Name Split in Passport, COPR and PR Card

[keypad]

Would it be better to legally change my name after I finish citizenship process?

It depends, you can do this later too but, personally, I would like to do this with citizenship application because it will eliminate the need of re-applying for the correction in citizenship certificate.

 

[Becksterd]

It depends, you can do this later too but, personally, I would like to do this with citizenship application because it will eliminate the need of re-applying for the correction in citizenship certificate.

How long would It take me to legally change my name now vs correction in citizenship certificate?

 

[keypad]

How long would It take me to legally change my name now vs correction in citizenship certificate?

Again, it depends on the province you are residing in. In BC, it takes almost 5-7 weeks to get legal name change certificate.
On the other hand, CIC is taking approx. 5 months for issuing citizenship certificate.

 

[keypad]

Hello all,

Finally, I got my name split done on each of my documents. Whatever problems I was facing due to missing last name are now resolved. I am describing my journey here for all those who are still deciding or want to know the process.

**Note: I did this in BC but most of the things will be same for other provinces too except step 1.**

1. First of all, I needed to apply for a legal name change process. This was done with Vital Statistics. It took almost 5-7 weeks to get my legal name change certificate.
2. Next, I went to my nearest Service Canada location to get my SIN number updated. This process took half an hour and issued me updated SIN letter on the spot.
3. Then I went to ICBC to get my driver's licence and BC Services Card updated. They also took close to half an hour (including wait time) and updated my licence as well as services card in their records. However, I received my new licence and services card in a month or so. Other than this, I had to sent a copy of my name change certificate to HIBC and requested them to update their records.
4. Along with step 3, I sent my application for PR card replacement with amended name. They took close to 2 months.
5. Then I applied for my home country passport renewal with proper first name and last name. Surprisingly, they took only a week to issue me my new passport.

This entire process took almost seven months and finally sorts out every issue related to missing last name in my documents.

Thanks to everyone who guided me through out the process.

 

[thomman]

Hi all,

Wanted to confirm the below, as I am still a bit confused.

My Situation is as below

My passport does not have Surname. But only Given Name. In the visa and COPR that I got, they have entered my Given Name in passport against Family Name and left Given Name blank.

So will there be any problem while landing or after getting PR card. from what i understand, the name will be repeated twice in the documents and as such there wont be any issues. Please advice, if I am wrong

 

[keypad]

Hi all,

Wanted to confirm the below, as I am still a bit confused.

My Situation is as below

My passport does not have Surname. But only Given Name. In the visa and COPR that I got, they have entered my Given Name in passport against Family Name and left Given Name blank.

So will there be any problem while landing or after getting PR card. from what i understand, the name will be repeated twice in the documents and as such there wont be any issues. Please advice, if I am wrong

In regards to landing and getting PR card, there will not be any problem. Only thing is your PR card, driving license, SIN and other documents will not have any given name. They will use your given name from passport as family name. Somewhere, it will be repeated twice.

 

[thomman]

In regards to landing and getting PR card, there will not be any problem. Only thing is your PR card, driving license, SIN and other documents will not have any given name. They will use your given name from passport as family name. Somewhere, it will be repeated twice.

Thanks @keypad for the reply.
But since its my correct name only, will that be any issue while I am in Canada, even if it is showing as Family Name ?
Also, is there an option to change it in COPR, before we land?

 

[keypad]

Thanks @keypad for the reply.
But since its my correct name only, will that be any issue while I am in Canada, even if it is showing as Family Name ?
Also, is there an option to change it in COPR, before we land?

There will not be any problem with that. Though, you may need to be a little cautious while filling out any form or applying for bank accounts, jobs or for other services. The entire system here depends on your family name. Some of the departments allow to have a blank given name while some of them repeat the same name in both of the fields. Therefore, you will need to be careful with that.

I got my name split because I was finding it weird to have my name as MR. ABC ABC. They were repeating my first & last names. And it was troublesome for booking my air tickets as well, every time I wanted to travel.

Also, my bank treated that as separate names while CRA repeated them twice and that was causing mismatch of records in between different authorities.

In case, if you ever want to get your name updated, it will be done after your landing and living here for some time.

COPR will never be changed unless there is a mistake from CIC.

 

[thomman]

There will not be any problem with that. Though, you may need to be a little cautious while filling out any form or applying for bank accounts, jobs or for other services. The entire system here depends on your family name. Some of the departments allow to have a blank given name while some of them repeat the same name in both of the fields. Therefore, you will need to be careful with that.

I got my name split because I was finding it weird to have my name as MR. ABC ABC. They were repeating my first & last names. And it was troublesome for booking my air tickets as well, every time I wanted to travel.

Also, my bank treated that as separate names while CRA repeated them twice and that was causing mismatch of records in between different authorities.

In case, if you ever want to get your name updated, it will be done after your landing and living here for some time.

COPR will never be changed unless there is a mistake from CIC.

Thanks for the reply @keypad.
I hope it can be managed in the places you have mentioned and there wont be any issue.

Just wanted to clarify this point in your reply " It was troublesome for booking my air tickets as well, every time I wanted to travel." How can it be a problem ? tickets mostly follow the passport name right. Please enlighten

Thanks

 

[keypad]

Thanks for the reply @keypad.
I hope it can be managed in the places you have mentioned and there wont be any issue.

Just wanted to clarify this point in your reply " It was troublesome for booking my air tickets as well, every time I wanted to travel." How can it be a problem ? tickets mostly follow the passport name right. Please enlighten

Thanks

Yes, tickets follow the passport or any other travel document you will be using at that time. But, airlines also need a family name. As your passport doesn't have one, therefore your given name will be used as family name. Now, the situation gets tricky here.

- Some airlines advice to repeat the name in given name as well as family name fields.
- Some advice to use Mr. or Mrs. in your given name field and your given name will be used as family name.
- While some advice to use FNU as given name and given name as family name.
- And others advice to use LNU as family name and given name as given name.

Whenever I needed to travel, I always had to confirm this with the airlines prior to booking my tickets. I have travelled twice with Mr as my given name, ones with repeating name and ones with LNU. The problem multiplies when customer support of an airlines says something and when you reach airport to board, the person at the counter says other.

As you already have received your PR visa, you can't do anything at this moment. Just talk to airlines and after confirming with them book your tickets and land in Canada. After living here for some time, you can get your name updated if you want to.

* FNU - first name unkown
* LNU - last name unkown

 

[thomman]

Yes, tickets follow the passport or any other travel document you will be using at that time. But, airlines also need a family name. As your passport doesn't have one, therefore your given name will be used as family name. Now, the situation gets tricky here.

- Some airlines advice to repeat the name in given name as well as family name fields.
- Some advice to use Mr. or Mrs. in your given name field and your given name will be used as family name.
- While some advice to use FNU as given name and given name as family name.
- And others advice to use LNU as family name and given name as given name.

Whenever I needed to travel, I always had to confirm this with the airlines prior to booking my tickets. I have travelled twice with Mr as my given name, ones with repeating name and ones with LNU. The problem multiplies when customer support of an airlines says something and when you reach airport to board, the person at the counter says other.

As you already have received your PR visa, you can't do anything at this moment. Just talk to airlines and after confirming with them book your tickets and land in Canada. After living here for some time, you can get your name updated if you want to.

* FNU - first name unkown
* LNU - last name unkown

Thanks for the reply @keypad. Much appreciated. As long as landing will not be a problem, I am fine. once I renew passport, let me see if needs to change the name

Once again thanks a lot for the inputs

 

[manu.yoganand]

Hi,
I had the same problem. My passport had only given name, because of which my COPR and PR card had captured everything under last name.

I have got everything rectified now, without getting any affidavit or legal name change procedure or name change request through any provincial offices.

1 - Submit a letter to BLS (along with passport application form to get a new passport with first name and last name) explaining the error and why you could not get it rectified earlier. (In my case the PR application was under process). - Got my new passport in 20 days

2 - Once you receive the updated passport - Submit similar letter to CIC explaining the error, along with other documents - Application form (Do not tick legal name change as you are not legally changing your name) + Cancelled page of old passport showing the new passport number and copy of the new passport showing old passport number, ensure you mention this also in the letter) + copy of the letter you submitted to BLS + any other documents. - Got my New PR card in 72 Days, Please note COPR will not change, only PR card will issued with a new name.

3 - Got my SIN, Driver Licence and Health Card updated.

Its an easy process if your letter is crisp and explains things clearly. Let me know if you have any doubts.

- Manu

 

[gagan0831]

Would different name on COPR cause any issue? I have heard that you need this letter even after citizenship.

 

[Survivor]

Hi,
I had the same problem. My passport had only given name, because of which my COPR and PR card had captured everything under last name.

I have got everything rectified now, without getting any affidavit or legal name change procedure or name change request through any provincial offices.

1 - Submit a letter to BLS (along with passport application form to get a new passport with first name and last name) explaining the error and why you could not get it rectified earlier. (In my case the PR application was under process). - Got my new passport in 20 days

2 - Once you receive the updated passport - Submit similar letter to CIC explaining the error, along with other documents - Application form (Do not tick legal name change as you are not legally changing your name) + Cancelled page of old passport showing the new passport number and copy of the new passport showing old passport number, ensure you mention this also in the letter) + copy of the letter you submitted to BLS + any other documents. - Got my New PR card in 72 Days, Please note COPR will not change, only PR card will issued with a new name.

3 - Got my SIN, Driver Licence and Health Card updated.

Its an easy process if your letter is crisp and explains things clearly. Let me know if you have any doubts.

- Manu

Hey Manu.. Thank you for your update. I too have the same problem but will the surname being blank cause a problem for citizenship.
What application form should we select inorder to send to CIC? Did you do this online or via mail.

 

[Becksterd]

Hello all,

Finally, I got my name split done on each of my documents. Whatever problems I was facing due to missing last name are now resolved. I am describing my journey here for all those who are still deciding or want to know the process.

**Note: I did this in BC but most of the things will be same for other provinces too except step 1.**

1. First of all, I needed to apply for a legal name change process. This was done with Vital Statistics. It took almost 5-7 weeks to get my legal name change certificate.
2. Next, I went to my nearest Service Canada location to get my SIN number updated. This process took half an hour and issued me updated SIN letter on the spot.
3. Then I went to ICBC to get my driver's licence and BC Services Card updated. They also took close to half an hour (including wait time) and updated my licence as well as services card in their records. However, I received my new licence and services card in a month or so. Other than this, I had to sent a copy of my name change certificate to HIBC and requested them to update their records.
4. Along with step 3, I sent my application for PR card replacement with amended name. They took close to 2 months.
5. Then I applied for my home country passport renewal with proper first name and last name. Surprisingly, they took only a week to issue me my new passport.

This entire process took almost seven months and finally sorts out every issue related to missing last name in my documents.

Thanks to everyone who guided me through out the process.

Just curious... was your home country india. I am trying to get info on legally changing my name (its in the wrong order) some have said to start at the source with my indian passport then change docs here in canada (SIN PR etc) but your steps say other way.