Birth Certificate

[Omid 0]

Me again -

My husband doesn't have a birth certificate b/c he was born at home w/ a midwife and this was during the war in Afghanistan... sooo no bc - for the k1 process the Islamabad embassy is familiar with this and they just asked for his mom to submit a sworn affidavit of when he was born, etc. We don't have that here - we can get a scanned copy by email but I was wondering if it would be sufficient to just have my husband submit a sworn statement to that effect?

any suggestions? anyone else here w/o their b.c.?

thanks so much!

[Yodrak 7]

Omid,

If the statement exists, why don't you have it? Where is it?

Whatever, try to get it.

Yodrak

Me again -

My husband doesn't have a birth certificate b/c he was born at home w/ a midwife and this was during the war in Afghanistan... sooo no bc - for the k1 process the Islamabad embassy is familiar with this and they just asked for his mom to submit a sworn affidavit of when he was born, etc. We don't have that here - we can get a scanned copy by email but I was wondering if it would be sufficient to just have my husband submit a sworn statement to that effect?

any suggestions? anyone else here w/o their b.c.?

thanks so much!

[Omid 0]

Yodrak, my husband didn't think that he would need that here and I didn't realize we would need it again for AOS so I didn't emphasize it when telling him what to gather... we can get a scanned copy of the statement from his mom but I'm wondering if it was sufficient for k1 is it safe to assume it will be sufficient for AOS?

[Yodrak 7]

Omid,

Why can't you get the original statement? That's what I'd want if it were my case.

Yodrak

Yodrak, my husband didn't think that he would need that here and I didn't realize we would need it again for AOS so I didn't emphasize it when telling him what to gather... we can get a scanned copy of the statement from his mom but I'm wondering if it was sufficient for k1 is it safe to assume it will be sufficient for AOS?

[allynella 0]

Have the original sent by courier service.

[Omid 0]

Because we're talking about Afghanistan - it would take forever and a day to try and get the original - mainly b/c we'd have to wait and see if a friend or relative would be going over there for a visit - currently no one has any plans. Mail service is almost non-existent. I know there is DHL now in Kabul (which costs an arm and a leg) and someone would have to make a 4-5 hour not-very-safe trip from his hometown to Kabul to get that statement.

That's why I'm thinking if it would be possible, to just have my husband sign a declaration stating he never had a birth certificate - or the scanned copy (thank god they have email out there).

btw, thanks for taking the time to answer my inquiry. It's very appreciated.

[Yodrak 7]

Omid,

I apologize, I hadn't appreciated the difficulty of your situation even though I see on the news every day the problems in Afghanistan.

Have a scanned copy of the statement e-mailed to you so that you have something to show.

I think I would consult with an experienced immigration attorney, find one who knows the USCIS officers at your local office, to see what insight they can give you. Perhaps even consider hiring the attorney to attend the interview with you. An attorney can be more persuasive than the average person should the interviewer handling the case be difficult to convince, especially if the attorney has done business with that interviewer in the past.

Yodrak

Because we're talking about Afghanistan - it would take forever and a day to try and get the original - mainly b/c we'd have to wait and see if a friend or relative would be going over there for a visit - currently no one has any plans. Mail service is almost non-existent. I know there is DHL now in Kabul (which costs an arm and a leg) and someone would have to make a 4-5 hour not-very-safe trip from his hometown to Kabul to get that statement.

That's why I'm thinking if it would be possible, to just have my husband sign a declaration stating he never had a birth certificate - or the scanned copy (thank god they have email out there).

btw, thanks for taking the time to answer my inquiry. It's very appreciated.

[Omid 0]

No apologies necessary - most people don't realize how bad it is out there. but thanks for the advice!

Omid,

I apologize, I hadn't appreciated the difficulty of your situation even though I see on the news every day the problems in Afghanistan.

Have a scanned copy of the statement e-mailed to you so that you have something to show.

I think I would consult with an experienced immigration attorney, find one who knows the USCIS officers at your local office, to see what insight they can give you. Perhaps even consider hiring the attorney to attend the interview with you. An attorney can be more persuasive than the average person should the interviewer handling the case be difficult to convince, especially if the attorney has done business with that interviewer in the past.

Yodrak

Because we're talking about Afghanistan - it would take forever and a day to try and get the original - mainly b/c we'd have to wait and see if a friend or relative would be going over there for a visit - currently no one has any plans. Mail service is almost non-existent. I know there is DHL now in Kabul (which costs an arm and a leg) and someone would have to make a 4-5 hour not-very-safe trip from his hometown to Kabul to get that statement.

That's why I'm thinking if it would be possible, to just have my husband sign a declaration stating he never had a birth certificate - or the scanned copy (thank god they have email out there).

btw, thanks for taking the time to answer my inquiry. It's very appreciated.

[Yodrak 7]

Omid,

Another thought - does your husband's passport show his place and date of birth? (My wife's does, don't know about my own!) If so the passport might be acceptable secondary evidence, along with the mother's statement, in lieu of the unobtainable birth certificate.

Yodrak

Because we're talking about Afghanistan - it would take forever and a day to try and get the original - mainly b/c we'd have to wait and see if a friend or relative would be going over there for a visit - currently no one has any plans. Mail service is almost non-existent. I know there is DHL now in Kabul (which costs an arm and a leg) and someone would have to make a 4-5 hour not-very-safe trip from his hometown to Kabul to get that statement.

That's why I'm thinking if it would be possible, to just have my husband sign a declaration stating he never had a birth certificate - or the scanned copy (thank god they have email out there).

...

Edited September 21, 2006 by Yodrak

[Omid 0]

yes it does - great idea! I will attach a copy of it to the statement - Thanks!

Omid,

Another thought - does your husband's passport show his place and date of birth? (My wife's does, don't know about my own!) If so the passport might be acceptable secondary evidence, along with the mother's statement, in lieu of the unobtainable birth certificate.

Yodrak

Because we're talking about Afghanistan - it would take forever and a day to try and get the original - mainly b/c we'd have to wait and see if a friend or relative would be going over there for a visit - currently no one has any plans. Mail service is almost non-existent. I know there is DHL now in Kabul (which costs an arm and a leg) and someone would have to make a 4-5 hour not-very-safe trip from his hometown to Kabul to get that statement.

That's why I'm thinking if it would be possible, to just have my husband sign a declaration stating he never had a birth certificate - or the scanned copy (thank god they have email out there).

...