Proving US Citizenship - Birth Certificate

[rnab32 19]

I was planning on using a copy of my birth certificate to prove my US Citizenship since my passport is only valid for 1 more year. The instructions say to provide a photocopy of the front and back of the birth certificate. My birth certificate is a certified copy from the LA Country Registrar-Recorder with a raised seal however, it doesn't have anything on the back of it. Is there supposed to be something on the back of our birth certificates? Will this cause a RFE if there's nothing on the back of my birth certificate?

Thanks in advance!

[chrismorrison 96]

I submitted a photocopy of my birth certificate that had a raised seal. There was nothing on the back of mine either, and I didn't include a photocopy of the blank side. I received no RFE.

[Wooderz 314]

Mine was the same way. It had a watermark on the back. I just made a copy of the back anyway because that's what the directions said. Figured it wasn't worth risking getting an RFE over...

Edited March 10, 2015 by April+Daniel

[rnab32 19]

Whew...thanks everyone! I almost ordered another certified copy to send in with my I-129F package haha. Copy of front and blank back it is...

[Thomas&Cleofe 358]

Your passport will also work just fine.......

[rnab32 19]

Thomas&Cleofe,

Even if it's valid for less than 5 years?

[Thomas&Cleofe 358]

Thomas&Cleofe,

Even if it's valid for less than 5 years?

You said your passport expires in 1 year from now......

[Lainie B 465]

Thomas&Cleofe,

Even if it's valid for less than 5 years?

Yes. They mean the total validity period of the passport, which for most is 10 years, not the period left unexpired.

[rnab32 19]

Oh ok, I guess I read this statement wrong from the instructions "5 d. In place of any of the above, you may submit a copy of your valid, unexpired U.S. passport issued with a validity period of at least 5 years." I took that as more than 5 years until it expires instead of more than 5 years since it has been issued.

Thanks Thomas&Cleofe and Lainie B!

[KayDeeCee 4,891]

Oh ok, I guess I read this statement wrong from the instructions "5 d. In place of any of the above, you may submit a copy of your valid, unexpired U.S. passport issued with a validity period of at least 5 years." I took that as more than 5 years until it expires instead of more than 5 years since it has been issued.

Thanks Thomas&Cleofe and Lainie B!

Yes, it means that when it was issued, it was valid for at least 5 years. They are typically valid for 10 years when issued, so not really an issue. It just has to be unexpired, and you have to provide a copy of all pages from front to back.

[rnab32 19]

Got it. Thanks KayDeeCee!

[Pitaya 2,576]

Whew...thanks everyone! I almost ordered another certified copy to send in with my I-129F package haha. Copy of front and blank back it is...

It is always a good plan to follow the printed USCIS instructions.

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-129finstr.pdf

Suggest that you include the front and back copy, as directed, of your document, be it birth cert, or divorce cert, etc. USCIS may not only be looking what is on the back of a document, but also to see what is not on the the back of a document.

YMMV,

Good luck on your immigration journey.

[rnab32 19]

True that, thanks A&B!

[Hank_ 9,171]

I was planning on using a copy of my birth certificate to prove my US Citizenship since my passport is only valid for 1 more year. The instructions say to provide a photocopy of the front and back of the birth certificate. My birth certificate is a certified copy from the LA Country Registrar-Recorder with a raised seal however, it doesn't have anything on the back of it. Is there supposed to be something on the back of our birth certificates? Will this cause a RFE if there's nothing on the back of my birth certificate?

Thanks in advance!

Most times there is nothing on the back of the birth certificate, so you send the "blank" page

[Thomas&Cleofe 358]

Most times there is nothing on the back of the birth certificate, so you send the "blank" page

Well, thanks Hank..........but we already established that early on in the thread.

Life is short....let's move forward, not backward.

Stay away from those cows down there in Arizona