SET(M) - didn’t disclose old name before (changed at age 2), what should I do?
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2026 1:00 pm
I’m preparing to apply for ILR next month and I’ve run into a concern about an old name.
I recently came across some old personal documents I hadn’t seen in decades, and it turns out that the name on my birth certificate was actually a nickname. My parents changed it to my current legal name when I was 2 years old, I had no idea this was the case as obviously I was too young.
The issue is that in all my previous visa applications, I answered 'no' to the question about whether I had ever been known by another name.
Now I’m worried this could be seen as non-disclosure or deception, especially at this stage or later when applying for citizenship.
Would it be better to disclose this now in my ILR application and include a cover letter explaining the situation? It was an honest mistake, but I’m worried that bringing it up now might highlight a past oversight and potentially lead to a refusal or even a ban.
Or should I not mention it at all, given that the name was changed in early childhood and I’ve never formally used it? I don’t think a birth certificate is required for future applications either, so it seems unlikely that my birth name would come up.
Has anyone been in a similar situation or knows how the Home Office might view this?
I recently came across some old personal documents I hadn’t seen in decades, and it turns out that the name on my birth certificate was actually a nickname. My parents changed it to my current legal name when I was 2 years old, I had no idea this was the case as obviously I was too young.
The issue is that in all my previous visa applications, I answered 'no' to the question about whether I had ever been known by another name.
Now I’m worried this could be seen as non-disclosure or deception, especially at this stage or later when applying for citizenship.
Would it be better to disclose this now in my ILR application and include a cover letter explaining the situation? It was an honest mistake, but I’m worried that bringing it up now might highlight a past oversight and potentially lead to a refusal or even a ban.
Or should I not mention it at all, given that the name was changed in early childhood and I’ve never formally used it? I don’t think a birth certificate is required for future applications either, so it seems unlikely that my birth name would come up.
Has anyone been in a similar situation or knows how the Home Office might view this?
