Name misspelling

[HappyTurtles 0]

My fiance lives in Colombia. We filed the I-129F application for her K1 Visa at the end of January. I watching the dates on the timelines page on this site and expecting them to get to our application within the next week.

I am worried now that I just realized that my fiance's name is spelled differently on her National ID and Passport that I thought. Her name is normally spelled Leymis with a "y". But I just found out that her name on her National ID and Passport is spelled Leimis with an "i".

Does anyone know how picky they are in the Visa process with details like this? Would one letter be an issue with the middle, two last names, birthdate, and everything else being accurate?

If this is an issue, how do I correct it without waiting another 6 months?

Thanks all for the advice and feedback.

[Mike B. 231]

First, I do not know the answer to your question of how picky everyone is going to be.

That being said, I wonder what you mean when you say her name is "normally" spelled Leymis. Is it spelled that way on her birth certificate or some other official document? Did she change it to Leymis? Or is her legal name pretty unambiguously Leimis on all her official documents?

Keep in mind that if you are doing this by the book, and you should be doing this by the book, the I-129F instructions state that "If either you or the person you are filing for is using a name other than that shown on the relevant documents, you must give USCIS copies of the legal documents that made the change, such as a marriage certificate, adoption decree or court order." Also, the G-325A very clearly tells you that you must give them all names that have ever been used in addition to her legal name. You are going to be asked to provide documentation on her name over and over again throughout the immigration process, as the Adjustment of Status, Removal of Conditions, and Naturalization processes all require that all names and aliases be provided so that the FBI can conduct a background check. You're also going to end up applying for a social security card, which is going to require proof of identity. You may end up needing to be legally married in Colombia (not sure of this, but it is the case for Peru) so that her ID card can be updated, and that will also probably involve dealing with her name. Finally, you should remember that every time she gets on a plane she will have to produce ID showing her name EXACTLY as you wrote it when you bought the ticket -- airlines have been known to refuse to allow people to board simply because they used their middle initial at one point and not at another. In sort, it would strike me as potentially being a fairly-big pain in the #### to have her name misspelled on a bunch of documents.

However, it is not the case that CBP is totally uncompromising on who they let into the country. For example, my wife's name in the United States is [First Name] [Middle Name] [Paternal Name]-[Married last name of husband]. Basically, just like everyone else who hyphenates their names. However, the Republic of Peru, in its infinite wisdom, decided that isn't good enough for them, and refused to issue a identity document with anything other than [First Name] [Middle Name] [Paternal Name] [Maternal name] de [Married last name of husband]. It is a thirty-four letter monstrosity.

Consequentially, the last names on my wife's passport (issued by Peru) and her green card (issued by the US) are different. When she travels, she carries a certified copy of her marriage certificate with her so that she has evidence of the legal basis for her name change. In practice, however, CBP is aware that different counties have different naming conventions and they have never given her a hard time about it.

Again, I wish I could tell you that just as they are understanding about my wife having two different last names due foreign to naming conventions, so too will they be understanding that your wife's first name is spelled differently on the documents you submitted (and consequentially her visa and green card) and on her Colombian passport. However, I can't tell you that as I just don't know. Maybe what I wrote will provoke someone who is more knowledgeable than me to come along and respond.

[Mononoke28 135]

My fiance lives in Colombia. We filed the I-129F application for her K1 Visa at the end of January. I watching the dates on the timelines page on this site and expecting them to get to our application within the next week.

I am worried now that I just realized that my fiance's name is spelled differently on her National ID and Passport that I thought. Her name is normally spelled Leymis with a "y". But I just found out that her name on her National ID and Passport is spelled Leimis with an "i".

Does anyone know how picky they are in the Visa process with details like this? Would one letter be an issue with the middle, two last names, birthdate, and everything else being accurate?

If this is an issue, how do I correct it without waiting another 6 months?

Thanks all for the advice and feedback.

If her name appears with an "i" on her passport and I.D. card (cédula) then that tells me that that's the way it was spelled on her birth certificate, double check to see if that is the case. The embassy will issue her visa based on what appears on her birth certificate and passport.

Another issue that will arise will be with her airline tickets because the name on the ticket needs to match what shows on her passport. So if she wants to change it, she needs to get a new one but like I said, I have a feeling that it may have to start with her birth certificate.

Diana

[HappyTurtles 0]

Thanks for the replies. Let me try to answer the questions.

I had always seen her name spelled with a "y". That is the way I saw it when we meet. That is the way she always signs her name. And that is the way we filled out the I-129F forms together. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I saw her passport and ID card that I noticed that it was spelled with an "i" on there.

I just saw online today that our application was approved. And they mailed the 2nd NOA letter last Friday. So i am wondering what trouble we might be in? Will it be no big deal as it is 1 character out of a 4 word name. And everything else in the application is good? Or we need to re-apply and wait for another 6 months. Waht should I do now?

Thanks for the advice.

[OZ62 17]

Thanks for the replies. Let me try to answer the questions.

I had always seen her name spelled with a "y". That is the way I saw it when we meet. That is the way she always signs her name. And that is the way we filled out the I-129F forms together. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I saw her passport and ID card that I noticed that it was spelled with an "i" on there.

I just saw online today that our application was approved. And they mailed the 2nd NOA letter last Friday. So i am wondering what trouble we might be in? Will it be no big deal as it is 1 character out of a 4 word name. And everything else in the application is good? Or we need to re-apply and wait for another 6 months. What should I do now?

Thanks for the advice.

Start with the Birth certificate, either way, you will have to bring this certificate to the embassy for the interview. Next, the passport. Next the cedula. Once you got the name down. Contact USCIS via phone and explain the situation and ask what do you need to do. Her visa and paperwork will have her name and it needs to be corrected ASAP... In other words... now.. before things get out of hands.

Good luck!!

Edited June 19, 2012 by OZ62

[Mononoke28 135]

Thanks for the replies. Let me try to answer the questions.

I had always seen her name spelled with a "y". That is the way I saw it when we meet. That is the way she always signs her name. And that is the way we filled out the I-129F forms together. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I saw her passport and ID card that I noticed that it was spelled with an "i" on there.

I just saw online today that our application was approved. And they mailed the 2nd NOA letter last Friday. So i am wondering what trouble we might be in? Will it be no big deal as it is 1 character out of a 4 word name. And everything else in the application is good? Or we need to re-apply and wait for another 6 months. Waht should I do now?

Thanks for the advice.

It sounds to me that her name was always written with an "i" and she chose to write it with a "y". Either that, or the person who issued her birth certificate was responsible for the error but it is what it is, if the birth certificate says it needs to be with an "i", then that's what her name will always be unless she changes it. The US embassy will issue her visa with the name that appears on the birth certificate and passport and the USCIS will issue her green card the same way. It needs to be constant especially when flying internationally or the airlines will make a big deal out of it. Again, the name of the ticket needs to match the info on the passport and green card.

If she does want her name to be spelled with a "y", she will eventually need to start by changing it on her birth certificate, then her cédula and then her passport. In Colombia this is not so easy to do, it can get complicated and very time consuming. So it's up to her.

Diana

[Julie y Pat 67]

I know some forms ask for other names used, you could include the alternate spelling there.

[Bryan and Isabel 29]

I consulted a Lawyer about the same thing, you need to start with the birth certificate name/spelling. That document remains a constant through out the whole process.