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DS-230 and name issues

M

Matap

Registered Users (C)
Hi everyone,

Here is my problem.

I entered DV2013 with my family of 4. In the e-form I put my wife's maiden name (ex. JOHN Isabella) as it is written in her short form birth certificate; the one we used for all administrative issues. We are married for about 10 years, her passport issued in 2009 has the following name JOHN EPSE JOE Isabella. In my country (francophone) EPSE stands for SPOUSE and it is common to fill married women's passport this way and JOE is my last name.

I already sent DS-230 forms to KCC using my wife's maiden name (JOHN Isabella) but I put JOE where it says Other names used or Aliase.

The worst thing is that we just discovered that in her long form birth certificate she was named after her mother (BAIRD Isabella) with a notice saying that she was recognised by her father JOHN Daniel James 4 months after her birth, hence her normal birth certificate (the short form one) has her father's name and her first name.

What shoud we do then?

1. Should we carry a new DS-230 for my wife with her name as it appears on the passport (JOHN EPSE JOE Isabella). Would that be an issue during the interview? Personally, I am not comfortable with the "EPSE"
2. The correct format wouldn't has been JOE Isabella and JOHN for other names used or aliases?
3. What should we do with the name BAIRD that she never used?
4. Should we go to the interview all the way and explain the situation when ask?

Please I need your advise badly as the interview is scheduled for next month.

Thank you,
 
Matap said:
Hi everyone,

Here is my problem.

I entered DV2013 with my family of 4. In the e-form I put my wife's maiden name (ex. JOHN Isabella) as it is written in her short form birth certificate; the one we used for all administrative issues. We are married for about 10 years, her passport issued in 2009 has the following name JOHN EPSE JOE Isabella. In my country (francophone) EPSE stands for SPOUSE and it is common to fill married women's passport this way and JOE is my last name.

I already sent DS-230 forms to KCC using my wife's maiden name (JOHN Isabella) but I put JOE where it says Other names used or Aliase.

The worst thing is that we just discovered that in her long form birth certificate she was named after her mother (BAIRD Isabella) with a notice saying that she was recognised by her father JOHN Daniel James 4 months after her birth, hence her normal birth certificate (the short form one) has her father's name and her first name.

What shoud we do then?

1. Should we carry a new DS-230 for my wife with her name as it appears on the passport (JOHN EPSE JOE Isabella). Would that be an issue during the interview? Personally, I am not comfortable with the "EPSE"
2. The correct format wouldn't has been JOE Isabella and JOHN for other names used or aliases?
3. What should we do with the name BAIRD that she never used?
4. Should we go to the interview all the way and explain the situation when ask?

Please I need your advise badly as the interview is scheduled for next month.

Thank you,
Click to expand...

Can anyone help on the issue above?

Thank you,
 
You are being rather confusing.

What is her name on her birth certificate? Is it John Isabella or is it Baird Isabella or is it John Baird Isabella?

What name was used in the application form for the DV entry?

Everything else (Passport, DS forms are irrelevant because they are muddling the issue.)
 
darkelf said:
You are being rather confusing.

What is her name on her birth certificate? Is it John Isabella or is it Baird Isabella or is it John Baird Isabella?

What name was used in the application form for the DV entry?

Everything else (Passport, DS forms are irrelevant because they are muddling the issue.)
Click to expand...

Thanks Darkelf for taking your time to reply. I have been waiting for advice for days. Maybe members are not responding because I am confusing. So let me clarify.

1. As you probably know we have 2 types of birth certificate: the short form and the long form (required for visa processing in US embassies)
2. My wife's short form birth certificate has JOHN Isabella (JOHN is her father's name).
3. But the long form birth certificate has BAIRD Isabella (BAIRD is her mother's name) but there is a notice on the certificate saying that her father (JOHN Daniel James) recognised my wife as his daughter 4 months after her birth. The reason is that he was not in the country when my wife was born. But my wife never used the name BAIRD. Her father's name was added when she was only 4 months. Her first passport when she was not married has JOHN Isabella (that is her maiden name which is normal).
4. Her passport when she got married has JOHN EPSE JOE (JOE is my family name and EPSE comes from EPOUSE, equivalence of SPOUSE in English and commonly used in some froncophone countries to refer to a woman married to X).
5. In the DV entry form and DS-230 I entered my wife's name as JOHN Isabella


My questions:

1. Is failing to write the name as it appears on the passport a ground for visa refusal during the interview?
2. Should carry the 2 types of birth certificate to the embassy for the interview as a proof that it is the same person?
3. Is it correct if I prepare a new DS-230 form with the name as it appears on the passport (family name: JOHN EPSE JOE; First name: Isabella)? What shoud I put on question 2 that says "Other names used or Aliases"? If I put BAIRD and JOHN is that correct?
4. Or should I write it this way (family name: JOE which is my family name; first name: ISABELLA and Other names used or aliases: BAIRD and JOHN)?
5. Should my wife prepare an affidavit to explain that JOHN Isabella and JOHN EPSE JOE Isabella refer to the same person?

I hope these details help to understand the issue. I really need your advice as the interview date is fast approaching.
 
Sm1smom said:
Yes, you did answer, looks like he never checked back.

i also asked him a question which he never answered, so I've left his query 'as is'
Click to expand...

Sorry guys. As I mentionned, I was away for a while and did not see your reply. Please refer to the AOS thread to see my replies to both of you.
Any clue that you may give to prepare myself for the interview will be welcome.
 
Since you are doing CP in a different country than your own, I understand the difficulty to obtain extra documents but you can still try to contact your country's consulate to get you something that clarifies your wife's situation, and you should definitely contact the US consulate and ask them for advice.

My opinion is that it would be wise to fill a new DS-230 form to list your wife's all possible aliases and bring everything (short and long forms of birth certificate) to the consulate. But calling them ahead of time for advice is probably the best thing you can.
 
aos13 said:
Since you are doing CP in a different country than your own, I understand the difficulty to obtain extra documents but you can still try to contact your country's consulate to get you something that clarifies your wife's situation, and you should definitely contact the US consulate and ask them for advice.

My opinion is that it would be wise to fill a new DS-230 form to list your wife's all possible aliases and bring everything (short and long forms of birth certificate) to the consulate. But calling them ahead of time for advice is probably the best thing you can.
Click to expand...

Thank you aos13. It really helps.
 
I guess this issue could have been a much more simpler if you had entered your wife's name as it appears on her curent passport, since that was the original instruction. Anyway, that's water under the bridge now. Who is the main applicant in your case, you or your wife? My thinking is if you are the main applicant, the embassy or the CO may not even pay much attention to how your wife's name appears on the long form birth-certificate viz-a-viz the short form one (this is my personal opinion, I could be wrong though).

Notwithstanding, it's better to be over prepared than to be caught off-guard with requests for additional information/evidence when you go for your interview. So here are my thoughts (not much different from the other responses you've received:

  • Attend your interview with a new DS-230 showing your wife's name as it's written on her most current passport, and put ALL the other names she's gone by under question 2 (i.e. BAIRD and JOHN as you've suggested yourself). However, I suggest you don't volunteer the new DS-230 form unless the CO points out the name discrepancies or makes an issue of it - you don't want to point out something that's likely gone unnoticed.
  • Take both the long and short form certificates along to your interview
  • And yes, if I was in your shoes, I would most certainly prepare a sworn affidavit attesting to all these names as referring to the same person. This should also help explain the meaning of the "EPSE" since you've indicated you're not doing CP at your home embassy and the embassy you're using may not be familiar to how names are written on official documents in some Francophone countries.

Again, I suggest you don't volunteer any information or any of the additional documents you're taking with you unless the CO makes an issue of the names.

Good luck!


Matap said:
My questions:

1. Is failing to write the name as it appears on the passport a ground for visa refusal during the interview?
2. Should carry the 2 types of birth certificate to the embassy for the interview as a proof that it is the same person?
3. Is it correct if I prepare a new DS-230 form with the name as it appears on the passport (family name: JOHN EPSE JOE; First name: Isabella)? What shoud I put on question 2 that says "Other names used or Aliases"? If I put BAIRD and JOHN is that correct?
4. Or should I write it this way (family name: JOE which is my family name; first name: ISABELLA and Other names used or aliases: BAIRD and JOHN)?
5. Should my wife prepare an affidavit to explain that JOHN Isabella and JOHN EPSE JOE Isabella refer to the same person?

I hope these details help to understand the issue. I really need your advice as the interview date is fast approaching.
Click to expand...
 
If it is easy, try to get a long form birth certificate issued with your wife's name as John Isabella. I don't particularly think your case is hard but then you are not doing an Adjustment of Status (where you can go with your attorney) to explain stuff but are doing CP.
 
You guys are amazing. Thanks Darkelf, varxx, aos13, Sm1smom and kazore for taking your time to reply to my posts. As I read your replies, I see that this case can be overcome. I will use your advice to gather as much evidence as possible to make my case strong.
By the way Sm1smom, I am the principal applicant.
 
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