The name on my Chinese documents is spelled differently from my passport — what does the translation use?
The translation uses the spelling on your passport, consistently across every document; a former name that appears on an original is translated as written and labelled as a former name, not replaced with your current name.
The situation
Birth, hukou and school records may show a former name, and passport spellings are not always standard Hanyu Pinyin.
What the rules say
There is no specific USCIS rule on romanization; 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requires a complete and accurate translation, so whatever name the original shows is the name the translation shows. Consistent spelling lets the officer match every document to the same person.
Official source: eCFR: 8 CFR § 103.2 (full text)
Sources last verified 2026-10-01
How we handle it
- Give us your passport spelling when you order; every translation in the order uses it
- Former names on an original are translated as written and marked "former name"
- The hukou "former name" field and any name-change page are translated as the link between the two names
- One shared glossary of names and institutions across every file in the order
Price
Certified translation is $16 per real uploaded page (minimum order $25), including the translator's declaration and translation seal; the quote you see after uploading is the final price.
Passport (endorsement pages) translation: requirements and price →More special cases
- My Chinese certificate already has English on it — do I still need a certified translation?
- I have an English CHSI verification report — do I still need a certified translation?
- My Chinese birth certificate is handwritten — how is it translated for USCIS?
- Hukou translation: the whole booklet or just my page?
- Can I translate only part of a Chinese bank statement?
- My old Chinese marriage certificate is faded — can it still get a certified translation?
Upload your document for an itemized quote
One transparent price includes the translation, translator's declaration and bilingual seal — the quote you see is the final price.