Name Split in Passport, COPR and PR Card

[keypad]

Hi everyone,

I am an international student in Toronto, experiencing the same issue.

As per my Indian passport,
Given Name: Khizer Ahmed
Surname: BLANK

As per my Study Permit
Given Name: BLANK
Family Name: Khizer Ahmed

I got to know that I can split my name in the passport through BLS Canada but getting the Study Permit corrected would not be possible.

can someone who has been through the same situation advice me on it?

Email - khizer726@gmail.com
Instagram - khizerahmed11

Yes, you can obviously get your Indian passport fixed from BLS. I am not sure how it will work with the study permit. What I know is if someone comes to Canada on PR and he tries to update the name, they won't update the COPR as well, only the PR card will be updated with the new names.

 

[speedthestar]

Hi! I did read through the comments to understand what needs to be done. Im getting name split in my passport forst as Ontario requires 12 months for name change (strange but i just arrived 2 months back can't do anything).
My query is that my PR card will come as last name only, but im getting my passport changed, so will it create issue when i do travel back home to India because different name in both documents?
I can't get it changed in PR card until 1 year so how do I go about it?

 

[manu.yoganand]

Hi! I did read through the comments to understand what needs to be done. Im getting name split in my passport forst as Ontario requires 12 months for name change (strange but i just arrived 2 months back can't do anything).
My query is that my PR card will come as last name only, but im getting my passport changed, so will it create issue when i do travel back home to India because different name in both documents?
I can't get it changed in PR card until 1 year so how do I go about it?

I would do it when I will be in a position to make changes to all my documents at one go.

 

[speedthestar]

I would do it when I will be in a position to make changes to all my documents at one go.

Thank you for your reply. My passport expires in September so have to get that renewed. Other docs min 12 months are required. This is an issue then?

 

[manu.yoganand]

Thank you for your reply. My passport expires in September so have to get that renewed. Other docs min 12 months are required. This is an issue then?

Could potentially pose an issue. Who told you about the 12 month rule, didn’t know about that.
You will have to play around your schedules. If you do not have any urgent travel plans, then wait.
Else get the passport renewed as is, and later when you have time, get Passport corrected and apply for a new PR card. You will end up spending extra for the passport.

 

[speedthestar]

The 12 month rule is on Service Ontario website. Also if i do get passport as is, it's still only first name in passport, and only last name in PR card. So there is going to be mismatch anyway.
Let's see if any other member has an input for this.
Thank you Manu!

 

[manu.yoganand]

The 12 month rule is on Service Ontario website. Also if i do get passport as is, it's still only first name in passport, and only last name in PR card. So there is going to be mismatch anyway.
Let's see if any other member has an input for this.
Thank you Manu!

If your name is Canadian Citizen, do you mean your passport has
First Name - Canadian Citizen
Last name - BLANK

And PR Card
First Name - BLANK
Last Name - Canadian Citizen

if this is the case, then should be fine for travelling as that is the process. My documents were also like that and I have travelled with that. I wouldn’t take a chance when 1document has first name and last name correctly captured, but the other has a mistake

 

[speedthestar]

If your name is Canadian Citizen, do you mean your passport has
First Name - Canadian Citizen
Last name - BLANK

And PR Card
First Name - BLANK
Last Name - Canadian Citizen

if this is the case, then should be fine for travelling as that is the process. My documents were also like that and I have travelled with that. I wouldn’t take a chance when 1document has first name and last name correctly captured, but the other has a mistake

Yes i haven't got my PR card yet but it would be printed as you said. So I understand if i change only on my passport as of now it can create problems. Let me consider that then. Thank you again.

 

[armoured]

The 12 month rule is on Service Ontario website. Also if i do get passport as is, it's still only first name in passport, and only last name in PR card. So there is going to be mismatch anyway.

-The 12 month rule is to perform a legal name change as a resident i.e. to 'do' the name change in Canada.
-It seems that what you have done is perform the legal name change in India as a citizen.

I see two things:
-You should be able to get IRCC to issue you a new PR card on the basis of your name change in India. Hopefully the passport will be sufficient evidence of that; is there any other document provided or issued that shows that India has changed your name? (Equivalent in ONtario would be the court order of legal name change and/or the publicaiton in the Ontario Gazette.)
-If not, you probably would not have much issue going back and forth to Canada with: photocopy of old passport; new passport with name split; PR card (unamended). Better still would be equivalent of 'change of name doc' issued by India.

The caveat here is that: if there is going to be a problem accepting the unamended PR card/new Indian passport, it's most likely going to be at airline check-in (getting on the flight). Most Canadian institutions (domestically) including port of entry officers will look at the three docs I mentioned and accept that you-are-you and you-are-PR, assuming that they all look normal and the name split is reasonably obvious.

The key here being that Cdn institutions generally can accept because it's obvious and this type of name correction (customary use of) technically doesn't require court orders (at least common law jurisdictions, don't know about Quebec).

It might/would help if you can get other Canadian docs (even things like bank or utility statements) that split the name per your indian passport - just as more support that you-are-you and this is how you are known.

[Not an expert, the above to best of my knowledge.]

 

[manu.yoganand]

-The 12 month rule is to perform a legal name change as a resident i.e. to 'do' the name change in Canada.
-It seems that what you have done is perform the legal name change in India as a citizen.

I see two things:
-You should be able to get IRCC to issue you a new PR card on the basis of your name change in India. Hopefully the passport will be sufficient evidence of that; is there any other document provided or issued that shows that India has changed your name? (Equivalent in ONtario would be the court order of legal name change and/or the publicaiton in the Ontario Gazette.)
-If not, you probably would not have much issue going back and forth to Canada with: photocopy of old passport; new passport with name split; PR card (unamended). Better still would be equivalent of 'change of name doc' issued by India.

The caveat here is that: if there is going to be a problem accepting the unamended PR card/new Indian passport, it's most likely going to be at airline check-in (getting on the flight). Most Canadian institutions (domestically) including port of entry officers will look at the three docs I mentioned and accept that you-are-you and you-are-PR, assuming that they all look normal and the name split is reasonably obvious.

The key here being that Cdn institutions generally can accept because it's obvious and this type of name correction (customary use of) technically doesn't require court orders (at least common law jurisdictions, don't know about Quebec).

It might/would help if you can get other Canadian docs (even things like bank or utility statements) that split the name per your indian passport - just as more support that you-are-you and this is how you are known.

[Not an expert, the above to best of my knowledge.]

Correct, this is not a legal name change. Not even in India.

When I submitted for correction, I had written to Indian consulate that my Passport application was erroneously filled, as such complete name is in first name. Now I need to split it.
upon receiving the updated passport, I sent similar letter to IRCC with copies of letter submitted to Indian consulate and other necessary forms and docements.
you are only splitting your name, not legally changing it.

Please note, for life you will have to mention this as “another name“ used in all applications. When you apply for citizenship, you will need to mention this in your application as “other names used previously“

 

[armoured]

Correct, this is not a legal name change. Not even in India.

When I submitted for correction, I had written to Indian consulate that my Passport application was erroneously filled, as such complete name is in first name. Now I need to split it.
upon receiving the updated passport, I sent similar letter to IRCC with copies of letter submitted to Indian consulate and other necessary forms and docements.
you are only splitting your name, not legally changing it.

Thank you, I didn't know the legal background of this in India (that they will consider this a correction).

However: I think this 'correction' should be approached as a name change from a Canadian legal perspective - with the caveat that I'm not certain about this, and i'm not certain that this distinction matters at all.

I think the Cdn legal perspective would be that 'corrections' like typos should only be for cases of manifest error (something like spelling the famly name 'Smith' as 'Quith') and corrected quickly - as eg IRCC does for mistakes on PR cards and cit certificates and the like - you HAVE to get the change done within a certain period of time. Because if you didn't get it fixed quickly, you used that name.

At any rate, the 'solution' should be the shame - show the documents you had (ideally including the submission requesting the name be split and the response), and get Canadian authorities to recognize that this is effectively a change of name. (Note, with a change of name, you are NOT required to get all documents replaced, and some - like COPR and birth certificates - will not be changed retroactively; you can usually just use old doc + chnage of name evidence, although much more convenient if all eventually get changed.)

Again, my belief is that airport check-in counters are likely to be the main issue, because they're cautious, not experts in documents or legal stuff, don't like to make decisions, and it costs them money if they screw up. You can try asking the airline but that may not give much more comfort than generality.

This will be much easier if it's obvious like a simple name split or minor spelling discrepancy (eg with names that have been transliterated from other alphabets).

Your point about making sure to list 'aliases / other names' is a good one.

 

[nancyjean]

Hi! I did read through the comments to understand what needs to be done. Im getting name split in my passport forst as Ontario requires 12 months for name change (strange but i just arrived 2 months back can't do anything).
My query is that my PR card will come as last name only, but im getting my passport changed, so will it create issue when i do travel back home to India because different name in both documents?
I can't get it changed in PR card until 1 year so how do I go about it?

Hi,

If your going to split your name in your Indian passport.. It doesn't take 12 months. You need to go to Consulate General of India. It will only take you 1 day. You can do your passport renewal and name split then. After you get it done you can request for new PR card with your split name.

 

[speedthestar]

-The 12 month rule is to perform a legal name change as a resident i.e. to 'do' the name change in Canada.
-It seems that what you have done is perform the legal name change in India as a citizen.

I see two things:
-You should be able to get IRCC to issue you a new PR card on the basis of your name change in India. Hopefully the passport will be sufficient evidence of that; is there any other document provided or issued that shows that India has changed your name? (Equivalent in ONtario would be the court order of legal name change and/or the publicaiton in the Ontario Gazette.)
-If not, you probably would not have much issue going back and forth to Canada with: photocopy of old passport; new passport with name split; PR card (unamended). Better still would be equivalent of 'change of name doc' issued by India.

The caveat here is that: if there is going to be a problem accepting the unamended PR card/new Indian passport, it's most likely going to be at airline check-in (getting on the flight). Most Canadian institutions (domestically) including port of entry officers will look at the three docs I mentioned and accept that you-are-you and you-are-PR, assuming that they all look normal and the name split is reasonably obvious.

The key here being that Cdn institutions generally can accept because it's obvious and this type of name correction (customary use of) technically doesn't require court orders (at least common law jurisdictions, don't know about Quebec).

It might/would help if you can get other Canadian docs (even things like bank or utility statements) that split the name per your indian passport - just as more support that you-are-you and this is how you are known.

[Not an expert, the above to best of my knowledge.]

Thank you. Yes I have utilities and bank records as per the name split, and yes it's a name split only and not a name change. All my other Indian docs have the split name, even my oldest passport has the name split. It was just this one. I am going to get passport updated, but to change Ontario docs and PR card would take 12 months+. I heardthat PR card name change also requires the legal name change from Ontario first.

 

[speedthestar]

Correct, this is not a legal name change. Not even in India.

When I submitted for correction, I had written to Indian consulate that my Passport application was erroneously filled, as such complete name is in first name. Now I need to split it.
upon receiving the updated passport, I sent similar letter to IRCC with copies of letter submitted to Indian consulate and other necessary forms and docements.
you are only splitting your name, not legally changing it.

Please note, for life you will have to mention this as “another name“ used in all applications. When you apply for citizenship, you will need to mention this in your application as “other names used previously“

That's a great tip to show it as other names used. Definitely would avoid problems.
So to get this right, you were able to update name change in PR card without the Official name change process of Ontario? If yes, then that's great!

 

[speedthestar]

Thank you, I didn't know the legal background of this in India (that they will consider this a correction).

However: I think this 'correction' should be approached as a name change from a Canadian legal perspective - with the caveat that I'm not certain about this, and i'm not certain that this distinction matters at all.

I think the Cdn legal perspective would be that 'corrections' like typos should only be for cases of manifest error (something like spelling the famly name 'Smith' as 'Quith') and corrected quickly - as eg IRCC does for mistakes on PR cards and cit certificates and the like - you HAVE to get the change done within a certain period of time. Because if you didn't get it fixed quickly, you used that name.

At any rate, the 'solution' should be the shame - show the documents you had (ideally including the submission requesting the name be split and the response), and get Canadian authorities to recognize that this is effectively a change of name. (Note, with a change of name, you are NOT required to get all documents replaced, and some - like COPR and birth certificates - will not be changed retroactively; you can usually just use old doc + chnage of name evidence, although much more convenient if all eventually get changed.)

Again, my belief is that airport check-in counters are likely to be the main issue, because they're cautious, not experts in documents or legal stuff, don't like to make decisions, and it costs them money if they screw up. You can try asking the airline but that may not give much more comfort than generality.

This will be much easier if it's obvious like a simple name split or minor spelling discrepancy (eg with names that have been transliterated from other alphabets).

Your point about making sure to list 'aliases / other names' is a good one.

Yeah that's my concern as well. The checkin counters. Best bet I have is to carry my old passport along, hope they understand.