Chinese Marriage Certificate Red book or White book?

[yebyaew 0]

I filed my i-130 from here in the states, did I need to send USCIS a copy of a notarized Chinese marriage certificate (supposedly a white book) or was sending a copy of the red book with the certified translation enough? 

Thanks! 

Edited August 2, 2018 by yebyaew

[Ryan H 3,834]

A photocopy of the "white book" is what they are expecting; odds are greater than 50% you will receive an RFE for this.

[pushbrk 13,259]

15 hours ago, yebyaew said:

I filed my i-130 from here in the states, did I need to send USCIS a copy of a notarized Chinese marriage certificate (supposedly a white book) or was sending a copy of the red book with the certified translation enough? 

Thanks! 

The proper marriage certificate to submit with the I-130 would be a photocopy of a Notarial Translation of the red book, done at the Gong Zheng Chu office near where the marriage was registered.  That Notarial Translation is bound into a white "booklet".  Take the original white booklet to the interview.

 

If did it some other way, USCIS will be requesting exactly what I described above.  Nothing else will be accepted.  I'm guessing the "white book" you describe IS that document.

[yebyaew 0]

Okay, I've come to accept I will more than likely get an RFE for this, but how did this notarial translation of the red book become the standard? I'm aware the instructions for the i-130 only states a certified translation is necessary for non-English documents. Why is the red book not considered a proper marriage certificate? I mean without the notarial translation, I'm still legally married to my spouse and the red book shows this... hahaha 

Also, must we go to the Gong Zheng Chu near where the marriage took place (prefecture-level city) or can we get it in the county-level city where my wife resides (about an hour drive away)? Also, must I be present? 

Anyways, thanks so much! I really appreciate the guidance.

[pushbrk 13,259]

24 minutes ago, yebyaew said:

Okay, I've come to accept I will more than likely get an RFE for this, but how did this notarial translation of the red book become the standard? I'm aware the instructions for the i-130 only states a certified translation is necessary for non-English documents. Why is the red book not considered a proper marriage certificate? I mean without the notarial translation, I'm still legally married to my spouse and the red book shows this... hahaha 

Also, must we go to the Gong Zheng Chu near where the marriage took place (prefecture-level city) or can we get it in the county-level city where my wife resides (about an hour drive away)? Also, must I be present? 

Anyways, thanks so much! I really appreciate the guidance.

I think she can go to any of the offices there but she'll just need to check.  You don't need to be there.

 

The red book is the proper marriage certificate but all required documents for China for USCIS...AND....Guangzhou MUST be from the Gong Zheng Chu, even the police report and birth certificate.  I don't know how or why, but it has been this way since before 2005 when I married in China.

[RandyW 149]

The "white books" from the Gong Zheng Chu are Official Chinese documents intended for use "overseas". The consulate RECOGNIZES them as such. The USCIS occasionally doesn't - China is not a party to the Hague convention, so this format is different from what they usually see from other countries.

 

It IS, however, the Official Chinese format. The consulate even expects the new birth certificates issued since 1996 to be in the "white book" format, even though they are bi-lingual.

[yebyaew 0]

https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-updates-policy-guidance-certain-requests-evidence-and-notices-intent-deny
I just need someone to interpret this for me... 

So when it says:
"This updated guidance is effective September 11, 2018 and applies to all applications, petitions, and requests, except for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) adjudications, received after that date. " 

By "received after that date", does it mean cases that are reviewed after Sept. 11, 2018, or does it refer to cases that are submitted and have a priority date on Sept. 11, 2018 and beyond.

In case that its the former, is there a possibility not having the right marriage certificate would lead to a denial? Also, I realize I didn't submit alias certificate to show my wife's name change. She changed her name a few years back from 锦锦 （Jinjin） to 津金  (Jinjin). The alias certificate from the  Gong Zheng Chu is gonna be an interesting document to see with that type of change. hahaha. 

[pushbrk 13,259]

Thanks for the link but my read is that it's context indicates no reason for concern in your case.