Changed my name in America, can't go back to Egypt!

[Egyptian32 0]

I migrated to America and have my green card, but still 4 years away from becoming a US citizen. One of the first things I did in America was to legally change my first and last names because my original name was very difficult for people in America to pronounce and I had to spell it over and over for people to write it correctly. I obtained a new Green Card with my new name as well.

The problem is, I still need to travel with the Egyptian passport since I'm not a US citizen. In Egypt you can only change your first name under very restrictive conditions, but you can't change your middle and last names. Now I need to go back to visit my family in Egypt and I can easily enter the country using my old name on the passport, but when I need to fly back to the USA they will not allow me to board because my green card has the new name. I asked if I could show them the court order stating that my name was changed but I was told it will not work and that I can't board unless I have a valid US Visa or a Green Card bearing the same name on my passport.

I contacted the Egyptian embassy in Washington and several Egyptian diplomatic missions around the United States, but no one answered my messages! Do you have a solution for this issue? I don't want to wait for 4 years until I can get an American passport in order to see my family. Any suggestions are highly appreciated

Thanks

[Jeanna 21]

Switch your name back to the name your parents gave you which will match your Egyptian passport. Be proud of your heritage and your name; if people can't pronounce it, help them. Don't change yourself.

[Dave&Roza 748]

I migrated to America and have my green card, but still 4 years away from becoming a US citizen. One of the first things I did in America was to legally change my first and last names because my original name was very difficult for people in America to pronounce and I had to spell it over and over for people to write it correctly. I obtained a new Green Card with my new name as well.

The problem is, I still need to travel with the Egyptian passport since I'm not a US citizen. In Egypt you can only change your first name under very restrictive conditions, but you can't change your middle and last names. Now I need to go back to visit my family in Egypt and I can easily enter the country using my old name on the passport, but when I need to fly back to the USA they will not allow me to board because my green card has the new name. I asked if I could show them the court order stating that my name was changed but I was told it will not work and that I can't board unless I have a valid US Visa or a Green Card bearing the same name on my passport.

I contacted the Egyptian embassy in Washington and several Egyptian diplomatic missions around the United States, but no one answered my messages! Do you have a solution for this issue? I don't want to wait for 4 years until I can get an American passport in order to see my family. Any suggestions are highly appreciated

Thanks

You have to overcome the fact that the airlines need to verify that the name on the passport and thus the ticket match the government issued ID allowing you the ability to re-enter the US. You can either convince the airline you will be traveling on to allow you to board the airplane or you need to contact your country's Embassy in the US and have them give you something the airlines will accept--just because they have not responded in the past does not mean that you cannot be persistent especially if this is something you really, really want.

I would start by asking the airlines what they would like you to show. Having the same name on the GC and passport is a bunch of BS as most all women change from their maiden name to their married name and the passport is in the maiden name and the GC is in the married. Usually they use the marriage certificate to overcome this. You might try going to a higher authority at the airlines or you might spend a few extra dollars to use an airline that knows and understands US immigration laws. I would make very certain you have what the airline you will be flying on wants to show that you are the same person as they hold your fate in their hands by either allowing you to board the airplane to the US or not--get it in writing if at all possible. IF not write the person's name down and contract information so if you do run into an idiot when trying to board you can hopefully get it resolved quickly and not miss the flight.

Good luck,

Dave

[Ryan H 3,801]

***One post violating the TOS removed; Administrative Action taken.***

[sandinista! 1,816]

This is not likely to get fixed on the Egyptian end. They don't and won't ever care-you didn't follow their rules in regards to name changes, so why should they bother?

The American end of things, in dealing with airlines, is a mess too. This goes beyond a marriage last name change. You can get all the guarantees you want from random airline employees, but regardless of anything you get promised, if the employee working the day you try to get on a plane to the US decides not to go along with your paper work, you're stuck in Egypt. There are so, so many variables that can go wrong there.

Maybe also post your question in the working and traveling during us immigration forum here on VJ for some further ideas? I would be less optimistic about getting this resolved from the Egyptian end of things than the American side. But this situation could prove to be a whole lot bigger of a headache than having an unusual sounding name in the US

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

My fiance's uncle, who lives in the US, would empathize with your situation because his name is Fakhraddin. He gets made fun of sometimes and no one can ever pronounce it properly. But he opted to just give himself the nickname "Fahad" among acquaintances and didn't change his legal name because he knew what trouble it would bring him. Many countries have strict rules about name changing, not just Egypt.

Sounds like you were aware of the drawbacks before you went and changed your name, and now unfortunately those drawbacks apply directly to you because you want to visit your relatives. I don't think anyone can offer you any guarantees. Airlines are very strict about names on the ticket and in the passport matching, the only common exception being women who took their husbands' last names and haven't changed their passports yet. But you don't fall under that exception. You have a few years to go until you get a US passport, right? So you have to decide what is more important in the interim - your new name or visiting your family.

[churawan 14]

My wife changed her name hen she married me.... She travels on her Thai passport all the time and shows her greencard with her married name and never has a problem... The ticket matches her passport, they greencard and driver licence show married name.... She carries a copy of the marriage licence just incase, but hasn't needed it!!!!!!!!! I think you could or should be able to do the same!!!

[Dave&Roza 748]

I did think of another option. Make an infoPASS appointment with the USCIS and take all the legal documentation of the name change with you. Ask them if they would be willing to place an I-551 stamp in your Egyptian passport so that way the GC and passport and airline ticket names all match for this upcoming trip. The stamp will have an expiration date, but you can use it as a GC until it does expire.

Good luck,

Dave