Mom and Wife

[Sapele 0]

Hello Room,

I don't know if this is the right section for me to put this but i will appreciate answers thanks.

I am an American citizen and i applied for permanent residency for both wife and mom in Nigeria.

Everything was going okay until it got to the NVC. waited for a letter from them informing me on what documents to send and never got it except the one telling me to send them my documents(which documents was never mentioned),so asked a friend who had gone through the same process before.

Sent them the documents and added(as advised by my friend)my marriage certificate in my moms folder.

Now the NVC is asking me for the same marriage certificate not only for my wife but my mom too and that got me confused. Told them its in my moms package and they said i should have included it in my wife's package and that they will look for it.

Its being months now and still they are given me the run around. Just told my wife to go back to the registry we had the marriage to get two certified copies of the marriage certs again so i can send to them.

Anybody ever gone through a situation like this before?how difficult would it be if this NVC people just open my mom's folder to get the certificate out?

[Penguin_ie 5,992]

Your wife's case and your mom's could be in different offices across the country. They are not on the same desk done by the same person. Additionally, didn't you send your marriage certificate with the initial submisssion for your wife? It is what creates a petitionable relationship after all.

[pushbrk 12,569]

Your wife's case and your mom's could be in different offices across the country. They are not on the same desk done by the same person. Additionally, didn't you send your marriage certificate with the initial submisssion for your wife? It is what creates a petitionable relationship after all.

The OP clearly stated that he is dealing with NVC, so both cases are in one office but are not joined. It is beyond me why NVC would want an original of the couple's marriage certificate in the case file for the Mother. I expect there's a communication problem of some sort.

To the OP, every letter NVC sends about the civil documents will have a reference to the website that details which documents are needed. If you send a package and something is missing, they'll send you a Checklist cover letter detailing anything they consider to be missing. I expect they want a certified copy of the marriage certificate for your Mother and Father, not another for you and your wife. You might want to call them and clarify that.

[Sapele 0]

The OP clearly stated that he is dealing with NVC, so both cases are in one office but are not joined. It is beyond me why NVC would want an original of the couple's marriage certificate in the case file for the Mother. I expect there's a communication problem of some sort.

To the OP, every letter NVC sends about the civil documents will have a reference to the website that details which documents are needed. If you send a package and something is missing, they'll send you a Checklist cover letter detailing anything they consider to be missing. I expect they want a certified copy of the marriage certificate for your Mother and Father, not another for you and your wife. You might want to call them and clarify that.

Thanks for the answers everybody and i really appreciate it.

Will call them now to clarify that.

[ndu26 114]

The OP clearly stated that he is dealing with NVC, so both cases are in one office but are not joined. It is beyond me why NVC would want an original of the couple's marriage certificate in the case file for the Mother. I expect there's a communication problem of some sort.

To the OP, every letter NVC sends about the civil documents will have a reference to the website that details which documents are needed. If you send a package and something is missing, they'll send you a Checklist cover letter detailing anything they consider to be missing. I expect they want a certified copy of the marriage certificate for your Mother and Father, not another for you and your wife. You might want to call them and clarify that.

NVC does require ORIGINIAL or CERTIFIED copy of marriage cert (current and even previosu marriages)from the petitioner when filing for a parent

http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html

Advance knowledge of this would have guided OP to send one of the files with a certified copy.

OP ask to speak or email a supervisor about this at least just for the sake of retrieving your original document.

[pushbrk 12,569]

NVC does require ORIGINIAL or CERTIFIED copy of marriage cert (current and even previosu marriages)from the petitioner when filing for a parent

http://www.travel.st.../info_3195.html

Advance knowledge of this would have guided OP to send one of the files with a certified copy.

OP ask to speak or email a supervisor about this at least just for the sake of retrieving your original document.

I'm sorry but regardless of what you read at that link, the petitioner does not need to send a certified copy of their own marriage certificate in the visa application package for a parent. These instructions are for the visa applicant, not he petitioner. The "you" below refers to the petitioner's mother who is the visa applicant, not to the petitioner. Actually understanding the process before posting wrong information will guide you in actually helping members here. Posting misinterpretations of instructions is not "helpful".

Who needs to submit marriage certificates?

If you are married, you must obtain an original marriage certificate, or a certified copy, bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority.

Further, petitioners do not submit marriage certificates to NVC for PAST marriages, only the current marriage. If a past marriage certificate is needed, it would be at the USCIS stage and then only if required to document name changes.

Edited February 26, 2013 by pushbrk

[ndu26 114]

I'm sorry but regardless of what you read at that link, the petitioner does not need to send a certified copy of their own marriage certificate in the visa application package for a parent. These instructions are for the visa applicant, not he petitioner. The "you" below refers to the petitioner's mother who is the visa applicant, not to the petitioner. Actually understanding the process before posting wrong information will guide you in actually helping members here. Posting misinterpretations of instructions is not "helpful".

Who needs to submit marriage certificates?

If you are married, you must obtain an original marriage certificate, or a certified copy, bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority.

Further, petitioners do not submit marriage certificates to NVC for PAST marriages, only the current marriage. If a past marriage certificate is needed, it would be at the USCIS stage and then only if required to document name changes.

It is honorable to accept we can make mistakes since we are all human. It is ok to be corrected by someone else you know, just as you corrected Penguin. I accept any wrong info I have posted but obviously I am not the one who needs to read further down that page where it specifies who needs to submit petitioner documents. That information came from the department of state website, the same agency that oversees the NVC process. If the info needs to be updated on that site in accordance with current trends then that is different. Op was only directed to read the official rule about what he is asking. He is the petitioner and needed to have submitted his marriage certificate just as he rightly did( his dilemma is that he now needs another original or certified copy for his wife's file). I would have been required to do same if i was married when I filed for my mom.

Now I wonder who is misinterpretingg instructions

Before we run off to accuse others of not being 'helpful' , maybe we should assess ourselves first.

Petitioner Documents

Who needs to submit petitioner documents?

If you are applying for an IR5 (Parent of a U.S. Citizen) visa, you are required to provide:

1. Original or certified copy of your Petitioner's birth certificate
2. Original or certified copy of your Petitioner's marriage certificate from the Petitioner's current and all previous marriages

Edited February 26, 2013 by ndu26

[pushbrk 12,569]

Petitioner Documents

Who needs to submit petitioner documents?

If you are applying for an IR5 (Parent of a U.S. Citizen) visa, you are required to provide:

1. Original or certified copy of your Petitioner's birth certificate
2. Original or certified copy of your Petitioner's marriage certificate from the Petitioner's current and all previous marriages

Ah, yes. I see what you're looking at now. If the petitioner has had a name change the marriage certificates would track that. You're right. I'm wrong. I'm sorry.

[Sapele 0]

Ah, yes. I see what you're looking at now. If the petitioner has had a name change the marriage certificates would track that. You're right. I'm wrong. I'm sorry.

Okay this is the update.

So after speaking to the NVC the last time and was advised to instruct my wife to go back to the registry we married to get another certified copy of marriage. My wife went and i advised to as a matter of fact get two copies, and after some days of the registry people giving her a run around saying they can't locate our name in their records. I advised my wife to give them money and she was charged a hefty amount and MIRACULOUSLY our record showed up.

Very corrupt court officials in Nigeria.

Anyway she sent it via UPS to the US and as an after thought i decided to call NVC to notify them i am about sending them two certified copies of my marriage(one for mom and wife each)only for them to tell me that my case has being decided and that once an interview date is available in the embassy in my country i will receive a letter for my family.

So i am thinking,you guys could not locate my marriage cert the first time, you guys advised me to get other copies,you guys made me spend all this money and you guys are saying you don't need it any more?

So the NVC person was like your mom has to bring a certified copy of the marriage cert with her to the interview though. So its another money i have to spend sending the marriage certificate via courier back to my mom.

Anyway,after this what is the next step?for those that have gone through this process before.

So when an interview date is sent to me when will they go for medicals?

Will really appreciate guidance from the HOUSE so i don't make mistakes again.

Wish i knew about this room before i started my process.

Thank you all.

[Boggy1974 124]

Please read the "NVC GUIDES" at the top of the page. There is very important information for you there! There are also a couple good guides - like Ling Che guide you want to read.

Sorry typing on my cell phone so I'm unable to pull the links for you. Good luck.

[Sapele 0]

Okay thanks sir just opened the link now