Certified Copy of Birth Certificate?

[JillWill 0]

Has anyone had experience in using certified copies instead of original documents (like the birth certificate) for their London interview? I know the website says that an original or certified copy is fine, but it makes me a little nervous. Does anyone know if the embassy has certain rules about how to certify documents? I looked on the website and didn't see anything, but maybe I missed it. This website (https://www.gov.uk/certifying-a-document) makes it sound pretty straightforward, but I don't know if their rules are the same as the London embassy's. My fiance's interview is in a few weeks and his birth certificate is at home with his parents, but he lives several hours away. So we're trying to decide if he should make the trip home to get the actual one, have his parents post the original, or have them certify a copy and post that.

Any help is very much appreciated!

[stevensane 10]

Has anyone had experience in using certified copies instead of original documents (like the birth certificate) for their London interview? I know the website says that an original or certified copy is fine, but it makes me a little nervous. Does anyone know if the embassy has certain rules about how to certify documents? I looked on the website and didn't see anything, but maybe I missed it. This website (https://www.gov.uk/certifying-a-document) makes it sound pretty straightforward, but I don't know if their rules are the same as the London embassy's. My fiance's interview is in a few weeks and his birth certificate is at home with his parents, but he lives several hours away. So we're trying to decide if he should make the trip home to get the actual one, have his parents post the original, or have them certify a copy and post that.

Any help is very much appreciated!

My birth certificate is a certified copy, as my original is the shirt version without my parents names on it which they do not accept, so I had to get a certified copy of the long version in 2006 when I got a student visa to the US. I also used it at my K-1 interview earlier this month and it was fine.

[JillWill 0]

Good to hear, thanks!

[rhirhi 35]

My experience was the same as stevensane's- the only birth certificate I had was a pinky/peachy one which was the short version. I applied for the long version which came back a greeny colour with "certified copy" at the top. No problems whatsoever at the interview.

[nobbie 105]

if his parents have his original and it's the long version, get them to post it to him and use that. You dont get a copy certified, if you order one it comes certified.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Has anyone had experience in using certified copies instead of original documents (like the birth certificate) for their London interview? I know the website says that an original or certified copy is fine, but it makes me a little nervous. Does anyone know if the embassy has certain rules about how to certify documents? I looked on the website and didn't see anything, but maybe I missed it. This website (https://www.gov.uk/certifying-a-document) makes it sound pretty straightforward, but I don't know if their rules are the same as the London embassy's. My fiance's interview is in a few weeks and his birth certificate is at home with his parents, but he lives several hours away. So we're trying to decide if he should make the trip home to get the actual one, have his parents post the original, or have them certify a copy and post that.

Any help is very much appreciated!

I think maybe you are missing the usual meaning of the term "certified copy" especially in the American sense (which is what immigration is about).

Example-- a birth record or marriage record may be on file in a big dusty book at a courthouse. When you need a copy of that record, the clerk makes a copy from the record book. Then they put a stamp or seal on it and somebody signs that they "certify" it is a copy of official county records. For example every version of birth certificate I have is certified. The only "original" is on file with the county.

What you seem to be describing is his parents making a photocopy of their record and having somebody certify their photocopy. Better to have them mail him the birth certificate or have him order his own new copy straight from the birth records and "certified" by the UK General Register Office http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/.

This may not be the only time in the rest of his life he will need to have a birth certificate, so get a proper one...either the one mum has or a newly ordered one for the UK government.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I think the GRO only charged me £10 for the birth certificate and it arrived in less than two weeks so that's the best option if your parents can't find yours or you never had the long version.

[nobbie 105]

you can also call the registrar wherever your birth was registered and pay over the phone. I did that, very quick and easy. cost a tenner.

[Damilolly 1]

It has just dawned on me that the strongest document is my birth certificate which is missing.

I'm filing through my Dad who's USC. I have certified copies which I got from applying for my masters years ago but I don't have the original and as I was born in Nigeria it's impossible to get an extract of the birth register.

I have a family studio photo from when I was 6 but I could've been his orphaned niece or something lol. It doesn't prove paternity.

In your experience what's the US embassy in London like on stuff like this?

Thanks.

[JFH 12,190]

A certified copy is what you need.

[Damilolly 1]

A certified copy is what you need.

Thanks! I'm now working on it.