Have the civil birth certificate, current passport, and evidence of marital status available for each child, with certified translations where the originals are not in English. Supporting documents go to USCIS with Form I-140G through the official portal once instructions arrive. Ordering replacement civil records early avoids a delay caused by a routine administrative backlog.
Check the records match each other
Discrepancies between a passport, a birth certificate, and a school record are common when names have been transliterated or a family has moved between systems. Compare the documents side by side and note every difference in spelling, date order, or parental details. Correcting an official record takes time in most countries, which is why this check belongs at the start.
Document any correction request with dates so the file explains itself later. Compare the civil birth certificate, the passport, and any school or medical record side by side, noting every difference in spelling, date order, or parental details. Discrepancies are common where names have been transliterated or a family has moved between administrative systems, and correcting an official record takes months in many countries, which is why this check belongs at the very start.
Order replacement civil records early rather than waiting for instructions. Keep certified translations with the originals for anything not in English, and document any correction request with its date so the file explains itself later. Supporting documents go to USCIS with Form I-140G through the official portal once instructions arrive, so do not assemble a speculative package before then.