Have you ever experienced delays when processing your documents because your name didn’t match across your various records? It’s actually a very common issue many applicants face during credential evaluation, often without realizing it beforehand. In credential evaluation, discrepancies, such as differences between your first or last names, misspellings, or your marital status changes, are common problems that would require evaluators to verify before you could get your credential evaluated. These details might seem minor, but they matter when evaluators need to confirm that all documents belong to the same person.
Common Causes of Name Mismatch
Educational Records Evaluation Service (ERES) evaluators commonly encounter discrepancies between the applicant’s names filed with a source (such as an academic institution) and the name filed on the application for credential evaluation due to the following:
1. Various ways of spelling the name, different initials, or first names. One example for this is when an applicant enrolled in an academic program using their birth name and then continued their education using a shortened version of their name.
2. Changing their name legally. The applicant could have an established academic record and then change their name due to marriage, go back to a previous surname after a divorce, or get their name legally changed through court.
3. Errors in the data entry prior to their application for credential evaluation. If the name on the transcripts, diploma, or even IDs was recorded incorrectly or misspelled, then it will create discrepancies.
Why Name Mismatch Matters in Credential Evaluation?
As part of the process, ERES will request personal information to identify that each piece of document submitted belongs to the same individual, and any discrepancy in present and previous names requires additional steps to complete the evaluation. Discrepancies in names do not mean your application will be denied but it may cause delays while ERES requests valid documentation to confirm the identity.
How to Resolve Name Mismatch
Trying to rectify differences between two or more names requires documentation establishing the link between the names a person has previously used. The following steps can assist you in resolving your name discrepancy.
- Identify your name discrepancies. Review your documents for all variations of all names you have previously used in your transcripts, diploma, license, etc.
- Provide supporting documents. Submit records, such as: Marriage Certificate, Legal name change certificate, Legal documents issued by a court or other public agency These are commonly accepted documents used by evaluators to verify your identity in the evaluation process. These provide links between names that you have previously used.
- Use an affidavit when necessary. If you don’t have legal documents to establish your identity or demonstrate that you have changed your name, you may submit a notarized affidavit of your identity and/or name change.
- Include a letter of explanation if needed (optional). In some complex cases, a brief letter of explanation can be beneficial to explain the circumstances of each name discrepancy. This can provide additional information that can help the evaluators understand the situation more easily.
- Submit your documents altogether. While evaluators may contact you through your ERES account if inconsistencies or missing documents are identified, you could also proactively submit all supporting documents with your application to help avoid delays in the process.
Commonly Asked Questions
Q. Would a name discrepancy affect the outcome of my application?
A. No. However, the applicant may receive a request to submit documentation.
Q. What if I do not have documentation to support a name change?
A. A notarized affidavit may be used.
Q. Which name should I use in my application?
A. File your application using the name that appears on your valid or government-issued identification.
In conclusion, applicants can successfully resolve their credential evaluation by addressing name differences and providing the required supporting documentation. Name differences can create issues during an applicant’s credential evaluation. In order to address these issues, evaluators may request valid documentation, or applicants may submit it proactively if they are aware of any name discrepancies. Then, the evaluation process can continue once all documentation submitted confirm that all records belonged to the same individual.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (n.d.). Policy manual: Evidence and identity requirements. https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-1-part-e-chapter-5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (n.d.). Policy manual: Evidence and secondary evidence (affidavits). https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-1-part-e-chapter-6
U.S. Department of State. (n.d.). Change or correct a passport. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/change-correct.html
