certified copy of birth certificate

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newlife9

Registered Users (C)
I was asked for the certified copy of my son's birth certificate at my interview. After filling information at vitalchek. com for the certified BC, I find it costs me up to $49 just for 1 copy, so I canceled it!!! I'd like to know if I could save money by just bringing my son's original birth certificate and an uncertified copy to the interview. Do IO accept it? My DO is Phoenix, AZ

Thanks for sharing your experience.
 
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Certified Birth Certificate

When USCIS asks for Certified Birth Certificate, they don't mean that you need to get it certified or notarized after you get it from your town/city. They are talking about the raised seal on the copy that you got from your town/city clerk. That seal is considered "certified" . That copy would be considered an original for you and then you can make copies of it for the interview.
 
newlife9 said:
I was asked for the certified copy of my son's birth certificate at my interview. After filling information at vitalchek. com for the certified BC, I find it costs me up to $49 just for 1 copy, so I canceled it!!! I'd like to know if I could save money by just bringing my son's original birth certificate and an uncertified copy to the interview. Do IO accept it? My DO is Phoenix, AZ

Thanks for sharing your experience.
Click to expand...

Also, if the document is in a foreign language, you can have it translated and then notirize the translator's signature where he/she affirms that he/she is competent to translate from the foreign language to English. That should suffice as well.
 
Thanks for your instruction. They ask for my son's BC who was born in CA, while we are now living in AZ. So, it's unconvenient for me to go back there and get the seal. I wonder if I can bring the original BC of my son to prove them my son's BC not to be forged and another copy without being certified. Do they question that copy?
 
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When you say original, was it issued by the town/city clerk in CA? If yes, then that would be a certified copy. The original Birth certificate is always filed at the town or city of birth. So when you request a copy, they certify that it is true with a raised seal. Parents do not get the original birth certificate. same thing with marriage license.

As long as the copy you have has a raised seal on it, it is considered certified. So yes, bring that document and make copies for the IO.
 
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Sorry, I have no knowledge of a "raised seal". Could you please describe it a little bit? there are 2 round icons at right and left corner of the page. Are those seals?
 
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[When you say original, was it issued by the town/city clerk in CA? If yes, then that would be a certified copy.] Yes.

I thought this was an original. So if it's a certified copy, I just bring it and make a copy of it. That's right?

Thank barry4me so much!
 
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The true originals are kept within the office that stores the records. The version they give out to you is a certified copy, but for your purposes it is the equivalent of the original. Bring it to the interview so the interviewer can see it, and give them a photocopy to keep for themselves.

The "raised seal" is a logo or icon where the design is made of ridges and bumps in the paper that you can feel.
 
Jackolantern said:
The true originals are kept within the office that stores the records. The version they give out to you is a certified copy, but for your purposes it is the equivalent of the original. Bring it to the interview so the interviewer can see it, and give them a photocopy to keep for themselves.

The "raised seal" is a logo or icon where the design is made of ridges and bumps in the paper that you can feel.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your detailed description. Thank you guys for all your help that can save me almost $50 for a "certified copy";)
 
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