typographic error on employment authorization card

[Craig Scott 0]

Hello:

My wife's employment authorization card has her first and last names reversed by mistake.

On the card, her first name is shown as her family name and her family name is shown as her first name.

We are working to correct this simple mistake on her green card (not expected for another 4-6 months).

She urgently needs to travel to Vietnam and we are wondering whether the CBP officer at O'Hare will allow her to re-enter without a problem.

Does anyone have experience with this situation?

She is Vietnamese and her passport shows her family name first and first name last.

She will have to list her first and last name on the immigration entry form. This will conflict with the first and last name listed on the employment authorization card and her passport.

By the way, her name is also written correctly just above her photo on the employment card.

We think it is probably ok for her to travel but are worried that the CBP officer might deny entry based on this technicality. I am hoping they understand the Vietnamese convention of listing the family name first on passports and other official documents.

Any advice? Who can we consult in this matter?

Am trying to call the CBP at O'Hare airport to get advice but am having trouble getting through.

Thanks for any help!

Craig

[Pitaya 2,577]

The use of family (surname) name first and given name second is not isolated to Vietnamese custom. It is the same in China as well (and likely elsewhere). CBP will likely not be able to help much. If your documents are from USCIS, i.e., EAD, AP, Green Card are incorrect, it is USCIS that has to be contacted. Did you read the document from USCIS that accompanied the EAD card? I believe that there are instructions about errors and the procedure to getting corrections completed. If you are in a hurry, suggest that you make an InfoPass appointment and get it sorted out, ASAP.

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/News/Your%20Guide%20to%20InfoPass/info-pass-fact-sheet.pdf

Good luck on your immigration journey.