Request for initial/ additional evidence to prove relationship with my mom

[miloukamis]

After i filed for my Mon last year, they first asked me with a "request for initial evidence" letter to provide pay slips and affidavit of support. I submitted all, so they granted my mom temporal work permit last year Oct, whiles waiting for the next stage. I just receive another letter this March 18 "Request for Initial / Additional Evidence (I-30)"

The five items they are requesting are
1. A baptismal certificate or other religious document with a seal of the church showing DOB and Place of birth.
2. Early school records showing DOB, my name and parents name and showing date of admission.
3. Medical Records such as hospital showing DOB, Place of Birth and parents name.
4. Census records: a state or federal record showing the name, DOB and place of birth and the names of parents.
5. Affidavits-Written statements sworn to or affirmed by two or more persons (other than the petititioner or beneficiary) who were livingsince that time.

Please my question is Why would they not ask for DNA test between me and my mom since most of the documents are no more or missing for decades? Can i do DNA test on my own with my mom who is also here IN THE USA and submitt it to them as the right thing to do?

For the #4 above, is it a census record in the USA or back home in my country Africa?

Finally is there any advice please as it is only possible i can get only two of the above requests.

Thanks , your advice is well appreciated.

[mtouch]

After i filed for my Mon last year, they first asked me with a "request for initial evidence" letter to provide pay slips and affidavit of support. I submitted all, so they granted my mom temporal work permit last year Oct, whiles waiting for the next stage. I just receive another letter this March 18 "Request for Initial / Additional Evidence (I-30)"

The five items they are requesting are
1. A baptismal certificate or other religious document with a seal of the church showing DOB and Place of birth.
2. Early school records showing DOB, my name and parents name and showing date of admission.
3. Medical Records such as hospital showing DOB, Place of Birth and parents name.
4. Census records: a state or federal record showing the name, DOB and place of birth and the names of parents.
5. Affidavits-Written statements sworn to or affirmed by two or more persons (other than the petititioner or beneficiary) who were livingsince that time.

Please my question is Why would they not ask for DNA test between me and my mom since most of the documents are no more or missing for decades? Can i do DNA test on my own with my mom who is also here IN THE USA and submitt it to them as the right thing to do?

For the #4 above, is it a census record in the USA or back home in my country Africa?

Finally is there any advice please as it is only possible i can get only two of the above requests.

Thanks , your advice is well appreciated.

Submit as many proofs as you can. You can also submit photocopy of letter or email communication between you and your mom; Deed of Donation or document showing your mom bequeathing to you a property as her heir. By the way, I'm curious about the DOB being a common requirement in your list. What's the age difference between you and your mom ?

[aaydrian]

Immigration may not be asking you for a DNA test right now because they are not disputing whether or not you are mother and child. They could be requesting those docs because they think there isn't an actual relationship between you and your mother. Simply put, immigration might think you are adjusting her status ONLY for a greencard and not to reunite a family (which is the function of US family based immigration). I say this because of the trend I noticed with the docs you were asked to submit. The docs to be submitted have to do with different stages of your life and are docs that a parent would have/could get for a child they raised.

1) You cannot decide to do a DNA test and give it to immigration. Immigration has to request it.

2) The census must be from where you are from originally.

Send in what you can from that list as well as anything else that you can get your hands on that would essentially prove (with a DOB, parents name and your name) that you grew up with your mother or that she was responsible for you when you were a kid.

For example. I know of at least one occasion where my sibling participated in a federal census (to determine standard of living for the country) and they asked for info about children (DOB and in what parish/state/province the children were born).

[miloukamis]

Thank you so much mtouch and aaydrian for your excellent advice. Mtouch, the age difference between me and my mom is 27 years. I will try all my possible best to lay hands on what I can get to help me send a reply to them. I had come from a family that really went through tough times till God open the way to be in the US. Most documents have been destroyed and lost along the line. Even those days, census was like they will count just the number of persons in the house without fillling any form to register a name. My mom was born in 1941 and me 1968. All those days living in rural areas, there was nothing like proper documentation in place at all. Even when i went to high school in the middle of 80s all they asked was my name and money for my fees and i was given a receipt for the fee i paid, absolutely nothing linking parents to children in their documents. African system is still behind in records keeping though. @ aaydrian you may be right bcos my mom lives in New York and i live in Wisconsin with the hope to Join her when i am done with professional exams. So yes she does not live with me right now though we are always in touch hence the reason why i asked about the DNA test. But based on your advice i will start a serious search for paper work now. Thanks and may God bless you all.