Adj Status, city & country of Birth Question

[Jeff and Tatiana 0]

Hi everyone! Well it has been great so far.. the Wedding is done, things are rolling right along and I am trying to fill out all this paperwork for the ADJ Status. I have a quick question for those that may have done this before. In the forms where it requests:

City and Country of Birth

She was born in Kerch, Crimea, Ukraine. Yet, during the time of the birth, it was USSR, not Ukraine! So what do I put down? Do I just put what the place is currently? Kerch, Ukraine? Or do I put what it was at the time of the birth? Kerch, Crimea, USSR. ??

Any thoughts? I don't want to confuse things and I am looking over her Fiance' Visa paperwork now, seems I put the Kerch, Ukraine on them. So should I just go with that?

Additionally, in the section for Father and Mother on the Biographic information (G-325A) it asks for Family name, well as you know in Russia the father is not known the same way as the daughters. Ahh, maybe I am just over thinking this and just put in what his name is. Neznaeva is her's so his would be Neznaev. So just put Neznaev? Hmmm.. yeah probably over thinking it.

Anyway, let me know what you think and if you have had experience with this situation.

Thanks!

Jeff & Tanya

Edited March 29, 2010 by Jeff and Tatiana

[Martyshk 137]

Kerch, Ukraine

As far as father's name: Neznaev would be correct.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Мартышк+Мартышка

[mox 298]

Hi everyone! Well it has been great so far.. the Wedding is done, things are rolling right along and I am trying to fill out all this paperwork for the ADJ Status. I have a quick question for those that may have done this before. In the forms where it requests:

Congratulations!

City and Country of Birth

She was born in Kerch, Crimea, Ukraine. Yet, during the time of the birth, it was USSR, not Ukraine! So what do I put down? Do I just put what the place is currently? Kerch, Ukraine? Or do I put what it was at the time of the birth? Kerch, Crimea, USSR. ??

She was born in the USSR, so put USSR. Always use what's on the birth certificate, even if that city, district, or country no longer exists. Just make it match the birth certificate.

Additionally, in the section for Father and Mother on the Biographic information (G-325A) it asks for Family name, well as you know in Russia the father is not known the same way as the daughters. Ahh, maybe I am just over thinking this and just put in what his name is. Neznaeva is her's so his would be Neznaev. So just put Neznaev? Hmmm.. yeah probably over thinking it.

Yes, you are over-thinking it. Put down his real name, Neznaev. Don't get creative.

[Jeff and Tatiana 0]

Congratulations!

She was born in the USSR, so put USSR. Always use what's on the birth certificate, even if that city, district, or country no longer exists. Just make it match the birth certificate.

Yes, you are over-thinking it. Put down his real name, Neznaev. Don't get creative.

Thanks!

I had a feeling I was getting too creative. hehe.

Jeff & Tanya

[Martyshk 137]

She was born in the USSR, so put USSR. Always use what's on the birth certificate, even if that city, district, or country no longer exists. Just make it match the birth certificate.

Mox, the thing is - Ukraine/Russia/Belarus/etc is fine to be put on there.

In my greencard it always said: Ukraine. My passport says Ukraine too (place of birth). Even though I was born in USSR.

When we filled our I-129F we wrote Ukraine for Daria as well, even though her birth certificate says Ukranian SSR

US recognizes that USSR no longer exists so putting a name of a sovereign country/then republic is fine.

I also agree with you that putting USSR won't hurt. It's either or basically.

I just suggested putting Ukraine because on their I-129F they put Ukraine

[mox 298]

In all likelihood, you're probably right in that it doesn't matter one way or the other, and I've never heard of anybody getting an RFE or running into any trouble by using "Russia" or "Ukraine" instead of "USSR." But it seems to me (backed up by a lot of discussion here on VJ) that putting "Ukraine" when her birth certificate says "USSR" is a sort of benign revisionist history. I do agree that putting the current country is almost definitely not going to cause a problem. However, using the information from the birth certificate leaves no uncertainty at all.

[SMR 368]

In all likelihood, you're probably right in that it doesn't matter one way or the other, and I've never heard of anybody getting an RFE or running into any trouble by using "Russia" or "Ukraine" instead of "USSR." But it seems to me (backed up by a lot of discussion here on VJ) that putting "Ukraine" when her birth certificate says "USSR" is a sort of benign revisionist history. I do agree that putting the current country is almost definitely not going to cause a problem. However, using the information from the birth certificate leaves no uncertainty at all.

We put Leningrad, USSR as the birth city because that's what her passport and birth certificate say. I guess considering that there are different answers and no one has gotten any flak about it, it probably doesn't matter.

As far as names, you are definitely over-thinking it. It asks for her father's name. There is no requirement that her father have the same last name, even remotely. Considering anyone even remotely familiar with Russian culture understands an extra "A" at the end just means a different gender, you shouldn't have any problems.

Edited March 29, 2010 by SMR

[mox 298]

Yeah, I'd even argue that changing the father's name to fit the daughters *could* lead to an RFE or at least a delay. It'd be the equivalent of changing "Johnson" to "Johanson."

[Neonred 3,451]

My wife was born in Kyrgyzstan and I am quite sure I wrote that down, but her green card came through with USSR as country of birth. Don't worry so much, just get the paper work in and everything will be fine.

[mox 298]

In any case, congrats on filing AOS. Having that green card in hand will open a lot of doors for her.

[Jeff and Tatiana 0]

Thank you again to everyone and the discussion helped me decide. I think for now I am going with the birth certificate. And also thanks for the thoughts on the father's name. I had a feeling I was over thinking it. I can't wait to get this paperwork in and have the good ole' government machine start rolling. She is getting rather bored at home, so working is one of the big things she wants to do. Something about "contributing" to expenses. Hmmm what a novel idea.

Jeff & Tanya

[baron555 934]

Hi everyone! Well it has been great so far.. the Wedding is done, things are rolling right along and I am trying to fill out all this paperwork for the ADJ Status. I have a quick question for those that may have done this before. In the forms where it requests:

City and Country of Birth

She was born in Kerch, Crimea, Ukraine. Yet, during the time of the birth, it was USSR, not Ukraine! So what do I put down? Do I just put what the place is currently? Kerch, Ukraine? Or do I put what it was at the time of the birth? Kerch, Crimea, USSR. ??

You put down the city and country in existence at the time of her birth. We put down USSR for Alla's birth country.

Any thoughts? I don't want to confuse things and I am looking over her Fiance' Visa paperwork now, seems I put the Kerch, Ukraine on them. So should I just go with that?

Additionally, in the section for Father and Mother on the Biographic information (G-325A) it asks for Family name, well as you know in Russia the father is not known the same way as the daughters. Ahh, maybe I am just over thinking this and just put in what his name is. Neznaeva is her's so his would be Neznaev. So just put Neznaev? Hmmm.. yeah probably over thinking it.

Yes, that is how it is done. Alla's last name and little Leonid's last name differ by an a at the end of hers.

Anyway, let me know what you think and if you have had experience with this situation.

Thanks!

Jeff & Tanya

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hi everyone! Well it has been great so far.. the Wedding is done, things are rolling right along and I am trying to fill out all this paperwork for the ADJ Status. I have a quick question for those that may have done this before. In the forms where it requests:

City and Country of Birth

She was born in Kerch, Crimea, Ukraine. Yet, during the time of the birth, it was USSR, not Ukraine! So what do I put down? Do I just put what the place is currently? Kerch, Ukraine? Or do I put what it was at the time of the birth? Kerch, Crimea, USSR. ??

Any thoughts? I don't want to confuse things and I am looking over her Fiance' Visa paperwork now, seems I put the Kerch, Ukraine on them. So should I just go with that?

Additionally, in the section for Father and Mother on the Biographic information (G-325A) it asks for Family name, well as you know in Russia the father is not known the same way as the daughters. Ahh, maybe I am just over thinking this and just put in what his name is. Neznaeva is her's so his would be Neznaev. So just put Neznaev? Hmmm.. yeah probably over thinking it.

Anyway, let me know what you think and if you have had experience with this situation.

Thanks!

Jeff & Tanya

You are correct about her father's name. Enter his name as it was. It was what it was. I entered Alla's country of birth as "Ukraine SSR" which is what her birth certificate says. Also acceptable would be "Ukraine" or "USSR"

[slim 1,514]

working is one of the big things she wants to do. Something about "contributing" to expenses. Hmmm what a novel idea.

I'm going to print this out and show it to my wife. My wife was born in USSR and it says "USSR" on her green card. Her father's name is different than hers. I'm also pretty sure you have to put mama's maiden name on there somewhere, and that's going to be different as well. No worries.