If the translation was not attached by the same agency, have your mother order another birth certificate from the issuing agency. If they don't attach English translations as standard procedure, the new certificate would not have the attached translation. Then she can send it to you so you can get a new translation.

There are numerous companies in the US that do translations of documents. Search for them on the web or look in the yellow pages. When you're getting the translation done, show them your ID so they see how your name is written as you use it. With name translations that don't use the A-Z alphabet, there often isn't just one correct way to translate the name, so it's OK for them to see your preference.

 

[mimijean1234]

My mother has inquired the issuing agency of the birth certificate: The English translation is attached to the Chinese version as the standard procedure and it could not be detached (attached by glue).

In this case, can anyone here suggest an alternative way to solve the problem? Is it possible that I ask a friend who is fluent in both Chinese and English to certify in front of a notary public here that the name could also be translated as "Fang, Wan Rong"?

Who attached the English translation to the certificate? Was it the same agency that issued the original? How is it attached? By glue? Staples?

If it's attached by staples, just use a staple remover to take out the staples.

But if it's attached by glue, pulling it apart would damage it so you'll need another solution. If the translation was not attached by the same agency, have your mother order another birth certificate from the issuing agency. If they don't attach English translations as standard procedure, the new certificate would not have the attached translation. Then she can send it to you so you can get a new translation.

There are numerous companies in the US that do translations of documents. Search for them on the web or look in the yellow pages. When you're getting the translation done, show them your ID so they see how your name is written as you use it. With name translations that don't use the A-Z alphabet, there often isn't just one correct way to translate the name, so it's OK for them to see your preference.