Changing a letter in my first name

[stacyt 209]

Hello!

 

I'm Ukrainian and we're using Cyrillic alphabet here. In my travel doc, my first name is spelled as Anastasiya and it's really bothering me for no reason, want to remove theY at the end to make it Anastasia. I know it may sound ridiculous but guys, anybody had to make these changes when getting the green card or marriage certificate? How hard is it?

 

Thank you!

[gregcrs2 1,778]

It takes time and money.  You have go through a legal name change process.  Just google it.  And of course to complicate matters (besides immigration), you still have to deal with a name change in Ukraine.   My personal opinion, it's just not worth it to remove one letter from a first name.

[Alabamak1 688]

yes, it is going to be expensive and not worth it. Best is to wait a few years and change your name when and if you naturalize USC, saves you the headache in your passport at least, that i know of

[debbiedoo 2,339]

if you want to change your first name, you have to go through the legal,court process to do so. time and money.  not sure if you can do it when you naturalize?

 

getting married only allows the last name to change.

 

 

[stacyt 209]

3 hours ago, gregcrs2 said:

It takes time and money.  You have go through a legal name change process.  Just google it.  And of course to complicate matters (besides immigration), you still have to deal with a name change in Ukraine.   My personal opinion, it's just not worth it to remove one letter from a first name.

I don't need to change my name in Ukraine, it's the same name. We use a different alphabet and Anastasiya = Anastasia, there are people who spell it both ways in English letters. Just a matter of transliteration. Which is why I'm asking.

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

2 hours ago, stacyt said:

I don't need to change my name in Ukraine, it's the same name. We use a different alphabet and Anastasiya = Anastasia, there are people who spell it both ways in English letters. Just a matter of transliteration.

Heck, my fiancée has different transliterations on her Russian passport, the site we met on, and on social media. I don't know the answer, though. Which meant we made a few passes through our petition making sure we only used what's on her passport there ...

 

You certainly ought to be able to pick your preferred transliteration of a non-Roman alphabet name, but whether you actually can use something other than what's on your passport as your legal name in the US without going through a legal name change process, I couldn't tell you.

[stacyt 209]

1 minute ago, DaveAndAnastasia said:

Heck, my fiancée has different transliterations on her Russian passport, the site we met on, and on social media. I don't know the answer, though. Which meant we made a few passes through our petition making sure we only used what's on her passport there ...

 

You certainly ought to be able to pick your preferred transliteration of a non-Roman alphabet name, but whether you actually can use something other than what's on your passport as your legal name in the US without going through a legal name change process, I couldn't tell you.

It looks like on the marriage certificate, there will be a line "Name" (given at birth) and then Current Name where I write my new last name but I can also have a different spelling of my first I believe and the certificate will be a proof of name change 

[Ksenia_O 696]

1 hour ago, stacyt said:

It looks like on the marriage certificate, there will be a line "Name" (given at birth) and then Current Name where I write my new last name but I can also have a different spelling of my first I believe and the certificate will be a proof of name change 

NO, you CAN NOT.

Your name has to be the same as it's spelled in your Passport (International one). That's your ONLY ID , until you get your EAD card or an actual green card. Your Marriage Certificate will be attached to your I-485 application. So, NO, "improvisations" on your MC -  USCIS recognizes you by the name in your Passport. For now.  And you don't really want any complications and "interesting" RFEs due to that, applying for a green card, do you?.

 

 

4 hours ago, stacyt said:

I don't need to change my name in Ukraine, it's the same name. We use a different alphabet and Anastasiya = Anastasia, there are people who spell it both ways in English letters. Just a matter of transliteration. Which is why I'm asking.

 

You will have to.

 

You can have two possible scenarios:

 

1. You change the spelling of your first name before applying for AOS

First - you get this change done through your local civil court. It's time and  it's money. After that, applying for AOS,  you can use your 'new" first name on I-485/I-131/I-765 forms.

 

Let's assume you receive your EAD within 4-6 months after submission. You would still want to travel internationally , right? You have to use your passport as a Travel Document. Booking ticket, name must match with your passport. 

So, you WILL NEED to change your name on your International  passport. You can do it here, through the Embassy. And it takes about 3-4 months. Again - time and money. Plus keep in mind - you won't be able to change your last name on your travel document in the US - last name change has to be done on your Interior passport FIRST and THIS can be done only in Ukraine.

 

So, basically, if you go this route, all that painful paperwork, with a waste of time and money will be done just to drop one letter in your first name spelling. Is it really worth it?...

 

 

2. You change the spelling of your first name before applying for AOS and change your name on your Travel Document in Ukraine

 

Basically, the same steps as above - change of the first name through your local court, then AOS/EAD submission. 

You receive your EAD or green card and go to Ukraine , hoping to change your first name in your Travel document. 

 

Since you will have the  document, issued by US government with a different first name spelling (let's assume you got the change successfully  done through Court), it should be doable. - usually OVIR accepts that and most likely you'll get your Travel Document with  a new first name. Great. But - we still have tickets. You booked round trip, right?.... Again name must match. And now you are at the mercy of Air Company.

 

You will already  have to carry your Marriage license any way - as a proof of your new last name . Remember - green card (issued under married name) or EAD is just to be able to enter the US. And to be allowed the boarding, leaving another country, if your destination is USA. But To travel - you still have to use your passport. 

 

Do you really want to carry all  that paperwork, hoping for the best every time?... Again - just for one letter drop, to addition to all paperwork you will  have to do, applying for a green card and Employment Authorization??... 

 

P.S. I'm not even talking about the change of the last name.... I've done that. And if I knew it was going to be as it was, I'would have never ever even started that!

It was a pain and it took almost 2 months, in Ukraine. And that was quick. Usually - takes longer. After I got last name change done, we faced "ticket" issue. Round trip And it was booked under my maiden name as it was on my Travel Document at the time of booking. My husband and I spent 2 days (he is in the US, I'm in Ukraine) on the phone and writing e-mails, to have my last name changed on the tickets. With Delta/Air France. And we were just lucky! My friend wasn't able to do so with Lufthansa and had to book another ticket.

 

.. maybe, it would be more reasonable to get the change done when it's time to get your US passport?.....

Edited July 27, 2018 by Ksenia_O

[stacyt 209]

3 minutes ago, Ksenia_O said:

NO, you CAN NOT.

Your name has to be the same as it's spelled in your Passport (International one). That's your ONLY ID , until you get your EAD card or an actual green card. Your Marriage Certificate will be attached to your I-485 application. So, NO, "improvisations" on your MC -  USCIS recognizes you by the name in your Passport. For now.  And you don't really want any complications and "interesting" RFEs due to that, applying for a green card, do you?.

 

 

 

You will have to.

 

You can have two possible scenarios:

 

1. You change the spelling of your first name before applying for AOS

First - you get this change done through your local civil court. It's time and  it's money. After that, applying for AOS,  you can use your 'new" first name on I-485/I-131/I-765 forms.

 

Let's assume you receive your EAD within 4-6 months after submission. You would still want to travel internationally , right? You have to use your passport as a Travel Document. Booking ticket, name must match with your passport. 

So, you WILL NEED to change your name on your International  passport. You can do it here, through the Embassy. And it takes about 3-4 months. Again - time and money. Plus keep in mind - you won't be able to change your last name on your travel document in the US - last name change has to be done on your Interior passport FIRST and THIS can be done only in Ukraine.

 

So, basically, if you go this route, all that painful paperwork, with a waste of time and money will be done just to drop one letter in your first name spelling. Is it really worth it?...

 

2. You change the spelling of your first name before applying for AOS and change your name on your Travel Document in Ukraine

 

 

Basically, the same steps as above - change of the first name through your local court, then AOS/EAD submission. 

You receive your EAD or green card and go to Ukraine , hoping to change your first name in your Travel document. 

 

Since you will have the  document, issued by US government with a different first name spelling (let's assume you got the change successfully  done through Court), it should be doable. - usually OVIR accepts that and most likely you'll get your Travel Document with  a new first name. Great. But - we still have tickets. You booked round trip, right?.... Again name must match. And now you are at the mercy of Air Company.

 

You will already  have to carry your Marriage license any way - as a proof of your new last name . Remember - green card (issued under married name) or EAD is just to be able to enter the US. And to be allowed the boarding, leaving another country, if your destination is USA. But To travel - you still have to use your passport. 

 

Do you really want to carry all  that paperwork, hoping for the best every time?... Again - just for one letter drop, to addition to all paperwork you will  have to do, applying for a green card and Employment Authorization??... 

 

P.S. I'm not even talking about the change of the last name.... I've done that. And i I new it was going to be as it wos, I'would have never ever even started that!

It was a pain and it took almost 2 months, in Ukraine. And that was quick. Usually - takes longer. After I got lat name change done, we faced "ticket" issue. Round trip And it was booked under my maiden name as it was on my Travel Document at the time of booking. My husband and I spent 2 days (he is in the US, I'm in Ukraine) on the phone and writing e-mails, to have my last name changed on the tickets. With Delta/Air France. And we were just lucky! My friend wasn't able to do so with Lufthansa and had to book another ticket.

 

.. maybe, it would be more reasonable to get the change when its time to get your US passport?.....

Thanks for letting know! As far as the round trip and tickets. Ukraine allows keeping an old passport or you can “lose” it lol. And at the moment getting a new passport in Ukraine only takes 20 working days and $30 😊

[Ksenia_O 696]

23 minutes ago, stacyt said:

Thanks for letting know! As far as the round trip and tickets. Ukraine allows keeping an old passport or you can “lose” it lol. And at the moment getting a new passport in Ukraine only takes 20 working days and $30 😊

 

To have a new spelling in your second Travel document you have to have a "basis" for the different spelling. Usually,   a document, issued by the country you reside in,  works as a reason  to have another spelling. 

So, again - your local court FIRST, before you apply for anything here in the US. Taking into account current USCIS processing time, -when everything takes FOREVER...Well, it's your choice .

 

And again - tickets. You will book them under your name on the Passport #1, since you won't have yet the Passport #2.  And #2 may not let you boarding, leaving Ukraine - different name on the ticket.

At the same time #1 can also bring you to boarding denial  - since your first name on your EAD or green card and in the passport #1 will be mismatched. 

 

 

Also, yes, you can have two Travel Documents. But you should be aware -  only  if they are under the same last name.

 

So here we are again - everything, including a possible troubles with leaving any country for  US, just for dropping  one letter? 

 

 

But - whatever. It's up to you.

 

 

Edited July 27, 2018 by Ksenia_O