FNU in the first or last name in US VISA

If you have FNU in your first or last name, it takes some effort to have the records set straight. 

Relax, it is not a big deal, but you still need to jump some hoops. 

My experience made me crazy for want of information, so I thought I would put it all together for others in the same boat. So, read along!

The following is a detailed version of how to get records changed in the US if you have FNU in your US VISA (in 3 easy steps)!

1) Change your name in your Indian Passport to separate your first name and last name. 

From:

Given Names: Adithya Vikram  

Surname:blank

To:
Given Names: Adithya
Surname: Vikram

• Go to the website of the Indian Consulate (that covers your location) and fill out the Online form to get your name changed.
• Find your US Consulate Page here: http://www.cgisf.org/contact/consulates.html 
• Instructions about how to fill the form: http://www.cgisf.org/passport/onlineapplication.html
• The above page has the following Online form link (https://passport.gov.in/nri/OnlineRegistration.jsp?pocode=USAS) (NOTE: This is for SFO only, check your area consulate website for your link)
• The Online form will ask you for your details and how you want your name to appear in your new passport; Fill it and at the end you will get an auto-generated appointment date
• You have the choice of either appearing before a Consular officer in person on the auto-generated appointment date or mailing your documents
• Note: If you wish to mail your documents to (your area) Passport cell, then you have to notarize all the documents (except Passport, because you have to send the original) that you send them, including your photos pasted on the Application Form.

Documents I submitted (along with Photocopy of all):

• Original Passport

• Ad in US Newspaper

Format in which ad was published:

"Notice is hereby given that Adithya Vikram of is the same as First name: Adithya Last name: Vikram"

After publishing the ad, the newspaper guys sent me an affidavit with the Original clipping of the ad which is what I submitted.

(Please note that this format worked for me without having to submit a notarized Affidavit to the newspaper in the US, but the format can vary in your case. Please check your consulate website for it)

• Ad in Indian Newspaper

Indian local newspaper required a notarized affidavit to publish my advertisement.

So, I downloaded this: http://www.cgisf.org/Forms/SPECIMEN%20AFFIDAVIT.pdf and notarized it (in USA) and sent it to my folks back in India by scanning and emailing it.

They got the ad published in a local English newspaper in the following format:

"I, Adithya Vikram, s\o of (father's name) residing at have changed my name from Adithya Vikram to First Name: Adithya, Last Name: Vikram before notary... "

• Proof of status

        I94 satisfied this requirement for me

• Proof of residence

          US Driver's License

• 2 photographs (Standard clear Passport photos - No instant poloroids accepted)
• Fees - $40 for processing and $20 to mail your old + new passport back to you. (You can go and collect them personally on the date mentioned on your acknowledgement)

Note: Your Visa on the old passport will still be valid, they just cancel the old passport and will return both, so you will be using both passports until all Visas in the old passport expire.

Once you get your passport,

2) Schedule an appointment with USCIS to update your records:

       https://infopass.uscis.gov/infopass.php

This is a simple step in that you just need to carry your Passports (old and new) to your local USCIS office and they will update their records and return your Passports at the same time (There was no form filling hassle here for me and it was over in about 45 minutes)

3) Go to your local SSA office after two weeks to get the records updated.

Find your local office here: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/FOLO/fo001.jsp

(I couldn't find an Online appointment link for this, so I went on a Friday at 3:40 hoping to see less people and finished this job in under 15 minutes, again, no filling forms here either!)

Finally, I got my updated SS Card in less than 10 days after my SSA office visit.

Please note that the sole purpose of this publication is to only share my personal experience about how I addressed the issue. You may use this information only at your own risk.

-Vikram

FNU in First or Last name in US VISA -The Story

FNU - The case of Family Name Unknown...

If you are one of the those that have ended up having a Visa stamped with FNU in your first or last name, welcome to the club!

To explain this problem and solution, I will assume my name to be Adithya Vikram (not my real name:-))

My earlier passport had;

Given Names: Adithya Vikram

Surname:

So my US VISA was issued with;

Surname: Adithya Vikram

First Name: FNU (By the way, this does not expand to First Name Unknown, it is Family Name Unknown)

It all started when the great Indian Babu at the friendly Passport Office forgot to distinguish my first and last names in my Passport (Or was it my mistake? Don't remember, but it is easier to blame others, isn't it:))

Those were the good old days when I cared less about names or their order. All I wanted to do was watch Doordarshan and hang out with friends and play cricket...

Cut to a few years later, I got a chance through work to visit the greatest country in the world! All excited, I submitted my documents and after reviewing them and realizing that I had no last name in my passport, our US HR warned me about problems I could face in the US of A.

I pretty much ignored them as I had a valid Visa to come to the United States and did not want to go through the process of updating the records. Lazy me.

I had enjoyed every minute of my stay in the US (and still do:)) until I decided to apply for a DL. 
The DMV rejected my application outright because they couldn't find a match in their Systems. To them, I did not exist:(.  So, started my tale of woes, and multiple visits to government offices, though I must admit that offices here are far better than our own back in India. 


DMV asked me to get an acknowledgement from the SSA with my full name spelled out correctly.

To compound the issue, I realized that the SSA apparently had clubbed my first name and last name (without a space) and entered that as my first name in their records (apparently, there is a 16-character limit for that field), and FNU as the last name. 

So, my name in the SSN was AdithyaVikram FNU

When I went to the SSA office, they told me that I had entered the US as AdithyaVikram FNU and they could do nothing about it, unless USCIS changed it in their records.

The USCIS adviced that I change my name in my passport and then contact them or live as AdithyaVikram FNU.

As I wanted to desperately drive around in the US, I was too impatient to wait to get all this mess sorted out, so I just went ahead and got my DL, but not before a few more trips between the DMV and SSA office.

The Car Insurance lady used to sweetly address me as Mr. PhhhNuu! (FNU)

After reading a few articles online about possible issues I could face in future if I decide to stay in the US (another irritating point of being addressed as Mr. FNU), I decided to set the records straight once and for all, and boy was it boring! 

The following is a summary of the steps. 


(Each step is explained in detail in the post here:

http://vikramayana.blogspot.com/2009/09/fnu-in-first-or-last-name-in-us-visa_17.html )

1) Change your name in your Indian Passport

http://www.cgisf.org/passport/onlineapplication.htm ((link for SFO only, check your consulate website for your link)

US consulates information: http://www.cgisf.org/contact/consulates.html

2) Schedule an appointment with USCIS to update your records after getting your updated passport.

https://infopass.uscis.gov/infopass.php

3) Update SSA Card


Go to your local SSA office two weeks after USCIS office visit.

Find your local office here: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/FOLO/fo001.jsp

I got my updated SSA Card in less than 10 days after my visit to their office.


 Next I have an appointment with the DMV to update my license and car title. Hopefully it should all be over. 


( I have since obtained my DL with my corrected name and the Insurance lady now has a tough time pronouncing my real last name!)

Finally I got my name back.

If only I had not been lazy back in India and gotten it corrected as adviced by the HR lady, this adventure would not have come about.

-VikRamayana