Edition 01/20/25Verified May 2026Not a law firm · Not legal advice

Form I-485 · Part 1, Item 2

I-485 Other Names Used (Part 1, Item 2): What to List in 2026

What Part 1, Item 2 collects (every other name the applicant has used since birth), why USCIS asks, and how a spouse who changed a name at marriage fills it in.

Quick answer

On Form I-485 Part 1, Item 2 you list every other name you have ever gone by: your family name at birth (maiden or birth name), any name from a prior marriage, other legal names, nicknames, aliases, and assumed names. "You" here is the immigrant spouse (the person applying for the green card), not the U.S. sponsor. If you took or changed your name when you married, your maiden or birth name goes here.

Summary

Form I-485 Part 1, Item 2 collects all other names the applicant has used since birth. On a marriage case the applicant is the immigrant spouse, so this is about the names that spouse has used, not the names of the U.S. citizen or green card holder who filed the I-130. The instructions ask for your family name at birth, other legal names, nicknames, aliases, and assumed names. The petitioner is the U.S. sponsor; the beneficiary and the applicant are the immigrant spouse. An immigrant spouse who took a married name commonly lists a maiden name here. Listing a former name is factual and safe. If your names do not line up across passports, prior filings, or identity documents in a way that could raise an identity or fraud concern, that is a different situation, and people in it often talk to a licensed immigration attorney before answering.

Whose names	The applicant's own names. On a marriage case the applicant is the immigrant spouse, so these are the names that spouse has used, not the U.S. sponsor's names.
What to list	Family name at birth (maiden or birth name), names from a prior marriage, other legal names, nicknames, aliases, and assumed names.
Marriage name change	If you took or changed your name when you married, list your maiden or birth name here. This is the most common entry for a married immigrant spouse.
Fields per name	Family Name (Last Name), Given Name (First Name), and Middle Name (if applicable). The form gives two rows; use Part 14 (Additional Information) if you have more names.
If none	The item is marked (if applicable). If you have never used any name other than your current legal name, you have nothing to list here.

Who this page is for

This page covers the standard case: an immigrant spouse listing their own former, maiden, or other names on Form I-485. If your names do not line up across passports, a prior visa application, or an earlier USCIS filing in a way that could raise an identity or fraud concern, that situation turns on facts this page does not cover, and people in it often consult a licensed immigration attorney before answering.

What Part 1, Item 2 looks like on the form

Item 2 sits in Part 1 (Information About You), right after your current legal name. It prints two rows, each with Family Name, Given Name, and Middle Name.

Form I-485, Part 1 (Information About You) : Item 2, Other Names You Have Used Since Birth, with Family Name, Given Name, and Middle Name boxes, as it appears on edition 01/20/25 — Form I-485, Part 1, Item 2. Edition 01/20/25. Source: USCIS.

Verbatim · Part 1, Item 2 (Form I-485, edition 01/20/25, page 1)
2. Other Names You Have Used Since Birth (if applicable)
Provide all other names you have ever used, including your family name at birth, other legal names, nicknames, aliases, and assumed names.
Family Name (Last Name) · Given Name (First Name) · Middle Name (if applicable)

The I-485 Instructions do not separately walk through Part 1, Item 2; the label and instruction printed on the form itself are the controlling guidance. Always complete the current edition from uscis.gov/i-485; USCIS rejects outdated editions.

Which names to list in Item 2

Per the Part 1, Item 2 instruction, list every other name you have used. Here is what that covers, and the one thing that does not belong.

Name type	Does it go in Item 2?
Family name at birth (maiden or birth name)	List it. If your current legal name differs from the name on your birth certificate, the birth name goes here.
Name from a prior marriage	List it. A former married surname you used and then stopped using belongs here.
Other legal names	List them. Any name made official through a court order or a legal name change is a name you have used.
Nicknames you used officially	List a nickname if you have used it on documents or records, not a private family pet name no record reflects.
Aliases and assumed names	List them. The instructions name aliases and assumed names directly, so any name you have presented yourself under goes here.
Your current legal name	Does not go in Item 2. Your current legal name is Item 1. Item 2 is only for other names.

How to fill it in

Four steps that cover the common case.

Confirm whose names this is

On a marriage-based I-485 the applicant is the immigrant spouse, so Item 2 is about the names that spouse has used. The U.S. sponsor's other names do not go here. The U.S. sponsor listed their own names on the I-130 petition.

Write down every name you have gone by

Work through your life: the name on your birth certificate, any name from a prior marriage, names changed by court order, nicknames you used on records, and any alias or assumed name. The instructions ask for all of them.

Enter each name across the three boxes

For each name, split it into Family Name (Last Name), Given Name (First Name), and Middle Name (if applicable). A married immigrant spouse who changed a surname enters the maiden or birth name in these boxes.

Use Part 14 if you need more rows

Item 2 prints two rows. If you have used more names than fit, continue in Part 14 (Additional Information), labeling each entry with the Part Number, Item Number, and the name. Do not leave a name off because the box ran out.

If you changed your name when you married

A common reason a married immigrant spouse has a name to list here is a name change at marriage. If you adopted your spouse's surname, took a hyphenated name, or otherwise changed your legal name when you married, your maiden or birth name is a name you have used since birth, so it goes in Item 2. The same is true of a surname you carried during an earlier marriage and later dropped. Listing these is factual record-keeping, not a flag of any kind. Keep the spelling of each name consistent with the document that shows it, such as your birth certificate or marriage certificate, so the names on your I-485 match the names in the rest of your packet.

When to pause and ask an attorney

Listing a former or maiden name is straightforward and safe. A different situation is when your names do not line up across your records: for example, different spellings or different names appearing on separate passports, on a prior visa application, or on an earlier filing with USCIS, in a way that could raise a question about identity or about whether a name was used to obscure history. That is not something to work out on a form on your own. If your name history could read as an identity or fraud concern, talk to a licensed immigration attorney before you answer this item. This page explains what the field asks for; it does not assess a specific name-discrepancy situation.

Not sure which of your names belong here?

Our software asks plain questions about the names you have used and fills Part 1, Item 2 the right way, keeping every name consistent with your birth certificate, passport, and the rest of your I-485 packet.

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What USCIS does with your other names

USCIS runs background and security checks against every name an applicant has used, not just the current legal name. Listing your other names is what lets those checks reach records filed under a maiden name, a former married name, or an earlier legal name. It is also how an officer ties together the documents in your file when your birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate, and prior filings do not all carry the same name. Leaving a name off does not hide it; it creates a gap an officer may notice later and have to reconcile, which is slower than listing the name up front. The field is biographical: it records the names you have used so the rest of your record can be matched to you.

Common mistakes

These are the ones that show up most often on this item.

1
Listing the U.S. sponsor's names
Item 2 asks for the applicant's other names. On a marriage case the applicant is the immigrant spouse, so these are that spouse's names. The U.S. sponsor's names belong on the I-130, not here.
2
Leaving off a maiden or birth name
If you changed your name at marriage, your maiden or birth name is a name you have used since birth and belongs in Item 2. Skipping it is the most common omission for a married immigrant spouse.
3
Forgetting a former married name
A surname you used during an earlier marriage and later dropped is still a name you have used. List it even though you no longer go by it.
4
Putting your current legal name in Item 2
Your current legal name is Item 1. Item 2 is only for other names. Repeating your current name here is not what the field asks for.
5
Spelling a name differently than your documents
If a name appears one way on your birth certificate or passport and another way here, an officer has to reconcile the two. Match the spelling on the document that shows each name.

Related guides

Form and pathway context

Frequently asked questions

Whose names does I-485 Part 1, Item 2 ask about on a marriage case?

Your own names, as the applicant. On a marriage-based case the applicant is the immigrant spouse, so Item 2 covers the names that spouse has used since birth. The U.S. citizen or green card holder who sponsored you listed their own names on the I-130, not here.

I took my spouse's last name when I married. Do I list my maiden name here?

Yes. Your maiden or birth name is a name you have used since birth, so it goes in Item 2. This is the most common entry for a married immigrant spouse who changed a surname. Enter it across the Family Name, Given Name, and Middle Name boxes.

Do I list a nickname in Item 2?

List a nickname if you have used it officially, such as on documents or records. The instructions ask for nicknames, aliases, and assumed names. A private family pet name that appears on no record is not what the field is after.

What if I have used more names than fit in the two rows?

Continue in Part 14 (Additional Information). Label each entry with the Part Number, Item Number, and the name. The form prints two rows in Item 2, but you must still list every name you have used.

My name is spelled differently across my passports and prior filings. What should I do?

Listing a former or maiden name is safe. But when your names do not line up across passports, a prior visa application, or an earlier USCIS filing in a way that could raise an identity or fraud question, that is not something to resolve on your own. Talk to a licensed immigration attorney before answering this item.

Key takeaways

✓
Item 2 asks for the applicant's other names. On a marriage case the applicant is the immigrant spouse, so these are that spouse's names, not the U.S. sponsor's.
✓
List your family name at birth (maiden or birth name), names from a prior marriage, other legal names, nicknames, aliases, and assumed names.
✓
If you took or changed your name at marriage, your maiden or birth name goes here. It is the most common entry for a married immigrant spouse.
✓
Each name is entered as Family Name, Given Name, and Middle Name. Use Part 14 (Additional Information) if you have more names than fit the two rows.
✓
Listing a former name is safe; if your names do not line up across passports or prior filings in a way that could raise an identity or fraud concern, talk to a licensed immigration attorney first.

This page is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Green Card Genius is self-help immigration software, not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation. Immigration law and USCIS policy change frequently. For advice on a specific case, consult a licensed immigration attorney. Form I-485, edition 01/20/25. Last verified May 2026.

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