Is MY birth certificate required for the interview?

[DeeBee 1]

I know I need my wife's (I'm bringing her passport too). But what about mine? I saw no mention of it on the checklist they sent me, but I remember hearing talk about them comparing your name on your gc to your name on your bc at the naturalization interview. Thanks.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

If I now could find out if you are an American, a Brit, a sponsor or a beneficiary, I think I could actually answer that question.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I'm assuming you're the immigrant? You dont; really need to bring your USC wife's birth cert either...you have her passport

You only had to provide one of these:

1. Evidence that your spouse has been a U.S. citizen for the last three years:

Birth certificate (if your spouse never lost citizenship since birth), or

Naturalization certificate, or

Certificate of Citizenship, or

The inside of the front cover and signature page of your spouse's current U.S. passport

Her passport will show that her country of birth as the US.

I don't believe you need to bring your own either - you're foreign passport shows your country of birth, no?

Edited April 14, 2011 by Udella&Wiz

[DeeBee 1]

Yeah I'm the Brit, and yes my passport shows my country of birth. Thanks for the clarification guys.

[Mama mia 9]

I was asked for my hubby's (USC) birth certificate and my birth certificate as well during the naturalization interview and the IO did compare my name on the application with my name on my bc.

[NickD 203]

I am the natural born one, wife had to bring in evidence that I was a US citizen, either by birth or naturalization. But all she had to bring in about herself was her green card with a ton of evidence we were living, buying, and paying bills together.

But this is only for that three year marriage thing, with the five year, all you have to bring in is your interview letter and green card.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Got it.

Many I.O.s prefer to see the US spouse's birth certificate, although, strictly speaking, it's not required as the US passport would be sufficient. I.m sure you understand why.

[NickD 203]

This goes along with Part 8 of the N-400, your marital history. Nothing new if you petitioned for your wife, already did that for the AOS, and you are doing it all over again. Want to know if you are a US citizen and if so, are you natural born or naturalized. That was frustrating for me back then, I did find a copy of my birth certificate, but was a copy of a certified copy. Back then it was all microfiche, so I sent in a perfectly clear copy of my birth certificate. State of Illinois hired a bunch of idiots to convert to a database with a bunch of typos. I even blew up my copy and sent that back to them in Springfield, Saying that letter is clearly a D and not a B. Would accept that, finally I got hold of my sister, she had her original yet, and the state accepted that.

I even talked to the guy in charge on the phone, told him the last time I needed my birth certificate was when I was drafted, send him my military records and told him I never got my birth certificate back from them. Least back then, people knew how to type. He wouldn't accept that, my sisters birth certificate was corrected. These dragged on for several months.

The birth certificate shows whether you were naturalized or not, US Passport does indirectly with your place of birth on it.

Just saying, you already been through this with the AOS stage, and you do it again if applying with marriage. We had many similar problems during the AOS stage with typos from my wife's home country that all had to be corrected first. But at least that was all corrected for the N-400.

[LastSurvivor 0]

Well, speaking from my recent experience (yesterday) I would bring everything, anything you can carry. I went strictly by the checklist and did not have my wife's birth certifcate. She was the applicant fyi. It took them sometime to verify her name and locate her birth certificate. I did include mine (the citizen) and the birth certificates for our children. I think we were lucky but they did ask for it. At this point why take any chances if you have it then carry it with you. My wife carried around a big binder that had all her documentation except for her birth certificate. In hindsite I should have included it as well. I will include an interview subject later but the only thing the I.O. asked for was her current passport which is the one that is brand new. There is no documentation of past travel and she asked if he wanted the old one and he said no.

LS

[NickD 203]

Well, speaking from my recent experience (yesterday) I would bring everything, anything you can carry. I went strictly by the checklist and did not have my wife's birth certifcate. She was the applicant fyi. It took them sometime to verify her name and locate her birth certificate. I did include mine (the citizen) and the birth certificates for our children. I think we were lucky but they did ask for it. At this point why take any chances if you have it then carry it with you. My wife carried around a big binder that had all her documentation except for her birth certificate. In hindsite I should have included it as well. I will include an interview subject later but the only thing the I.O. asked for was her current passport which is the one that is brand new. There is no documentation of past travel and she asked if he wanted the old one and he said no.

LS

Wouldn't offer anything, the whole purpose of the interview is so your IO can check your originals against your copies, if they want copies, they can make them. But you leave with whatever you brought in.

[My_Wife_and_I 1]

The CR1 guide here states the birth certificates are no longer needed. Is this right? I see so much discussion about the need for birth certificates.

[NickD 203]

The CR1 guide here states the birth certificates are no longer needed. Is this right? I see so much discussion about the need for birth certificates.

Not for the applicant, but for the spouse of the applicant, and only when applying for the three year marriage privilege.

Its all listed here.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/attachments.pdf

[LastSurvivor 0]

I know my wife was asked for hers at the interview. I had not included it but she was asked. They worked around it not being there though. Just be safe and take it. I had originals andcopies of everything.

[NickD 203]

I know my wife was asked for hers at the interview. I had not included it but she was asked. They worked around it not being there though. Just be safe and take it. I had originals andcopies of everything.

They already had all that information in her file, too lazy to look at it. They also had my original birth certificate, our marriage certificate, our divorce papers, current three years of our tax returns, a ton of evidence of joint ownership, bank accounts, health and life insurance, etc., can only ask how my wife received her green card and ROC. ROC took so long they asked us to update it, wasn't a darn new piece of paper submitted for the N-400.

No wonder why my wife told me her file was over 3 1/2" thick, all duplicates. But you are correct, you have to bring all that information with you or expect delays. What an organization!

[LastSurvivor 0]

There was one lady called up before my wife and I heard the IO tell her that her file was not there and was at NVC and her interview would be rescheduled.

LS