AOS Interview - Birth Certificate Original required?

[coolKid1984 1]

Hi guys,

Just received the Interview letter for the I-485AOS for my wife (we got married in October and filed right away). We live in the United States and filed for AOS from here (she was on a tourist visa, we fell in love and got married 5 months after arrival (no overstay)). Once thing that concerns me is that under the "required documents" on the Interview letter they list "Birth Certificate". It is unclear whether a copy would do or her original one is required. Her original one is back in Russia (we filed a copy faxed from Russia with the I-485 documents), and it might take a month to reach here (knowing the Russian post office), so I am nervous, as the interview is in 4 weeks. Should we get on the phone and work on getting the birth certificate sent right away, or would a copy of the birth certificate do? Please let me know from personal experience. I appreciate the help.

[juliava 80]

You need the original Birth Certificate, a copy AND a certified translation of it.

On the bottom of the interview letter it says that they want original documents AND a copy of the originals, otherwise they might retain the original. You don't want that trouble.

[Waitinggent 2]

Have the birth certificate sent by DHL. Should be to you in a few days.

Hi guys,

Just received the Interview letter for the I-485AOS for my wife (we got married in October and filed right away). We live in the United States and filed for AOS from here (she was on a tourist visa, we fell in love and got married 5 months after arrival (no overstay)). Once thing that concerns me is that under the "required documents" on the Interview letter they list "Birth Certificate". It is unclear whether a copy would do or her original one is required. Her original one is back in Russia (we filed a copy faxed from Russia with the I-485 documents), and it might take a month to reach here (knowing the Russian post office), so I am nervous, as the interview is in 4 weeks. Should we get on the phone and work on getting the birth certificate sent right away, or would a copy of the birth certificate do? Please let me know from personal experience. I appreciate the help.

[Baltar 0]

what if the original birth cert doesn't exist?

When my wife was preparing for her k3 interview, she tried to get a original birth cert in India, which is impossible.. the best we could do was get a letter from the municiplaity office stating they won't issue it. We submitted this letter and her school records and these were accepted at the k3 interview.

Now that she's in USA and will be filing for AOS, can we submit these same records????

[juliava 80]

what if the original birth cert doesn't exist?

When my wife was preparing for her k3 interview, she tried to get a original birth cert in India, which is impossible.. the best we could do was get a letter from the municiplaity office stating they won't issue it. We submitted this letter and her school records and these were accepted at the k3 interview.

Now that she's in USA and will be filing for AOS, can we submit these same records????

There is an user on this forum whose parents recently had their AOS interview and the father didn't have the birth certificate.They come form India and the user's name is Richa. Check her topic out:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=234064

[wasabi 4]

I am dealing with something similar. My wife received an RFE due to a delayed birth registration. This is because she was born on the floor of her house in a remote village in Southeast Asia. Original records simply don't exist. I am in the process of getting elder relatives to sign affidavits attesting to this fact as well as the date and location of her birth. At the moment it's flying to my office via DHL. I hope they accept these affidavits because if not we don't have any other type of proof. If I reach that point I'm probably going to need a senator to help which seems like a big hassle.

I'm also worried with this recent fiasco with the underwear bomber that they are going to try to make a show of denying people to act like they are doing something.

[aydanalberto1 0]

They didn't ask my husband for his at the interview, but they did have a copy. Having an original to show them plus a copy and translation was a requirement on the interview notice though. We got my husbands from Mexico in like a week online. Maybe you could try something like that? I would try and get it just in case.

[Baltar 0]

nah it's waayyy more complicated than going online to get it in mexico.

First off, all these municipality offices don't even have websites, and the few that do only says things like, if you need anything from us, visit us in person, don't call us, don't email us.

She had to go to kashmir, where she was born. That entire area is disputed territory between india and pakistan, and it's been that way for who knows how long. Kashmir is just a huge terrorist breeding ground so all gov buildings trust no one and give no leeway for anything. she was born in jyotipuram which was just a village at the time of her birth without any municipal office and no record keeping at all. On top of all that, no one was required by law to even register births so that wasn't done either. When she asked if they can print one anyway, the officer said because jyotipuram was not part of udhampur kashmir at the time of her birth, we do not have any record of her birth and we cannot print a certificate out. he wrote this in a letter and stamped it, signed it and gave it to us. that was the best she can get and that was accepted by USA consulate..

from what i read on that link though, it seems its not much of a issue if it's not present. I think the best we can do is just send in that letter, the affadavids her parents did and her school records indicating her birth proof and hope that we dont have to get anyone higher than this involved.