Polish surnames - Using 'ski' or 'ska' for wife when filling out forms

[I&G 2]

Hello,

I have a question regarding Polish surnames that end with ski (or ska for women) when filling out the various relevant immigration forms.

My surname ends with a 'ski', and in Poland the female version would end with a 'ska'. My wife's passport in Poland etc all has the 'ska' ending, but I am confused as to whether we should be using this when filling out the forms for US immigration? Does this make a difference? Is it ok to use the 'ska' ending for my wife or should we be using 'ski' for everything?

Many thanks to anyone can help out with this!

[Jana837 2]

Hi, my surname ends with -ova, which is a slovak thing just like ska for Polish. I kept it also at the end of my new surname after marrying my husband and we filled all the forms using -ova and it was ok. everything was processed without problems

[melanie2013 0]

I used the same as my husband ski instead of ska when we got married they said it be easier to be the same because we don't do that in the USA and may confuse so people

[kzielu 1,149]

Hello,

I have a question regarding Polish surnames that end with ski (or ska for women) when filling out the various relevant immigration forms.

My surname ends with a 'ski', and in Poland the female version would end with a 'ska'. My wife's passport in Poland etc all has the 'ska' ending, but I am confused as to whether we should be using this when filling out the forms for US immigration? Does this make a difference? Is it ok to use the 'ska' ending for my wife or should we be using 'ski' for everything?

Many thanks to anyone can help out with this!

It does make it difference because whatever you fill, it needs to match her ID. USCIS officers may not necessarily understand that Kowalska and Kowalski are really same people, and therefore will issue RFE at best. Use -ska if that's what she has in her ID. Using -ski (my US wife ended up with last name ending with -ski) is purely English thing.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Hello,

I have a question regarding Polish surnames that end with ski (or ska for women) when filling out the various relevant immigration forms.

My surname ends with a 'ski', and in Poland the female version would end with a 'ska'. My wife's passport in Poland etc all has the 'ska' ending, but I am confused as to whether we should be using this when filling out the forms for US immigration? Does this make a difference? Is it ok to use the 'ska' ending for my wife or should we be using 'ski' for everything?

Many thanks to anyone can help out with this!

Part of the decision is how you want to be called when wife gets US documents.

Most -if not all- Polish descendants in the US are 'ski' (and that is how one can tell if someone is real Polish or American-Polish).

The US documents are going to be written with the name you listed in the petition.

As far as I know, 'ska' is ok..It was with my wife. I'd write is the exact way as in the passport.

Now on the other side, I'm not 'ski' so maybe that helps, and there is a difference if marrying in the US, because you can effectively do a change of name when you do the license so you could make it 'ski' regardless of what the Polish passport says as it will then be how will she known in the US and US documents

The worst that can happen is that some people might think there was a typo in some forms if they see both your names, and might want to "help" you by correcting it, which in financial and other important documents would be annoying...You would need to be vigilant that it's always written correctly before signing anything

Isn't it common knowledge that woman in Poland use 'ska' anyway?

[Pishi_Pishi 63]

I am Polish as well and I got away for many years using Americanized name, but one time I was questioned at the airport by officer and yelled at because that one letter mattered to them. Since then when I fill out custom forms, I make sure not to do that, but everything else is fine. So you never know, when someone notices it. She can legally change it as well.

[I&G 2]

Thank you everyone for your responses! Very much appreciated. We're going to go with what's in the Polish documents since this does not appear to be an issue as far as the application goes.