Translated names in documents

[Olive609 0]

I am about to file I-130 for my parents. They live in Ukraine so all their recent documents are in Ukrainian language, but some of their old documents, like marriage certificate and their birth certificates are in Russian language. The issue is back then it was Soviet Union and their names looked slightly different on document in Russian language, because their names were later translated in Ukrainian and changed. This happened to all people in Ukraine when it became independent - their names were translated. The difference is in spelling - for example the same name in Russian is Elena and in Ukrainian is Olena. So now that I making translations for all those documents, my interpreter is telling me this is going to be a problem. If there was a legal name change, I would happily submit whatever document, but there was not, they are the same names but they look different in 2 languages. I can't have those documents reissued in Ukrainian language, because they were issued in Russia, there is no Ukrainian version of it. Is this an issue? If so, what should I do? thank you

[OldUser 6,612]

I know somebody from that part of the world (Belarus) who had a similar concern. She's a naturalized US citizen now.

 

This is not as big of a deal as your interpreter pictures it. 

 

#1 Find a translator who specializes in all three languges: English, Russian and Ukrainian. My friend had an online agency translating docs. They can translate the name to current legal name in English and leave a note in translation explaining it. E.g. name Philippe (French) and Philip (English) is same name just spelled in different languages because documents are in different languages.

#2 In application forms like I-485 and other ones, there is usually a field "Other names used". Just list all variations of the name (Elena Smith, Olena Smith etc).

 

Don't worry too much. There's very small chance this will be an issue. If anything, your parents are not the first people with this "issue" as there are many Ukrainians living in the US who were born in USSR.

 

Good luck!

[Olive609 0]

So the “old” (Russian version) names on old documents should be translated to English into current (Ukrainian) names? An interpreter is fluent in all 3 languages and that’s what she said too, I just want to make sure that’s how it’s supposed to be. Again, they are the same names, anyone who speaks Ukrainian will know it. 

[OldUser 6,612]

4 hours ago, Olive609 said:

So the “old” (Russian version) names on old documents should be translated to English into current (Ukrainian) names? An interpreter is fluent in all 3 languages and that’s what she said too, I just want to make sure that’s how it’s supposed to be. Again, they are the same names, anyone who speaks Ukrainian will know it. 

Yes, it's just a different spelling of the same name. And as I mentioned, you can spell all variations in "Other names used" field on forms. Obviously this is not a legal advice and based on anecdotal knowledge. Good luck!

[pushbrk 12,870]

When "transliterated" to English, the names will be the same.  USCIS has dealt with Ukrainian documents before, and knows that for people above a certain age, some documents will be in Russian and others in Ukrainian.

[top_secret 2,411]

For reference.  While not directly applicable to USCIS or the State Department, Social Security has more or less established themselves as the gatekeeper of what are legal names in the US, so your could kind of argue they are authoritative.  They very directly deal with it in their Operations Manual and state that discrepancies that are  "obvious, easily explainable, and raises no doubt that the record pertains to the claimant." are inconsequential.  They specifically cite variations in the  "English equivalent of a foreign given name" as being inconsequential. https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0200302460  

[OldUser 6,612]

6 hours ago, top_secret said:

For reference.  While not directly applicable to USCIS or the State Department, Social Security has more or less established themselves as the gatekeeper of what are legal names in the US, so your could kind of argue they are authoritative.  They very directly deal with it in their Operations Manual and state that discrepancies that are  "obvious, easily explainable, and raises no doubt that the record pertains to the claimant." are inconsequential.  They specifically cite variations in the  "English equivalent of a foreign given name" as being inconsequential. https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0200302460  

That's a great find, thanks for sharing! 

[Olive609 0]

Thank you!