Applying to US Universities with Blank Surname in Passport
By HSB
In India, students while applying for passport make mistakes with surnames. Some students give incorrect name while booking dates for GRE Exam and end up having GRE Score sheet name different from name in passport. Dilip has a similar issue with his surname posted the following comment at Empty Surname in the Passport.
Dilip
My surname - Surapuram
First name - DilipIn Passport
Surname – blank
Given Name – Dilip SurapuramIn Certificates
Name : Surapuram DilipWill this create any problem at the time of visa/admission in USA?
What should i fill while applying for GRE?
or should I get change my Surname and given name in passport?
while applying for GRE i should give the passport ref No.
if i apply gre with out changing names in passport and after that can i change the names in passport…will the passport ref No. get changed after correcting my names in passport…?
Blank Surname in passport
Dilip, good to see you ask this question before booking dates for GRE Exam. Many students think about empty surname while applying to Universities after GRE exam.
- Will this create any problem at the time of visa/admission in USA?
Yes, it will create you lot fo problems in US without surname in passport. So, even before taking GRE Exam, get your name corrected in the passport. Don’t even think about booking GRE Exam dates before you have your new passport with surname. Maybe you need to have name in passport something like
- Given Name – Dilip
- Surname – Surapuram
For GRE you need to have name matching in your passport, then after GRE you can change the name in passport, but NOT in ETS score report.
So, you better change your passport then book GRE Exam dates.
Related posts:
- Given Name vs Surname (or Last Name) : Passport Applications in India
- Invalid GRE Score, if Last Name Changes in the passport ?
- How to Register for GRE Exam – Part 2
- GRE Test Dates – How to Book GRE Test Dates
- I’m applying on April 2009, When Does H1B Visa Start?



how will be the option if get added a surname only in my passport and keep all other records as it is?my name on the recods is “SHAURYA” i heard about the name change option in passport so how will it be if i only add surname in passport and keep the rest documents intact.
Sir/Mam,
I’ve no surname in the passport.My name is Abhinav and i actually dont have any surname.But during the Toefl and Gre registration, Surname is compulsory i ended up registering for it by stating the surname also to be Abhinav.Hence both my surname and given name on the score reports are printed as Abhinav Abhinav.I heard that in US, the surname is compulsory..will i land in trouble if i continue like this sending packets to the universities or during immigration check.I’ ve already applied for two universities and planning to attend for Spring-2010 semester.Can you please reply me with a solution.
Thanks in advance
friend Abhinav
you surname is your initial only expanded
for example if your father name is govind,
you use G.Abhinav
so your surname is
govind
and your name Abhinav
govind Abhinav will be the full name
how did you get your passport
strange
but this is true
kind regards
easwaran
Abhinav – If you make a mistake first time or run into some issue when you took first exam ( GRE or TOEFL ) you should have stopped to find the right info. You are in for some tough times with the mistake.
Without surname in US, life will be close to living in hell.
I dont have my lastname in any of the documents(10th,12th,B-tech & passport)and i have to fill online application for GRE what should i do please any one can guide me.
how will be the option if get added a surname only in my passport and keep all other records as it is?
HSB
Bravo
it is good to see you coming with wonderful and most important pice of information regarding name and surname
keep it up sir
cheers
easwaran
i want to know that is this the right option to add surname only in the passport and keep the name intach on alll marksheets and will it not create any problem later regarding discrepancy in names on passport and mark sheet as after changing my name will appear on passport as “SHAURYA KATIYAR” and on all the documents it will remain as “SHAURYA”…………