AOS problem with birth certificate!

[Hadiza 1]

Hello fellow VJers:

I just received an RFE telling us to submit the applicant's foreign birth certificate issued by the appropriate civil authority. I have submitted a photocopy of my husband's

birth certificate from the HIGH court in Nigeria. My husband obtained this certificate in 2008 because he lost the one that he obtained at birth. What should I do now?

Should I send an ORIGINAL copy of the birth certificate from the high court. Please advise me because I don't want my I-485 application to be denied based on this.

I was also thinking is there any other type of evidence my husband can obtain from Nigeria that will be better. Can he get another type of proof of his birth, like for an

example a sworn affadavit. Please let me know because my husband and I feel really stuck right now. Thank you so much.

Hadiza

[YuAndDan 153]

I would not send them the original one unless they request it, send another photo-copy.

Birth and Death Certificates

Generally available, particularly for events occurring after 1970. Registration of births and deaths is compulsory in Lagos. The National Population Commission issues birth certificates for births after 1992.

For Lagos records, certified copies of records for dates ending with 1979 can be obtained at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Old Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos. For records after 1979, contact the local government that issued the original certificate directly. Most births and deaths outside of Lagos are also registered at the time of the event. Applicants can obtain certified true copies of certificates directly from the local government. Alternatively, acceptable identity/parentage documents are infant baptismal certificates and hospital or maternity clinic records of birth. Home births are rare in Nigeria and medical records are available in most cases. Affidavits may be acceptable as substitutes for documents for those born outside Lagos prior to 1960 or born in the eastern part of Nigeria in the 1960’s at the time of the Biafran War, when presented in combination with convincing secondary evidence of relationship.

http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_4881.html?cid=3640

[Brandi n Michael 8]

I would NOT send in the original but another copy and if you are really concerned get a certified copy.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

It sounds to me like they have a problem with the source of the document, and not the fact that you sent a photocopy of it. Department of State's reciprocity schedule for Nigeria mentions numerous sources for birth certificates, depending on when and where the applicant was born, but doesn't mention anything about birth certificates issued by a court.

The "issued by the appropriate civil authority" sounds like an important clue here.

[damilola 0]

the issue right now is not sending another copy but the right and known autorized one is needed.let me give you an idea about mine,i lost the small of my B/C and i went to my local government the birth and death registry office and i was issued a long birth certificate that has my parents information in it and was registered in their book the date i collected it.it was a long version of B/C.once an officer of the nvc sees what is new to him that is where the problem sleeps

imoa think about it and let him make inquiry

[anthokad 3]

The 'appropriate issuing authority' in Nigeria(for the purpose of American Visas)is the National Population Commission(NPC). Tell your husband to get another original copy from his state of origin's NPC office. And you also need to check if NVC's instructions says you should submit original copy. If that is the case, then you have to send the original copy. As we speak my original birth certificate, police report and Marriage Certificate are in NVC! I should have them returned to me at the Interview in Lagos Consulate. Good luck!

[patient2010 93]

the issue right now is not sending another copy but the right and known autorized one is needed.let me give you an idea about mine,i lost the small of my B/C and i went to my local government the birth and death registry office and i was issued a long birth certificate that has my parents information in it and was registered in their book the date i collected it.it was a long version of B/C.once an officer of the nvc sees what is new to him that is where the problem sleeps

imoa think about it and let him make inquiry

I agree my fiance had the "short BC" and was told he should get the "Long" we were told this before we started the process and he went to the local govt in Agege to get the long maybe since your husband is here already he can send someone to do it for him and send to him here. I believe you should be able to go there and get it at any local govt.