Canadian Birth Certificates for I-485

[Jup1ter 2]

My husband's birth certificate is a small version, like 2 X 3 inches. According to his mother, they give out the small ones as birth certificates, she never received a large version. However, the vital records website of his province has the option to send us a larger-sized copy (for a big fee), and the only difference is the parents' full names are on the larger copy.

Do any Canadians here have advice? Is the small certificate acceptable, or are we supposed to have the large one?

Thanks!

[Jashley820 0]

My husband's birth certificate is a small version, like 2 X 3 inches. According to his mother, they give out the small ones as birth certificates, she never received a large version. However, the vital records website of his province has the option to send us a larger-sized copy (for a big fee), and the only difference is the parents' full names are on the larger copy.

Do any Canadians here have advice? Is the small certificate acceptable, or are we supposed to have the large one?

Thanks!

You have to get the long-form version, which is the one on the website. It only takes a couple of weeks to arrive, and it's all done online (but make sure you fill out ALL information in the online form). It's crucial to have, so unfortunately you have to bite the bullet and pay the fee. The small version will not be accepted.

Hope this helps.

[Jup1ter 2]

Do we need the "frame certificate" or the "certified photocopy"?

Also, do we need two originals at any point in filing, or can we just send a copy with the forms and have one original for the interview?

Thanks so much for your help!

Edited June 22, 2007 by Jup1ter

[Jashley820 0]

Do we need the "frame certificate" or the "certified photocopy"?

Also, do we need two originals at any point in filing, or can we just send a copy with the forms and have one original for the interview?

Thanks so much for your help!

Certified copy, for sure!

You should make photocopies at Staples/Kinkos, etc (legal sized) and send that in to USCIS. They will want to see the original if you are given an interview date. Never send originals into the USCIS unless expressly requested by them! There's no guarantee you'll get them back

Edited June 22, 2007 by Jashley820

[Jup1ter 2]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate all your help!

[KarenCee 3]

Did you not have the long form when you did the initial petition? We submitted that when I filed the I-129F and again with AOS.

[Jup1ter 2]

Did you not have the long form when you did the initial petition? We submitted that when I filed the I-129F and again with AOS.

We didn't file an I-129F, he was here visiting when we decided to get married. At that point, we consulted an immigration lawyer and the USCIS Helpline and both said to juse get married and then file for AOS. When he got his passport, no one ever even mentioned the large birth certificate, they accepted the small one. That was in Canada though, maybe the passport people there are used to the small ones, I don't know.

[Emancipation 2]

Do we need the "frame certificate" or the "certified photocopy"?

Also, do we need two originals at any point in filing, or can we just send a copy with the forms and have one original for the interview?

Thanks so much for your help!

This is what I ordered from Vital Statistics in Canada - the Long form:

Birth Certificate - Framing Size $35.00

They are very helpful at the Vital Statistics office..

[Jashley820 0]

Do we need the "frame certificate" or the "certified photocopy"?

Also, do we need two originals at any point in filing, or can we just send a copy with the forms and have one original for the interview?

Thanks so much for your help!

This is what I ordered from Vital Statistics in Canada - the Long form:

Birth Certificate - Framing Size $35.00

They are very helpful at the Vital Statistics office..

I believe the copy must be certified in order to be accepted by USCIS. I would choose the certified copy instead to avoid an RFE!

[Tinker 0]

I had to apply for the long certified copy online.

MAKE SURE YOU FILL IN EVERYTHING AND DOUBLE CHECK!!!!

I had a request for more info three times, the first one was for my first name, even though it was addressed to me in my name, second was for my middle name, and when I called to clarify, the man I spoke to said to just fill in Gredal!!!! Now how could he know my middle name if they didn't have my middle name?? GRRRRRRR not a popular middle name. Third time was for my parents date of birth, I KNOW I put that in, because I called my parents to make sure I had the right year. I don't know if maybe, when it went into their computer system, some of the data was lost or if they were just being buttheads.

It's just a copy of what your parents filled out and stamped as a certified copy.

[Jup1ter 2]

I had to apply for the long certified copy online.

It's just a copy of what your parents filled out and stamped as a certified copy.

That's what I'm kind of worried about... the certified copy description on the website says "Certified Photocopy of Birth Registration (21.5 cm x 35.4 cm), Contains all of the information that appears on the original birth registration." Basically it is just a photocopy that has been certified. However, the Frame Certificate like what Emancipation (above) got says "Frame Certificate (21.6 cm x 17.8 cm), Contains the individual’s full name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, registration number and registration date as well as the parents’ full names and their province/state or country of birth." It would seem the Frame Certificate seems more official and should be certified. I don't understand why a xeroxed copy of the handwritten birth certificate is considered more worth certifying than the official government record of birth, haha.

Just to be safe, we're going to order the certified photocopy, but I'm nervous about it being just that: a photocopy.

[jw07 0]

I had to apply for the long certified copy online.

It's just a copy of what your parents filled out and stamped as a certified copy.

That's what I'm kind of worried about... the certified copy description on the website says "Certified Photocopy of Birth Registration (21.5 cm x 35.4 cm), Contains all of the information that appears on the original birth registration." Basically it is just a photocopy that has been certified. However, the Frame Certificate like what Emancipation (above) got says "Frame Certificate (21.6 cm x 17.8 cm), Contains the individual’s full name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, registration number and registration date as well as the parents’ full names and their province/state or country of birth." It would seem the Frame Certificate seems more official and should be certified. I don't understand why a xeroxed copy of the handwritten birth certificate is considered more worth certifying than the official government record of birth, haha.

Just to be safe, we're going to order the certified photocopy, but I'm nervous about it being just that: a photocopy.

How did this go for you? Meaning,was the certified copy that you ordered sufficient with all the needed details. I knew nothing about these "larger" versions and have to order one asap.