I-129F, G-325, Where Should You Begin?
Recently I talked abut the relative simplicity of the basic petition for the Fiance(e)’ visa, the USCIS Form I-129F. I realize I should have interjected a pointer I have learned the hard way first, before you get started on the 129 itself. What form would that be? Simple. Your intended’s birth certificate.
There are probably more delays and “gotcha’s” caused during the visa process by this simple document than all the other forms combined .. and the birth certificate can be a thorn in the couple’s side far into the future, log after the visa process, permanent residency and even citizenship are filed away in memory.
First, it is essential the applicant have a legible, certified true birth certificate. In some countries this is a more complicated venture than in others, but no matter which country s/he hails from the time to work this issue is now, at the very beginning of the process.
Many people find out farther down the paperwork trail that the birth certificate has some simple clerical error … often a wrong birth date, wrong middle name, etc. Fixing these issues under the host country’s rules may involve some degree of complexity, but I guarantee it will be better, faster, and cheaper to get the clean, correct copy in hand before you process any other paperwork.
Also, some countries (the Philippines being one I am intimately familiar with) often have customs of giving extra names that people don’t use in normal life. All the girls in a family may have had Maria (or Ma. as a common abbreviation) appended to the girl’s names. Since a majority of women ignore this extra name by the time they reach adulthood it’s easy not to think of it.
But you better think of it … for two reasons:
First, each and every official US government form you submit, start to finish needs to have the same name … and that name must correspond with the intended’s’ birth certificate. Do not get caught in the trap of filing forms using the name “Eveline Joan de la Cruz: when the birth certificate says “Ma. Eveline Joan se la Cruz”. At the very least it will cause delays, at the worst in can cause stacks of paperwork to be rejected.
Second, if the couple decides to go ahead and use that birth certificate name as written, even though the really don’t care for the “Ma.’ (as just one example), that decision is to a large degree irrevocable. That lady’s visa will read Ma. Eveline … her US Social security card will use the Ma., likely her driver’s license and anything else official from the US is going to reflect that birth certificate name. The only safe way to change it after the fact is to petition for a legal name change after she becomes a US citizen … it’s the right of a citizen but it takes time, money, and she’ll live with that birth certificate name for years, like it or not.
So, before you start the paperwork chain, make darn sure the birth certificate is correct and that it reflects the name you want it to … mush, much easier to correct before the train starts from the station.
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