Name on Visa is Different than Legal Name

[a&n1021 0]

Hello everyone,

 

My now wife's name is Ngan (first) Bao (Middle) D____ (Last), but the US Embassy in Vietnam filed her name for the K1 visa as Bao Ngan (whole given name) D____ (last name).  When we applied for SSN, the person had her name on the SSN match the Visa and he recommended to apply for the Green card this way and then when she becomes a US citizen later, to do a legal name change.  In addition to all of this, we already started doing her Driver's license and school where the records for those are Ngan (first) Bao (Middle) and D____ (Last).  So there will be name conflicts.  I'm confused and unsure of the implications of all these name conflicts.  One big concern is we plan to apply for Financial Aid later, and if the name on the SSN does not match her school name, how will she be able to properly receive it?  Can anybody give us any suggestions on how we should file the I-485 under and about our situation?  Thank you very much.

 

Sincerely,

Andrew T_____ and Ngan D____

Edited July 6, 2021 by TBoneTX
names edited out of very public website

[Adventine 3,196]

Ideally, the error should have been corrected on the visa before her departure from Vietnam. Unfortunately it's too late for that.

 

Hopefully others with experience correcting names after arrival can chime in with advice.

 

 

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Last names have been edited out of this VERY public website.  The discrepancy in names should still be clear.  

[carmel34 3,626]

USCIS and DOS follow the name in the foreign passport exactly, for visas and everything else related to US immigration.  So I assume that the name in her passport is the one they are using and should be the name you use for everything else from now on (driver's license, school), until you can get her name changed legally and this process varies depending on the state of residency.  As you stated, the name change process may be easier if you wait until her immigration journey is over and she is a US citizen.  Good luck!

[ebenf 16]

This is very common from Vietnam. 

 

See here: 

 

Here: 

 

 

& Here: 

 

 

 

 

 

[Phuong Ly 103]

Hello, not sure if my answer would be too late. I am Vietnamese and have the same problem. We file all my immigrant paperworks with my name in the exact order of what was shown on my K1 visa. My green card, SSN also shown the name just like the visa. I would suggest changing her name in school and driver license. You don't want to mess with the CBP system. Say if they look her up and can't find her because data don't match. You ll have a bigger problem. 

This is my advice and it work in my case. I plan on changing my name when we get to the naturalization process.

Hope this help.