Date & Place of Birth a Mess, Honesty on Application?

[Doug]

Going for the CR-1 & 2.

My new wife was actually born in Viet Nam. Her Chinese parents lived there when most of their kids were born. 2-3 children died there.

Parents move back to China. They go to the government to register all the kids. They get the birthdays mixed up with her dead sister. They don't bother to register the dead.

She has a document showing she was born in a Chinese city in China with the wrong birthdate. Her and her parents were told by the Chinese government that there is no way to correct the birthdate. She has no way to get any record from Viet Nam, if one even exists.

So, I am thinking of just getting the translation of the birth paper showing all in China. If I mention all this mix up Viet Nam business will that open a can of worms? On all documents she has in China it has the wrong birthdate and she just keeps it going that way.

Only a Guangxi has a work record book showing Viet Nam as place of birth, but that is over 5 years ago, and we don't have to report that. Also that is only because she told them she was born there. Again no Chinese government record, although that book is a record since all her work career has been with a province or a team, civil servant.

ONTHE OTHER HAND, I like to be honest. But man if one cannot get records? What to do? (maybe it is a way to get her true birthday on American records? Not that it matters to either of us.)

Any advice is appreciated.

[Randy W]

Going for the CR-1 & 2.

 

My new wife was actually born in Viet Nam. Her Chinese parents lived there when most of their kids were born. 2-3 children died there.

 

Parents move back to China. They go to the government to register all the kids. They get the birthdays mixed up with her dead sister. They don't bother to register the dead.

 

She has a document showing she was born in a Chinese city in China with the wrong birthdate. Her and her parents were told by the Chinese government that there is no way to correct the birthdate. She has no way to get any record from Viet Nam, if one even exists.

 

So, I am thinking of just getting the translation of the birth paper showing all in China. If I mention all this mix up Viet Nam business will that open a can of worms? On all documents she has in China it has the wrong birthdate and she just keeps it going that way.

 

Only a Guangxi has a work record book showing Viet Nam as place of birth, but that is over 5 years ago, and we don't have to report that.

 

ONTHE OTHER HAND, I like to be honest. But man if one cannot get records? What to do? (maybe it is a way to get her true birthday on American records? Not that it matters to either of us.)

 

Any advice is appreciated.

 

Go by what the record shows. If this birthdate is what is shown in her hukou, on her passport, and on her Chinese ID, you've got it aced. If there's any conflict between those three, you may have a little sorting out to do, but you HAVE to go by what's on the Chinese record. Jiaying's birthday shows as Dec.9 on all her records, instead of the actual date - Dec. 29. It happens.

[Mick]

All of Li's official Chinese documents show birthdate of Oct. 6, when in fact it is May 7. Like Randy said, just put down what's on her documents. No need to muddy the issue.

[dnoblett]

Yep, go with what the Chinese documents indicate, as far as China is consernerd she was born in China.

[amberjack1234]

I'm with the rest Dougie. The wife tells me that in the older days like 30+ years ago they started the childs birthday on the day that it was concieved not the actual birth date 9 months later. So perhaps anything inbetween but I would go with what in in her Chinese records. I think it will be a snap.

 

Larry

[Beachey]

Keep in mind the other thing that can lead to confusion is while most Chinese documents use the western calendar date, sometimes the Chinese calendar date is used. My wife's birthday is June 18 on the western calendar but is May 1 on the Chinese calendar.

 

[Doug]

Thanks for all the input fellas. I will take note.