2 QUESTIONS

[dcl766 0]

1. Question #24 asks about prior military service. Will the fact that my father-in-law served his required 2 years of service in the Soviet army over 40 years ago be an issue?

2. Why is it that for the I-130 (and almost every other USCIS petition) you can send copies of documents but for the DS-230 you have to send in orginals or certified copies (which may as well be originals) to the NVC before the embassy interview is scheduled? I know the DS-230 is technically not a USCIS doucment (department of state), but it is frustrating because we are trying to get Mom and Dad here and trying to explain to them why they have to send their original birth & marriage certificates (copy for each to send for separate petitions) only to get them back when they have the interview at the embassy is not an easy task. It is a pain in the butt for them to get these documents in the first place (not to mention the cost) and then as soon as they get them they have to trust they won't be lost in the shuffle somewhere.

Not only that, they also want my wife Marina's original birth certificate and we only have one but of course we need two since she has two parents immigrating, and since she lives here in the US it is very difficult (if not impossible) to get another "original" without spending $1,500 on a plane ticket to Moldova so she can stand in line to get one for herself.

I suppose they want to make sure the documents are legitimate but it seems to me a copy should prove enough at least until they get to the embassy with the originals.

Just venting on that 2nd question but if you can add an opinion for the first question that would be great.

Thanks, Dave and Marina