Original Documents Collected By Custom Officers at JFK?

[ac1222 0]

First time posting. Hoping someone can help me. My fiancee arrived 2 weeks ago at JFK airport on a K1 visa. At the airport, she was directed to a room to fingerprint only her right 4 fingers and here she handed in her sealed envelope she got from the Guangzhou embassy which contained her original birth certificate, pictures, and forms. We had forgotten about envelope, but now that we plan to apply for the marriage license we realized we need the original birth certificate. I called the JFK immigration office and they said they send it to USCIS and then it gets sent to my address on file.

My question is - when does it get sent? Time is of essence as we only have 90 days on the K1 visa.

Also is there a way to track this? I can't seem to find any information on this online and the part of handing those documents in were never part of any flowchart for the k1 process. Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks VJ!

[JohnR! 5,495]

It will be easier to have someone at her home country get a certified copy and courier it over to her in the US. You will have a hard time getting the USCIS to return any of those documents to you.

In addition, since she is a foreigner, she should not need her birth certificate for the marriage license. Her passport alone should suffice.

Good luck!

[Girl from Celebes 588]

First time posting. Hoping someone can help me. My fiancee arrived 2 weeks ago at JFK airport on a K1 visa. At the airport, she was directed to a room to fingerprint only her right 4 fingers and here she handed in her sealed envelope she got from the Guangzhou embassy which contained her original birth certificate, pictures, and forms. We had forgotten about envelope, but now that we plan to apply for the marriage license we realized we need the original birth certificate. I called the JFK immigration office and they said they send it to USCIS and then it gets sent to my address on file.

My question is - when does it get sent? Time is of essence as we only have 90 days on the K1 visa.

Also is there a way to track this? I can't seem to find any information on this online and the part of handing those documents in were never part of any flowchart for the k1 process. Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks VJ!

For some states, you don't need a birth certificate to get married. After the entry, your fiancée's K-1 visa is not valid anymore and your fiancée is depend now on I-94. Also, the immigration officer won't give back all the documents inside the yellow envelope because they will send those papers to local office.

I don't know how the US embassy in Guangzhou handled the papers of K-1 visas. As my experience, they only asked a copy of my birth certificate along with English translation. The CO asked my birth certificate during the interview but handed it back to me - he just wanted to make sure it was a same birth certificate with its copy-.

But, for adjustment of status, your fiancée need a copy of her birth certificate along with the English translation. I have no idea how you will resolved this since she doesn't have her original one.

Edited May 7, 2014 by Girl from Celebes

[abg 25]

First time posting. Hoping someone can help me. My fiancee arrived 2 weeks ago at JFK airport on a K1 visa. At the airport, she was directed to a room to fingerprint only her right 4 fingers and here she handed in her sealed envelope she got from the Guangzhou embassy which contained her original birth certificate, pictures, and forms. We had forgotten about envelope, but now that we plan to apply for the marriage license we realized we need the original birth certificate. I called the JFK immigration office and they said they send it to USCIS and then it gets sent to my address on file.

My question is - when does it get sent? Time is of essence as we only have 90 days on the K1 visa.

Also is there a way to track this? I can't seem to find any information on this online and the part of handing those documents in were never part of any flowchart for the k1 process. Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks VJ!

get married in a state that does not require a birth certificate. contact your fiancee's embassy and see if they process application for birth certificate..

Edited May 7, 2014 by abg

[ac1222 0]

It seems like by your replies that someone messed up at JFK airport. I don't have a copy of the birth certificate. The officers at JFK immigration said they send it to USCIS so I don't know how to get it back and not even sure they would even send it to me.

[Girl from Celebes 588]

It seems like by your replies that someone messed up at JFK airport. I don't have a copy of the birth certificate. The officers at JFK immigration said they send it to USCIS so I don't know how to get it back and not even sure they would even send it to me.

Did your fiancée keep separate the original birth certificate and the officer ask to give hers? Based on my experience at immigration line, the officer opened the yellow envelope - contain all my papers including a copy of birth certificate that I submitted for K-1 visa application- and did not ask the original one. If the officer asked her the original one, so someone messed up at JFK airport. They only allowed to keep documents inside the yellow envelope.