Certificate of Naturalization, certified or reg. copy?

[VolimTe 0]

When filing for K-1 visa, USC need to show a proof of citizenship, can i just copy my Naturalization Certificate or does it need to be like a certified copy?? :/ it does not say anything on the instructions, all it says is a copy of certificate of natur. , but i heard from someone that its "illegal" to copy N. Certificate... it has to be a certified copy ??? is that true??? :S

[moleary 2]

You can give them a copy of your passport to prove citizenship. It is OK to photocopy your certificate of naturalization. I did, front and back (blank!) I submitted a copy with the I-129F petition package, and my fiancee gave them a copy at her interview. I also gave them a photocopy of my passport, cover to cover, because it had the stamps.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

The Naturalization Certificate tells USCIS something I personally would not want them to know at all: that I'm an ex immigrant. I therefore also suggest you copy your passport instead. It's all on a need-to-know basis with immigration.

[daboyz 36]

The Naturalization Certificate tells USCIS something I personally would not want them to know at all: that I'm an ex immigrant. I therefore also suggest you copy your passport instead. It's all on a need-to-know basis with immigration.

The passport shows what country you were born in on the biographical page.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

When filing for K-1 visa, USC need to show a proof of citizenship, can i just copy my Naturalization Certificate or does it need to be like a certified copy?? :/ it does not say anything on the instructions, all it says is a copy of certificate of natur. , but i heard from someone that its "illegal" to copy N. Certificate... it has to be a certified copy ??? is that true??? :S

What you "heard from someone" is actually printed on your certificate of naturalization: "IT IS PUNISHABLE BY U.S. LAW TO COPY, PRINT OR PHOTOGRAPH THIS CERTIFICATE, WITHOUT LAWFUL AUTHORITY".

USCIS is the "lawful authority" that issued your certificate. You can legally provide a photocopy of it for them. They can easily confirm whether it's a legitimate copy. In fact, they are the ONLY government agency that can do that. A "certified true copy" is usually only required when you need to submit a copy to another government agency. If you actually want to get a certified true copy (you don't NEED to do this) then you have to make an infopass appointment. The instructions are here:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=85e5e6b0eb13d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=54519c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

BTW, it's perfectly legal for you to make copies for yourself. In fact, USCIS encourages you to do so in case the original is lost or destroyed. You just can't make copies and pass them around to your friends or upload them to the internet, etc.

[Coleen 2]

Hej Jovana duso...

Kada ovako postavis pitanje neki samo jedva cekaju da te poklope nekim glupavim zakonima... (I'm very sorry about using my language, I totally forgot how some of you can get offended..)

So.. I'll share my experience with you, but you have to keep in mind that it is only MY experience, it doesn't have to mean that you'll have the same one. My boyfriend had his oath ceremony last September. First thing he did after he got his Naturalization Certificate was that he got his American passport. So, when he filed our I-129F package he just copied his Naturalization Certificate without having it certified by notary. He also copied and included all of the pages of his new American passport (nothing from the Bosnian one). In his cover letter for I-129F he made a remark in the last line, it was something like this: ''Copies of the documents submitted are exact photocopies of unaltered documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date.'' We never got RFE (maybe we were just lucky). I think you'll be just fine.. If you have any questions post them in our forum, I will be very happy to help you with anything I can (maybe I wasn't paying much attention lately- it's only because of my medical and interview).

Good luck girl..

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

The passport shows what country you were born in on the biographical page.

True, but when I was born abroad back in 1957 my parents could have been US citizens which would have made me a US citizen since birth.

Different from a Certificate of Citizenship issued half a Century later.

I maintain my position.