Changes in NVC-required DS-230 docs for certain countries

[James 2]

It's been positively confirmed that NVC is now requiring more docs to accompany the DS-230 for certain countries for which only a copy of the passport bio information had been previously required. The US embassies in these countries are called "Appointment Posts" by NVC, and what's now required is the same as what has been required for certain countries like Canada, China, and others in North Africa -- including the DS-230 part II. Certain Latin American countries are now being considered Appointment Posts -- there may be others.

The additional documents are things like police certificates that may take a considerable amount of time for your beneficiary to round up. Thus, people should have their beneficiary start collecting these things as soon as possible -- probably before you even get an NVC case number assigned, to be on the safe side.

To find out whether NVC is now requiring more for your country, go to http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3176.html Select your embassy post from the drop-down menu and click on Request Instructions. On the page you are "directed" to, click on "Download all the immigrant visa instructions on [standard/Appointment] NVC Processing Post]." If your embassy/country is Standard, you still only have to send in the passport bio page with the DS-230 Part I. If Appointment, however, read the instructions carefully and note that you will have to send in both DS-203 Parts I and II as well as a bunch of additional docs such as birth, marriage, divorce, and police certificates, all of which must be translated into English for the NVC. (Hence, the need for starting early to round these things up!)

Also, for those of you using the shortcuts, NVC has changed the standard DS-230 cover sheet that it sends out when your IV fee bill is in the system and NVC is ready to accept the DS-230. Although the case number and barcode still comprise the operative content in the cover sheet, it is nevertheless different from the one that's currently posted in the shortcuts. A reasonable facsimile of the new coversheet should be posted here sometime soon. If you can't wait, go to this post in the Colombia Club thread for the work in progress. It will probably serve its purposes for the time being.

Edited May 3, 2007 by James

[~kiyah~ 14]

It's been positively confirmed that NVC is now requiring more docs to accompany the DS-230 for certain countries for which only a copy of the passport bio information had been previously required. The US embassies in these countries are called "Appointment Posts" by NVC, and what's now required is the same as what has been required for certain countries like Canada, China, and others in North Africa -- including the DS-230 part II. Certain Latin American countries are now being considered Appointment Posts -- there may be others.

The additional documents are things like police certificates that may take a considerable amount of time for your beneficiary to round up. Thus, people should have their beneficiary start collecting these things as soon as possible -- probably before you even get an NVC case number assigned, to be on the safe side.

To find out whether NVC is now requiring more for your country, go to http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3176.html Select your embassy post from the drop-down menu and click on Request Instructions. On the page you are "directed" to, click on "Download all the immigrant visa instructions on [standard/Appointment] NVC Processing Post]." If your embassy/country is Standard, you still only have to send in the passport bio page with the DS-230 Part I. If Appointment, however, read the instructions carefully and note that you will have to send in both DS-203 Parts I and II as well as a bunch of additional docs such as birth, marriage, divorce, and police certificates, all of which must be translated into English for the NVC. (Hence, the need for starting early to round these things up!)

Also, for those of you using the shortcuts, NVC has changed the standard DS-230 cover sheet that it sends out when your IV fee bill is in the system and NVC is ready to accept the DS-230. Although the case number and barcode still comprise the operative content in the cover sheet, it is nevertheless different from the one that's currently posted in the shortcuts. A reasonable facsimile of the new coversheet should be posted here sometime soon. If you can't wait, go to this post in the Colombia Club thread for the work in progress. It will probably serve its purposes for the time being.

Thank you for posting this, I plan on using the shortcuts and am looking forward to seeing the new DS-230 cover sheet.

~Kiyah~

[nyseness 0]

Thank you.

[LvivLovers 39]

Thank you.

Thanks for the info! Quick question I noticed about these documents...for the various certificates the instructions state something similar to the following:

"Each applicant will need to obtain an original birth record (or a certified copy of the original, obtained from the issuing government authority)."

I want to be sure I know what a certified copy of the original is! We took our "original copies" and took them to be translated at a certified agency. They made a photocopy of the original, attached a translation, and put their stamps on them (this is what makes them certified I'm assuming?) as well as notorized them. Is this all that is required? Or is a certified copy of the original what you would get directly from the respective records office that has the raised seal and all that?

Thanks and sorry if this is a dumb question!

[jediknight 0]

in some cases the original birth certificate is not available or has been lost, so a certified copy is just as good. a certified copy is a photocopy of the original made at the issuing gov't authority with seals and stamps indicating that it is a true and authentic copy of the original. my wife, for example, didn't have her original, so she went to the "notaria" or notary (the equivalent to the records dept in some countries) and they pulled the book that had her original birth certificate entry when she was born, the person photocopied it, stamped it, signed it stating that it was a copy of the original and added the raised seal. this is not the same as if you or someone else were to make a photocopy of the certified copy because it wont have original stamps and seals.

JK

[James 2]

Thank you.

Thanks for the info! Quick question I noticed about these documents...for the various certificates the instructions state something similar to the following:

"Each applicant will need to obtain an original birth record (or a certified copy of the original, obtained from the issuing government authority)."

I want to be sure I know what a certified copy of the original is! We took our "original copies" and took them to be translated at a certified agency. They made a photocopy of the original, attached a translation, and put their stamps on them (this is what makes them certified I'm assuming?) as well as notorized them. Is this all that is required? Or is a certified copy of the original what you would get directly from the respective records office that has the raised seal and all that?

Thanks and sorry if this is a dumb question!

It sounds to me like you're not going to be sending in a certified copy of the original birth certificate. As JK indicates, all certified copies are just that -- copies that are certified, not the original. (The original is kept by the government, so what they photocopied was not an "original" -- it was a certified copy you brought along.) So I can't say for certain, but it seems like you plan to hold on to what you're calling the "original" -- i.e., an original certified copy -- and are just going to send in a regular photocopy of that certified copy as well as a translation that has been certified.

But I'm not sure, of course, what the procedures are for certification of documents in the Ukraine, i.e., maybe this agency has the power to make another certified copy off of a certified copy and provide a certified translation all at the same time.

Normally, one would get a certified copy of the birth certificate from whatever government agency maintains the original, take that certified copy to be translated by some person or entity that will certify the translation itself, and then send in the certified copy and the certified translation. You might have skipped that first step.

[LvivLovers 39]

Thank you.

Thanks for the info! Quick question I noticed about these documents...for the various certificates the instructions state something similar to the following:

"Each applicant will need to obtain an original birth record (or a certified copy of the original, obtained from the issuing government authority)."

I want to be sure I know what a certified copy of the original is! We took our "original copies" and took them to be translated at a certified agency. They made a photocopy of the original, attached a translation, and put their stamps on them (this is what makes them certified I'm assuming?) as well as notorized them. Is this all that is required? Or is a certified copy of the original what you would get directly from the respective records office that has the raised seal and all that?

Thanks and sorry if this is a dumb question!

It sounds to me like you're not going to be sending in a certified copy of the original birth certificate. As JK indicates, all certified copies are just that -- copies that are certified, not the original. (The original is kept by the government, so what they photocopied was not an "original" -- it was a certified copy you brought along.) So I can't say for certain, but it seems like you plan to hold on to what you're calling the "original" -- i.e., an original certified copy -- and are just going to send in a regular photocopy of that certified copy as well as a translation that has been certified.

But I'm not sure, of course, what the procedures are for certification of documents in the Ukraine, i.e., maybe this agency has the power to make another certified copy off of a certified copy and provide a certified translation all at the same time.

Normally, one would get a certified copy of the birth certificate from whatever government agency maintains the original, take that certified copy to be translated by some person or entity that will certify the translation itself, and then send in the certified copy and the certified translation. You might have skipped that first step.

Ok. Thanks so much for clearing this up. So it sounds like I need the most original document I can get...directly from the agency that maintains that document even though they typically keep the true original and give me an "original certified copy". So yes, the part that confused me is the translation agency that we used as a notarius and also certifies their copies/translations, so I wasn't sure if that was all that was required. Sounds like to be safe, we'll get that original copy directly from the agency and attach a certified/notorized translation directly to that. Thanks again for the help!