RFE for marriage certificate, please give suggestions

1

1mimi

Registered Users (C)
HI

My husband received a RFE regarding marriage certificate. When we filed I-485 we submitted copyof our church marriage certificate. INS now asked for a certificate from a civil authority. How we can do this and what are the doccumnets we have to submit. Anybody having similar experience. affidavits will work out?
Please give some suggestions.
Thanks for the help.
 
Originally posted by 1mimi
HI

My husband received a RFE regarding marriage certificate. When we filed I-485 we submitted copyof our church marriage certificate. INS now asked for a certificate from a civil authority. How we can do this and what are the doccumnets we have to submit. Anybody having similar experience. affidavits will work out?
Please give some suggestions.
Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

Submit exactly what is asked for, a marriage certificate from a civil authority (whoever registers marriages). I don't think affidavits will do.
 
US immigration accepts church certificates. It is surprising that you got an RFE for this. I know folks who have gotten their approvals using church extracts. Check with your lawyer, if you have one.
 
Originally posted by frodo
US immigration accepts church certificates. It is surprising that you got an RFE for this. I know folks who have gotten their approvals using church extracts. Check with your lawyer, if you have one.
Click to expand...

Depends in which country they got married.
 
Hi
Thank you very much for all the suggestions. We got married in India. We also never expect such an RFE. We haven't registered
our marriage in any registrara's office. When we came here they accepted our church certificate. So we thought that this will work out.
we getting affidavits from parents,letter fromTahasildar etc
Any other things we have to give?
Thanks
 
Hi,

You might have seen this thread already, but here's it again. Look at ColumbusPrince's sample affidavit, which also includes a line for marriage.

http://boards.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?threadid=73755

A year or so ago, the US consulate in Madras used to ask for wedding photos apart from church marriage certificate. Maybe you want to include some photos, especially if you have ones that show the exchange of rings, the 'tying' of the thali or the signing of the marriage register.

You could also attach a photocopy of your wedding invite.

Do keep us posted on the outcome. I am very eager to know how you handled it.

Good Luck!
 
Hi,

Enclose your wedding photos and copy of wedding invitation, if you have saved one, in addition to affidavits etc. This should help.

Regards,
 
Sometimes we have to marry twice!

How about 'remarrying'? One of my colleagues had the same problem last year. He got 'remarried' (of course, to the same person) in a US court. And I'm sure that happened in his lunch break.
 
Hi

Thank you all very much for the valuable suggestions. We are submitting affidavit, wedding cards and photos also.

Where we can do remarrying? Whom we have to contact for it. If we do that will the INS accept that as the marriage record eqvalent to the previous one dated 6 yeras back or will it can creat more problems like we were not married at the time we filed I-485. Could you give some more informations.
Thanks again for the helps.
 
What I know is he got married in India. And I think he didn't register it officially at that time. But in the later stages of I485, (he had a local transfer), he was advised to 'remarry'. This happened probably after an year from the first one. And I know he went to the court during a lunch break and got 'remarried'. Eventhough he was a close friend of mine, I didn't ask all the details since it was not applicable to me at that time. And both him and myself relocated afterwards. You may want to contact your lawyer.
 
If you're married in a religious ceremony only--church. temple whatever, in India, then ins will question credibility of marriage. You have to have a marriage registered with a civil authority in india or USA. INS has suspicions of "fraud" in connection with religious forum marriages. Yopu could try getting registered with local civic authorities and get a marriage certificate. It will be useful for both of you in the long run, not just in connection with ins business.
Ask your lawyer about a fast way to do this.
 
HI
Thanks for the help.
We don't have a lawyer. I filed it by myself. EB1-EA.
You mean we have to register here in US and get a certificate from the US civil authority. Will INS accept it? Where we have to enquire for it?
 
I believe the local city govt official--the marriage clerk's registry office--will be able to help you with specific info. It's really very easy--not a bunch of red tape hassle like we would expect in India. Depending on which city you live in, there must be a city govt office--ask them. They will set a date when you can just drop by and get your marriage certificate. I am not sure if INs will look at your marriage as few months or still as 6 yrs old. I hope it's the latter.
Good luck.
 
I believe the local city govt official--the marriage clerk's registry office--will be able to help you with specific info. It's really very easy--not a bunch of red tape hassle like we would expect in India. Depending on which city you live in, there must be a city govt office--ask them. They will set a date when you can just drop by and get your marriage certificate. I am not sure if INs will look at your marriage as few months or still as 6 yrs old. I hope it's the latter.
Good luck.
 
Hi
Thank you very much for the info.

I called the county clerks office and they said they can give a marriage license and we have to get remarry again. Is this doccument is ok to submit?It is not a certificate according to them. it is a license to get married.
Forgive me for asking anybody in your connection got marriagecertificate from these offices?
 
this is my first post; i figured i can add something in this context;

I am married 3 times to the same beautiful women;

Our first one was at local county office in US:
-we got marriage license;
-then got married in the local registry office (court);
-then got marriage certificate from the same office;

Second wedding was in local temple in US:
-traditional hindu style

Third was in a church in US:
-this time it was "reviewing" our vows (since we were already married)
-church gave a certificate which said "reviewing our vows"....or somting like that instead of another marriage certificate.

hope this is helpful
 
Thanks for the info. appreciated
How long it took to get the marriage certificate-first case.
 
1mimi,

I checked with folks back in India today. Extracts from the church register are also sent to the city for registration, by the church soon after the marriage. For example, in Madras, it is sent to an IG's office (in San Thome I heard, depending on jurisdiction) which keeps track of marriage records. You can get a marriage certificate from this office, which would constitute as a certificate from a civil authority.

Contact your church and ask if they sent an extract of your marriage register to a city agency. If they did, contact that agency for a letter, which you are entitled to get. Even if they did not do it 6 years ago, they still can do it now so that you get a certificate indicating the original marriage date.

In general US immigration honors the Indian Christian Marriage Act and accepts church marriage certificates. But you never know how individual adjuducating officers handle it.

Keep us posted!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top