If your passport doesn’t have surname and USA visa has FNU (First Name Unknown), then you will have FNU Problem at Driving License and SSN office.
Let me give you specific example of how FNU problem comes with USA Visa.
India Passport
First Name - Arun Kumar
Surname -
According to Chennai Consulate Website
What if I do not have a first name? What if I do not have a surname?
If your visa is approved, visas will be printed as your name appears in your passport. If you do not have a first name or surname, your entire name will be printed on the surname field of the visa. Your first name will be printed as “FNU” (first name unknown).
By having “FNU” listed as your given name on your visa, you may have difficulty obtaining a driver’s license and social security card in the United States. If you would like to correct the surname and given name fields on your passport biographic data page, you must have an observation made in your passport by the Indian Passport Authorities. In order for your name to be correctly printed on your visa, you must have this observation made before coming for your interview.
When you get USA Visa, your passport will be stamped with the following name
First Name – FNU
Surname - Arun Kumar
If you are going to get SSN and Drivers License in USA with FNU in your first name, you might have problems.
FNU Problem Driving License and SSN
When you apply for SSN, they will verify your name in Passport with Name in USA Visa and I-94 Database.
Your name in the visa is not same as your name in the passport.
US Consulate issued your visa, but agents at SSN and DMV might not have come across situation like FNU and Surname mismatch with passport, USA Visa and Database.
You may have to take a printout from Department of Homeland Security about FNU details while going to SSN Office and DMV.
Everything in USA is depended on your SSN. If you can’t SSN, than you will start seeing the roll over effects. If you are planning to live, work in USA for extended period, it will be worth adding Surname in your passport.
If you plan to apply for Passport, make sure you use a Surname. Even if you don’t have Surname (or Last Name or Family Name) in your school certificates, add one in your passport.
Having Surname in the passport will prevent you from FNU Problem at Driving License and SSN office.
About Raghuram Sukumar
Well i am in the same boat guys.
).
I have My given name as Rajiv kumar on my Passport and visa has My Given Name as FNU and my Last Name as Rajiv kumar.
Now my I-94 is matching with the passport but not with the visa ,it has Given Name as Rajiv Kumar.
I have already got my SSN card,they seem to have put my First Name as Rajiv and last Name as Kumar( another mess
Now when i am going to DMV office ,they are not issuing me a license because of mismatch in the name information.
I am confused as to shall i get my SSN name changed as Last Name=Rajiv kumar or Change my I-94 as family name=Rajiv kumar or i need to get both of them changed so that everything matches with the visa.
Can anybody help me on this.Its driving me nuts.ANy help would be highly appreciated.
Hey Rajiv, I’m on H1 and have same exact credentials in all papers as you specified.
The thing is, when I applied for SSN they couldn’t pull my information from the system. They have given me a reference no. in the letter of acknowledgement saying that, I have applied for an SSN.
My question to you is, “Did you get your SSN right away at the window. Could they find you in the system themselves or did you had to wait just like my case” ?
My name is written as a single name with three words “xxx yyy zzzz” on my passport. The ‘surname’ and ‘given name’ indications have been struck out and “xxx yyy” has been written in place of surname and “zzz” in place of given name.
My first name is ” xxxx” and Last name is “yyy zzz” (two words which are BOTH the last name). My SSN , DL (in the US) and old F1 visa have the following:
Given Name: “xxx yyy”
Last Name: “zzz”
Now, I plan to apply for another F1 visa. The school has asked me to mention my name as follows:
Given Name: “zzzz”
Last Name: “xxx yyy”
They have asked me to do so as they believe this is “as per the passport”, although I tried explaining the ambiguity of the situation to them. I am really worried as I feel this discrepancy would create issues for me in the future, if I had to renew my DL for example.
Any opinions on this?
Thanks!
is kumar a valid surname
Yes Kumar is valid Surname.Nobody can stop you.You are free to have any surname.If our prime minister has Singh as surname then why cant you have Kumar.
I had same issue and it got fixed by god grace.
Cheers!!
CAN I HAVE “KUMAR” AS SURNAME IN MY PASSPORT.
PASSPORT OFFICER REFUSED THAT IT IS NOT A VALID SURNAME.
KINDLY HELP
Hi Aaquib,
I got FNU by NVC.My name is Sandeep Kumar(given name) and blank surname.I got it like FNU Sandeep Kumar
I heard that if i will fill up I -94 with Kumar as last name and sandeep as first name.Then I will get DL and SSN are like ‘kumar last name and sandeep first name”.
Is it true and also let me know how i can get ride on it.
i am getting same prob.
How to take our name details from Homeland securities ?
Hi,
First of all great blog to help people appreciate it !!
My Case is:
Passport:
Surname: Blank
First Name : XXX YYY
VISA
Surname: YYY
First Name: XXX
I-94
Surname: YYY
First Name: XXX
I am going to apply for SSN soon, will this cause a problem? Though FNU is not mentioned any where
Appreciate the reply !
Hi Aaquib,
Even I was also having a FNU in visa due to no surname in passport, but I got my SSN in one week. But my name do have 3 words A B C. I am not sure if they considered C as last name. But I filled the I94 without any Given name at the POE.
When I went to apply for license in DMV they asked about my name mismatch and asked me to show the birth certificate. In the birth certificate also there was no distinction between first name and last name. But I was able to convince the officer telling that it is implicit in india and I showed that my fathers name is present in my name and it is considered as last name.
Hope this helps
Thanks
A
hi,
in my passport, i have:-
GIven Name :- XXXXX YYYYY
Last name:- (blank)
in my visa, i have
First name:- FNU
last name:- XXXXX YYYYY
I have already recieved my SSN long back..with the name XXXXX YYYYY
now i am going to apply for a DL, wat problem i can face due the passport visa names mismatch.?
wat name should i use going forward here in US for all other things including DL? Shuld i use last name blank(as in passport page) or shuld i use as per visa page? or any other way?
What name did you use in first name and last name for applying SSN??
you will get SSN, DL without having surname. mine is same case , had FNU on visa and no surname on passport, but i got SSN and DL from illinois .
Hi Aaquib,
My passport has no First name. I have applied for SSN. It takes 2-3 months. How long did your ssn take??
mine took 1 week; i applied from illinois secretary of state.
regards.
aaquib.
Hi aaquib,
What did u mention in first name and last name for your SSN application..??
What name do you have on your I-94, VISA and passport.
Please reply asap
Regards
Sudhanshu
Hi ,
i used my name exactly as per passport
first name = given name on passsport.
last name = fnu ,
they issued me SSN. as per my passport.
name on SSN; first name : = given name on passport.
last name : fnu;
regards
aaquib.
Hi Aaquib,
How did you fill your I94? Did you fill as below or something else:
First name: name as in passport
Last name: fnu?
What name you used for your SSN, FNU as first name or your name as First name… and what about last name ??
This is a strange issue i would say….coz in india some parents don’t give surnames to girls coz after marrige surname change will create a headache for the…but in sates everything is related to surname coz their systems use surname as primary key or something….
well ideally no surname should have been mentioned as Arun kuma LNU(no last name)…..
Hi Suraj,
What shall i mention in First name and Last Name for SSN application form,
I have First Name as SUDHANSHU and surname is blank in PASSPORT.
And in VISA, i have FNU as first name and SUDHANSHU as Last Name..
On my I-94, i filled SUDHANSHU as first name and last name as blank.
So what shall i write in SSN application form.
Shall i use : SUDHANSHU as first name and LNU as my last name,??
Regards
Sudhanshu
hi sudhanshu,
do u have only one name : i.e sudhanshu , nothing else like reddy or kumar or etc .
let me know.
regards,
aaquib.