Birth Certificate issue..please help friends!!!

[anmk 0]

Hello friends, my visa case i130 is approved and the case is forwarded to the NVC. We are expecting a letter from the department anytime now.

But I just realized that I don't have a birth certificate as my date was not registered. I read somewhere that we can provide non availability certificate as an alternative. I tried to obtain that but officials refused to issue one. I am really confused, what can I do in such a situation.

How much time does NVC gives to submit all the documents. Has anyone been in similar situation or can advice in any way??

Would await your suggestions.

[teeak 224]

Here's the excerpt from this link: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/reciprocity-by-country/IN.html

Birth Certificates

Available for all births after April 1, 1970. Available for some births before April 1, 1970. Birth certificates are issued by the Municipal Authority or any office authorized to issue birth and death certificates by the Registrar of Births & Deaths. Under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1969, births are required to be registered in almost all of the States and Union Territories of India. Birth certificates are available to any applicant born on or after April 1, 1970 upon payment of a nominal fee to the appropriate authority. Prior to April 1, 1970, the reporting of births was voluntary.

When a birth certificate from the authorities is unavailable, a certificate of non-availability is generally available if the individual was born after April 1, 1970 and may be available if the individual was born before April 1, 1970. In cases where a birth certificate from the authorities is unavailable or contains insufficient information regarding the birth or the parents, the following documents could be accepted as secondary evidence in lieu of the birth certificate:

• A notarized affidavit executed by either a parent, if living, or another close relative older than the applicant. This affidavit should clearly state the relationship between the deponent and the applicant, how well the deponent knows the applicant, the date and place of the applicant's birth, the names of both parents, and any other related facts;

OR

• School-leaving certificate, Matriculation certificate or Certificate of Recognized Boards from the school last attended by the applicant;

OR

• Baptismal certificate from a church.

You can provide secondary information as proof of your DOB. There's no need to rush since NVC does not give you a time limit. To keep your case active, you just need to make contact with them in a 1 year timeframe. Otherwise, they'll send your petition back to USCIS.

[anmk 0]

Thanks Teeak, that has really helped and made me feel better. Now I can just start working on obtaining the birth certificate or non availability certificate.

I really appreciate your reply ..god bless..cheers!!!

[LinJoe 117]

My husband just got his certificate of unavailability from the municipality. Try going another day and perhaps working with an attorney. Paying a little extra to the attorney helps speed things up too. Going that route helped my husband get his in 1 day. Just as important....try to get it in English if possible.

For my husband, it turned out the Certificate of Unavailability is written in Malayalam, and the Department of State website says:

All documents not written in English, or in the official language of the country in which you are applying for a visa, must be accompanied by certified translations. The translation must include a statement signed by the translator stating that the:

• Translation is accurate, and
• Translator is competent to translate.

To be on the safe side, he's getting that document translated to English. We're not taking any chances of getting anything delayed because of that. In addition, he got a notarized Birth Affidavit and his Baptism Certificate from the church as secondary evidences.

[anmk 0]

Oh that is great! I will once again try to get the non availability certificate maybe this time going through another way...or else I was thinking of getting my birth date registered and obtain a birth certificate. Do you think that can work too? This has got me really worried coz I don't want any delay just because I don't have a birth certificate whereas we have every other valid documents needed ..big or small.

Please poring in your advice as that makes me feel better and gives me some hope!

[LinJoe 117]

I don't know if you registering your own birth now would be accepted. I would say get a birth affidavit. That for sure will be accepted.

[anmk 0]

I was thinking if my parents apply to register my birth and get a birth certificate through a procedure..I can send that along with affidavits from my parents and along with the secondary evidences....any suggestion on this? thanks people for giving great inputs...