N-400 USCIS Has been using two names

[TeamBWs 0]

My wife has had a green card since 2016 and is wanting to apply for citizenship. She has had a US social security card since she was young with her "American" first/given name. She also had this name as an "also known as" name on her Taiwan passport. She has this name for her bank accounts, credit cards, loans, all work/tax documents, and state drivers license... it is even listen when singing in to the egov.uscis.gov website we used to check the status of our green card applications. This was also her given name on her first green card. But back in 2018 when we did the renewal to get her second green card, they changed the name to her given "Mandarin" name, which is also on the name on her birth certificate.

 

We are in the Portland area.

 

Does anyone have any guidance as to how we need to fill out our N400? Can we just use the "American" given name or do we need to use the given "Mandarin" name and do a name change on the application. Or perhaps this isn't possible in Portland and we just need to do a legal name change afterwards?

 

I appreciate any help in advance. Thanks!

[TBoneTX 46,209]

Thread is moved to the US Citizenship main forum.

[K1visaHopeful 2,883]

Input her current name that immigration has. That would be indicated on her LAST Immigration Benefit card.

 

 

 

 

 

[TeamBWs 0]

1 hour ago, K1visaHopeful said:

Input her current name that immigration has. That would be indicated on her LAST Immigration Benefit card.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you. Do you know if it is possible to change the given name on the N400 to her "American" name?

[K1visaHopeful 2,883]

26 minutes ago, TeamBWs said:

Thank you. Do you know if it is possible to change the given name on the N400 to her "American" name?

N400 allows a legal name change. You may apply for N400 in any name you choose, IF you wish to be known by a new name that immigration does not have you legally identified by. 

I don't follow you calling each name by a different name like American or Mandarin etc. but that's irrelevant. 

 

Pick a name. Any name under the sun if that's the name you want to legally change your name to.

Joe Blow.

Marilyn Monroe.

Daffy Duck.

N400 allows you to change your name. You must apply for it in that name and select name change.

 

Where you live doesn't change that.  Some LFOs have an extra step in that you need to appear before a judge at your citizenship ceremony but that's it. 

[TeamBWs 0]

18 minutes ago, K1visaHopeful said:

N400 allows a legal name change. You may apply for N400 in any name you choose, IF you wish to be known by a new name that immigration does not have you legally identified by. 

I don't follow you calling each name by a different name like American or Mandarin etc. but that's irrelevant. 

 

Pick a name. Any name under the sun if that's the name you want to legally change your name to.

Joe Blow.

Marilyn Monroe.

Daffy Duck.

N400 allows you to change your name. You must apply for it in that name and select name change.

 

Where you live doesn't change that.  Some LFOs have an extra step in that you need to appear before a judge at your citizenship ceremony but that's it. 

What I mean by two different names is that she was born in Taiwan with a name in Mandarin. It's on her birth certificate and ROC passport. But she came to the states to study at a young age and had an American first/given name added to her ROC passport and has always gone by that name in the states. It's basically her name for everything here (social security card, drivers license, bank accounts, credit cards, loans, tax returns, etc.), even her first green card. But for some reason on the second green card they changed her first name to her Mandarin name. I'm not sure why they changed it. I just want to make sure that I fill out the N400 correctly.

 

At this point it sounds like I need to fill out the form with her Mandarin first name since that is what is on the latest green card, but I can use the name change portion of the N400 to make sure that her name is officially changed to her American first name.

 

I read that some cities don't allow a name change with the N400 (maybe the San Francisco office), which is why I was asking if Portland was a place where the name change can be done.

 

Thanks for all the help so far!

[K1visaHopeful 2,883]

41 minutes ago, TeamBWs said:

What I mean by two different names is that she was born in Taiwan with a name in Mandarin. It's on her birth certificate and ROC passport. But she came to the states to study at a young age and had an American first/given name added to her ROC passport and has always gone by that name in the states. It's basically her name for everything here (social security card, drivers license, bank accounts, credit cards, loans, tax returns, etc.), even her first green card. But for some reason on the second green card they changed her first name to her Mandarin name. I'm not sure why they changed it. I just want to make sure that I fill out the N400 correctly.

All of that is irrelevant. She can change her name with N400.

 

41 minutes ago, TeamBWs said:

At this point it sounds like I need to fill out the form with her Mandarin first name since that is what is on the latest green card, but I can use the name change portion of the N400 to make sure that her name is officially changed to her American first name.

As above, enter current legal immigration name. Select name change box and enter name change info. 

Have you looked at the form before coming here? That may help you to understand my replies.

41 minutes ago, TeamBWs said:

 

I read that some cities don't allow a name change with the N400 (maybe the San Francisco office), which is why I was asking if Portland was a place where the name change can be done.

That's false. Allow is not the correct term. All cities allow.

 

AS ABOVE, some LOCAL FIELD OFFICES where citizenship ceremonies take place don't DO the name change THERE. They INSTEAD do it front of the judge at a different location. That in no way doesn't mean you aren't allowed to change your name just because you live in a certain city. It just means that they SOMETIMES do your ceremony differently at a different location if you do a name change. 

41 minutes ago, TeamBWs said:

Thanks for all the help so far!

 

[TeamBWs 0]

46 minutes ago, K1visaHopeful said:

All of that is irrelevant. She can change her name with N400.

 

As above, enter current legal immigration name. Select name change box and enter name change info. 

Have you looked at the form before coming here? That may help you to understand my replies.

That's false. Allow is not the correct term. All cities allow.

 

AS ABOVE, some LOCAL FIELD OFFICES where citizenship ceremonies take place don't DO the name change THERE. They INSTEAD do it front of the judge at a different location. That in no way doesn't mean you aren't allowed to change your name just because you live in a certain city. It just means that they SOMETIMES do your ceremony differently at a different location if you do a name change. 

 

Thanks for the clear help! I appreciate it!

[OldUser 7,724]

Don't forget to list all used names on N-400 under Other Names section. There you should list Mandarin name and any other names prior to current legal name.