Best Practice to Respond to a Birth Certificate RFE

A Birth Certificate RFE — also known as Request for Evidence — is issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) when there’s an issue or error with the birth certificate you submitted for an immigration application.

Such immigration application may be an immigration visa application, adjustment of status application, and others.

The RFE requests that you, the applicant, provide additional information or documentation for clarifying or correcting the issue with your birth certificate.

As you know, a birth certificate is a vital document that establishes a person’s identity and nationality. It’s often required for most immigration applications.

USCIS may issue you a Birth Certificate RFE if they regard your birth certificate as illegible, incomplete, or if they observe discrepancies or inconsistencies with the information you gave.

For instance, if your name is spelled differently on your birth certificate and other documents, USCIS may issue you a Birth Certificate RFE to request additional documentation for clarifying the discrepancy.

In the same vein, if your birth certificate is in a language other than English, the Services could require a certified translation.

Responding to a Birth Certificate RFE is a key aspect of the immigration application process. If you fail to provide a satisfactory response within the stipulated deadline, your application may be denied based on this ground.

We recommend carefully reading the RFE to understand it. Also, consider providing all the requested information and documentation in a timely manner. Let’s learn more!

Some Best Practices for Responding to a Birth Certificate RFE

Here are some recommendations on how best to respond to a Birth Certificate Request for Evidence:

1. Read the Birth Certificate RFE carefully: Ensure that you carefully read and understand the RFE, noting the specific requirements and instructions for responding. This step will help you ensure you provide all the information and documents USCIS is requesting.

2. Obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate: In case you were asked to supply a certified copy of your birth certificate, ensure that you get a certified copy from the relevant authority. Such an authority may be the vital records office in your home state or country.

3. Translate the birth certificate to English if required: If your birth certificate is in a language other than English language, we recommend providing a certified translation along with the certified copy. Ensure that you make use of a certified translator and that the translation is both accurate and complete.

4. Provide additional documentation if required: If the RFE requests additional documentation, such as proof of your parents’ marriage or divorce, ensure that you provide all the required documents. If you can’t get any required document, you can give an explanation and provide any alternative documents available.

5. Work with the RFE deadline: It’s important that you respond to the RFE within the given deadline. If you fail to do so, your application may be denied.

6. Seek legal advice if necessary: If you’re not sure about how to respond to the Birth Certificate RFE or if you’ve any legal concerns, consider seeking advice from a qualified immigration attorney or accredited rep.

7. Submit your response with a cover letter: It’s a good practice to include a cover letter with your RFE response, explaining the documents you’re submitting and how they address the issues or problems raised in the Birth Certificate RFE.

Consider following these best practices to make sure you provide a complete and accurate response to the birth certificate RFE. This will help move your application forward.

If you’ve received a Request for Evidence from USCIS about your birth certificate, it implies that there was some issue or error with the initial birth certificate you submitted with your application.

The RFE requests that you supply additional information or documentation for correcting or clarifying the issue with your birth certificate. You can see an RFE as a second chance given to you to review your application.

Thus, ensure you take all the recommended steps above to increase your chances of approval.

As you may well be aware, a birth certificate is a key part of an application establishing a person’s identity and nationality. The document is required in almost all immigration applications.