CRBA (US) Help
-
NeedOfHelp34
- Tourist
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2023 12:27 pm
- Reputation: 1
CRBA (US) Help
Good afternoon,
I am going through the CRBA process which got delayed because of Covid and dealing with the Sangkat and the Ministry of Identification/Interior. The US Embassy only needs the hospital birth cert with translation. The Sangkat took our original birth cert from the hospital and kept it, insisting that the US Embassy would not need it. Now they need it. We went to the hospital where our child was born and they no longer have a maternity ward, got rid of their records, and cannot issue a new hospital birth certificate. The Sangkat also appears to have misplaced the hospital birth cert.
Background info: I've lived and worked here almost 7 years. My "wife" (technically fiance since 2017) is a Khmer teacher. We've spent hundreds correcting documents and going back and forth. My son is 5.
Has anyone been in this situation and/or know what to do? And seriously, thanks in advance.
I am going through the CRBA process which got delayed because of Covid and dealing with the Sangkat and the Ministry of Identification/Interior. The US Embassy only needs the hospital birth cert with translation. The Sangkat took our original birth cert from the hospital and kept it, insisting that the US Embassy would not need it. Now they need it. We went to the hospital where our child was born and they no longer have a maternity ward, got rid of their records, and cannot issue a new hospital birth certificate. The Sangkat also appears to have misplaced the hospital birth cert.
Background info: I've lived and worked here almost 7 years. My "wife" (technically fiance since 2017) is a Khmer teacher. We've spent hundreds correcting documents and going back and forth. My son is 5.
Has anyone been in this situation and/or know what to do? And seriously, thanks in advance.
-
Freightdog
- Expatriate
- Posts: 4401
- Joined: Wed May 16, 2018 8:41 am
- Reputation: 3485
- Location: Attached to a suitcase between realities
Re: CRBA (US) Help
Not in this situation, exactly, but encountered some of this mayhem.
First question, though- if you handed over the ‘hospital birth certificate’, did they ever provide you with the Khmer official birth certificate?
First question, though- if you handed over the ‘hospital birth certificate’, did they ever provide you with the Khmer official birth certificate?
-
NeedOfHelp34
- Tourist
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2023 12:27 pm
- Reputation: 1
Re: CRBA (US) Help
Correct. We have the official Khmer birth certificate with translation from the Sangkat. The US Embassy requires both the hospital birth cert and Khmer birth cert issued from the Sangkat.
-
Freightdog
- Expatriate
- Posts: 4401
- Joined: Wed May 16, 2018 8:41 am
- Reputation: 3485
- Location: Attached to a suitcase between realities
Re: CRBA (US) Help
Which hospital?
I’ve noticed that, especially at bureaucratic levels (Sangkat, police, ministries-various), people rarely like to answer questions, and then only frugally.
So sometimes, you need to know the exact question to ask, to get the actual answer you need.
I’ve no actual answer to your problem, but hopefully the additional info might help to find one.
I’ve noticed that, especially at bureaucratic levels (Sangkat, police, ministries-various), people rarely like to answer questions, and then only frugally.
So sometimes, you need to know the exact question to ask, to get the actual answer you need.
I’ve no actual answer to your problem, but hopefully the additional info might help to find one.
-
NeedOfHelp34
- Tourist
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2023 12:27 pm
- Reputation: 1
Re: CRBA (US) Help
Preah Kossomak/Kassamak (Pet Loak Sang), because the China-Friendship hospital was built adjacent to it, they closed down their maternity wing. We have a photocopy of the original birth cert from the hospital but the Embassy wants the official copy.
-
Freightdog
- Expatriate
- Posts: 4401
- Joined: Wed May 16, 2018 8:41 am
- Reputation: 3485
- Location: Attached to a suitcase between realities
Re: CRBA (US) Help
Sounds like an excessively rigid stance by the embassy (not saying it’s not true).
What’s their response to the information that this lesser document is no longer available? Surely they’re not demanding that the impossible be achieved, in light of the actual official birth certificate being available?
Also.
Even though the hospital no longer has a maternity wing and can no longer produce a duplicate- would they not be able to certify, or the ministry certify a print of the original?
For what it’s worth- we recently resolved an issue over my partner’s birth certificate. An original certificate wasn’t issued until she was 20, and then some faceless numpty later reused the same certificate number for a completely different person. Admittedly, she’s 100% khmer, so less options for extra tea money to be extorted.
What’s their response to the information that this lesser document is no longer available? Surely they’re not demanding that the impossible be achieved, in light of the actual official birth certificate being available?
Also.
Even though the hospital no longer has a maternity wing and can no longer produce a duplicate- would they not be able to certify, or the ministry certify a print of the original?
For what it’s worth- we recently resolved an issue over my partner’s birth certificate. An original certificate wasn’t issued until she was 20, and then some faceless numpty later reused the same certificate number for a completely different person. Admittedly, she’s 100% khmer, so less options for extra tea money to be extorted.
-
NeedOfHelp34
- Tourist
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2023 12:27 pm
- Reputation: 1
Re: CRBA (US) Help
"What’s their response to the information that this lesser document is no longer available? Surely they’re not demanding that the impossible be achieved, in light of the actual official birth certificate being available?"
We politely told the representative at the embassy that we are not sure if we would be able to get the original hospital birth certificate because the Sangkat already took our original. She politely said that it would be needed for this process to continue. We have not informed the embassy that the hospital is no longer able to issue us a "hospital birth certificate" as we just found this out today.
My partner is 100% Khmer, I am 100% American. I am curious if we should press the hospital further, provide the copies and documents from when my son is born, and maybe pay some tea money or just straight up ask for a DNA test from the Embassy
Below is the checklist for US CRBA, and despite arguing with the Sangkat and showing them this, they took the original. It's the only obstacle in our path.
https://kh.usembassy.gov/wp-content/upl ... cklist.pdf
We politely told the representative at the embassy that we are not sure if we would be able to get the original hospital birth certificate because the Sangkat already took our original. She politely said that it would be needed for this process to continue. We have not informed the embassy that the hospital is no longer able to issue us a "hospital birth certificate" as we just found this out today.
My partner is 100% Khmer, I am 100% American. I am curious if we should press the hospital further, provide the copies and documents from when my son is born, and maybe pay some tea money or just straight up ask for a DNA test from the Embassy
Below is the checklist for US CRBA, and despite arguing with the Sangkat and showing them this, they took the original. It's the only obstacle in our path.
https://kh.usembassy.gov/wp-content/upl ... cklist.pdf
-
Tootsfriend
- Expatriate
- Posts: 1216
- Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:36 am
- Reputation: 528
Re: CRBA (US) Help
If you have a pointy nose and white skin and need to deal with bureaucracy it pays to stay out of the problem, get your wife to find a fixer to sort out the problem. Maybe start by going to the closest OWSO. https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=Awr48Jb ... rQ8hjDbbk-
Re: CRBA (US) Help
Are you sure?NeedOfHelp34 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 26, 2023 1:17 pm Correct. We have the official Khmer birth certificate with translation from the Sangkat. The US Embassy requires both the hospital birth cert and Khmer birth cert issued from the Sangkat.
The (flimsy) document from the hospital / clinic is replaced by the birth certificate from the Sangkat and not returned to the parents when they receive the birth certificate. Besides, if one decides to have the kid at home there is no letter from the hospital. So it seems a silly requirement.
Maybe the 'Sangkat translation' is an issue here? Usually embassies want an official translation of the Khmer birth certificate.
-
Freightdog
- Expatriate
- Posts: 4401
- Joined: Wed May 16, 2018 8:41 am
- Reputation: 3485
- Location: Attached to a suitcase between realities
Re: CRBA (US) Help
We were actually given several copies of the hospital certificate, all signed/stamped, and they accommodated by producing a couple more for $10 each, against this very possibility.Kammekor wrote: ↑Tue Dec 26, 2023 3:54 pmAre you sure?NeedOfHelp34 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 26, 2023 1:17 pm Correct. We have the official Khmer birth certificate with translation from the Sangkat. The US Embassy requires both the hospital birth cert and Khmer birth cert issued from the Sangkat.
The (flimsy) document from the hospital / clinic is replaced by the birth certificate from the Sangkat and not returned to the parents when they receive the birth certificate. Besides, if one decides to have the kid at home there is no letter from the hospital. So it seems a silly requirement.
Maybe the 'Sangkat translation' is an issue here? Usually embassies want an official translation of the Khmer birth certificate.
Looking at the checklist in that link provided,
https://kh.usembassy.gov/wp-content/upl ... cklist.pdf
It does specify both. Which seems odd, but there it is.
It’s not just Khmer bureaucracy that’s OTT.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], dirtymacca, ron100 and 550 guests