I think I made a mistake here. I have been waiting for my new wife in the PI to process a new birth certificate for her daughter. Will be my step daughter. After looking at the instructions again for filing the I-130 it looks like I don't have to send in the kids birth certificate. One of the lines have been scratched out in the instructions. I don't know if I just didn't see this before or had it my mind that you had to send a copy of both the mothers and daughters birth certificates.

So for my relatives side the only thing that needs to be sent are copies of the I-130, g325a, passport size photos, marriage certificate, and any divorce papers. Is this correct? I let 3 weeks go by for nothing in which I could have gotten this thing going. Have to read the instructions more closely. Can someone shed some light on this? If that's the case, I have everything I need and send them out this weekend or first thing Monday morning.
thanks,
martinbr

With what I read on the instructions here
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130instr.pdf

It looks like you only need your marriage certificate and and applicable divorce decrees and those are sent in with the application for your wife anyhow, so you could make copies to attach to the stepchild's application.

The instructions are incomplete as to all possible scenarios. Yes, you need to include the child's birth certificate (copy...fax is ok but needs translation first) because it's pretty much the only way you can show evidence of relationship to the child. You married the mother but need a document that ties the child to the mother.

There's another recent thread where the petitioner got an RFE for the step-child's birth certificate.

See here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=100209