No Surname in my passport, But my visa got approved on F1

Upvote:4

I have two US visas; in both cases my first name was given as FNU. This should pose no problems (though I didn't need a SSN or a driving licence during my time there).

Upvote:7

FNU (abbreviation of "first name unknown") is printed on a US visa if the passport does not identify a separate first/given name and last/family name.

Having FNU on your visa is generally fine for:

  • entering the US
  • studying as an F-1 student

However, having FNU on your visa may cause difficulties with agencies that use SAVE, including:

  • getting a social security number (if eligible, including for part-time on-campus employment)
  • getting a US driving license or state ID (if eligible)

These agencies do not normally use FNU but are normally required to use your name exactly as shown on your visa and I-94. So they may use FNU as your name, which can cause further problems if other services (banks, employers, etc.) require your name to match your social security card, for example.

It can also cause extra work for more complex applications such as permanent residence, where you may need to fully document any name change that happened during your US immigration history.

So if you think you may do things like this in the US in the future, the easiest time to get rid of FNU is now, before you go to the US:

  1. Apply for a new passport which separately shows your first/given name and last/family name.
  2. Ask your US school to update your I-20 with the name from your new passport.
  3. With the new passport and I-20, apply for a new F-1 visa without FNU.
  4. Use the F-1 visa without FNU to enter the US.

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