certificate of naturalization: complete and true signature
Jul 29th 2006, 2:53 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
certificate of naturalization: complete and true signature
The USCIS officer at my wife's naturalization interview asked her to
sign her complete name on the the naturalization certificate with
cursive letters instead of her normal signature. Is this normal
practice?
She specifically asked the officer that this was not her usual
signature, but the officer insisted that she had to write out her full
name in cursive.
Should we worry about the fact that this is not going to resemble her
normal signature? For example, when she applies for her passport, her
signature on the application is going to look different. Will this be
an issue?
Thanks much & regards
Sujat
sign her complete name on the the naturalization certificate with
cursive letters instead of her normal signature. Is this normal
practice?
She specifically asked the officer that this was not her usual
signature, but the officer insisted that she had to write out her full
name in cursive.
Should we worry about the fact that this is not going to resemble her
normal signature? For example, when she applies for her passport, her
signature on the application is going to look different. Will this be
an issue?
Thanks much & regards
Sujat
Jul 29th 2006, 8:20 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: certificate of naturalization: complete and true signature
> The USCIS officer at my wife's naturalization interview asked her to
> sign her complete name on the the naturalization certificate with
> cursive letters instead of her normal signature. Is this normal
> practice?
I ran into the same issue when I asked about this. Although they didn't
insist
I sign the certificate right there (so presumably I could have gone
home and
signed it any way I wanted), I did end up signing it as they had asked,
since
it does specify a "complete and true" signature.
> Should we worry about the fact that this is not going to resemble her
> normal signature? For example, when she applies for her passport, her
> signature on the application is going to look different. Will this be
> an issue?
Not an issue at all. You can sign the passport application with your
usual
signature, and sign your passport after you receive it with your usual
signature too. You will never really use your naturalization
certificate again
for anything (barring exceptional circumstances such as losing your
passport),
and the signature on your passport and/or driver's licence are all that
will
matter when you travel abroad and need to carry out bank transactions,
etc.
Good luck!
> sign her complete name on the the naturalization certificate with
> cursive letters instead of her normal signature. Is this normal
> practice?
I ran into the same issue when I asked about this. Although they didn't
insist
I sign the certificate right there (so presumably I could have gone
home and
signed it any way I wanted), I did end up signing it as they had asked,
since
it does specify a "complete and true" signature.
> Should we worry about the fact that this is not going to resemble her
> normal signature? For example, when she applies for her passport, her
> signature on the application is going to look different. Will this be
> an issue?
Not an issue at all. You can sign the passport application with your
usual
signature, and sign your passport after you receive it with your usual
signature too. You will never really use your naturalization
certificate again
for anything (barring exceptional circumstances such as losing your
passport),
and the signature on your passport and/or driver's licence are all that
will
matter when you travel abroad and need to carry out bank transactions,
etc.
Good luck!
Jul 30th 2006, 3:41 am
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: certificate of naturalization: complete and true signature
cj wrote:
> > The USCIS officer at my wife's naturalization interview asked her to
> > sign her complete name on the the naturalization certificate with
> > cursive letters instead of her normal signature. Is this normal
> > practice?
>
> I ran into the same issue when I asked about this. Although they didn't
> insist
> I sign the certificate right there (so presumably I could have gone
> home and
> signed it any way I wanted), I did end up signing it as they had asked,
> since
> it does specify a "complete and true" signature.
>
> > Should we worry about the fact that this is not going to resemble her
> > normal signature? For example, when she applies for her passport, her
> > signature on the application is going to look different. Will this be
> > an issue?
>
> Not an issue at all. You can sign the passport application with your
> usual
> signature, and sign your passport after you receive it with your usual
> signature too. You will never really use your naturalization
> certificate again
> for anything (barring exceptional circumstances such as losing your
> passport),
> and the signature on your passport and/or driver's licence are all that
> will
> matter when you travel abroad and need to carry out bank transactions,
> etc.
>
> Good luck!
Thanks CJ! Glad to know others had the same situation and
experienced no problems.
> > The USCIS officer at my wife's naturalization interview asked her to
> > sign her complete name on the the naturalization certificate with
> > cursive letters instead of her normal signature. Is this normal
> > practice?
>
> I ran into the same issue when I asked about this. Although they didn't
> insist
> I sign the certificate right there (so presumably I could have gone
> home and
> signed it any way I wanted), I did end up signing it as they had asked,
> since
> it does specify a "complete and true" signature.
>
> > Should we worry about the fact that this is not going to resemble her
> > normal signature? For example, when she applies for her passport, her
> > signature on the application is going to look different. Will this be
> > an issue?
>
> Not an issue at all. You can sign the passport application with your
> usual
> signature, and sign your passport after you receive it with your usual
> signature too. You will never really use your naturalization
> certificate again
> for anything (barring exceptional circumstances such as losing your
> passport),
> and the signature on your passport and/or driver's licence are all that
> will
> matter when you travel abroad and need to carry out bank transactions,
> etc.
>
> Good luck!
Thanks CJ! Glad to know others had the same situation and
experienced no problems.
Aug 5th 2006, 6:46 am
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: certificate of naturalization: complete and true signature
On 29 Jul 2006 07:53:05 -0700, "Sujat" <[email protected]> wrote:
>The USCIS officer at my wife's naturalization interview asked her to
>sign her complete name on the the naturalization certificate with
>cursive letters instead of her normal signature. Is this normal
>practice?
>
>She specifically asked the officer that this was not her usual
>signature, but the officer insisted that she had to write out her full
>name in cursive.
>
>Should we worry about the fact that this is not going to resemble her
>normal signature? For example, when she applies for her passport, her
>signature on the application is going to look different. Will this be
>an issue?
>
>Thanks much & regards
>
>
>
>Sujat
Yes it is normal practice. Don't worry about it.
Here's a helpful link:
http://www.newcitizen.us/after.html
Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
>The USCIS officer at my wife's naturalization interview asked her to
>sign her complete name on the the naturalization certificate with
>cursive letters instead of her normal signature. Is this normal
>practice?
>
>She specifically asked the officer that this was not her usual
>signature, but the officer insisted that she had to write out her full
>name in cursive.
>
>Should we worry about the fact that this is not going to resemble her
>normal signature? For example, when she applies for her passport, her
>signature on the application is going to look different. Will this be
>an issue?
>
>Thanks much & regards
>
>
>
>Sujat
Yes it is normal practice. Don't worry about it.
Here's a helpful link:
http://www.newcitizen.us/after.html
Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
Aug 5th 2006, 7:06 am
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: certificate of naturalization: complete and true signature
[email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 11:46:
> Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
> signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
> clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
> on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
> photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
That is not necessarily true. An example that immediately comes to mind is if
you have a name change. The signature on the picture is in your old name, since
that was the name you had when you signed it. The signature on the
naturalization certificate is your new name, and that takes precedence over the
signature on the picture.
-Joe
--
I am not a lawyer.
For reliable advice, consult a competent immigration attorney.
> Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
> signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
> clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
> on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
> photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
That is not necessarily true. An example that immediately comes to mind is if
you have a name change. The signature on the picture is in your old name, since
that was the name you had when you signed it. The signature on the
naturalization certificate is your new name, and that takes precedence over the
signature on the picture.
-Joe
--
I am not a lawyer.
For reliable advice, consult a competent immigration attorney.
Aug 5th 2006, 9:21 am
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: certificate of naturalization: complete and true signature
On Sat, 05 Aug 2006 12:06:25 -0700, Joe Feise <[email protected]> wrote:
>[email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 11:46:
>
>> Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
>> signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
>> clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
>> on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
>> photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
>
>That is not necessarily true. An example that immediately comes to mind is if
>you have a name change. The signature on the picture is in your old name, since
>that was the name you had when you signed it. The signature on the
>naturalization certificate is your new name, and that takes precedence over the
>signature on the picture.
>
>-Joe
If you have a name change, don't you have to file an N-565 (apply for
a new certificate) ? If I look at the uscis site and the N-565 form
there, it lists a name change as one of the reasons to file it
(besides losing the original, or have it accidentally destroyed)
http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/index.htm
When you go through the N-565 process, don't they need another
picture, and don't you have to sign that again?
It really is confusing. At least for me. Many immigrants have quite
different signatures then just their written name. My signature, that
appears on all legal documents I sign, is quite illegible. And I am
sure I am not the only one. My son's the same way, and so is my
wife's. Where I grew up (Belgium), people used to make their signature
purposely difficult to forge. The only time I had issues with my
signature was during the green card and subsequently the
naturalization process. I ended up signing my N-400 with both.
For women it has to be even more difficult. My wife had to interfere
with the immigration officer, or she would have changed her name right
then and there to my last name. Many women from European descent keep
their maiden name, or hyphenate it. In the US, most women take their
husband's name. It has caused her quite some problems when her green
card was issued (contrary to her request) in my last name, and her
then passport (Belgium) was using her real (maiden) name. Especially
difficult was when she was traveling with our son when he was a child,
since his passport and green card were issued with my last name. At
one time, a US immigration officer upon re-entry had to be convinced
she had not kidnapped him.
And then during her interview, while she clearly stated she wanted to
keep her maiden name, the immigration office was already changing it
to mine. Good thing she caught that, otherwise she would have gotten
her name wrong on her certificate, just like they messed it up on her
green card.
>[email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 11:46:
>
>> Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
>> signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
>> clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
>> on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
>> photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
>
>That is not necessarily true. An example that immediately comes to mind is if
>you have a name change. The signature on the picture is in your old name, since
>that was the name you had when you signed it. The signature on the
>naturalization certificate is your new name, and that takes precedence over the
>signature on the picture.
>
>-Joe
If you have a name change, don't you have to file an N-565 (apply for
a new certificate) ? If I look at the uscis site and the N-565 form
there, it lists a name change as one of the reasons to file it
(besides losing the original, or have it accidentally destroyed)
http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/index.htm
When you go through the N-565 process, don't they need another
picture, and don't you have to sign that again?
It really is confusing. At least for me. Many immigrants have quite
different signatures then just their written name. My signature, that
appears on all legal documents I sign, is quite illegible. And I am
sure I am not the only one. My son's the same way, and so is my
wife's. Where I grew up (Belgium), people used to make their signature
purposely difficult to forge. The only time I had issues with my
signature was during the green card and subsequently the
naturalization process. I ended up signing my N-400 with both.
For women it has to be even more difficult. My wife had to interfere
with the immigration officer, or she would have changed her name right
then and there to my last name. Many women from European descent keep
their maiden name, or hyphenate it. In the US, most women take their
husband's name. It has caused her quite some problems when her green
card was issued (contrary to her request) in my last name, and her
then passport (Belgium) was using her real (maiden) name. Especially
difficult was when she was traveling with our son when he was a child,
since his passport and green card were issued with my last name. At
one time, a US immigration officer upon re-entry had to be convinced
she had not kidnapped him.
And then during her interview, while she clearly stated she wanted to
keep her maiden name, the immigration office was already changing it
to mine. Good thing she caught that, otherwise she would have gotten
her name wrong on her certificate, just like they messed it up on her
green card.
Aug 5th 2006, 10:31 am
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: certificate of naturalization: complete and true signature
[email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 14:21:
> On Sat, 05 Aug 2006 12:06:25 -0700, Joe Feise <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> [email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 11:46:
>>
>>> Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
>>> signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
>>> clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
>>> on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
>>> photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
>> That is not necessarily true. An example that immediately comes to mind is if
>> you have a name change. The signature on the picture is in your old name, since
>> that was the name you had when you signed it. The signature on the
>> naturalization certificate is your new name, and that takes precedence over the
>> signature on the picture.
>>
>> -Joe
>
>
> If you have a name change, don't you have to file an N-565 (apply for
> a new certificate) ?
Not if you have a name change as part of the naturalization (there is a checkbox
and a field for the new name on the N-400.)
Been there, done that...
-Joe
--
I am not a lawyer.
For reliable advice, consult a competent immigration attorney.
> On Sat, 05 Aug 2006 12:06:25 -0700, Joe Feise <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> [email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 11:46:
>>
>>> Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
>>> signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
>>> clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
>>> on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
>>> photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
>> That is not necessarily true. An example that immediately comes to mind is if
>> you have a name change. The signature on the picture is in your old name, since
>> that was the name you had when you signed it. The signature on the
>> naturalization certificate is your new name, and that takes precedence over the
>> signature on the picture.
>>
>> -Joe
>
>
> If you have a name change, don't you have to file an N-565 (apply for
> a new certificate) ?
Not if you have a name change as part of the naturalization (there is a checkbox
and a field for the new name on the N-400.)
Been there, done that...
-Joe
--
I am not a lawyer.
For reliable advice, consult a competent immigration attorney.
Aug 5th 2006, 11:49 pm
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: certificate of naturalization: complete and true signature
On Sat, 05 Aug 2006 15:31:56 -0700, Joe Feise <[email protected]> wrote:
>[email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 14:21:
>
>> On Sat, 05 Aug 2006 12:06:25 -0700, Joe Feise <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> [email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 11:46:
>>>
>>>> Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
>>>> signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
>>>> clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
>>>> on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
>>>> photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
>>> That is not necessarily true. An example that immediately comes to mind is if
>>> you have a name change. The signature on the picture is in your old name, since
>>> that was the name you had when you signed it. The signature on the
>>> naturalization certificate is your new name, and that takes precedence over the
>>> signature on the picture.
>>>
>>> -Joe
>>
>>
>> If you have a name change, don't you have to file an N-565 (apply for
>> a new certificate) ?
>
>
>Not if you have a name change as part of the naturalization (there is a checkbox
>and a field for the new name on the N-400.)
>Been there, done that...
>
>-Joe
OK, I think I understand now.
>[email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 14:21:
>
>> On Sat, 05 Aug 2006 12:06:25 -0700, Joe Feise <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> [email protected] wrote on 08/05/06 11:46:
>>>
>>>> Yes they asked me the same thing. And they explained that after I
>>>> signed it, I could sign everything else as I pleased. But he made
>>>> clear that it is very important that I sign my full name as it appears
>>>> on the certificate and if that is different then what is signed on the
>>>> photograph, it's the signature on the photograph that takes priority.
>>> That is not necessarily true. An example that immediately comes to mind is if
>>> you have a name change. The signature on the picture is in your old name, since
>>> that was the name you had when you signed it. The signature on the
>>> naturalization certificate is your new name, and that takes precedence over the
>>> signature on the picture.
>>>
>>> -Joe
>>
>>
>> If you have a name change, don't you have to file an N-565 (apply for
>> a new certificate) ?
>
>
>Not if you have a name change as part of the naturalization (there is a checkbox
>and a field for the new name on the N-400.)
>Been there, done that...
>
>-Joe
OK, I think I understand now.
