Q: My wife is Russian. I am a US citizen. We are wanting to submit the I-130 form pending a name change. How do we do this?
Name changes in Russia are length processes. They are shown in roman letters and Cyrillic letters on foreign passports. We are changing her last name to mine in Cyrillic (accepted) and wanting to correct a spelling error (additional letter) in the roman translation of her first name (not accepted yet, unlikely to be). There is no way of knowing if they will properly translate my last name. Should we go ahead and submit the I-130 using her maiden name and current first name spelling? Or using her new last name and how we would like her first name spelled correctly?
Russia can make translation mistakes in the passport, this could mean in several months her foreign passport could show my last name translated incorrectly when we finally receive the new one. Which could not align with the proper spelling in our I-130.
Her passport number will change with the new name as well. We will soon have a document in Russian issuing the name change but it will take time to execute.
A: It sounds like the issue is that her name will not be written correctly in her Russian passport. If that is the case, it is probably best to have here keep her maiden name, at least for the time being.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
