incorrect order of name

[pantherboy 1]

Sorry to bump this old thread but I have the same issue with the naming convention on my paperwork:

 

My Vietnamese password has this order, which is the right order for Vietnamese nationals: Last Name, Middle Name 1, Middle Name 2 and First Name.

 

Because of it, my I-94 has the following:

• Surname - My actual last name (correct here)
• Given name - Middle 1, Middle 2 and First Name. (order is wrong here)

Everything else (including my Green Card) is Americanized in correct naming convention for the US (First, Middle, Middle, Last).

 

Question to those here: did any of you guys apply for naturalization and if yes, any issue with it?

[hopelifebetter201 72]

On 3/8/2019 at 12:39 PM, WandY said:

Do not use a hyphenated name. That causes way more problems in the U.S. than you can imagine. Also, it doesn't matter (at your stage) how the name is entered. Just go with it. Trying to fight the feds over the order of a name is a fool's folly. Trust me on this, I work for the government. You can fix later, after everything is done (citizenship).

Hi WandY, 

On my Vietnam passport my last name is HO, my middle name is VAN ,my first name is NAM.

On my green card, my surname is HO, given name is VAN NAM. so now my first name is VAN or VAN NAM? thanks.

[poh 125]

On 6/28/2020 at 8:21 AM, hopelifebetter201 said:

Hi WandY, 

On my Vietnam passport my last name is HO, my middle name is VAN ,my first name is NAM.

On my green card, my surname is HO, given name is VAN NAM. so now my first name is VAN or VAN NAM? thanks.

My wife is Vietnamese as well.  Does the Vietnamese passport have the name written in this order HO, VAN NAM ?

Wen applying for the greencard, you wrote familyname as HO and Givename as VAN and middle name as Nam?  On  my wife's greencard they initialized the middlename for my wife  which is MY and it is just initial M on the GC.    it sounds like your givenname on the greencard is Van Nam.  Your Givenname and middlename combined.  If that is the case, You want it to be written as Nam Van and  not Van Nam on the GC.  

 

it can get really tricky with Vietnamese names especially when booking flights exactly shown on the Vietnamese passport.

Edited June 30, 2020 by poh

[hopelifebetter201 72]

1 hour ago, poh said:

My wife is Vietnamese as well.  Does the Vietnamese passport have the name written in this order HO, VAN NAM ?

Wen applying for the greencard, you wrote familyname as HO and Givename as VAN and middle name as Nam?  On  my wife's greencard they initialized the middlename for my wife  which is MY and it is just initial M on the GC.    it sounds like your givenname on the greencard is Van Nam.  Your Givenname and middlename combined.  If that is the case, You want it to be written as Nam Van and  not Van Nam on the GC.  

 

it can get really tricky with Vietnamese names especially when booking flights exactly shown on the Vietnamese passport.

My Vietnamese passport shows full name in Vietnamese way: last, middle, first: Ho Van Nam. When applying green card I wrote last name Ho, middle name Van and first name Nam. But the green card shows last name Ho, given name: Van Nam. I do not know if they assume my first name with 2 words "Van Nam" and there is no middle name. As you said they might combine my first and middle name as given name. If so I do not know if I should write my first name now as Van and middle name Nam or "Van Nam" as first name and no middle name.

Edited June 30, 2020 by hopelifebetter201

[poh 125]

4 hours ago, hopelifebetter201 said:

My Vietnamese passport shows full name in Vietnamese way: last, middle, first: Ho Van Nam. When applying green card I wrote last name Ho, middle name Van and first name Nam. But the green card shows last name Ho, given name: Van Nam. I do not know if they assume my first name with 2 words "Van Nam" and there is no middle name. As you said they might combine my first and middle name as given name. If so I do not know if I should write my first name now as Van and middle name Nam or "Van Nam" as first name and no middle name.

  Maybe best to check with USCIS to be sure... I think they made an error on their end.  

 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by poh

[hopelifebetter201 72]

4 hours ago, poh said:

  Maybe best to check with USCIS to be sure... I think they made an error on their end.  

 

 

I found this on the Facebook page of U.S. Consulate General in Vietnam. As they said my given name is 2-word first name Van Nam (no middle name because they do not initiate Nam as N). If I choose to write Van Nam as my first name I think I need to write hyphen between Van-Nam? 

[poh 125]

5 hours ago, hopelifebetter201 said:

I found this on the Facebook page of U.S. Consulate General in Vietnam. As they said my given name is 2-word first name Van Nam (no middle name because they do not initiate Nam as N). If I choose to write Van Nam as my first name I think I need to write hyphen between Van-Nam? 

Good information.   I suppose this rule applies to GCs as well.  As one poster suggested, use what is on the GC.  I believe there is no hypen between Van Nam.  

 

In our case my wife changed her name.  She dropped one of her viếtnamese middle names when we applied for US marriage license .  I think USCIS used the full name from the US marriage certificate so they initialed her middle name on the GC. 

On her SS Card her full name is written without initials.  Firstname, middlename, surname. We updated her SS card based on her full name on the US marriage certificate. 

 

It sure is Very confusing and complicated... 

I am glad you found the answer.. 

 

Good luck to you 

Edited June 30, 2020 by poh

[Justin & Nhi 3]

That's terrible. My wifes second middle name is Nguyen. 

[hopelifebetter201 72]

19 hours ago, poh said:

Good information.   I suppose this rule applies to GCs as well.  As one poster suggested, use what is on the GC.  I believe there is no hypen between Van Nam.  

 

In our case my wife changed her name.  She dropped one of her viếtnamese middle names when we applied for US marriage license .  I think USCIS used the full name from the US marriage certificate so they initialed her middle name on the GC. 

On her SS Card her full name is written without initials.  Firstname, middlename, surname. We updated her SS card based on her full name on the US marriage certificate. 

 

It sure is Very confusing and complicated... 

I am glad you found the answer.. 

 

Good luck to you 

If I use Van Nam as first name without middle name. Do you think Americans will write my full name as Van N. Ho. That means Van now become first name, not Van Nam. In my mind, which one initiated is middle name. is that correct ?