Kulu

I was born in South Africa, however I don't have a birth certificate but
a "Proof of Registration of Birth" document instead. I also have an
accompanying letter from the registrar of births in South Africa stating
that my full birth certificate was forwarded to the British Consulate
General in Johannesburg at the time of my birth in 1972. My concern is
that the proof of registration will not be an adequate substitute for
the birth certificate as, although it contains all the relevant
information, it doesn't have my parents' names on it. Can anyone offer
any advice please?

Thanks

Colin

Annelie

Dear Colin

We have been waiting for my husband's UNABRIDGED birth
certificate with parents names on for about 3 months along with friends
of ours. You have to remember that they want to prevent citizens from
leaving the country because they are taking the money away from SA and
blah blah (sure you can guess the rest). Like you, we don't know what
to do. Only guessing what they (government) might have up their sleaves
in future to keep us here...

Go to the Department of Home Affairs, fill
in the form and tick UNABRIDGED, pay the app R50 and join the cue. Ask
for fast tracking if possible. (Not likely to be an option in Africa)
Good luck to us all!

Kulu

Originally posted by Annelie
    > Dear Colin
    >
    > We have
been waiting for my husband's UNABRIDGED birth certificate with parents
names on for about 3 months along with friends of ours. You have to
remember that they want to prevent citizens from leaving the country
because they are taking the money away from SA and blah blah (sure you
can guess the rest). Like you, we don't know what to do. Only guessing
what they (government) might have up their sleaves in future to keep us
here...
    >
    > Go to the Department of Home Affairs, fill in the form and
tick UNABRIDGED, pay the app R50 and join the cue. Ask for fast
tracking if possible. (Not likely to be an option in Africa) Good luck
to us all!

Annelie,

Thanks for the reply. I'm actually
living in the UK, have done for the last 14 years, and have British
citizenship from my parents. I'm tempted to send off everything anyway
and hope DIMIA will contact me if there is a problem.

Colin

Annelie

Hi Colin

As far as I know the birth certificate has to be UNABRIDGED
showing both parent's details. And you have to go to the Department of
Home affairs yourself. Perhaps you should try to contact one of the
immigration agents in SA. They usually have contacts that can arrange
that. Good luck!

Bsmith1

Hi
vey easy to get a birth certificate from South Africa-(well by
African standards-no seriously it is but it does take anything up to 6
months via the consulate in london.

look up
www.southafricahouse.com/contentspage.htm#7
and click on
birth certificates.

it is important you make certified photcopies of
whatever documents you have and send this in with the application-DO NOT
SEND ORIGINALS as you will never see them again.

follow the
instructions to the "T" and tick UNABRIDGED.
payment can be sent as cash-
preferred way as cheques slow the process down.

you should send in BI
529 form and this will help them trace your parents residency details
ect-and make it easier to trace your documents.

put in a small SASE and
ask them to put a reciept of payment in it and send it to you and that
way you will know that they are working on it.
Write a letter listing
what documents you are sending in and telling them that there is a
special delivery envelope provided for the certificate to be sent to
you.
Send the whole lot special signed for delivery and you will be
away.

Look it does take time but they are pretty good - we applied for
a whole lot of documents in one go and they got it right in 5 months
instead of 8 like they said-so not bad

Jaj

You will probably be asked for a birth cert before visa grant, however
you don't need one in order to apply - and you may want to get into the
queue as soon as possible. In the meantime show other proof of age, eg
your UK passport identity page (and South African passport id page if
you have one).

Also send the proof of registration. If you're not claiming family
relationship to an Australian sponsor, then they may not need to see
parents names. Apply for the other certificate now just in case.

Separately - as it seems you are British by descent, you need to know
the possible impact in terms of British nationality for any future
children you have born in Australia. They would have to be registered as
British within short time limits. Unless of course your wife is British
by birth or naturalisation in the UK, in which case your status won't
matter.
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/default.asp?PageId=148

Jeremy


kulu wrote:
    > I was born in South Africa, however I don't have a birth certificate but
    > a "Proof of Registration of Birth" document instead. I also have an
    > accompanying letter from the registrar of births in South Africa stating
    > that my full birth certificate was forwarded to the British Consulate
    > General in Johannesburg at the time of my birth in 1972. My concern is
    > that the proof of registration will not be an adequate substitute for
    > the birth certificate as, although it contains all the relevant
    > information, it doesn't have my parents' names on it. Can anyone offer
    > any advice please?
    >
    > Thanks
    >
    > Colin
    >
    >

Houdini

Originally posted by Jaj
    > You will probably be asked for
a birth cert before visa grant, however
    > you don't need one in order
to apply - and you may want to get into the
    > queue as soon as
possible. In the meantime show other proof of age, eg
    > your UK
passport identity page (and South African passport id page if
    > you
have one).
    >
    > Also send the proof of registration. If you're not
claiming family
    > relationship to an Australian sponsor, then they may
not need to see
    > parents names. Apply for the other certificate now
just in case.
    >
    > Separately - as it seems you are British by descent,
you need to know
    > the possible impact in terms of British nationality
for any future
    > children you have born in Australia. They would have
to be registered as
    > British within short time limits. Unless of
course your wife is British
    > by birth or naturalisation in the UK, in
which case your status won't
    > matter.
    > http://www.ind.homeoffi-
ce.gov.uk/default.asp?PageId=148"]http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/defa-
ult.asp?PageId=148[/url]
    >
    > Jeremy
    >
    >
    > Cheers for the info. (KULU
is my home e-mail if your'e wondering).
    >
    > I rang up the Home Office
yesterday and was passed to a department which handles UK citizens born
abroad and all matters related to births etc. Anyway after being told
that I may need to contact the British Consulate in Pretoria where the
original birth certificate is allegedly held, and request a copy, which
could take up to 6months, the nice lady at the other end did a search on
their database and luckily my parents had registered the birth in the UK
as well as in SA at the time. So for a £11 fee they are sending a copy
which I should get in 5 days time - beats 6months! Anyway case closed
let's hope.