Sworn Affidavits of bonafide marriage BEFORE marriage

[lucybelle 453]

My boyfriend and I (US cit) will be getting married in January in the USA. We both live in Costa Rica and I want to get sworn affidavits from my parents. I obviously want them to get done ahead of time because we'll only have a week in the USA before coming back to CR and applying for the visa while living here. The postal service is horrendously unreliable so I want to be able to take the affidavits back with me. But that means they would write, sign and have them notarized before the actual wedding.

We'll be applying for a CR-1 visa, is it important to have the sworn affidavits done AFTER the wedding? So they can talk about how the marriage is real? Or is it okay to have them all written up before and just write about the legitimacy of our relationship (since they couldn't say marriage)?

Also, can we have non US cits (like his family or our mutual friends here) write up affidavits as well? Or should we stick to US citizens?

Thanks!

[Cesar & Cata 35]

1351624655[/url]' post='5789838']

My boyfriend and I (US cit) will be getting married in January in the USA. We both live in Costa Rica and I want to get sworn affidavits from my parents. I obviously want them to get done ahead of time because we'll only have a week in the USA before coming back to CR and applying for the visa while living here. The postal service is horrendously unreliable so I want to be able to take the affidavits back with me. But that means they would write, sign and have them notarized before the actual wedding.

We'll be applying for a CR-1 visa, is it important to have the sworn affidavits done AFTER the wedding? So they can talk about how the marriage is real? Or is it okay to have them all written up before and just write about the legitimacy of our relationship (since they couldn't say marriage)?

Also, can we have non US cits (like his family or our mutual friends here) write up affidavits as well? Or should we stick to US citizens?

Thanks!

I don't think they ca write about being witnesses to the wedding if this one hasn't taken place. But they can give statement to your relationship and intentions to marry. Take many pictures with family as supporting evidence also.

[lucybelle 453]

Right, so would it be okay for the affidavits to only talk about our relationship instead of marriage? Since we'll be applying for CR1 I wonder if they have to be done AFTER the wedding so they can say they attended and it was real. Or if they can just say our relationship is real and will attend our wedding and that it will be a valid marriage.

[rade2rising 205]

yea they can talk about your relations all they want. However, its better if they can speak about your marriage rather than your plan to marry especially since you going to be filing spousal visa and not K1. Just wait and have them do it later. its pretty useless them saying you are GOING to get married when you are applying for VISA that is based on bondafide marriage. plz wait. there will be other times when you can save time...

[lucybelle 453]

Thanks for the reply, but it's not so much about saving time as it is about actually getting the affidavits. If they tried to send it to me in mail it would never get here.

So I guess we need to try to make arrangements to get these letters notarized the day after the wedding. That would be acceptable, right? I guess when we turn in our marriage license we can get some stuff notarized at the same time.

And can we use non US citizens? Then it would be easy to get the affidavits since they live in the same country as we do.

[rade2rising 205]

well the mail situation is same back home thats why I use fedex. Am sure you guys have fedex there? And yea you still have to wait to get marriage license so do it then...

and yea it can be day after wedding and not an issue if it is non citizen. make sure you add the info of the person that is writing the affidavit. look at examples.

what other type evidence you are accumulating aside from these affidavits??

[lucybelle 453]

well the mail situation is same back home thats why I use fedex. Am sure you guys have fedex there? And yea you still have to wait to get marriage license so do it then...

and yea it can be day after wedding and not an issue if it is non citizen. make sure you add the info of the person that is writing the affidavit. look at examples.

what other type evidence you are accumulating aside from these affidavits??

Thanks! Yeah DHL is the big international shipper here but it's like $80 for one piece of paper, and I'd love to avoid that if possible.

We have lots of evidence-- tons of pictures, shared apartment lease, shared bills, shared big purchases (furniture, etc), joint bank accounts, letters sent to both of us at one address, letters to each other, passport stamps, plane tickets, etc... We've been living together for almost 2 years!

[rade2rising 205]

Ummmmm WOW thats alot of gr8 evidence

If I were you I would just forget about the affidavits. Its used mostly when other evidence is lacking. You have more than enough evidence.

good luck.

[velrich 50]

Ummmmm WOW thats alot of gr8 evidence

If I were you I would just forget about the affidavits. Its used mostly when other evidence is lacking. You have more than enough evidence.

good luck.

I agree. Affidavits not necessary when there is so much evidence of the relationship already.

[lucybelle 453]

Well then maybe it would be okay to have them signed and such before the marriage. Or... something, we'll figure it out!

Thanks again!

[rade2rising 205]

you need no info from your parents. sometimes too much info can work against you. all these evidences prove your relations quite well so it may seem abit odd that your parents are writing affidavits too. hope you have a gr8 wedding and if its in florida plz do invite me if you have space

[lucybelle 453]

you need no info from your parents. sometimes too much info can work against you. all these evidences prove your relations quite well so it may seem abit odd that your parents are writing affidavits too. hope you have a gr8 wedding and if its in florida plz do invite me if you have space

Unfortunately it will be in cold Colorado My poor tropical boyfriend won't know what to do with himself!

[The Mean Lady 604]

If you still feel you need affidavits, I don't see any reason why you couldn't have them type them, sign them, scan them, then email them for you to print off.

[jkf2112 0]

Because it won't be accompanied by seal from Notary?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

1.We'll be applying for a CR-1 visa, is it important to have the sworn affidavits done AFTER the wedding? So they can talk about how the marriage is real?

2. Or is it okay to have them all written up before and just write about the legitimacy of our relationship (since they couldn't say marriage)?

3. Also, can we have non US cits (like his family or our mutual friends here) write up affidavits as well? Or should we stick to US citizens?

1. No. Affidavits aren't "required" anyway. They're good if you want them. They don't need to talk about how the marriage is real... in fact the day after the wedding an affidavit saying the wedding is real seems a bit... silly honestly. "Yes for the one day they've been married it's been real". So obviously the affidavits will be more about the relationship. And I would think that would be good: "We know and have seen them together. We support their relationship. We look forward to having XX as a son/daughter-in-law" etc etc.

2. Totally fine. See above.

3. Yep that's fine too. Anyone honestly.

When you think about it, your "evidence" is from your relationship as well, not from the actual marriage itself. The length and depth of relationship then progressing to marriage is what shows it's legit (all your evidence is great), not that someone signs something after the actual legal marriage date. Affidavits aren't "strong" evidence but sometimes having something from the family showing support is good.