Previous Names Used ?

D

desihai

Registered Users (C)
Most of us from India had previously used abbreviated names with initials eg.
M.V. Gopalan or Gopalan M V and in US that gets expanded to Malgudi Venkatachalam Gopalan or Malgudi V Gopalan

Based on how you write name in passport, it may be even be Gopalan M Venkatachalam.

do you use the abbreviated names as past names used? Is it required? My first H1B of 2 months contained the abbreviated name, but all other docs including SS are full names as above. Please clarify
 
anyone for this ?
i see there is a similar post to middle name, but i will appreciate any response to using initial for first name and last name and whether it should be recorded ..
 
Hi desihai,

I made a mistake on my N-400 form by not including my second middle name (I have 2 middle names) on the form. I only used one of them in the US, but the N-400 instructions clearly state that you should add all names used in your life (not only in the US). I will add my second middle name to the FP personal information form when I go for FP next week, and when I go for my interview I plan to let the IO know about my mistake right upfront (since my original country's passport has all names on it).

I suppose you should add ALL names you used (here and abroad) to your N-400, including your name as shown on your passport and birth certificate. I think adding abbreviations is unnecessary since they can be easily figured out based on the full names.

* This is just a personal opinion - please do not take it as legal advice. I am not an attorney. *
 
Names & Initials

My birth certificate has my name without initials and my name in passport has with my
initials expanded. All along USCIS has gone by the name in my passport (with initials expanded).

I had submitted N400 with my name as it appears in my GC/Passport with full name
and initials expanded.

At the end of the N400 interview, I was told that my NC is still pending and that
I would have to wait until I am cleared.

I go for an INFOPASS after three weeks and then find out that my NC is cleared.
I wait for my oath letter for the next three weeks. Nothing shows up, I go for another
INFOPASS and this time the IO at the infopass counter gave me the same reply
that my name check has been cleared and that I would have to wait. I was not willing to
take that answer and repeatedly questioned if NC is not pending why is my file
still kept pending. After a lot of questioning the infopass officer goes into the
file room and comes back with my case folder. As shocking as it sounds the officer
tells me that I have been submitted for a Name Check the second time, that is correct
a SECOND TIME!

This time they have submitted my name without the initials. So is this the process
that a person gets name checked once with initials expanded and then once without.
They had both names on file since day 1 of my GC processing, why would they not check
both names the first time, why wait for 9 mos for the first one to clear and then
submit the second one.

The irony is Name 1 also has Name 2 part of it:
Name 1: Axxxxx Bxxxxx Cxxxx Dxxxx (Axxxxx Bxxxxx being my initials expanded)
Name 2: Cxxxxx Dxxxxx

What would be the need to check name 2 again if it was already part of name 1, dont they
slice and dice all parts of the name when they do a name check. So if name 1 came out clear
why would name 2 need another round of clearance?

I guess I just dont have a choice but have to wait for the second NC to clear.
The first one took 9 months to clear!!!

During N400 interview the IO does not say anything about NC to be done twice. The first one
was pending when I finished my interview. 3 weeks later I find out the first one is cleared.
6 weeks after interview I find out that I have been submitted for a name check the second time!

May be after another 9 months I may find out that there would a third NC!!! Just not
sure as to what the name would be for the third NC, may be it would be a combination of
both name 1 and name 2!

The NC saga continues...
 
Dilema on names used

This got me thinking and worried as well, my original name on the passport is
"FirstName MiddleName LastName" format, in India like most of us I went by "Initial. FirstName MiddleName", on my F-1 and going forward on all immigration/official documents my name was recorded as "FirstMiddleName LastName", for some reason on F-1 they concatenated the First and MiddleNames, so the only name I listed on the N-400 app was "FirstMiddleName LastName", in addition for simplicity sake, I use "FirstName LastName" format for non-official purposes. Now if I volunteer this information at interview, will it pose any problems? and will it trigger additional name checks for each of the formats I list, I can think of 3 additional formats I need to list as listed below.

1.) Initial. FirstName MiddleName
2.) FirstName MiddleName LastName
3.) FirstName LastName

What do you guys think, any suggestions on whether I should volunteer this information and mention that the last name never changed it is just the first and middle names that have taken multiple formats?....I am sure lot of you have this issue and am wondering if all of you did mention this in the interview?
 
Mant0478,

I would think they will run your name against all combinations of your name. At this point(since you are past adding stuff to the app) you are better off dealing with the questions the interviewer asks rather than offering variations.
I assume you would have documents that you will carry to the interview which have these variations . Offer name explanations for them only when(or if) asked.

I have a similar dilemma, but my N400 is not yet sent.
See posts:
http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=242398

I plan to list the variations(intials etc) in the N400. I am considering enforcing my current passport name on the US passport without having to go through a name change by using Itam A, Item B appropriately. (see other post)

Good luck and share your experiences with this forum.
 
Thanks

Thank you rkmr, I may mention the one variation as listed in my original passport and see what he/she says, I will post an update after the interview. If anyone else had mentioned any variations in the name, please post the details/outcome.



rkmr said:
Mant0478,

I would think they will run your name against all combinations of your name. At this point(since you are past adding stuff to the app) you are better off dealing with the questions the interviewer asks rather than offering variations.
I assume you would have documents that you will carry to the interview which have these variations . Offer name explanations for them only when(or if) asked.

I have a similar dilemma, but my N400 is not yet sent.
See posts:
http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=242398

I plan to list the variations(intials etc) in the N400. I am considering enforcing my current passport name on the US passport without having to go through a name change by using Itam A, Item B appropriately. (see other post)

Good luck and share your experiences with this forum.
Click to expand...
 
Anyone?

For those of you from India, did you mention Initial. FirstName MiddleName that we typically use in India in the previous names section and if you did not, did you mention it or update the app during the interview. Will mentioning this trigger additional name checks?

I maybe over thinking this issue but since my interview is coming up soon, I want to get all opinions and experiences related to this.
 
The vast majority of Indians do NOT use the name format you have mentioned, i.e. Initial. FirstName MiddleName. That is pretty much used only in South India.
Overall, most Indians go by First name, Middle Name (optional), Last Name (optional in rare cases!). But I am drifting.

Anyways, I spoke with two of my friends from South India about this. Both have received their US citizenships. One of them had put down all the various name combinations he has ever used including from docs like birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate etc. The other had put down only the names where there were (unexpanded) initials involved. He ignored those names where there was merely a reshuffling of expanded names. Not sure if this is right or wrong, but that's what they did and neither of them reported facing any issues or delays.

I asked, but neither of them was aware of any additional name checks that might have been done in their cases. I know this does not really help much, but hopefully someone else can shed some light here.
All the best for your interview.

Regards.
Sammy
 
Thanks Sammy for checking on this, thinking about it now, yes north indians do use their last name unabbreviated. Any other ideas?, anyone?
 
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