First Name is FNU.. Please Help!!

Is birth certificate acceptable in NJ?

Hello all,
This seems like a very common problem, which is some consolation but that doesn't solve the problem.

Some of you have mentioned that birth certificate can be used instead of passport. But is this true for getting a NJ state license? I don't think it is one of the 4 pt documents. The following is from the NJ DMV website...

/****************/
Non U.S. citizens must submit at least one of the following primary documents * (4 Points Each):
Current alien registration card (new Form I-551) with expiration date including verification from INS or BCIS
Foreign passport with INS or BCIS verification and with valid record of arrival/departure (Form I-94) or valid I-551 stamp in passport
Refugee travel document (Form I-571)
US re-entry permit (Form I-327)
Valid I-94 stamped “Refugee”, “Parolee”, “Asylee” or “Notice of Action” (Form I-797 approved petition) by INS or BCIS
Valid I-94 with attached photo stamped “Processed for I-551…” by INS or BCIS
/*****************/


I am on and H1 visa and I don't think there is anything besides the passport is acceptable.

Please share your inputs.
 
FNU Problem....

Hai all... thought this might help someone trying to find some information for this FNU problem...
First of all i had multiple problems....
1. My name was not bifurcated properly in the passport.
My First name including my surname was printed under Given name in the
passport. Hence it became a very long name under first name in passport.
2. As you are all aware, if you do-not have a surname in the passport, the
consulate gives the name in the VISA page as FNU and the actual name
fully under last name.
3. Well..... now when i went to apply for SSN, they agreed to issue me a
SSN with my name matching the VISA page(i.e Mr.FNU xxxxx)
Then came the problem...Guess what.....my name was soo long that it
would not fit under last name in the system that SSN had.
Also the system would not accept the name if it does not match the INS
details(i.e as in VISA).
4. After a lottof discussion and struggle the officer got a way out for me.....
She managed to get-through/bypass the INS and entered my details and
issued a SSN for me... The SSN officer was really kind enuff to get a way
out for me....
Now my name in the SSN would be as it is in passport and not as in VISA
page.... well a big sigh of relief..... was getting really tough for me to
handle this..... as it would have become really complicated....
we'lll still have to get my drivers license... not sure what come next....
Gud luck all......
 
Lnu...

Hi ALL,


Any processing in place for this issuse.. I have checked with DMV office in NJ there told me that my SSN name was not matching my I797 .. so there asked me to change in the SSN.. but SSN told there cannt change the name .. wht to do.. any lucky on this.. Yesterday I have checked with my lawer he told me that DWV didnt have right to reject like that.. for Driving licence we cannt change the name.. so he asked me to check with Supervisor on this..

Please let me know if any of you have any inputs.. I am waiting for past four months on this..


Regards
Mahesh
 
Dear All,

It looks like the FNU problem is more widespread than I what I thought of it before. I am having the same problem as a lot of other people who have posted messages over here.

I have a FNU on my visa and on my I-94 as a result of the first name being blank on my passport. The social security office also issued me the SSN with a FNU.

I have now got a new passport with the name correctly split up. The visa still remains in the old passport and it will stay valid. But I want to get it corrected in my visa so that I can get it changed with the social security office.

Can anyone please let me know if that is possible for me to do it over here in US? Or can I get it done in India when I go there sometime? Pls let me know the details on how to go about correcting it in my visa.

Thanks and Regards,
 
FNU Me TOO

Hey,
How did you get your new passport with correct name? How long did it take? whats the procedure?
Thanks
Anant
 
you can contact the concerned Indian Embassy and explain it to them. You can then apply for a new passport with the correct name. You might have to give an affidavit stating your first name and last name. Your university might be able to help out with an attorney for that.

I also enquired with the local immigration office whether they will correct the name on the visa. But they said only the US consulate office which issued the visa (Chennai in my case) can do that.
 
FNU again

At the consulate what procedure did you follow,
1) the procedure to apply for a new passport
2) The procedure for name change?

Also could you tell me how long it took for you to get the new passport. I plan to visit India in Jan and want to get my new passport before that,

Thanks
Ananth
 
FNU crap, why not LNU ?

Wow so many FNU's lurking around, and I thought I was the only one who had to face this problem.
this is so stupid on part of the INS and the US consulate to put the given name as the last name and enter FNU for the First name. If at all they have to put some S*** like FNU, they should put it in the Last Name (such as LNU). They make a mess of everything by converting our First Name to Last Name. Some wierd rule states that a person may not have a first name but has to have a Last Name. Total bull crap!!!! I have had so much problems explaining to each and every one about the FNU crap.

I have been here almost six years now and this FNU problem is now become tertiary. Used to carry my I-94, Visa, SSN, license, credit card, ATM card all with the FNU crap for sometime. All this even though my H1 Approval notice had a proper Last Name in it. The US Consulate went by what was in the passport which like all of us FNU's here, only has the given name.

The DMV, the SSN office and the banks apparantly go by the I-94. The small piece of paper apparantly is the most important paper while you are in US. At the time of arrival I was confused about what name I should write in the I-94 as the Passport only has my first name while the stamped Visa had this FNU crap. So in order to play safe most of us decided to put in the FNU thing there. I realized later that if I had put my porper last name in there I would have been saved all this crap in the SSN and DMV.

So this is what I exactly did when I returned to US the next time around. Now my I-94 had a proper first name and last name. I promptly changed the name on everything including the SSN and DMV. I am now completely free of the FNU crap except for that first Visa Stamp. Once my current passport expires I will be rid of the last remaining FNU crap. But I guess I would have to retain the old passprt with me for eternity I believe.

So here are the lessons I learnt in order to correct the FNU crap.

1. If possible correct the name in your passport to include your last name. I know this is tricky for people like me who come from a community who have no concept of last name. So you can either put your father's first name as your last name which is the best alternative. Else you can also put your caste, sect, sub-sect as your last name. You can also put your place of birth as your last name, which i think is cool. Or the best is to make up bizzare last name that no one ever has. This would make your name truly unique and any name search on you would pop only your name.

2. If you have already got the Visa Stamped as FNU, then while entering the US enter your full name in the I-94. This will solve all the problems then and there. Offcourse you may have to substantiate the name that your are putting there. So use the last name if your already have one in any of your other supporting documents like birth certificate, Graduation certificates etc. Using your father's first name is the safest way to go if there is no other supporting document. Your passprt has your father's name so it can be cross checked.

3. If you have chickened out like me the first time around and ended up with the FNU crap in the I-94 then god bless you.
Actually you still have a way out, if your are doing an H1 transfer or renewing the H1. You will get a new I-94 with he new H1 approval notice. Have your employer put the full name in the H1 tranfer or renewal petition. This effectively will become your new I-94 and using it you can change everything.

4. Last if you are stuck with the I-94 with the FNU crap for 3 years in the same company then make sure your have the FNU crap in each and every thing (SSN, DMV, Bank, Credit Card). This way things will move smooth as you will have a consistant name everywhere. Live with this until you get the corrected I-94.

Changing the name in the passport after coming to US is a real pain in the butt.

Hope this helps any future FNU's.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Latest News on the FNU issue

Hi Guys

Here's the latest official word on the FNU issue.

http://www.visapro.com/India/Consulate-News/?a=270&z=61

My company recently mailed that US Consulate has stopped issuing Visas without proper bifurcation on first and last name.

In my case, I just have my First Name "Rahul" in the Given name in passport and have FNU Rahul in Visa.

Now I may face problem when I go for restamping, So I am thinking of changing my Name in the passport.

But have to get it changed in many other places too (Just in case further problmes arise in future) - School and University Certificates,Bank a/cs.......

Its tough. But have to go thru it, there's no other way...
 
r_a_h_u_l,
If you can pull it off then thats great.
I have pondered this before but the shear logistics are mind boggling.

Changing the name in the Passport is fairly simple, changing in School and University certificates is altogather a different ball game. I attempted and then gave up in the first obstacle.
Furthemore you really dont need to get the name changed in all the places. Passport is good enough. Along with this get an affidavit from a lawyer (notary) stating the details of why the full name does not appear on any of the documents and giving the full name and saying that both the names (full name and the given name) are of one person.
Carry this affidavit with you all the time.

But as i said if you can pull of what you said then nothing like it, but personally its not worth it.

neocor
 
neocor,

I have initiated the process of getting the name changed in the passport.
Right now am in CA and as per SFO consulate, need to post an Ad in a local newspaper as well as paper in premanent address in India.

Now the problem is that the local newpaper needs "Order of Show Cause" notice signed from the judge in a probate court. What that means is that you have to file a petition for Name change in a probate court and go through the whole process of Name change required by the US law.

The whole process is very lengthy (like all legal works) and I am wondering if I can get an Ad published in local paper without this Show cause since my name change is on my Indian Passport and I am not an american citizen.

Has anyone done a name change in their Indian passport from US? Pls provide you inputs...
 
r_a_h_u_l

Well I dint know that you have to go throught that "Show causes notice and stuff" for even giving an Advt in Local Newspaper here.
I had given up just because I have to advertise in India too.

I am currently fine with all my records converted to a proper last name. And that I accomplished as i said before by having my employer apply for H1 renewal with the correct last name. My Passport though still has only my first name. I plan to change it only when the passport is up for renewal.

After looking at this "show couse notice" stuff, I think it would be easier to just go to India, Bribe some official there and get it done in a day to two there itself.

Good luck

neocor
 
Successfully changed my name everywhere

Rules are strictly followed here. Only thing we need to wait for a long time.. This is what I did to correct my name everywhere

1. April 2005 - FNU - Passport, Visa

2. July 2005 - because of this SSN got delayed for 4 months and received with FNU

3. July 2005 - DMV refused to give license, because they cannot give license with FNU.

4. July 2005 - Enquired local newspapers in Philly - They told that I need to get court order number

5. July 2005 - Went to court, they said that I need to show proof of my residence for 6 months, and should contact attorney for name change.

6. August 2005 - Talked to attorneys - they said I need to give 100 $ consulatation + actual charges of name change

7. August 2005 - I have decided to give up, but at last try, I have enquired with Desi newspapers in NJ for name change advertisement. They agreed to give advertisement with 40 $ charge

8. September 2005 - I gave the ad in NJ, and in Chennai India.

9. September 2005 - Went to Indian Embassy NYC, they said, I need to wait for 1 month time after ad date(b cos somebody will object for this name change... I dont know how they will come to know, if somebody objects!!)

10. October 2005 - I applied for Passport Name change

11. October 2005 - Received with proper lastname, firstname in passport after 3 weeks time

12. November 2005 - With this I went to SSN office for name change

13. December 2005 - I got the SSN with changed name

14. In the mean time, everywhere my name went as FNU Siva(Insurance, Bank Acct, Utility bills, Pay Check, etc..)

15. December 2005 - Initiated everywhere to change my name

16. December 2005 - Applied for Driving License -

17. January 2006 - Failed 2 times in road test - (I need to unlearn my aggressive car driving habit learned over 2 years in India.. :))

18. 03- February 2006 - Today I have passed my road test and received my license, W2 forms, Insurance card and other documents with my changed name...Got relieved from FNU everywhere!!!..

The whole process took me 10 months time (purchased car in December 2005 only after correcting everywhere)...

Lessons learned : Don't give up. Follow the system, Dont have to break the rules to get your things done...

Thank you buddies!! Have a great week end!!!

Thanks
Siva
(formerly FNU Siva)

:))
 
Siva,

You were forced to do so you did it.
If suppose the DMV had given you the license with the FNU thing then you would really not have gone ahead with this.

4-5 years back NJ DMV used to give license with the FNU thing, I dont know about that.
The Dallas DMV actually did better, they gave the License without any last name, just with the First name as is in our Passport.
This is the best, but alas not all organisations accept that.

anyway congrats for the good work done.

neocor
 
Here is what I have been able to do get myself rid of FNU -
- Applied for a new passport while I was in US. Was able to get it without much hassle since technically it was not a name change but merely putting them in the right places.
- Applied for a new visa (F-1 in my case) when I went to India. Same rules apply. Book a date, pay all the fees but do mention it to them that you already have a vaild visa (which should now be on your old passport) and that you just want a visa with the correct name.
- I-94 was taken care of when I flew back in.
- With this, I was able to change it with the social security, banks, credit cards and every other place where FNU was being used.

Good luck to everyone wanting to get out of this mess.
 
I too had the same problem.. My passport had only 1 field 'Name' and displayed my full name. My first visa stamping (in 2003) was correct with proper first and last names (inspite of the passport). So I had obtained SSN and my DE license without any issues. When I went for the next stamping in May 2005 chennai consulate issued a visa with last name as the name in passport and first name as FNU. I was very worried when I saw this and contacted the chennai consulate in a hurry as I had to come back here. They said that is how they would stamp the passport which do not distinctly have the first and last names. Luckily I did not have any issues at the port of entry.

The problem surfaced again when I moved to PA and had to change my license. The DMV at PA told my SSN, I-94 and passport should match. When I asked what I should do they asked me to get it changed (yeah right) or get a letter from INS. I looked around the web and found this page. I also spoke to my attorney who told me to go to Indian consulate and get a new passport etc... I thought I would try other DMVs in the mean time...luckily one other DMV just checked my I-94(which I had written correctly) the passport fist page (which would seem right if you don't look too close since it is handwritten) and gave me the license... I was so relieved since I urgently needed my license...

Thought I would post it here..

i know the problem is just out temporarily..i am now looking for ways to get a stamp on my passport correcting my name..have mailed the RPO..will post when there are updates..

fnuSK
 
Yet another FNU

guys i had luck with dmv and ssn since my I94 had only my first name but i need help on how to file tax returns........what name to write there....sine ssn has put same info as visa i.e. FNU ManojKumar

do replyi need to file tax before 17 Apr man..........
 
manukn said:
guys i had luck with dmv and ssn since my I94 had only my first name but i need help on how to file tax returns........what name to write there....sine ssn has put same info as visa i.e. FNU ManojKumar

do replyi need to file tax before 17 Apr man..........
Click to expand...

You should use the name that appears on the W2.

neocor
 
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