MRxFUBAR

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can help me at the moment and hope that someone may have had the same issue I have come across.

I am going through the process of I-130 and I-485 with marriage to a US citizen.

I received a form beginning of this week stating that the USCIS had insufficient data and I needed to send them my birth certificate in an English translation.


My first thought was they lost my certificate I sent them or they got mine mixed up with someone who isn't English, whatever the case may be looking at my certificate with a local candidate for city commissioner, I noticed my birth certificate states it is

'a true copy of a birth certificate'

Unknown to me my parents lost my original certificate and got a replacement made by town hall.

So what I had done, was photocopy a Copy of my certificate.


I want to know, do I send in my 'true copy' of my birth certificate, or do I need to photocopy my original (an original of which for £40 I can get replaced and sent over to me)?

Any more information to help answer my question I will be happy to provide thank you in advance

Rete

You nor your parents ever had the original birth certificate. The original BC remains with the agency that recorded your birth and your parents were given a copy of the BC.

Does the certificate you are holding in your hands have the filing marks on it? If so, on the photocopy you sent, were those marks readable?

Perhaps you might want to go online and order your BC and use that one instead of the one your parents obtained from Town Hall. Those have always been accepted in the past.

What is your immigration status in the US at this time? Was the BC that you sent in, accepted for that visa issuance?

PS what does a candidate for local city commissioner have to do with your immigration?

BritInParis

In which country were you born?

MRxFUBAR

I was born in England.

MRxFUBAR

Yes the original one they were given was lost, so this is a true copy and I'm wondering if to send in the True Copy.
When I photocopy the document it loses the watermarked paper but everything else is legible.

Otherwise what else would you class as filing marks?

In regards to town hall, they are the same true copies I get online. Hence why I was stumped a photocopy of the copied certificate wasn't accepted.

I am still a non-immigrant, and currently have no numbers, I'm at the 4 week mark of the process and this determines their decision to continue my application of marriage or to begin deportation.

I apologize, the candidate is Irish and went through a similar process, I didn't explain this very well but he helps handle immigration but wasn't able to give a certified response as to why they would of declined it and if sending in the GRO true copy would be what they want.

Noorah101

So, is what you have in hand, a copy of the "long form" UK birth certificate that shows both parents names?

You basically have 3 choices:
1. Get a new original (certified copy) and use that;
2. Send in another photocopy of your current one with a separate explain of what it is (like you told us here);
3. Ask them to adjudicate based on what you've already provided.

Rene

Rete

You can send in what you term the True Copy and in the interim order another online.

Are you in the US under the VWP as a tourist? If so, you are planning on return to England at the end of your approved stay, right? Doing what you are doing can be risky if thought to have been a marriage of intent and remain to file for adjustment at the time of your entry to the US.

MRxFUBAR

Norah thank you I will go ahead and send the True copy and order another one.

I have passed my time, by a couple of months now and have had biometrics taken recently.

I have a business in the UK and only came for 3 weeks. My girlfriend then proposed to me and we wed 2 months in to a 3 month stay and filed for everything there after. I was adamant on going the long route with all of this going back to sell my business and sort out my personal affairs, she didn't want to listen to that and genuinely wanted to marry me out of love and couldn't care where we end up be it here or the UK, but having met someone else who did the same, they said it would be Rocky but it's not impossible. So I caved and went ahead with the process.

BritInParis

A new certified copy from the GRO costs £9.25, not £40. That would be your best course of action..

MRxFUBAR

Oh yes that's for a true copy. They are now doing at town halls of area of birth for 40 pounds a replica of the original instead of a true copy.

BritInParis

I'm not sure where you are getting this terminology from. The GRO only issues certified copies as does your local registrar.

MRxFUBAR

It's something I was made aware of today by someone in my town in England who had to get one and they had the option of a true copy. Or an a3 sized certificate matching how the original looks.

That's all I know tho.

BritInParis

In England you can get a certified copy of your 'long' birth certificate which is printed on roughly A4 size paper and looks like this:



Or this for older certificates:



Or a 'short' birth certificate which is printed on paper slightly smaller than A5 and looks like this:



But that's it. If you want a new certified copy of your long birth certificate then you can order one online for £9.25 from the General Register Office.

General Register Office (GRO) - Official information on births, marriages and deaths

MRxFUBAR

Thank you, yes I have thst first one on blue paper but I assume they changed the paper since 1968. Just an assumption.

It's not worse for wear but has some creases in it.

Maybe it's worth just buying a new fresh copy to send to them or would they except a semi worn certificate.

I have 78 days remaining to submit this and the affadivt of support

BritInParis

That sounds like a good idea. It should take about 2-3 weeks to arrive.