AOS Birth Certificate

[kaotic3 0]

Hello VJ,

I am currently following the K1/K3 AOS guide. I have a question for step 7 that ask me to include my foreign fiancee birth certificate. The embassy in Guangzhou took her birth certificate when she went in for her K1 visa interview. It was the only copy we had, so my question is do we have to include a birth certificate? If not what should we do?

[CowBoE 429]

Sometimes they accept xerox copies, but other times they issue RFE to submit the certified certificate.

Therefore, it is what you want to do is...

1) Spend few bucks now and play it safe by getting additional official certified certificates.

2) Get the official certificates (sometimes referred as "white book" from her local GongZhengChu.

These "white books" are in about 6 page booklet, and it contains both Chinese and English translations,

3) While she is at it, make sure she gets about 3 copies each (sound advice that was given to me

by Darnell when we were going through this).

4) In addition to the birth certificate, also get at least one extra copy of "no marriage certificate"

and "police certificate". You just don't know when you might need this, and it's a major hassle

to get these later...especially after she comes to US.

5) Also for future employment of school, you might also consider getting the full school transcript,

and have it translated and notarized. And don't forget her degree certificates as well.

6) Lastly, she has to report to IRS on any financial accounts that have more than $10,000 in value,

and that includes her retirement savings (kind of like our IRA and Social Security..but they call

them "insurance"). China doesn't provide online access to these and they don't regularly send

statements like in US. So its advisable to get official statements on latest balances on them.

This also includes bank and other investments like stocks as well.

Additionally, she may want to close any bank or credit/debit card accounts that either she will no

longer use and/or charge annual fees. My wife tried to close some bank and credit card accounts

from US, but they require verification through the cell phone number she had registered with them,

but she terminated that cell line when she came to US. So they are requiring her to come into the office.

[Darnell 8,478]

since she's already in the usa (thanks so much for updating yer timeline!) - it's possible to get more in china

via

some one else who has her listed in _THEIR_ hukuo book. Send that person to the same office where she got it done prior, pay the fees, and they wait.

Then send them out via fast EMS . Suggest 3 sets.

However - I swear a photocopy is acceptable on the I-485 - did she scan this white book and email it to you, or no? if yes, just print it out and include it.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Darnell

[Pitaya 2,577]

Agree with Darnell.

A copy of the beneficiary's birth cert. can be submitted with the AOS packet. However, I would also suggest that you, in the meantime, obtain multiple copies of her birth cert. in that manner that Darnell describes. The IO at an AOS interview can ask to compare the original document with the copy of any document submitted.

[kaotic3 0]

I called the embassy and they told me that they included her birth certificate in the packet that was given to Customs boarder protection. They told me to just put a note when I submit the I-485 that the boarder protection already sent my packet to USCIS and I don't need to submit a birth certificate and they can just pull it out from the packet. Has anyone come across this information before from Custom boarder protection?

[Pitaya 2,577]

At the time my wife was having her birth certificate prepared in Notarial Certificate format, she requested several duplicate copies. Hence the previous recommendations from myself, Darnell and others to get additional copies prepared. Those additional copies have certainly come in handy.

You can try the "note in the AOS applications" scheme, report back how it goes.

Good luck on your immigration journey.