Questions about AOS

[Hwu 0]

I am in the US on a H1b and my I-140 has just been approved. I was born in China. Luckily my wife's country of birth is current so I will be applying for AOS based on cross chargeability. I am doing this application on my own without a lawyer. I have several questions that I am hoping you can help me out.

I-485

Birth certificate. I was born in Shanghai in the 1970's. I don't have a birth certificate. According to my mom, it was handed over to the local police department to get a Residency certificate (HuCou) when I was a baby. What should I do? I read in a forum where the consensus there was that I should get an official letter from the local govt saying that the birth certificate is not available. My parents should do an affidavit certifying the place and date of my birthday?

Where should get this letter from China? Is it easy to do from the US? I still have some relatives in Shanghai who may be able to help. Is an affidavit necessary from my parents?

On the I-485 form, it asks for my non-immigrant visa #, consulate where the visa was issued. I am a Canadian citizen and my H1b comes in the form a I-797A for my H1b visa. There isn't a traditional visa struck to my passport. The I-797a has a receipt # but no visa #. It was not issued at any consulate. It was issued by USCIS when I was in the US. Should leave this blank? Or say "refer to my I-797A"?

Anything special I should do to indicate that I am using cross chargeability to get a current visa #? I will indicate it on my cover letter. Anything else I should do?

I-693

What are the vaccine shots that are absolutely required? I am planning to get most if not all the tests done with my own primary care doc before seeing a civil surgeon. I had a BCG shot when I was a kid so I test positive for TB skin test. I guess I will get a chest X-ray. There are a number of shots listed on the form. Do I really need to get all of them? I have positive titers for mumps, rubella, varicella and Hep B and can produce documentation. I know I had hep A shot over 10 yrs ago but it will be hard to produce documentation.

Thank you very much for your help!

HWU

[rahulv 4]

I-485

Birth certificate. I was born in Shanghai in the 1970's. I don't have a birth certificate. According to my mom, it was handed over to the local police department to get a Residency certificate (HuCou) when I was a baby. What should I do? I read in a forum where the consensus there was that I should get an official letter from the local govt saying that the birth certificate is not available. My parents should do an affidavit certifying the place and date of my birthday?

You are correct. You would need a certificate from your local government that Birth Certificate is not available. Also if this certificate is in a foreign language then you would need to get it translated and include the translation, copy of the non-availability certificate and the certificate from the translator. Apart from all this you would also need 2 affidavits from your parents, grandparents, close relatives that you were born on that day and they were the witness.

Where should get this letter from China? Is it easy to do from the US? I still have some relatives in Shanghai who may be able to help. Is an affidavit necessary from my parents?

If no birth certificate you would have to get all this. Or you would get an RFE and then you would have to do all this in 30-60 days.

On the I-485 form, it asks for my non-immigrant visa #, consulate where the visa was issued. I am a Canadian citizen and my H1b comes in the form a I-797A for my H1b visa. There isn't a traditional visa struck to my passport. The I-797a has a receipt # but no visa #. It was not issued at any consulate. It was issued by USCIS when I was in the US. Should leave this blank? Or say "refer to my I-797A"?

On you cover letter you can include explanation for item no. X and in the explanation you can explain as it is. May be someone else can help you better on this for what should you put as visa number.

I-693

What are the vaccine shots that are absolutely required? I am planning to get most if not all the tests done with my own primary care doc before seeing a civil surgeon. I had a BCG shot when I was a kid so I test positive for TB skin test. I guess I will get a chest X-ray. There are a number of shots listed on the form. Do I really need to get all of them? I have positive titers for mumps, rubella, varicella and Hep B and can produce documentation. I know I had hep A shot over 10 yrs ago but it will be hard to produce documentation.

Just call couple of civil surgeons in your area and ask about procedure and cost. Based upon your affordability, time and vaccine taking ability you can decide if you want to take all of them or if you want to prove that you have all of them by getting a blood titer. You would for sure have to go through a TB skin test and if it comes positive you would have to prove that you are inactive by a clean chest X-ray.

Good luck.