Vaulted or unabridged birth certificate?

[CeeCee 0]

Hello

I just joined VisaJourney because if I don't get answers soon I might develop a lethal stomach ulcer.

I'm a South African living in England. I am engaged to a US citizen. Our petition has been approved and I am now in the document collecting stage. According to the link supplied by the official letter sent to me informing me of our approved petition, I require my birth certificate and a police certificate. My question is, when I go for the interview, do they want a vaulted or unabridged birth certificate? Does it matter at all? And as for the police certificate: I've been in the UK for more than a year. I have already applied for a police certificate because the US Embassy guide stipulates that if you are living in a different country (from your home country, in my case living in the UK but being South African), have been in the different country for longer than six months and you are 16 years or older, you need the police certificate from that locality. Yet there are numerous websites that state you need police certificates from everywhere you've ever been since the age of 16 up to the current date. So can anyone tell me which is it? Do I need to go police certificate hunting across the world, or do I follow the London US Embassy directions to the letter?

Any information on these two issues would be greatly appreciated.

[pushbrk 14,563]

Hello

I just joined VisaJourney because if I don't get answers soon I might develop a lethal stomach ulcer.

I'm a South African living in England. I am engaged to a US citizen. Our petition has been approved and I am now in the document collecting stage. According to the link supplied by the official letter sent to me informing me of our approved petition, I require my birth certificate and a police certificate. My question is, when I go for the interview, do they want a vaulted or unabridged birth certificate? Does it matter at all? And as for the police certificate: I've been in the UK for more than a year. I have already applied for a police certificate because the US Embassy guide stipulates that if you are living in a different country (from your home country, in my case living in the UK but being South African), have been in the different country for longer than six months and you are 16 years or older, you need the police certificate from that locality. Yet there are numerous websites that state you need police certificates from everywhere you've ever been since the age of 16 up to the current date. So can anyone tell me which is it? Do I need to go police certificate hunting across the world, or do I follow the London US Embassy directions to the letter?

Any information on these two issues would be greatly appreciated.

You'll need a long form unabridged certified copy of your birth certificate and a police report from any country in which you "resided" six months or more since age 16. Your official instructions will be your guide an that's what they'll say.

[CeeCee 0]

You'll need a long form unabridged certified copy of your birth certificate and a police report from any country in which you "resided" six months or more since age 16. Your official instructions will be your guide an that's what they'll say.

Thank you very much for your prompt reply, I appreciate it. I feel better about the birth certificate issue, unfortunately I don't feel less confused about the police certificate. As I said, my US fiance petition has already been improved and I received my instructions. My instructions state the following:

"You now need to complete appropriate forms and collect required documents. Detailed explanations and instructions is found at http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/visa/...v_15.html"

Upon going to this link, you find a list of what you need, including police certificates. Under police certificates it states:

"a. If the applicant is living in their country of nationality at their current residence for more than 6 months and is 16 years old or older then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality

b. If the applicant lived in a different country for more than 12 months and was 16 years or older at that time then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality

c. If the applicant was arrested for any reason, regardless of how long they lived there and was any age at the time then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality."

Now I deduce two things. Firstly, that the above link is in point of fact my instructions seeing as my "instruction letter" tells me that's where I should find out what to do. Secondly, I am not A. living in my own country of nationality, nor C. arrested for any reason. Thus I must fall under B. lived in a different country for more than 12 months, thus needing a police certificate from that locality.

You said I must get a police certificate from anywhere I have lived for more than 6 months. Is this what your or your fiance's letter indicated? If so, then I suspect my entire conundrum stems from the fact that I am not applying from my home country, but via the US embassy in my country of residence only. Either that or the US embassy in London feels it necessary to supply the wrong information on their instructions list. Which, in turn, makes me even more confused.

I think I give up. We won't ever get this visa. South Africa has no reliable administration to speak of and I'm more likely to catch a unicorn than get any certificates from them.

[Audy_Rob 26]

"a. If the applicant is living in their country of nationality at their current residence for more than 6 months and is 16 years old or older then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality

b. If the applicant lived in a different country for more than 12 months and was 16 years or older at that time then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality

c. If the applicant was arrested for any reason, regardless of how long they lived there and was any age at the time then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality."

I think there is a misunderstanding on your part. You do not necessarily fall under just one category only. You can be required to provide multiple police certificates because of your domicile in multiple locations since the age of 16. Suppose you lived in a country and commited a crime. You need a police certificate under clause "c." Additionally you lived before in a country for more than 12 months without ever having committed a crime and was also over the age of 16. You need a police certificate from that country.

So do not say you must be "b" and exclude the others. More than one can apply.

If you are interviewing at the US Embassy in South Africa, shouldn't you check for their instructions. I am not sure why the London Embassy instructions are being followed even if you are a UK citizen.

Now I deduce two things. Firstly, that the above link is in point of fact my instructions seeing as my "instruction letter" tells me that's where I should find out what to do. Secondly, I am not A. living in my own country of nationality, nor C. arrested for any reason. Thus I must fall under B. lived in a different country for more than 12 months, thus needing a police certificate from that locality.

Reading this again, all three a, b and c could be true for some person under some set of circumstances.

[pushbrk 14,563]

I think there is a misunderstanding on your part. You do not necessarily fall under just one category only. You can be required to provide multiple police certificates because of your domicile in multiple locations since the age of 16. Suppose you lived in a country and commited a crime. You need a police certificate under clause "c." Additionally you lived before in a country for more than 12 months without ever having committed a crime and was also over the age of 16. You need a police certificate from that country.

So do not say you must be "b" and exclude the others. More than one can apply.

If you are interviewing at the US Embassy in South Africa, shouldn't you check for their instructions. I am not sure why the London Embassy instructions are being followed even if you are a UK citizen.

Reading this again, all three a, b and c could be true for some person under some set of circumstances.

The instructions certainly can be confusing. London is evidently using the 12 month instead of six month standard but the OP falls under two categories, not just one. Two police reports will be needed.

[CeeCee 0]

I think there is a misunderstanding on your part. You do not necessarily fall under just one category only. You can be required to provide multiple police certificates because of your domicile in multiple locations since the age of 16. Suppose you lived in a country and commited a crime. You need a police certificate under clause "c." Additionally you lived before in a country for more than 12 months without ever having committed a crime and was also over the age of 16. You need a police certificate from that country.

So do not say you must be "b" and exclude the others. More than one can apply.

If you are interviewing at the US Embassy in South Africa, shouldn't you check for their instructions. I am not sure why the London Embassy instructions are being followed even if you are a UK citizen.

Reading this again, all three a, b and c could be true for some person under some set of circumstances.

Yes, I realise this, that's why I said that I might be confusing myself because I am applying in a different country than my country of nationality. And this of course means that I am NOT being interviewed at the US embassy in South Africa. Although I am a South African citizen, I am being interviewed at the embassy in London because I am resident in the UK. That's why I'm following the guidelines of the US embassy in London's site.

[CeeCee 0]

The instructions certainly can be confusing. London is evidently using the 12 month instead of six month standard but the OP falls under two categories, not just one. Two police reports will be needed.

Much obliged I have indeed emptied my pockets and enlisted the help of a company in South Africa to obtain a police certificate from there, while I have already obtained a police certificate from the British police.

All in all, I am of the opinion that clearer instructions on all parts of the process should be given. It will make my life and US immigration's life a lot easier. I'll know what to get and they won't have to put processing times on hold for those who misunderstood and supplied the wrong/incomplete info.

Thanks a lot for all of your help!