US Name Order

[adcerites 3]

My wife received her visa couple days ago. I'm not sure if I should worry about the format her name is entered. Last middle middle first. It's exactly entered as her passport. Looking at mine it's last first middle. Would this be a problem when she gets her green card and social security card? I'm thinking it's going to be a bit reverse when we get it. Her first name will be her middle and middle being her first. Should i worry and how would I fix it? Thanks.

[luukee 19]

How did you fill out the paperwork?

[adcerites 3]

I'm assuming you're referring to the ds260. We filled it exactly how the Vietnamese would fill out their paperwork.

[luukee 19]

It's been awhile but the ssn and green card is based on all of the forms you've filled out

[adcerites 3]

Last middle middle first. I should have filled for given name first middle middle.

[danthong 0]

I had the same question as yours when filling out visa application. Then I sent a letter to Ho Chi Minh City Consulate to ask. Below is quote from their e-mail answer:

"Dear Ms. Nguyen,

Thank you for your inquiry.

Vietnamese names on U.S. visas are printed in the same order as found in the Vietnamese passport. If the Vietnamese passport shows the full name as: Nguyen, Thi Hanh Lien, you can fill Nguyen as Surname and Thi Hanh Lien as Given name on your forms. This is the correct order for Vietnamese names according to the U.S. Department of State."

So the name on your wife's visa is shown correctly. Don't worry about the name order shown on visa because when your wife arrives in the US, the immigrant official will do paperwork based on data on her passort.

[adcerites 3]

Thanks! I figure it should be the same as her passport. I have couple more questions you maybe able to answer. How did you buy your spouse's airplane ticket? I'm planning to buy it online and a cousin of mine said to enter the way it's suppose to be. Her first name as first. Her middle as her middle. Not according to her visa. I'll be heading back there in December to pick her up and I want to make sure we sit together. It's going to be her first time on a plane. I was planning to book a one way ticket there and book another one way with both of us back. Thanks!

[danthong 0]

I've just submitted our visa applications. I haven't bought our airplane tickets yet. I might to buy mine on hopper.com because I see it has good prices. I always use data on passport to provide information when I buy airplane tickets. Because when you buy online, you will get electronic ticket and your airline carrier will check you in by scanning your passport at a machine. So it's good idea to stick to your passport.

By the way, this is the first time I heard about hopper.com. Do you have any experience about hopper? Do you have any good online airline ticket seller to share? Have a good time!

[danthong 0]

I would like to add, to my case, I would enter my wife's name like this: Nguyen as Last name, Thi as Middle name, Hanh Lien as First name (My wife's first name is double first name)

[adcerites 3]

You're referring to buying airplane tickets right?

[danthong 0]

Yes. Where to buy airplane ticket online with confidence or fair prices.

[Bryan and An 23]

Just a word of advice, which may or may not be relevant depending on which airline you use, but when my fiance and I flew on Vietnam Airlines from Hanoi to Can Tho just a few months ago, they gave us a hell of a time because I had entered her name online as Last First Middle Middle, instead of the way it is on her passport (Last Middle Middle First). It was funny (not at all, actually) because I had done the exact same thing with a VietJet flight and even another Vietnam Airlines flight from Da Nang to Hanoi, and in both of those cases, the check-in person noted the difference and merely crossed out and changed the order of the names on the boarding passes with an ink pen. For some reason, I think the woman in Hanoi just wanted to give us a hard time; she was extremely polite to me when she thought I was alone, then her demeanor completely changed once she saw I was travelling with a Vietnamese woman. She said I could go ahead and check in with my baggage, but my fiance would have to wait until 20 minutes before takeoff to ensure there was "still room on the plane," or some such nonsense. I said no way were they getting my bags until I knew if my fiance could get on the plane or not. So we waited over an hour and checked again 20 minutes before takeoff, when they took her to another area and it was simply a matter of filling out a form which took all of about a minute. By the time we went through security check, we had to literally run through the airport as they're calling our names over the intercom. We barely made it. I don't think I've ever been so mad, and vowed never to fly VA again.

So long story short, enter her name exactly like it's entered on her passport when buying airline tickets just to be safe.

[danthong 0]

On Vietnamese forms, there aren't specified fill-out boxes for name like Last Name, First Name, Middle Name. Mostly, they only have Full Name box to fill out full name in here, so name order mistakes happen all the time, especially to foreigners.

[adcerites 3]

I'm planning to use EVA, Asiana or Korean air. How would you enter it online?

[cyclone27 710]

Last, First Middle - international airlines are aware of reverse order of names for Viet citizens. I've booked flights all over Vietnam, Southeast Asia and to the USA for my wife without issue. Funny enough even no issue even on Viet Airlines so think you just were unlucky.

Edited October 19, 2016 by cyclone27