Need help with few sections of I-130 / G325A

[Mahmoud S 0]

Like pushbrk said, read and take things literally. The I-130 doesn't ask for your address where you live. It asks for your address, as in, mailing address.

Also, make sure you read the instructions carefully. The requirements for your step-child are different for those of your spouse. Read the instructions, follow them step by step, nothing more and certainly nothing less. You don't send pictures of your child, you don't send G-325 for your child's application. You do send your marriage certificate to show when you got married to his/her mother AND the child's birth certificate in order to show they were still a child when you got married to their parent.

From what I've read for Spouse visa, I need to file a separate petition for the child (G-325A / I-130 / Photos / evidence / cover letter / copy of passport / copy of Birth Certificate with English translation / Copy of marriage certificate with English translation & notarization / copy of my passport / 2 photos of me and 2 photos of child (you know the regular processing papers, and I asked a lawyer about if I need to provide single mother document and he said yes any extra documents I can provide would be helpful toward approval.

[pushbrk 13,590]

AND the child's birth certificate in order to show they were still a child when you got married to their parent.

The reason you include the child's birth certificate is to show that they are the child of your spouse. The combination of marriage certificate and birth certificate verifies they are the petitioner's step children. Yes, it also acts as evidence of their age but their passport will do that at the interview.

[Ms Hogan 296]

From what I've read for Spouse visa, I need to file a separate petition for the child (G-325A / I-130 / Photos / evidence / cover letter / copy of passport / copy of Birth Certificate with English translation / Copy of marriage certificate with English translation & notarization / copy of my passport / 2 photos of me and 2 photos of child (you know the regular processing papers, and I asked a lawyer about if I need to provide single mother document and he said yes any extra documents I can provide would be helpful toward approval.

They DO need their own application. BUT the requirements of supporting documents are different. Unless they've changed it since we filed in October you do not need all of those extra items. The instructions can be found here: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=c67c7f9ded54d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD

Please read the part about step-child if it is actually a CHILD. I don't think I saw the age of the "child" you are speaking about. What is the age of the child?

The marriage certificate is to show the marriage took place before the child's 18th birthday, as I mentioned before and is worded as such in the instructions. If the child is older I don't know the details. I only know what pertained to me as our children are 4 and 7.

Edited February 24, 2013 by MsHogan

[Mahmoud S 0]

They DO need their own application. BUT the requirements of supporting documents are different. Unless they've changed it since we filed in October you do not need all of those extra items. The instructions can be found here: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=c67c7f9ded54d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD

Please read the part about step-child if it is actually a CHILD. I don't think I saw the age of the "child" you are speaking about. What is the age of the child?

The marriage certificate is to show the marriage took place before the child's 18th birthday, as I mentioned before and is worded as such in the instructions. If the child is older I don't know the details. I only know what pertained to me as our children are 4 and 7.

Well, photos I must include I believe, and as written in instruction copy of marriage certificate and birth certificate (which I already included) and cover letter (which lawyers recommend) and copies about my information which as a petitioner should do, extra documents just to have supporting evidence i guess... I mean having extra documents can't be bad, or can it?

[Ms Hogan 296]

Well, photos I must include I believe, and as written in instruction copy of marriage certificate and birth certificate (which I already included) and cover letter (which lawyers recommend) and copies about my information which as a petitioner should do, extra documents just to have supporting evidence i guess... I mean having extra documents can't be bad, or can it?

OK well you've asked your questions. I've answered (as have others). If you feel like sending items that are not required then go ahead.

You still haven't answered about the age of the "child" and whether or not it is actually a child under 18.

No photos of children under 18 are required at this point. They are necessary later so I would save the passport photos for NVC.

I've provided the link to the necessary items for the child. The requirements for a child under 18 are very minimal and clear.

I'm not an expert but my interview is in 10 days so my advice is based on making it this far successfully with myself and my two children having everything go through smoothly.

Good luck with everything.

[Mahmoud S 0]

The child is 5, will be 6 in August, but what you mean will need passport photo for NVC? Is that from my side or my wife side at interview? And did you include photos on the petition I-130

[NikLR 13,234]

The NVC also requires photos with the Immigrant Visa application.

[NikLR 13,234]

Please download the instructions (it's a PDF) http://www.uscis.gov/i-130 and read them carefully. The instructions tell you EXACTLY what you need to include with a spouse petition AND with a step-child petition.

[Mahmoud S 0]

Please download the instructions (it's a PDF) http://www.uscis.gov/i-130 and read them carefully. The instructions tell you EXACTLY what you need to include with a spouse petition AND with a step-child petition.

It doesn't say anything about photos for the step child in the I-130

[Mahmoud S 0]

One more question, as for form G-325A, where it says "Father family name / first name / place of birth / date of birth (For my step child) my wife 5 year old child, he never met his father and his mother gave him the name of her great grandfather who died long time ago, should i fill in that information or should i write "unknown" or "none"

OK well you've asked your questions. I've answered (as have others). If you feel like sending items that are not required then go ahead.

You still haven't answered about the age of the "child" and whether or not it is actually a child under 18.

No photos of children under 18 are required at this point. They are necessary later so I would save the passport photos for NVC.

I've provided the link to the necessary items for the child. The requirements for a child under 18 are very minimal and clear.

I'm not an expert but my interview is in 10 days so my advice is based on making it this far successfully with myself and my two children having everything go through smoothly.

Good luck with everything.

The child is 5, will be 6 in August, but what you mean will need passport photo for NVC? Is that from my side or my wife side at interview? And did you include photos on the petition I-130

[NikLR 13,234]

A step child does NOT need a G325a. They do not need a photo. The reason they're not mentioned is because you do not send them with the I-130.

NVC is immigrant visa stage. After the petition is approved, it is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). That is where you send in the affidavit of support and where your wife and stepson will submit the DS-230 which is the Immigrat Visa application. (Obviously your wife will fill it out for the child because he's a bit young to be doing it himself.) The DS-230 requires the original marriage certificate, your wife's original birth certificate, your step-son's original birth certificate, and 2 photos of each of them.

A spousal visa is a multi-stage process with the first being the US petition and the second being the affidavit of support, the immigrant's visa, medical and finally intervew.

[pushbrk 13,590]

A step child does NOT need a G325a. They do not need a photo. The reason they're not mentioned is because you do not send them with the I-130.

NVC is immigrant visa stage. After the petition is approved, it is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). That is where you send in the affidavit of support and where your wife and stepson will submit the DS-230 which is the Immigrat Visa application. (Obviously your wife will fill it out for the child because he's a bit young to be doing it himself.) The DS-230 requires the original marriage certificate, your wife's original birth certificate, your step-son's original birth certificate, and 2 photos of each of them.

A spousal visa is a multi-stage process with the first being the US petition and the second being the affidavit of support, the immigrant's visa, medical and finally intervew.

The above is correct but it should be noted that the DS230 asks for information about the father. I'll address the OP's question about the child who doesn't know their father and how to answer the question as it WILL be asked on the DS230. Simply answer the question. The child has a father and the mother knows who he is. Any information KNOWN should be provided. Only information actually unknown and unobtainable should be responded to as unknown. When asked for the name of the father, "none" could never possibly be the correct answer.

These are "questions". Answer them. For example, the forms ask for my father's date of birth. I cannot tell you that from my head but it is NOT "unknown". It will take me a few second of effort to look it up. I don't remember my second wife's date of birth either but I was able to find it and enter it on the form. Don't take these questions likely and ALWAYS answer truthfully.

[Ms Hogan 296]

Please download the instructions (it's a PDF) http://www.uscis.gov/i-130 and read them carefully. The instructions tell you EXACTLY what you need to include with a spouse petition AND with a step-child petition.

I've provided the link and more detailed instructions based on a step-child's requirements. I'm not sure how else to word it.

[NikLR 13,234]

I've provided the link and more detailed instructions based on a step-child's requirements. I'm not sure how else to word it.

There is no other way. We've done the best we can.

[Mahmoud S 0]

The above is correct but it should be noted that the DS230 asks for information about the father. I'll address the OP's question about the child who doesn't know their father and how to answer the question as it WILL be asked on the DS230. Simply answer the question. The child has a father and the mother knows who he is. Any information KNOWN should be provided. Only information actually unknown and unobtainable should be responded to as unknown. When asked for the name of the father, "none" could never possibly be the correct answer.

These are "questions". Answer them. For example, the forms ask for my father's date of birth. I cannot tell you that from my head but it is NOT "unknown". It will take me a few second of effort to look it up. I don't remember my second wife's date of birth either but I was able to find it and enter it on the form. Don't take these questions likely and ALWAYS answer truthfully.

Yea the child father is known but the child doesn't carry any name of his father, his father got a total different name of the child birth certificate, that is my only concern at this point, as I saw a video on youtube

*it is an old video* but if you fast forward it to 16:00 and watch it from there, he filled in "unknown" that is the part that is getting me confused at the moment, should I list the birth certificate great grandfather name who died (since by law in Belarus she must include a father name and she used her great grandfather) or should I fill in unknown, that is the only left concern and I appreciate all the efforts you guys are doing to help out!