How can I change my first name, given in passport?

How to apply for US F1 visa if Sur name field in my passport is blank?

• Hi, In my passport, the Sur Name field is blank and the Given Names field has Shyam Shankar. For my I20 and F1 visa can i mention my Last Name as Shankar and First Name as Shyam without making changes in my passport? I was googling on this issue for a while and most of the forums I gazed through advice to change the passport or have First Name as FNU and the Given Names in the Sur Name/Family Name. I am not in a position to change my passport, and at the same time I don't want to have FNU in my first name. I had inquired my cousins who had got their F1 visas. They had simply mentioned the second component of their given names as the last name and the first one as the First Name without changing the names in their passports. It has been 5years since he got his F1 visa. Have the rules changed since last 5 years. If not can i proceed the same way? Thanks in advance.

• Answer:

  Find out what the current regulations are. They are bound to be a lot stricter than 5 years ago because the government wants people to be scared of terrorists. Do not make mistakes in this process. Have yourself informed about how to do it exactly right at the immigration office. If you make mistakes they will give you an unconscionable amount of problems. Make sure you respect all the terms and limitations of your stay in the US or you may find yourself expelled without the right to ever return. Whatever you do, do not, under any circumstances write on or make changes to your passport because that will be considered tampering [which it is] and you will be accused [and convicted] of fraud. It is a very bad place to be in. Don't go there. You need to go to the department that supplied you with the document and explain to them, in clear, full detail what you want and why you want it. Bring all the documentation along that you can find to prove your identity, the place you live and where you work. You will be asked to produce it.