Birth Certificate Requested for Interview?

[mglev 2]

Hi Everyone,

 

My wife and I are preparing for her upcoming interview on February 4th, and she just received an email from the US embassy in Santiago that requested a document we have never heard was necessary before, and now we're a little worried this could impact our approval.  Here is the email in full:

 

"Dear Applicant,

Please be advised that for your upcoming immigrant visa appointment, all forms and supporting documents that were submitted electronically to the National Visa Center (NVC) must be presented in original or certified copy on the day of your interview.

All of these documents must be properly scanned into your CEAC account, and on the day of your interview, they will be reviewed by the consular officer as part of the visa evaluation process.

Valid Passport plus passport-size photographs.
Beneficiary's Birth Certificate (original or certified copy).
Petitioner's Birth Certificate (original or certified copy).
Beneficiary's Police Certificate.
Marriage and Divorce Certificates for both the Beneficiary and Petitioner (original or certified copy). (Only for spouse/fiancé visa categories).
Affidavit of Support I-864 (One for each sponsor).
IRS Tax Return Transcript or Form 1040 with W2s for the most recent years, corresponding to the date the Affidavit of Support was signed, for the petitioner, co-sponsor, and any spouse or household member with whom they file taxes.

The absence of any required original or certified document will necessitate rescheduling your appointment and will cause a delay in the processing of your immigrant visa.

We recommend that you carefully review your documentation and ensure that you bring all required originals or certified copies to your appointment.

*If your case is not electronic, please disregard the step of uploading documents to your account and only bring the documents required by the NVC."

 

We have never seen anything prior to this that said the petitioner's birth certificate is required.  I can easily provide a copy of my birth certificate and send that over digitally, but providing the original or certified copy is more complicated, and I'm not sure we'd be able to get that over to her in the mail by the time of her interview at this point.  Has anybody else needed this or does anyone have insight into how this might affect our interview?  Getting something like this so far into the process and so close to the final interview is causing us to worry a little bit, and we want to make sure we do everything we can to get that final approval.  Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated!

[Edward and Jaycel 2,454]

Do you not have a certified copy you can send to her via FedEx?

[mglev 2]

25 minutes ago, Edward and Jaycel said:

Do you not have a certified copy you can send to her via FedEx?

I should be able to get my original, hopefully today, I am just worried about the postal service in Chile, as we've had some packages and other things delayed and take a long time to be received.  Would FedEx be quicker than just sending through USPS?

[mam521 2,867]

 `

17 minutes ago, mglev said:

I should be able to get my original, hopefully today, I am just worried about the postal service in Chile, as we've had some packages and other things delayed and take a long time to be received.  Would FedEx be quicker than just sending through USPS?

FedEx is a courier company.  USPS is the US Postal service.  Yes, FedEx or UPS would be faster.  `

[Edward and Jaycel 2,454]

20 minutes ago, mglev said:

I should be able to get my original, hopefully today, I am just worried about the postal service in Chile, as we've had some packages and other things delayed and take a long time to be received.  Would FedEx be quicker than just sending through USPS?

 

Absolutely send it FedEx

[OldUser 11,211]

Pretty normal, consular officer must ensure petitioner is really USC

[pushbrk 14,256]

The petitioner's birth certificate is not typically required, but since it's on their list, send it by FedEx, or DHL, not by mail.

[pushbrk 14,256]

2 hours ago, OldUser said:

Pretty normal, consular officer must ensure petitioner is really USC

The list sent is a laundry list.  The responsibility to determine the Petitioner is a US Citizen has already been adjudicated by USCIS, but if something raises a question, the Consular Officer may want to see it.  Usually not though.  Most often it is for a Naturalized Petitioner that the Birth Certificate is needed at Consulate level.

 

Edited 15 hours ago by pushbrk

[OldUser 11,211]

6 hours ago, pushbrk said:

The list sent is a laundry list.  The responsibility to determine the Petitioner is a US Citizen has already been adjudicated by USCIS, but if something raises a question, the Consular Officer may want to see it.  Usually not though.  Most often it is for a Naturalized Petitioner that the Birth Certificate is needed at Consulate level.

 

The whole immigration system is set up such way that agencies cross check each other's findings and revalidate everything through multiple interviews. Nothing is ever set in stone.

 

This is why DOS sometimes revokes previously approved cases by USCIS. Are we going to debate that?

 

USCIS is known to revert their own decisions later in immigration process sometimes too. So it doesn't hurt for DOS triple check the beneciary is eligible for immigrant visa.

 

Source https://www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/immigrant-visa-petitions-returned-by-the-state-department-consular-offices

Edited 8 hours ago by OldUser

[pushbrk 14,256]

40 minutes ago, OldUser said:

The whole immigration system is set up such way that agencies cross check each other's findings and revalidate everything through multiple interviews. Nothing is ever set in stone.

 

This is why DOS sometimes revokes previously approved cases by USCIS. Are we going to debate that?

 

USCIS is known to revert their own decisions later in immigration process sometimes too. So it doesn't hurt for DOS triple check the beneciary is eligible for immigrant visa.

 

Source https://www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/immigrant-visa-petitions-returned-by-the-state-department-consular-offices

USCIS doesn't issue visas, so when the Consulate says no, State sends the case back to USCIS with a recommendation they revoke their approval.  Then USCIS sends a Notice of Intent to Revoke to the petitioner, giving an opportunity to provide a response.  Sometimes they still revoke, (usually) but sometimes they send it back to the Consulate for another interview.  That's no guarantee of a visa either.  No debate on any of that, however this is a specific question about a petitioner's birth certificate.  I've never heard of a Consulate denial based on determining the petitioner was not a US Citizen.  I'm saying US Citizenship is not the reason a Consular Officer might want to review a petitioner's birth certificate.  There are other reasons, most commonly when its about something else, when the petitioner was NOT born in the USA.  Example.  Is the petitioner married to their brother or sister? LOL

Edited 7 hours ago by pushbrk

[OldUser 11,211]

57 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

USCIS doesn't issue visas, so when the Consulate says no, State sends the case back to USCIS with a recommendation they revoke their approval.  Then USCIS sends a Notice of Intent to Revoke to the petitioner, giving an opportunity to provide a response.  Sometimes they still revoke, (usually) but sometimes they send it back to the Consulate for another interview.  That's no guarantee of a visa either.  No debate on any of that, however this is a specific question about a petitioner's birth certificate.  I've never heard of a Consulate denial based on determining the petitioner was not a US Citizen.  I'm saying US Citizenship is not the reason a Consular Officer might want to review a petitioner's birth certificate.  There are other reasons, most commonly when its about something else, when the petitioner was NOT born in the USA.  Example.  Is the petitioner married to their brother or sister? LOL

DOS and USCIS don't exist in isolation. They work towards common goal. And it if it involves checking / asking simular docs or questions, so be it. I am not suprised by birth certificate for visa interview at all. That's all I know.

[pushbrk 14,256]

46 minutes ago, OldUser said:

DOS and USCIS don't exist in isolation. They work towards common goal. And it if it involves checking / asking simular docs or questions, so be it. I am not suprised by birth certificate for visa interview at all. That's all I know.

I'm not surprised to see it on a list.  I would be surprised if it is looked at for a born in USA US Citizen, for reasons already stated.  "That's all YOU know".  Consider it's possible I know more.  It's why I'm saying more about it.