Question 5. What can I do if I am unable to get a copy of the requested birth (or marriage) certificate? TOP
Birth Certificate & adoption : Affidavits are considered secondary evidentiary sources and can be rejected unless the Official in the foreign country explains why there is no birth record. Child for adoption (other than those meeting the INS definition of "orphan") should be under 16 with 2 years of legal custody and reside with adoptive parents for 2 years. Birth Certificate : Usually an affidavits from people present at the birth may be a substitute to the original birth certificate only after showing that the original has been destroyed or is unavailable. If the people writing the affidavits know that the birth was not reported to any civil or religious authority, they can state that in the affidavit. In addition to the affidavits, you should also present a certificate of non-availability from the local authorities and/or anything else available, such as school-leaving certificate, doctor or midwife certificate, etc.
For India, acceptable birth certifications are (per an answer posted by one of the India D subscribers):
1. A birth certificate from Panchayat, Municipality, Corporation (This should be from the same place that is shown in the 'Place of Birth' column in your passport). OR, All of the following: 1. A certificate from the Panchayat, Municipality, Corporation that the birth is not registered.
2. Two affidavits on revenue stamped papers from any two persons (including, but not necessarily, from parents) that have knowledge of the birth. These affidavits should be notarized. The above procedure is good for marriage certificates as well.
