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TandD2016

Different Spelling of First Name on Marriage Certificate/Divorce Decree

By TandD2016 in K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures

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TandD2016 Apprentice

TandD2016   12

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: United Kingdom
 Timeline
Posted

Hi Everyone,



We are in the process of preparing form I-129F for a K1 visa and I have come up with a problem with the spelling of my first name. All my official documents (i.e. UK passport, UK Naturalisation certificate, Greek birth certificate etc) are spelling my first name as ATHANASIOS but unfortunately my marriage certificate and consequently the Decree Absolute (Divorce Decree) have spelled my first name as ATHANASSIOS. I think the problem arose with how my first name was translated from Greek to English back in 2002 but it never caused me any problems in the UK.



Does anyone have any suggestions or a similar problem? I was thinking that I could declare the alternative spelling of my first name in the "All Other Names Used" section and a further explanation in the way of additional information but at the same time I don't have any legal documents to provide. I was thinking that surely if my marriage certificate and the divorce decree match on the spelling of my first name then that should be sufficient as I was either married and now divorced under the alternative spelling or the person on those certificates is not me and therefore I was never married!



A US based lawyer suggested to change the name on both the marriage certificate and the divorce decree but I am not sure how feasible that is as there was no mispelling on the original entry but simply a different translation of my then birth certificate from Greek to English.



Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated as this is driving us bonkers!!!


K1 VISA
10/03/16....I-129F mailed to Lewisville, TX
10/05/16....Delivered at Lewisville, TX

10/07/16....NOA1 Date on Hard Copy Notice
10/11/16....NOA1 Text and Email. Case sent to CSC
10/17/16....NOA1 Hard Copy Received
11/02/16....NOA2 Approval (USCIS website)

11/08/16....NOA2 Hard Copy Received
11/22/16....NVC Received I-129F
11/23/16....Case Number Received

11/28/16....Case left NVC for consulate

12/02/16....Embassy Received. Case status set as "Ready"
12/07/16....Medical (Knightsbridge London) - Completed

12/10/16....Received Approved Petition Letter from Embassy
12/15/16....Interview - APPROVED!!!!
01/10/17....Visa Issued
01/13/17....Visa in Hand =)
02/10/17....POE at Chicago ORD

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Nich-Nick Grand Master

Nich-Nick   3,353

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: United Kingdom
 Timeline
Posted

I would simply declare it as "other names used" and forget the explanation.

England.gifENGLAND ---

K-1 Timeline 4 months, 19 days 03-10-08 VSC to 7-29-08 Interview London

10-05-08 Married

AOS Timeline 5 months, 14 days 10-9-08 to 3-23-09 No interview

Removing Conditions Timeline 5 months, 20 days12-27-10 to 06-10-11 No interview

Citizenship Timeline 3 months, 26 days 12-31-11 Dallas to 4-26-12 Interview Houston

05-16-12 Oath ceremony

The journey from Fiancé to US citizenship:

4 years, 2 months, 6 days

243 pages of forms/documents submitted

No RFEs

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TheLujums Contributor

TheLujums   21

Posted
Filed: AOS (pnd) Timeline
Posted

Ditto It shouldn't be an issue

ROC Journey:

02/06/19....90-day window open

02/06/19....ROC Package mailed to Lewisville Lockbox

02/07/19...Received at Lewisville Lockbox

02/11/19...NOA1 Text & E-mail. (18-months extension)

02/13/19...Credit Card Charged

XX/XX/XX ....(Possible/Optional) I-551 stamp on passport for a 1-year extension

XX/XX/XX...Biometrics notice received - appointment date for (XX/XX/XX) - (Possible/Optional) Early Walk-in date XX/XX/XX

XX/XX/XX ....(Possible/Optional) Interview

XX/XX/XX....I-751 (XX days from NOA1) APPROVED

XX/XX/XX…Card ordered - Card mailed date XX/XX/XX

XX/XX/XX...Approve notice received

AOS Journey:

11/04/16....Marriage

11/30/16....AOS Combo Package mailed to Chicago Lockbox

12/01/16....Delivered at Chicago Lockbox

12/13/16....Check cleared

12/14/16....NOA1 Text & E-mail.

01/03/17....Biometrics notice received - appointment date for (01/13/17) - Early Walk-in date 01/05/17

03/03/17....I-765 and I-131 (79 days from NOA1) APPROVED

03/09/17....Combo card ordered - Card mailed date 03/11/17

05/06/17....Approve notice received

K1 Visa Journey:

05/04/16....I-129F mailed to Lewisville, TX

05/05/16....Delivered at Lewisville, TX

05/09/16....NOA1 Text & E-mail. Case sent to CSC

05/10/16....Check cleared

07/14/16....NOA2 - USCIS website checked (66 days from NOA1)

07/25/16....Arrived at NVC

08/01/16....NVC Case # and Invoice ID assigned

08/10/16....Arrived at Consulate

08/11/16....Packet 3 (Email)

08/12/16....DS-160 and appointment schedule and Visa fee paid

08/30/16....Medical Appointment at Dr. Jolly's

08/31/16....Visa Interview - Paris (115 days from NOA1) APPROVED

09/01/16....CEAC: Ready

09/09/16....CEAC: AP Visa

09/14/16....CEAC: Visa Issued

09/21/16....CEAC: Visa Delivered

09/22/16....MIA POE (137 days from NOA1)

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TandD2016 Apprentice

TandD2016   12

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: United Kingdom
 Timeline
  • Author
Posted

Thanks very much everyone!! Has anyone had a similar experience?

K1 VISA
10/03/16....I-129F mailed to Lewisville, TX
10/05/16....Delivered at Lewisville, TX

10/07/16....NOA1 Date on Hard Copy Notice
10/11/16....NOA1 Text and Email. Case sent to CSC
10/17/16....NOA1 Hard Copy Received
11/02/16....NOA2 Approval (USCIS website)

11/08/16....NOA2 Hard Copy Received
11/22/16....NVC Received I-129F
11/23/16....Case Number Received

11/28/16....Case left NVC for consulate

12/02/16....Embassy Received. Case status set as "Ready"
12/07/16....Medical (Knightsbridge London) - Completed

12/10/16....Received Approved Petition Letter from Embassy
12/15/16....Interview - APPROVED!!!!
01/10/17....Visa Issued
01/13/17....Visa in Hand =)
02/10/17....POE at Chicago ORD

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Nich-Nick Grand Master

Nich-Nick   3,353

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: United Kingdom
 Timeline
Posted

Thanks very much everyone!! Has anyone had a similar experience?

I haven't but I don't think they are that persnickety. Now if your marriage certicicate called you Frances, then maybe a problem.

England.gifENGLAND ---

K-1 Timeline 4 months, 19 days 03-10-08 VSC to 7-29-08 Interview London

10-05-08 Married

AOS Timeline 5 months, 14 days 10-9-08 to 3-23-09 No interview

Removing Conditions Timeline 5 months, 20 days12-27-10 to 06-10-11 No interview

Citizenship Timeline 3 months, 26 days 12-31-11 Dallas to 4-26-12 Interview Houston

05-16-12 Oath ceremony

The journey from Fiancé to US citizenship:

4 years, 2 months, 6 days

243 pages of forms/documents submitted

No RFEs

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  • 2 months later...
TandD2016 Apprentice

TandD2016   12

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: United Kingdom
 Timeline
  • Author
Posted

I haven't but I don't think they are that persnickety. Now if your marriage certicicate called you Frances, then maybe a problem.

Just an update...followed the above advice and our I-129f petition was approved in 26 days :-) Thank you very much once again for all your help!!!

K1 VISA
10/03/16....I-129F mailed to Lewisville, TX
10/05/16....Delivered at Lewisville, TX

10/07/16....NOA1 Date on Hard Copy Notice
10/11/16....NOA1 Text and Email. Case sent to CSC
10/17/16....NOA1 Hard Copy Received
11/02/16....NOA2 Approval (USCIS website)

11/08/16....NOA2 Hard Copy Received
11/22/16....NVC Received I-129F
11/23/16....Case Number Received

11/28/16....Case left NVC for consulate

12/02/16....Embassy Received. Case status set as "Ready"
12/07/16....Medical (Knightsbridge London) - Completed

12/10/16....Received Approved Petition Letter from Embassy
12/15/16....Interview - APPROVED!!!!
01/10/17....Visa Issued
01/13/17....Visa in Hand =)
02/10/17....POE at Chicago ORD

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Limey Community Regular

Limey   550

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: United Kingdom
 Timeline
Posted (edited)

Thanks very much everyone!! Has anyone had a similar experience?

Not quite the same experience, but I noticed that when we got our marriage certificate (after me having entered on K1) it didn't have my wife's surname at birth on it, in the field where that was supposed to go. It only had her previous name (from her previous marriage).

I thought we might get an issue at AOS when we submitted this certifcate, but we didn't.

The USCIS people do seem to apply a lot of common sense. Even if they had queried the certificate they had enough other documents to cross reference and ensure that the person in all the documents was the same, ie social security number, documents showing date of birth, etc, etc.

They don't seem to raise issues unless it raises some doubt in their mind.

Glad you got approved!

Edited by Limey

--- k1 visa ---
Texas Service Center (Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here)
I-129F sent: 12 Aug 2014
I-129F NOA1: 15 Aug 2014
I-129F NOA2: 2 Mar 2015 (199 days from NOA1) **No RFEs!**
NVC Received: 19 Mar 2015
Case#, IIN, BIN assigned: 19 Mar 2015
NVC Left: 20 Mar 2015
Consultate Received: 23 Mar 2015
Package 3 Received: 26 Mar 2015
Medical: 10 Apr 2015
Packet 3 Sent: 10 Apr 2015
Packet 4 Received: 23 Apr 2015
Interview Date: 8 May 2015 (Approved!!!)
Visa Issued: 14 May 2015
Visa in Hand: 19 May 2015
Entry to USA: 5 Jun 2015
Married: 21 Jun 2015

---Adjustment of Status---
Sent I-485, I-131 and I-765: 7 Jul 2015
NOA1 for I-485, I-131 and I-765: 14 Jul 2015
Email notification that I-765 was approved: 12 Sep 2015
Email notification that I-131 was approved: 15 Sep 2015
Email notification that EAD/AP combo card was mailed: 15 Sep 2015
EAD and AP combo card received: 18 Sep 2015
Green Card Received: 3 Dec 2015 [ :)] Previous letter stated interview requirement was likely to be waived

 

---Removal of Conditions---
Sent I-751: 13 Oct 2017
NOA1 for I-751: 23 Oct 2017

Biometrics: 20 Nov 2017
Approved: 20 Dec 2018

Green Card Received: 2 Jan 2019

 

-- Citizenship --
Filed Online: 21 Feb 2020
NOA1 (Online): 22 Feb 2020
Biometrics: 10 Mar 2020

Interview: 29 Jul 2020 (Approved - Oath taken immediately due to covid19)

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