Birth certificates

[ciao]

The instructions for the I-130 process mention a "long" birth certificate. I don't know if these instructions are specific to China, or if they are meant to apply vaguely to all countries in general.

 

My wife was born in China in 1972, and she's not sure she has a birth certificate, still less a "long" one.

 

So, a few questions ...

 

(1) If she manages to find her birth certificate, how can we decide if it's the required "long" one (versus a "short" one)? What does the thing look like? How long is "long" ?

 

(2) If she can't find it, where does one go in China to get a birth certificate ?

 

(3) If she can't get a birth certificate, what is an acceptable substitute, and where do we get that ? As far as I can tell, there's a thing called a "Notarial Birth Certificate" (Chu Sheng Gong Zheng Shu or Chu Sheng Zheng Ming Shu -- which one?) that we can get from a Notarial Office (Gong Zheng Chu). Is that correct ?

 

(4) What documents will we need in order to get this "Notarial Birth Certificate" ? Is her household record (hukou) sufficient ?

 

thanks very much

 

ciao

[ciao]

... how can we decide if it's the required "long" one (versus a "short" one)?

 

Maybe I found the answer to question #1:

 

From wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_certificate)

 

Long forms, also known as certified photocopies, book copies, and photostat copies, are exact photocopies of the original birth record that was prepared by the hospital or attending physician at the time of the child's birth. The long form usually includes parents' information (address of residence, race, birth place, date of birth, etc.), additional information on the child's birthplace, and information on the doctors who assisted in the birth of the child. The long form also usually includes the signature of the doctor involved and at least one of the parents.

 

Is this their intended sense of the term "long" do you think ??

[dnoblett]

The birth certs referred to by form I-130 and/or I-129F is a US citizen's birth cert used to prove US Citizenship.

 

Or in the case of I-130 petitioner's cert is also used to show family relationship if petitioning for: (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Son, or Daughter)

 

Chinese birth cert will be requested later by NVC after USCIS approves the petition and sends it on to NVC.

 

From VJ:

7. A copy of the intending immigrant's birth certificate and/or passport along with English translation. (If in any language other than English) (no longer needed)

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

 

If you cannot locate US Citizen Birth Cert, you can use a full copy of passport, or if naturalized citizen, you use copy of naturalization cert.

 

So to answer your question, Chinese Birth Certs are all the same, they are issued by Notarial office having jurisdiction over they home town.

 

You answered your question with statement #3 and #4

Edited May 25, 2010 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

MORE:

Birth Certificates

 

Available in the form of notarial certificates, which are secondary evidence. Notarial certificates of birth (Chu Sheng Gong Zheng Shu or Chu Sheng Zheng Ming Shu) for persons living in or recently departed from China are generally reliable, but are best used in conjunction with other evidence. They are most often based upon an AHHR, (Household Record) which is easily susceptible to fraud, especially in villages. Notarial birth certificates for persons long departed from China are most likely based merely upon the testimony of interested parties.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/reciproc...ocity_3537.html

[yuliki]

I had a very similar situiation as your SO about the birth certificate. I was born in 1976, and I don't have a hospital birth certificate as the newborns get now in China. If your SO can contact her birth hospital and find her birth info, that will be a way to let hospital issue a certificate.

 

But I end up got a birth certificate from Pai Chu Suo of my Hukou(»§¿ÚËùÔÚµØÅɳöËù) through a friend, who knows the leader of my Pai Chu Suo very well. Which means Pai Chu Suo do not obligate to issue it for me.

 

it simply lists that when and where I was born; both my parents' name and birth dates. Then i took this piece of paper to the notary office, they notarized it for me. That was all i need.

 

The instructions for the I-130 process mention a "long" birth certificate. I don't know if these instructions are specific to China, or if they are meant to apply vaguely to all countries in general.

 

My wife was born in China in 1972, and she's not sure she has a birth certificate, still less a "long" one.

 

So, a few questions ...

 

(1) If she manages to find her birth certificate, how can we decide if it's the required "long" one (versus a "short" one)? What does the thing look like? How long is "long" ?

 

(2) If she can't find it, where does one go in China to get a birth certificate ?

 

(3) If she can't get a birth certificate, what is an acceptable substitute, and where do we get that ? As far as I can tell, there's a thing called a "Notarial Birth Certificate" (Chu Sheng Gong Zheng Shu or Chu Sheng Zheng Ming Shu -- which one?) that we can get from a Notarial Office (Gong Zheng Chu). Is that correct ?

 

(4) What documents will we need in order to get this "Notarial Birth Certificate" ? Is her household record (hukou) sufficient ?

 

thanks very much

 

ciao