inquisitive40

Ok, two quick questions.
1. Does the USC absolutely need their birth cert? (we got my wife's when we were initially filing but currently having problems finding it, for some reason it is missing from the rest of our papers)
2. If we do not provide copies with the original documents we bring to the interview, will the officer make copies themselves OR will they keep the originals we provide?

TIA
Patrick

Jim

inquisitive40 wrote:

    >
    > Ok, two quick questions.
    > 1. Does the USC absolutely need their birth cert? (we got my wife's when
    > we were initially filing but currently having problems finding it,
    > for some reason it is missing from the rest of our papers)
    > 2. If we do not provide copies with the original documents we bring to
    > the interview, will the officer make copies themselves OR will they
    > keep the originals we provide?

I don't know the answer to #1, but for #2 the best advice is to have copies
of everything, including everything you already sent them. You never know
when that may save your butt. During our interview for the conditional
green card, the officer kept asking why we hadn't sent this and that. We
had copies of everything he was missing and assured him we *had* sent those
documents. He left the room and was gone for nearly 45 minutes. When he
returned, he explained that we had a second file and all of our documents
were in it. I think we only got over this hurdle by having copies of
everything.

And NO, you can't expect the officer to run down the hall and make copies
for you.

SecretGarden

Hi,
You're not going to like my answers, but here goes:
1. Yes. You are asked to show that you are adjusting status based on marriage to a US citizen and she is asked to show how she acquired that citizenship. If she acquired it through birth, then she needs the birth certificate. These are not hard to get. The local county clerk can whip you up a certified copy in about three minutes.

2. When we walked into the Federal Building in Chicago, the first thing we saw (other than the guy trying to get through the metal detector) was a gigantic sign that read, "THIS OFFICE DOES NOT MAKE COPIES. YOU MUST SUPPLY COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS." I know it's a big pain in the ass, but if you have to spend an hour or two at the copy machine at Kinko's to be prepared, then it's well worth it.

You're probably not surprised by my answers, are you?

~SecretGarden
(some people may have gotten out of birth certs. and copies, but we sure didn't. Why tempt fate? It's too important!)

inquisitive40

Well I will scan the originals and print copies from that.
Another question on the pictures, can I scan pictures and present a letter size page with 3 pictures printed on it, OR do they want the original pics?

Patrick

Noorah101

I've heard they're fine with scanned photos printed in color type of thing. That's what I had planned on bringing to ours, down the road.

Rene

SecretGarden

Our officer did not want to see the original photos AT ALL. She asked for the scanned copies we had made. I put three (or so) related pictures together on each page with a brief description of who was in the pic, and the date. I felt this was important since we had a wedding and an affirmation ceremony six months later complete with gown and tux. I sure didn't want anyone thinking we had gotten married twice or something. Bring the originals too, but my thinking is they will only take the copies for the file. We had also brought pics of our five children together with us, etc. but all she wanted was the two of us in wedding attire (both times).



~SG

inquisitive40

Well we have our wedding pics and some other random pics through the years, a lot are just digital originally and so have no original hard copies.

Patrick

SecretGarden

I wouldn't sweat that bit at all, Patrick. If they ask for originals, tell them they're digital---I'm sure they're used to that now. For future reference though, we found a great site that will quickly do prints from uploaded digital photos: www.photobox.co.uk The quality is really good and they are cheap and fast. I know that Kinko's and some camera stores here in town will make prints from memory cards and photo CDs.

Just another thing for you to think about between now and Thursday.

~SecretGarden

Rete

Our DOA looked at our original photos and asked to keep one. We directed her to the scanned color print we provided for her under tab X. She was fine with it.

Rete

Heck most stores will do that, i.e. Walmart, drug/all purpose stores, etc. Cost is less than $1 a print.

psychobabbler1

[QUOTE=SecretGarden]Hi,
You're not going to like my answers, but here goes:
1. Yes. You are asked to show that you are adjusting status based on marriage to a US citizen and she is asked to show how she acquired that citizenship. If she acquired it through birth, then she needs the birth certificate. These are not hard to get. The local county clerk can whip you up a certified copy in about three minutes.


I know I sent a certified BC copy in with the original I-129F petition, but I don't remember taking/showing one at our AOS interview (doesn't mean I didn't but I don't recall it). As for ease of getting one, it also depends on where you were born and where you live. I had to request a new one (the original one my Mom was given was a bit worn and tattered after 36 years...) , which took 4-6 weeks since I had to send out-of-state for it (was born in Michigan and live in Kentucky). Also I know that parents here have to send off to or drive to Frankfort for certified birth certificates. The local health departments or county offices do not keep them. It always causes a mess at the beginning of a school year for parents and for us working in the school systems.

Dawn

inquisitive40

[QUOTE=psychobabbler1]
We can get birth cert for my wife here locally, about 10 minute drive. Hope to get her mom to get a copy tomorrow.

As far as the pics go, I have put together 4 letter size pages of pics from 2002 up to the present, we have only 3 original hard copies, the rest are from digital cameras.

I have scanned and printed all the pay stubs and documents which we want back and the rest we are going to give originals.

Patrick

mrpink

[QUOTE=psychobabbler1] Hey Dawn,
You're absolutely right. Just because Illinois is this way, I shouldn't assume that the procedures are the same everywhere. Thanks for pointing that out....I'm just enthusiastically trying to get Patrick to take the birth certificates!

~SG (accidently signed in under Mr. Pink's name, temporarily!)

SecretGarden

Ain't technology grand?

~SG

Matthew Udall

A U.S. Passport issued for a 10-year period is usually acceptable as alternative proof of US citizenship. Don't know if your particular office will have any problems with that.