Blanks and last names form N-400

[Lejim 0]

Hey guys

I have two questions

1.- I'm filling out the form N-400 for citizenship, and there are a lot of questions that dont apply to me. some of them I have been writing N/A, but some of them it wont let me. Do I really need to fill out every blank space that dont apply to me? or is it okay if some of them are just left blank?

2.- In my country we have 4 different names ... First name - middle name- Last name (Father) - Last name (Mother). for instance "Manuel Alfonso Chacon Sanchez" so on the form PART 2 Section 2, I put my name as -Chacon-Manuel-Alfonso .. then on PART 2 section 3 it says "Other names you have used since Birth (include nicknames, aliases, and maiden names)" ... Should I put my Last name Sanchez in there?

Thanks

[Tanus2013 0]

Hey guys

I have two questions

1.- I'm filling out the form N-400 for citizenship, and there are a lot of questions that dont apply to me. some of them I have been writing N/A, but some of them it wont let me. Do I really need to fill out every blank space that dont apply to me? or is it okay if some of them are just left blank?

....

My personal experience is that it's o.k. to leave the field blank when it's not applicable. (i.e., I did that in my n-400 application and it went fine without any issue.)

[alix 20]

What name do you have in your greencard? I think they just want to know if you have used other names since moving here. I had my maiden name on my conditional greencard (which I eventually changed) so I put that in. But unless you have changed your name I don't think it's necessary.

[Lejim 0]

The name on my greencard is "Manuel Alfonso Chacon" . My last name Sanchez is left out cuz as you know they only use the fathers last name here in the US and not the mothers last name. I haven't changed my name, but I don't use my mothers last name (Sanchez) here in the US that's why I didn't know if I should put it. Thanks.

[obormot 0]

USCIS thinks that your official name is one written on your original birth certificate. I guess you have 2 last names on your birth certificate, so you should but "Chacon Sanchez" on the line for last name.

Moreover, unless you explicitely ask for name change, on naturalization certificate they will put "Chacon Sanchez", no matter what you use no the Green Card.

So you put "Chacon Sanchez" for your last name when answering the question about your legal name, and "Chacon" whan asnsering about your name on Green Card. You put nothing in the question about "other names" (since you mentioned all your names in 1. and 2.). If you do not want to use "Sanchez" ever again in your US documents, put "Chacon" in the line for (optioal) name change.

There is no rule in USA to use "only father's name", it is just more customary to do it. My oldest son was born in Spain and so has two lsat names (though we are not spaniards). We often only used one of his last names for differnt documents, including Green Card, but now he has both on his naturalization certificate and his US passport (he naturalized before 18, so they could not easily do "name change", it had to be done though cort, and we left it as it is).

Moreover, my younger children were born in US, and have 2 last names simply by our (paents') choice. They do not care here what last name(s) you give to your children.

Edited March 4, 2014 by obormot

[GJen 9]

Okay I am now a bit confused about how I should do mine. I also have 2 last names, but I have never included my second last name in any of my immigration forms and I haven't had any issue so far. Both my SS card and both my greencards had my first name middle name and one last name and I wanna keep it that way. Should I just keep filling out the form just as I have in the past? I do not want my second last name n my citizenship certificate.

[Lejim 0]

My name is just Manuel Alfonso chacon on my social and greencard I can't remember how I fill out the forms before but I want to leave out my last name Sanchez. I want to use just one last name.

[Nica_In_Love 98]

Okay I am now a bit confused about how I should do mine. I also have 2 last names, but I have never included my second last name in any of my immigration forms and I haven't had any issue so far. Both my SS card and both my greencards had my first name middle name and one last name and I wanna keep it that way. Should I just keep filling out the form just as I have in the past? I do not want my second last name n my citizenship certificate.

You'll have to tell that to the IO during the interview so they can fill out the court order name change. Dropping a last name is changing it. I had to do it even though my DL and SS card displayed the shorter version of my name.

[Lejim 0]

So should I put both of my last names and then select that I want to do a name change and drop my second last name? I just want to make sure I fill out the form the right way before I mail it.

[Nica_In_Love 98]

So should I put both of my last names and then select that I want to do a name change and drop my second last name? I just want to make sure I fill out the form the right way before I mail it.

For me it was a bit different, because I wasn't aware that in their system they still had my full name. So when I filled out my application, I did so using my married, short name. It was until the interview that the IO asked me, she said your name is showing as it is on your Nicaraguan passport and that's what would go on the certificate. So I said no, I want to keep the short version, and she filled out the court order and sign it.

[GJen 9]

For me it was a bit different, because I wasn't aware that in their system they still had my full name. So when I filled out my application, I did so using my married, short name. It was until the interview that the IO asked me, she said your name is showing as it is on your Nicaraguan passport and that's what would go on the certificate. So I said no, I want to keep the short version, and she filled out the court order and sign it.

So was your second last name left out in your greencard and SS card? This makes me think I might have to do the name change then, because maybe they had just one of my last names on my greencard, but maybe on their system they are keeping my full name as it is in my birth certificate, just like it happened to you... hmmmm

[Nica_In_Love 98]

So was your second last name left out in your greencard and SS card? This makes me think I might have to do the name change then, because maybe they had just one of my last names on my greencard, but maybe on their system they are keeping my full name as it is in my birth certificate, just like it happened to you... hmmmm

Sort of.

My Nicaraguan passport says (example) Maria Jose Perez de Smith, but my GC and SS say Maria J Smith. The system still showed the longer version and had to fill out a court order at the interview to make it officially just Maria Jose Smith and that's what was printed on my Naturalization Certificate.

[obormot 0]

It often happens that people get their name shorterned (or in other ways altered) on the Green Card or DL. However, it is not the change of your legal name. Typically, at some point during immigration you send to US immigration your birth certificate, or your original passport, or both. So they keep track of your "legal name". Your legal name is one on your birth certificate (unless you changed it OFFICIALLY through marriage, or special cort hearing).

So you should put your legal name on the first line, and your name on Green Card on the next line.

And, if they differ, you better bring your birth certificate, passport, etc. to the interview, just in case

If you want your legal name to become different (like on your Green Card, or in fact anything - for example if you want to be called "Vladimir Putin"), you have to indicate it on the form when it asks for name change, and to tell it to the officer during interview. Typically, your name change process will be carried then authomatically, by the same juge who conducts oath, and you will get naturalization certificate on your new legal name.

Good luck.