N-400 application: what to do about current legal name when what I consider to be middle name is in last name field of green card and passport

[lindinhos96 48]

Hi. I'm not sure what to put in the current legal name field of the n-400. In Brazil the mother's maiden name can be considered a middle name or first last name. On my birth certificate the name is just written on one line, with nothing saying what the middle name is and what the last name is. Previously Brazilian passports put the mother's maiden name in the first names field, but then they changed it to be in the last names field. Consequently, on my Brazilian passport, my last name is listed with two words: first my mother's maiden name, which I consider to be my middle name, and then what I consider to be my last name. I had thought I would just ask for a name change in my n-400 but that is not an option at my field office apparently. 

 

Here is an example of what is going on:

Birth certificate: Name: John Jacob Smith

Brazilian passport: First name(s): John; Last name(s): Jacob Smith

Green Card (they had to go by name as written on passport): Surname: Jacob Smith; Given name: John

What I would like on my US passport/future documents in US: First name: John; Middle name: Jacob; Last name: Smith

 

On the n-400, does it make sense to write my current legal name as First name: John; Middle name: Jacob; Last name(s): Smith? Obviously I would then also write Surname: Jacob Smith; Given name: John in the field about writing my name exactly as it appears on my Green Card. I am trying to avoid having to go through an annoying and expensive name changing process after getting my citizenship since I consider this to be one way of writing my legal name in my home country.

 

My top priority is to not cause delays and get my citizenship as soon as possible. I am pretty sure everyone here will just advise me to write my current legal name as it is on my Green Card, which is what I have used as my legal name in the US, and which is also considered my legal name in Brazil (even though Brazil would *also* consider the version with Jacob as my middle name to be my legal name). I'm sure it is safe to write my current legal name as it is written on my passport/Green Card since that also matches my birth certificate, but it is so annoying to have to go by this hard-to-pronounce two-word last name. Maybe another Brazilian has gone through something similar. I think most people will say it is safest to just change my name after naturalization in order to avoid delays, but let's see.

 

Thank you for your thoughts on this!

[Mike E 11,739]

9 hours ago, lindinhos96 said:

Brazilian passport: First name(s): John; Last name(s): Jacob Smith

Green Card (they had to go by name as written on passport): Surname: Jacob Smith; Given name: John

Then your legal name in the U.S. is

 

Surname: Jacob Smith;

Given name: John

 

9 hours ago, lindinhos96 said:

My top priority is to not cause delays and get my citizenship as soon as possible.

Then use that name on your N-400. After naturalization change your name per the state court process where you live.

 

N-400s with name changes range from easy to all but impossible. FOs with same day oaths tend toward the all but impossible.

 

 

[jackiegringa 419]

Same name structure, no middle name, two last names and it's been working fine. It seems like you can just keep it as is and have no issues.

 

For day to day stuff I have used just the second last name and omit the first, unless it's an official thing - bank account, mortgage, new job - going by just one name is fine. I have to spell it anyways so it's not a big issue one way or the other. Remember to put that as other used names/aliases on the uscis forms.

[carmel34 3,618]

13 hours ago, lindinhos96 said:

but it is so annoying to have to go by this hard-to-pronounce two-word last name

My Brazilian husband had a similar issue, when he got his Brazilian passport they moved his middle name to his last name, Jacob Smith, so the green card and everything for US immigration will be the same, including the N-400 that he filed back in August, 2022.  The only issue that comes up occasionally is, his surname is two names, separated by a space, and most in the US use a hyphen, but it has not created any significant problems.  For casual use around people, he just uses his first name anyway, so it hasn't been annoying at all.  George Santos has used multiple names in the US since he came from Brazil.

[lindinhos96 48]

Thank you for your responses. I know it will work just fine to consider going by this two-word name in the US and that the US considers it my legal name. But I do want to "change" my name officially here and I was just wondering if it could be done in the citizenship process without having to go through the name-change process later (considering there is no judicial ceremony here), since I did not actually change my name and just want it to match the name on my birth certificate as I interpret it. Anyway, since it seems no one has tried this we will probably just keep things as they are and I can change my name later, since I don't want to risk a delay. It is unfortunate that they do things this way because in official contexts I have to go by a very annoying two-word-no-hyphen name that no one can pronounce, so it sometimes causes bureaucratic issues...and I don't consider that to be my last name.  Otherwise like jackiegringa mentioned I use my "real" last name only. Oh well. Thanks again!

[Chancy 6,241]

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