My green card has one name (first name) and my foreign passport has another. The difference is primarily in the spelling due to transliteration as the name is the same. The last names are identical. The middle names are too. I noticed that all NOAs related to the citizenship case have my foreign first name in it when all of my US life - credit cards, driver's license, student records, scientific papers etc - have the other name in it that I actually prefer. Is it too late to change? Was I supposed to file some extra form related to this? I assumed that green card name is the one I will be naturalized with but I don't think it is true. My interview is on 9/19.
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Name change
- Thread starter udacha6
- Start date
Jackolantern
Registered Users (C)
Correct, it isn't true. That's why the N-400 has separate questions for your legal name and your name as displayed on the green card, because they know the green card name often isn't the same as the applicant's official legal name.I assumed that green card name is the one I will be naturalized with but I don't think it is true.
USCIS says your legal name is the name on your birth certificate, unless it was since changed by marriage or a name change court order. In your case they'll probably ask for your birth certificate (and its certified English translation) to resolve the discrepancy, so bring that to the interview. Or your marriage certificate, if your name was changed via marriage.
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Thanks for your reply!
I haven't changed my last name in marriage so this isn't a problem. It is my first name that is different.
I do have a translated birth certificate but it would have the same name as my foreign passport (transliterated from Cyrillic into Latin alphabet). As a result of transliteration it is three letters longer than my Cyrillic name in Cyrillic letters or English name in Latin letters, making the name very difficult to spell or pronounce. Do I need to request an official name change (first name only) in my case? What do I do with my foreign passport then? Do I need to apply for a name change in my birth country too after that? Wouldn't that be a nightmare......
I haven't changed my last name in marriage so this isn't a problem. It is my first name that is different.
I do have a translated birth certificate but it would have the same name as my foreign passport (transliterated from Cyrillic into Latin alphabet). As a result of transliteration it is three letters longer than my Cyrillic name in Cyrillic letters or English name in Latin letters, making the name very difficult to spell or pronounce. Do I need to request an official name change (first name only) in my case? What do I do with my foreign passport then? Do I need to apply for a name change in my birth country too after that? Wouldn't that be a nightmare......