My fiancee had our son in Saigon, how do I change the birth certificate and get his passport?

[RichP 2]

My fiancee had our son in Ho Chi Minh City, July 5. How can I get my name added to the birth certificate (Do I need to?), and how can I get a passport for him? Might this interfere with the K-1 visa interview?

[XXXYYYZZZ 20]

I did this in Vietnam already married so it might be a little different for you. The most important part is you were together at time of conception; you supported your wife through pregnancy and birth and you meet the physical presence required for your US citizenship.

I'm guessing you only have the live birth cert from the hospital right now.

First step is to get your son's Vietnam birth certificate. This needs to be done in the town where your wife is registered in a house book. If it's HCMC that will make it easier and you may not be extorted coffee money. This is done at the Justice Department and you can be put on the birth certificate. I had to complete a separate form declaring that the babies nationality is Vietnamese which up until that point is true.

If you want a Vietnam Passport for the baby. You don't technically need it but it makes life easier if you plan on visiting Vietnam with the baby in the future.

Once my son's birth certificate was issued the wife added the baby to her house registration book which was more difficult because the baby has a half English name but the law requiring a Vietnamese name has been revoked to allow Viet Kieu to repatriate. Coffee money solved that problem for me at first, but then the same women behind the counter realized she knew my wife's mother from church, gave the coffee money back and added the baby to the house book in minutes rather than days and went with us for lunch to spend time with her good church friends grandson.....weird. The Vietnam passport application can now be submitted for the Baby. The baby can't leave Vietnam without a Vietnam Passport or an immigration stamped added to his US passport once that is issued. The wife handled the Vietnam paperwork part so I don't know all the details.

Get all documents translated to English.

Make an appointment for the Consular Report of Birth aboard at the US embassy online and print off the applications to complete. You'll do the CRBA application, US passport application and SS Card application at the same time. You'll also need to do an affidavit for financial support of the child......look that up; I don't have to do that one being married. Bring all the paperwork with you to the interview plus anything that shows an ongoing relationship. From me all they wanted to she was two photos of us together when she was pregnant. It is best for you, your fiance and the baby to go together. You are not required to go be it will help a lot. Also don't get a DNA test. If the consulate wants it they will order you to get one during the interview. The best thing you can do is read the CRBA guide on the US consulate web site for HCMC; it's very detailed and tells you exactly what to do. This was my review below back when I was an active member on VJ.

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/index.php?trim=no&cty=&cnty=Vietnam&page=1&dfilter=5&topic=Other%20Experience

[AnhDoiEm 9]

A. U need to get a Vietnamese birth certificate

B. you do (Report of Birth Abroad from Consulate in HCMC......more info click HERE

C. you need to make an appointment.... click HERE

D. when you come to the interview making sure you have all the following,

you + your wife and son at the interview

all air line ticket or pass tub that you come visit her

all your entry visa

all the receive for your wedding, photos, party, and hospital bill and medication, etc.

and phew photos when she pregnant

GOOD LUCK,

[bkthai 0]

Hi all, I am on the same boat and need your help.

1) I am not in VN right now, do I need to be there with my wife and daughter (they are in VN right now) for the CRBA appointment?

2) My daughter has a Vietnamese name right now, when is the best time to get her name change to English and how without delaying getting her visa?

Many thanks!

[RichP 2]

I want to thank everybody for the help. We did not change the Vietnam birth certificate, and we did not change his name on the Consular Report, so he still has a Viet name. But that is fine. We can easily change his name in the US (add an American name). Anyway we got the Consular Report of a Birth Abroad approved without any problems or any need for a DNA test (He is a big baby -- I am a big guy -- and he looks like both of us).

Now we only need to get Mai's visa and we will be done! But neither of us have been previously married so I don't think that there will be any problem.

[RichP 2]

Hi all, I am on the same boat and need your help.

1) I am not in VN right now, do I need to be there with my wife and daughter (they are in VN right now) for the CRBA appointment?

2) My daughter has a Vietnamese name right now, when is the best time to get her name change to English and how without delaying getting her visa?

Many thanks!

Sorry that I am so late in responding. You do need to be there for the CRBA. They could require a DNA test, and they will want to interview both of you. We didn't bother changing our sons name. I think that it is best to make the name changes after you get to the US, otherwise it could cause problems at the airport. That is why we decided to wait.