Orig BC and Divorce Decree

[I_Am_That_I_Am 46]

My Fellow VJers, Greetings!

My fiancee mentioned that she needs my ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND DIVORCE DECREE for her Manila Embassy interview. My question is, would a certified/notarized True Copies of the documents mentioned would suffice? Will she be denied an interview or visa if she just presents notarized copies? Or I really need to trust FedEx and pray they won't lose my docs in transit to Manila. I am afraid that If i send the orig docs that we may never see them again.

Please tell me what you think. Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

VanChie

[Scott and Mhay 57]

They need to be original as issued from the agency issuing it. Notorized copies will not be accepted. For the divorce decree it has to have the ink stamp or seal on it from the court house.

You will most likely delayed if you do not send the originals. I ordered more original birth certificates (I paid for 2 at the time) and just went to the court house to get my divorce decree and they charged $5 to put the offical stamp on the copies.

[yhang 20]

Original Birth Certificate? I thought the only original (well NSO copy) birth certificate that they ask is that of the beneficiary?

[Mr&MrsCDO 6]

My husband just submitted copies of his Birth Certificate and Divorce Decree upon sending the petition to USCIS. He sent me scanned copies of it and I brought it to my interview but the CO didn't ask for it.

[payxibka 10,044]

My Fellow VJers, Greetings!

My fiancee mentioned that she needs my ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND DIVORCE DECREE for her Manila Embassy interview. My question is, would a certified/notarized True Copies of the documents mentioned would suffice? Will she be denied an interview or visa if she just presents notarized copies? Or I really need to trust FedEx and pray they won't lose my docs in transit to Manila. I am afraid that If i send the orig docs that we may never see them again.

Please tell me what you think. Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

VanChie

Are you sure they are asking for the petitioner's? I would double check because there is no need for it...

[I_Am_That_I_Am 46]

To ALL of YOU who found time to reply, thanks a lot! Really appreciate it.

But now that I'm getting conflicting answers, the more i get confused. When we first started this journey, I thought they're not required. Although i understand that the CO may request for all the originals of all the civil documents we submitted in the K1 packet during the embassy interview but I know they don't usually require the originals. hmmm...

I'm only having second thoughts about sending the originals coz i already had a terrible experience with one of the big couriers we have here.

For those who want to chime in, please feel free. The more, the merrier (although sometimes it is even more confusing).

Again, thanks a lot!

Are you sure they are asking for the petitioner's? I would double check because there is no need for it...

[I_Am_That_I_Am 46]

Best of Luck with your interview tomorrow.

Original Birth Certificate? I thought the only original (well NSO copy) birth certificate that they ask is that of the beneficiary?

[mjs84 0]

No, not an original copy of your birthcertificate nor an original copy of your divorce decree. My husband sent me scanned copies...The only original copy that the embassy needs from you is the Affidavit of Support, the I-134 and the rest can be photo copies...You dont have to notarized it, even the I-134 no need to notarized. Her documents must be original.

Merejen

Edited July 13, 2011 by mjs84

[mjs84 0]

No, not an original copy of your birthcertificate nor an original copy of your divorce decree. My husband sent me scanned copies...The only original copy that the embassy needs from you is the Affidavit of Support, the I-134 and the rest can be photo copies...You dont have to notarized it, even the I-134 no need to notarized. Her documents must be original.

Please note that you already sent the packet to the USCIS and it will be sent to manila. In Manila, there will be 3 steps:

1. At the entrance, your fiancee will give the Security guard her appointment letter and a document from St Lukes 1 copy (after medical St Lukes will give her a document evidence that she took her medical.) Those 2 documents, she needs to present it at the entrance guard with a valid I.D. She will wait at the waiting area outside with all the applicants. (Wait and somebody will instruct and guide what to do next).

2. Inside, the embassy there is a first window she will submit all the DS forms with pictures and they will give her a priority number. She will wait until her number be called.

3. When her number called, she will submit all the her documents and yours required at the window.They will asked it specifically. There will be questions arise about your relationship. If i am not mistaken she will sign a document stating all the information that she give is true because the C.O will base the his questions of her answers and he check the documents if it is true.

Set and wait until her number be called again and its the final step.

4. C.O interview...( In my experienced, the C.O did not asked for anymore documents but the the 3rd step window recommended that i should have all the documents because the C.O may ask for it...I had all my documents with me from the beginning i did not took the risked.)

I know you did not asked for this but this may help.

Merejen

[carlann 0]

My husband just submitted copies of his Birth Certificate and Divorce Decree upon sending the petition to USCIS. He sent me scanned copies of it and I brought it to my interview but the CO didn't ask for it.

same case with you. had my interview yesterday and they didn't even ask for my fiance's birth certificate. Divorce decree was submitted to the USCIS and US embassy has our files. pre-screener said that they had the divorce decree on file and never asked for another copy (although i prepared a scan copy just in case they ask for it) ..

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

To ALL of YOU who found time to reply, thanks a lot! Really appreciate it.

But now that I'm getting conflicting answers, the more i get confused. When we first started this journey, I thought they're not required. Although i understand that the CO may request for all the originals of all the civil documents we submitted in the K1 packet during the embassy interview but I know they don't usually require the originals. hmmm...

I'm only having second thoughts about sending the originals coz i already had a terrible experience with one of the big couriers we have here.

For those who want to chime in, please feel free. The more, the merrier (although sometimes it is even more confusing).

Again, thanks a lot!

You answered your own question. People recommend sending the originals because the consular officer can ask to inspect them (though they usually don't). If they do ask to examine an original document and your fiancee doesn't have it then it will delay getting the visa. The only times a consular officer might ask to inspect an original document when a copy was submitted with the petition is if something isn't clearly legible on the copy, or if something about the copy makes it appear as if the copy may have been altered or tampered with.

BTW, the only person who could certify a copy of a document is authentic is the custodian of the original document (e.g., the state vital statistics office or a court clerk's office). A notary couldn't certify that a copy of a document is authentic because they have no way of knowing if the original document is authentic. Basically, any statement a notary could make would amount to something like "This guy, who identified himself as Joe Smith, brought a document to me and asked me to copy it. I certify that this is a copy of the document he brought to me." A notary's primary job in the US is to act as a legal witness to oaths and signatures. They don't verify the authenticity of documents.

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

I actually had to send to the court for orignal copies of mine. And I am several states away now. Think USCIS has one, NVC has one, had to have 1 to marry, and now 2 for interview. and I need 1 original. But they do want to see orignals at interview. and my lawyer said to make copy for them to keep for their records.

[gland 5]

My Fellow VJers, Greetings!

My fiancee mentioned that she needs my ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND DIVORCE DECREE for her Manila Embassy interview. My question is, would a certified/notarized True Copies of the documents mentioned would suffice? Will she be denied an interview or visa if she just presents notarized copies? Or I really need to trust FedEx and pray they won't lose my docs in transit to Manila. I am afraid that If i send the orig docs that we may never see them again.

Please tell me what you think. Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

VanChie

Now you all have me confused as well. I have been divorcrd 2 tiimes. The first one I never had a copy of. I went to the court house and got one. They put a seal on it but the seal doesnt show up on the copy I sent with me 129f. The second divorce i had a copy of and I sent a copy of it in with the 129f. There is no seal on it. Am I going to get a rfe because of this. Should I have a decree with a seal on it from the second divorce as well?

[Paul + Tonieta 4]

My Fellow VJers, Greetings!

My fiancee mentioned that she needs my ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND DIVORCE DECREE for her Manila Embassy interview. My question is, would a certified/notarized True Copies of the documents mentioned would suffice? Will she be denied an interview or visa if she just presents notarized copies? Or I really need to trust FedEx and pray they won't lose my docs in transit to Manila. I am afraid that If i send the orig docs that we may never see them again.

Please tell me what you think. Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

VanChie

For what its worth this is what I did:

I sent in copies of 2 divorces in DEC 2010 when I filed the I-129F. One was a one page certificate stamped from the state court from many years ago and the 2nd was from a more recent divorce but it was a copy of the entire decree with the court stamp and judge's signature .

Also for the 129F I sent only a black and white copy of my entire passport (though most of it was blank) and no birth certificate at all.

Before the June 22 2011 embassy interview I sent the original divorce papers and an original birth certificate to my fiancee on the outside chance the CO asked to see originals. In our case they did not. They were satisfied with the copies in our I-129F packet.But I know they can ask and I did not want to chance it.

I used a company called Johnny Air http://www.johnnyair.com/?page=72 and had my fiancee pick the papers up at one of their offices in the Philippines. Johnny Air doesn't have an office in Hawaii but I used USPS certified mail to mail my papers to them in California and from there they got it to the Philippines safely and my fiancee picked it up at their office in Cebu. It cost me 30 dollars at the most for a packet of about 35 papers including mailing from Hawaii to California first! (I sent the I-134 and other proofs of relationship also) I don't know if there is Johnny Air office near where your fiancee lives but it was very safe and I knew where the documents were all the time. If you decide to send originals you might consider using them if they have an office near your fiancee.

I have not seen a lot of comments about the Manila embassy asking for originals of the petitioner. As Jim said, though, it is known they can. I included the stuff about Johnny Air because I also had many problems with routine sending of things using the usual carriers and this company was person to person contact and very reliable for me.

Best of luck...................Paul

[I_Am_That_I_Am 46]

To ALL of YOU (again) who bothered to reply, MANY THANKS!

I think this is what we're going to do (to be safe). Send her all the ORIGINALS but submit only the xerox copies so we can keep the originals for the future, just in case we need them again. And my fiancee is based in Quezon City. I'll check the johnnyair website and see if they can help me. Thanks so much for that info.

But I believe Jim is right. I answered my own question and still confused about it. But because we don't want any problem during her interview, I would take the risk and send the originals to be on the safe side.

Again, sorry if i have caused confusion to others in the forum. My apologies. Didn't mean to confuse anyone. I just needed answers. And Thanks a lot again!

For what its worth this is what I did:

I sent in copies of 2 divorces in DEC 2010 when I filed the I-129F. One was a one page certificate stamped from the state court from many years ago and the 2nd was from a more recent divorce but it was a copy of the entire decree with the court stamp and judge's signature .

Also for the 129F I sent only a black and white copy of my entire passport (though most of it was blank) and no birth certificate at all.

Before the June 22 2011 embassy interview I sent the original divorce papers and an original birth certificate to my fiancee on the outside chance the CO asked to see originals. In our case they did not. They were satisfied with the copies in our I-129F packet.But I know they can ask and I did not want to chance it.

I used a company called Johnny Air http://www.johnnyair.com/?page=72 and had my fiancee pick the papers up at one of their offices in the Philippines. Johnny Air doesn't have an office in Hawaii but I used USPS certified mail to mail my papers to them in California and from there they got it to the Philippines safely and my fiancee picked it up at their office in Cebu. It cost me 30 dollars at the most for a packet of about 35 papers including mailing from Hawaii to California first! (I sent the I-134 and other proofs of relationship also) I don't know if there is Johnny Air office near where your fiancee lives but it was very safe and I knew where the documents were all the time. If you decide to send originals you might consider using them if they have an office near your fiancee.

I have not seen a lot of comments about the Manila embassy asking for originals of the petitioner. As Jim said, though, it is known they can. I included the stuff about Johnny Air because I also had many problems with routine sending of things using the usual carriers and this company was person to person contact and very reliable for me.

Best of luck...................Paul