Do you need a long or short form birth certificate for the I-130? And how do I know, which one I have? I have a CRBA (Consular Report of Birth Abroad).
The short answer is that you typically need the long form birth certificate, but that requirements vary depending on the country that issues the birth certificate. For a definitive answer, see the U.S. Visa: Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country on the U.S. State Department’s website.
However, you need to provide the birth certificate version that has both your parents’ names. It will also need to be translated if it’s not in English. Importantly, if the birth certificate is that of a U.S. citizen, it must be issued by a civil registrar, vital statistics office, or other civil authority in the U.S. state in which they were born.
Finally, don’t send an original birth certificate to the USCIS. Only send a photocopy of your birth certificate with your form I-130.
