How many official birth certificates to take to America?

[Juliet and Steve 93]

How many original/certified birth certificates does an immigrant to America need to bring with them?

Only one? Or more?

Assuming one original certified birth certificate--are there any other places that might demand an original?

Possibilities:

Needed for marriage license?

Needed for AOS?

Needed for Social Security Card?

Needed for driver's license, or voter's registration (eventually)?

Needed for college/university application?

Anything else?

Maybe copies are allowed for anything. But if more than one original is needed it could be difficult (maybe even impossible to get one sent to America) so it seems an important question.

Also--transcripts of High School / College?

A person who runs a GED (High School Equivalency) program advised me that an immigrant should bring one or more copies of all transcripts (high school + college if pertinent) and that often when applying for a college the college will ONLY accept a transcript if it has been sealed by the educational institution, in an envelope with a signature or stamp over the glued flap. She said: "I cannot tell you how many times people have come to me saying that they completed high school, and need to prove that, but do not have a transcript--and can now not get them from a distance."

She said that there is an organization who (for a fee, I'm sure) will review any high school on earth and certify if it meets the standards as acceptable to American schools. Apparently that organization will give the person a certifying letter that the high school meets American standards.

I've found that colleges will accept transcripts in envelopes that are sealed and stamped or signed across the envelope flap.

So an immigrant might need one high school transcript and two or more sealed/signed transcripts might be wise allowing, for instance, acceptance to a community college for an associates (two year degree) and that the second sealed envelope will be useful if the immigrant wishes to continue along to a four year college.

Thoughts anyone?

[Girl from Celebes 588]

Very interesting. I am going to follow this topic.

I have wonder so long about this, to be honest. Do I need my university certificate to be translated into English when I am going to continue my education after moved to US?

Very good post.

[reginaglenn 25]

Got 4 originals copies with me. SSN office just asked my passport and I-94, no other docs requested. I haven't gone far in regards to docs processing here in US, but still have the 4 originals for future use.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

One.

To keep. You can show copies to other people, but usually your passport will suffice.

[marriott574 13]

Dear OP

I have only needed one copy some places want to look at but dont keep it. You can always get a notarized copy.

As per the University transcript there are companies that will translate a foreign transcript into a US acceptable version, you will not to check with your college/university in the USA when applying as to which translating companies they accept. From what I know expect to pay $200 for the service.

[dragonlover 6]

How many original/certified birth certificates does an immigrant to America need to bring with them?

Only one? Or more?

Assuming one original certified birth certificate--are there any other places that might demand an original?

Possibilities:

Needed for marriage license?

Needed for AOS?

Needed for Social Security Card?

Needed for driver's license, or voter's registration (eventually)?

Needed for college/university application?

Anything else?

Maybe copies are allowed for anything. But if more than one original is needed it could be difficult (maybe even impossible to get one sent to America) so it seems an important question.

Also--transcripts of High School / College?

A person who runs a GED (High School Equivalency) program advised me that an immigrant should bring one or more copies of all transcripts (high school + college if pertinent) and that often when applying for a college the college will ONLY accept a transcript if it has been sealed by the educational institution, in an envelope with a signature or stamp over the glued flap. She said: "I cannot tell you how many times people have come to me saying that they completed high school, and need to prove that, but do not have a transcript--and can now not get them from a distance."

She said that there is an organization who (for a fee, I'm sure) will review any high school on earth and certify if it meets the standards as acceptable to American schools. Apparently that organization will give the person a certifying letter that the high school meets American standards.

I've found that colleges will accept transcripts in envelopes that are sealed and stamped or signed across the envelope flap.

So an immigrant might need one high school transcript and two or more sealed/signed transcripts might be wise allowing, for instance, acceptance to a community college for an associates (two year degree) and that the second sealed envelope will be useful if the immigrant wishes to continue along to a four year college.

Thoughts anyone?

Everytime any office will ask for birthcertificate, they will only get a xerox copy of it. But back in the days, i brought 4 original copy of my BC. And fyi: you be needing 2x2 pictures for AOS. Goodluck!

[pachacuti 154]

Here in the US you will probably only ever need one. You can usually just make copies or let people make copies. We have two for my fiancee and so far have not needed them.

* Social Security only wanted her passport and the I94

* County only wanted to see her passport for the marriage license.

* Department of Licensing was okay with her passport, the I94 and her Social Security card.

* Bank wanted her passport, social security card and Washington state ID.

Having worked for the agency that determines eligibility for welfare benefits, I can say we would not have needed the BC and would have gone with the passport and been fine with that (of course she wouldn't be eligible for any kind of benefits prior to having her residency (except pregnancy medical, of course).

[Juliet and Steve 93]

Very interesting. I am going to follow this topic.

I have wonder so long about this, to be honest. Do I need my university certificate to be translated into English when I am going to continue my education after moved to US?

Very good post.

Thank you all--what I am seeing is that in reality, only one original/certified birth certificate is necessary to bring to America.

Girl from Celebes: I'm not sure on this one. From what I gathered with the person who told me to tell Juliet to bring a copy of her high school transcript that there is an organization that looks at high schools and analyzes them (worldwide) and then defines whether or not that education is acceptable in the US. If not and the immigrant wants proof of passing high school then the immigrant must take and pass the GED (a General Education Diploma).

This person who runs a GED program told me that she believes many students could have proven that they had a high school level degree without doing the GED program--if they had brought a high school transcript with them. It seems that she had run across many who had not brought a high school transcript and had great difficulty getting one (or it was impossible). In these cases the immigrant needed to pass the GED exam before going onto a higher degree.

For you Girl from Celebes, I'm not sure. It may be that a translated college transcript may be necessary, or simply may be useful. It may be that there is a commercial entity, that for a fee will analyze your transcript and analyze the university/college to see if it meets what the college/university that you are applying to needs. If you could get a transcript translated cheaply it would seem wise. But--the college/university may only accept certain translators/translating companies for obvious reasons (after all a hundred dollars given to an overseas translator might well turn terrible grades into remarkably good ones).

I think that for immigrants with college/university degrees, especially advanced ones, life in America can be frustrating since the degree may not be verifiable or the foreign educational institute might not meet American requirements or there may be no way to define if that foreign educational institute meets American requirements. So it might be useful to know that at least in lower education (Bachelors/Associates degrees) that often students can CLEP (College Level Examination Program).

Some colleges/universities accept CLEP credits, some do not. Some are liberal--enough so that a friend of mine attained a Bachelors degree in 18 months (usually taking 4 years). To understand CLEP imagine this: You've a Bachelors degree and did well in Algebra but the new college won't accept your algebra credits.

If this college allows CLEP you pay CLEP perhaps one or two hundred dollars and study and take their test. If you pass--you now have 3 credits (or 4 in some institutions) in Algebra on your transcript. Yes this has a cost but $200 is a whole lot cheaper than what one pays for a semester Algebra course. So even if prior college level courses might not be acceptable to a new college/university--CLEPing may be a way to cheaply and expeditiously recapture what you have already done.

[d3adc0d3 186]

From my friend's experience with coming to the US to finish his Graduate degree from Brazil, you may need to get a translation done for the transcripts, however, that's uncommon and usually the poorer, less equipped schools. The school should get them directly from your previous schools. This prevents any middle-man and chance of tampering.

In addition, the school should either have someone fluent in the language capable of translating or they should translate it themselves via a service. This also removes the middle-man and prevents tampering.

Personally, I'd recommend calling up a couple colleges, asking their process for transcripts with an international student transferring from a school abroad.

[KayDeeCee 4,891]

~ Moved from K-1 Process to Moving Here and Your New Life in America- topic not about the K-1 process and what documents to bring with you can apply to more than just K-1 visa entrants ~

[Morningmist 76]

Depends on the original language of the BC, I think. If not in English you probably want to carry a translation as well, just in case.