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DV 2015 Winners Meet Here

Dear @Britsimon , I just read your recent blog post, regarding the winner who was refused because he listed his first name under "middle name". It was very unfortunate.
This story made me worry about my case, here's what happened:

While filling out the initial eDV form, under "middle name" I listed my father's name, which is used almost interchangeably with the middle name (there's no actual middle name in my country), for example, it is listed on my high school degree, will also be on my university degree (when I graduate in a couple of months), and other official documents. The main reason I put is because I got two previous B visas to the US, and one of them had my father's name as a middle name and the other didn't, so I thought I'd better put extra (and not inaccurate) stuff than omit some.

So my question is: will this be a problem? I'm also worried that correcting on DS-260 would raise some unnecessary red flags.
Any advice from any expert would be appreciated.
Also my CN is AS10***, submitted DS-260 on August 15.

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
@wendell , Although it's hard to tell if they are getting stricter this year in general, I can say that cases similar to yours that have been reported on in previous years have been approved. COs know local custom and will understand.
 
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wendell said:
Dear @Britsimon , I just read your recent blog post, regarding the winner who was refused because he listed his first name under "middle name". It was very unfortunate.
This story made me worry about my case, here's what happened:

While filling out the initial eDV form, under "middle name" I listed my father's name, which is used almost interchangeably with the middle name (there's no actual middle name in my country), for example, it is listed on my high school degree, will also be on my university degree (when I graduate in a couple of months), and other official documents. The main reason I put is because I got two previous B visas to the US, and one of them had my father's name as a middle name and the other didn't, so I thought I'd better put extra (and not inaccurate) stuff than omit some.

So my question is: will this be a problem? I'm also worried that correcting on DS-260 would raise some unnecessary red flags.
Any advice from any expert would be appreciated.
Also my CN is AS10***, submitted DS-260 on August 15.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
SusieQQQ said:
@wendell , Although it's hard to tell if they are getting stricter this year in general, I can say that cases similar to yours that have been reported on in previous years have been approved. COs know local custom and will understand.
Click to expand...


I'd agree with Susie that similar cases have been approved. Does this name appear on your passport?
 
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SusieQQQ said:
@wendell , Although it's hard to tell if they are getting stricter this year in general, I can say that cases similar to yours that have been reported on in previous years have been approved. COs know local custom and will understand.
Click to expand...

Britsimon said:
I'd agree with Susie that similar cases have been approved. Does this name appear on your passport?
Click to expand...

Thanks you both for your replies.
Yes, it appears in my passport, listed under "father's name".
 
Britsimon said:
Do you mean as part of YOUR name?

The point being the instructions say to enter your name exactly as shown on the passport.
Click to expand...

Our passports list the names of both father and mother.
I'm perfectly aware of the instructions, but what caused me to do this is that (as I mentioned earlier) one of my previous two US visas listed my father's name as my middle name which is not weird or peculiar in my country. The thing is that we don't have middle names, and father's name is an equivalent in most official documents.
 
OK for clarification, here's how the first page of my passport goes:

Given name: A
Surname: B
Father name: C
Mother name: D
Sex
Date of birth
etc..

@Sm1smom sorry for being bothersome, do yo have any input regarding my matter? Thanks!
 
wendell said:
Our passports list the names of both father and mother.
I'm perfectly aware of the instructions, but what caused me to do this is that (as I mentioned earlier) one of my previous two US visas listed my father's name as my middle name which is not weird or peculiar in my country. The thing is that we don't have middle names, and father's name is an equivalent in most official documents.
Click to expand...


OK, well perhaps the local custom will see you through. In reality there is a big difference between you passport including parents names and you inserting that name into your name contrary to what is shown on your passport (which is the official treatment of your name in your locality).
 
Britsimon said:
OK, well perhaps the local custom will see you through. In reality there is a big difference between you passport including parents names and you inserting that name into your name contrary to what is shown on your passport (which is the official treatment of your name in your locality).
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply, crossing my fingers it'll go through without any problems...
So I shouldn't change anything in DS-260?
 
wendell said:
Thank you for your reply, crossing my fingers it'll go through without any problems...
So I shouldn't change anything in DS-260?
Click to expand...

I think you'll need to make a decision (to include it or not include it) and stick with that. You mention the two B visas - I would take them along - they are strong evidence of the "confusion" and treatment of the local custom. It will be clear that you have not tried to deceive anyone, so it will come down to the CO.

Wait for Mom and Susie to throw in their 2 cents also....
 
Britsimon said:
I think you'll need to make a decision (to include it or not include it) and stick with that. You mention the two B visas - I would take them along - they are strong evidence of the "confusion" and treatment of the local custom. It will be clear that you have not tried to deceive anyone, so it will come down to the CO.

Wait for Mom and Susie to throw in their 2 cents also....
Click to expand...

Not sure if I can add anything concrete but I agree taking the two old visas is probably a good idea - though iirc those visas should be listed in the DS260 and I presume will have been checked on.

There was one country, perhaps egypt? (not sure) where it is also custom to add father and grandfather name in, which sounds to me like a similar case, and those guys have been ok.
 
I have a little concern about my middle name too. In my passport only first name and last name are in English. So in DS260 name section I put just those. However, in the passport, my middle name appears in native alphabet (the middle name is a derivative of the father's first name). So in DS260 "native alphabet" section I included the middle name exactly as it appears in my passport. I also used "other names used" section to include my middle name transliterated into English (since it appears like that in the diploma).
The way I did it looks logical to me. What do you think?
I raised this question before on this thread, but it went unanswered.
Thank you,
 
SusieQQQ said:
Not sure if I can add anything concrete but I agree taking the two old visas is probably a good idea - though iirc those visas should be listed in the DS260 and I presume will have been checked on.

There was one country, perhaps egypt? (not sure) where it is also custom to add father and grandfather name in, which sounds to me like a similar case, and those guys have been ok.
Click to expand...

Yes, the situation here is similar to Egypt (and most Middle-Eastern countries, in fact).
The DS-260 asks about the details of your last US visa, however, the one containing the middle name is the one before it, but that won't be a problem because I have both visas on my old passport, and will take it to the interview.
Thank you so much!
 
Britsimon said:
I think you'll need to make a decision (to include it or not include it) and stick with that. You mention the two B visas - I would take them along - they are strong evidence of the "confusion" and treatment of the local custom. It will be clear that you have not tried to deceive anyone, so it will come down to the CO.

Wait for Mom and Susie to throw in their 2 cents also....
Click to expand...

I think you've thoroughly covered this, nothing concrete to add from this end :)
 
wendell said:
OK for clarification, here's how the first page of my passport goes:

Given name: A
Surname: B
Father name: C
Mother name: D
Sex
Date of birth
etc..

@Sm1smom sorry for being bothersome, do yo have any input regarding my matter? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Sorry I haven't been able to contribute to this discussion prior to now. Having gone through what's been written to date though, it doesn't look like there's anything new I can add to what's already been written/said.
 
Dear experts, I just thought of something:
Would it be wise to unlock DS-260, remove the middle name, and add it under "Other names/aliases"? or would that raise unnecessary red flags?
The thing is that the middle name also appears on my high school degree, and other documents, so I think it must be mentioned somewhere..

Thanks again!
 
wendell said:
Dear experts, I just thought of something:
Would it be wise to unlock DS-260, remove the middle name, and add it under "Other names/aliases"? or would that raise unnecessary red flags?
The thing is that the middle name also appears on my high school degree, and other documents, so I think it must be mentioned somewhere..

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Okay right now I'm too lazy to go back and read previous posts with regards to this name issue, so for my sanity I'm going to ask some questions and try to provide some applicable answers on my own.

The name in question, this middle name which happens to be your father's name, is it listed as your middle name on your passport? Did you list it as a middle name on your eDV registration? If the answer to these questions in 'NO' then stop stressing. Unlock your DS form and list it under 'Other Names' used. If you listed it as a middle name on your eDV registration or is listed on your passport as a middle name, then list it as a middle name on your DS form.
 
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