dvc
05-12-2012, 10:43 AM
Hi all,
I am currently in the United States on an F1 visa doing my post completion OPT which is due to end on Jan 2013. I recently found out that I got selected for the diversity visa based on country of birth (Ethiopia). Now my situation is rather complicated because of the following:
1. My name at birth was XXX-YYYY and registered as such with the Ethiopian authorities. Since, I was an Indian citizen, this was registered with the corresponding Indian embassy authorities.
2. Before leaving the country as a minor, my name was changed to YYYY (shortened rather) and the only official documentation was that this was endorsed on my Indian passport.
3. Currently, I have not been to Ethiopia in more than ten years.
In such a scenario, I have a couple of questions
A. Since the name change occurred with the Indian authorities, is documentation from them enough to register the name change?
B. If the answer to A is yes: Can someone who has been in a similar name change situation in India comment as to how one goes about officially getting documentation for a name change that occurred in the past. (The ministry of external affairs has clear guidelines for name changes that are occurring in the present but how does one document a prior name change where the only information is an endorsement on a passport)
Thanks in advance
I am currently in the United States on an F1 visa doing my post completion OPT which is due to end on Jan 2013. I recently found out that I got selected for the diversity visa based on country of birth (Ethiopia). Now my situation is rather complicated because of the following:
1. My name at birth was XXX-YYYY and registered as such with the Ethiopian authorities. Since, I was an Indian citizen, this was registered with the corresponding Indian embassy authorities.
2. Before leaving the country as a minor, my name was changed to YYYY (shortened rather) and the only official documentation was that this was endorsed on my Indian passport.
3. Currently, I have not been to Ethiopia in more than ten years.
In such a scenario, I have a couple of questions
A. Since the name change occurred with the Indian authorities, is documentation from them enough to register the name change?
B. If the answer to A is yes: Can someone who has been in a similar name change situation in India comment as to how one goes about officially getting documentation for a name change that occurred in the past. (The ministry of external affairs has clear guidelines for name changes that are occurring in the present but how does one document a prior name change where the only information is an endorsement on a passport)
Thanks in advance