Pls clarify the meaning of Certified copies of originals

[Maya Rajesh 0]

Hi,

I have submitted DS-230 Part1. My priority date is Dec 3, 2010.I think the next step is to obtain the certified copy of originals like birth certificate, marriage certificate, all pages of passport etc. I have some doubts regarding this

1. what is the meaning of Certified copy of originals? Does it mean notarized copy of the originals or do I need to obtain the copies from the concerned issuing authorities as I have read in some sites?

2. whether I need to send these docs or keep them ready and send them to VFS when my priority date becomes current

3. In the case of passport do I need to send or submit apostilled copy of the passport?

Thanks,

Maya

[blackflash 7]

from what i rember the uscis does nto require certified copies anymore. maybe for your country in that case you may need to go to the the town hall and ask for a birth certifiacte extract which will have a stamp from your ctites government. but if you have the orginal birth certificate i believe a LEGIBLE copy is sufficient along with a translation done by a third party and a statment stating that that third party understands both languages and is able to translate it properly as for the apostille stamp i only had to get an apostille stamp on my marriage certificate idk about the passport. hope this helps. on and i dont think you have to get it notarized if you get it from your town hall becasue its an offical documnet they give you with a stamp or siganture. thast only if you dont have the orginal birth certifacte.

[Maya Rajesh 0]

Thank you for the reply. I do have the originals of all the needed documents. My birth certificate is also in English, so no need for the translation as well. But I read in a site that USCIS require originals or certified copy of originals for green card processing(http://www.***removed***/immigration/certified-copy.html).

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html.

Maya

[blackflash 7]

I know it say that but a certifeid copy is only needed when you dont have a original copy as you do. you will havenot problemb just makinga copy of the original as long as you have in your postion in good legible condition of the original. people who dont have the original will have to go to the town hall and get a certified copy becasue the vity does not keep your original birth certificate so it will always be a certified copy. got it?

[Maya Rajesh 0]

Got it. Thanks.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I know it say that but a certifeid copy is only needed when you dont have a original copy as you do. you will havenot problemb just makinga copy of the original as long as you have in your postion in good legible condition of the original. people who dont have the original will have to go to the town hall and get a certified copy becasue the vity does not keep your original birth certificate so it will always be a certified copy. got it?

No, this isn't correct. There is only one original birth certificate - the paper signed by the attending physician and the parents. That paper is submitted to the state's vital records office (this office may have a different name, depending on the state). There is no way anyone born in the US would ever have their original birth certificate. The best they could get is a copy made by the state's vital records office. The state vital records office can stamp the copy certifying that it's a genuine copy of the original document. That copy, with the state's original official stamp, is a certified copy of the original. You could also say it's an original certified copy, meaning it's a copy with the state's original stamp on it. If you make a photocopy of that document then you have a copy of a certified copy.

To get a certified copy you have to go to the agency that is the custodian of records for that type of document. For birth certificates this will almost always be a state level agency. For marriage and divorce certificates this will often be a county level agency. With some exceptions, you usually can't go to city hall for any of these things.

USCIS will usually accept a copy of a certified copy.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

USCIS will usually accept a copy of a certified copy.

Mostly true, with exceptions. Some high fraud countries where they can easily forge a certified copy of an "original" document, even the tamper-proof paper that it is printed on and authenticating bar code, they may require the civil registrar, or vital records agency to provide the copy directly to the DHS or DOS officer making the request for the document.

[Maya Rajesh 0]

Thank you very much. One more question. Do I need to send these docs(Birth certificate, marriage certificate) now or keep them ready and send them to VFS when my priority date becomes current?