Single Status Certificate for Cuba?

[Gas Giant 0]

I'm sorry if this topic has been rehashed many times.

Since it appears that my K1 visa is doomed to fail, I've decided, on the advice of an immigration lawyer, to travel to Cuba and marry my fiancee there.

I've been told they want a single status certificate to prove I'm not already married, and the US doesn't appear to issue anything like that.

Does anyone know what they will accept in it's place? Like a sworn statement from Apostille US or something like that?

Thanks!

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to Caribbean regional forum; topic is about marriage procedures in Cuba and not about the spousal visa process.

[Beau & Digna 5]

I'm sorry if this topic has been rehashed many times.

Since it appears that my K1 visa is doomed to fail, I've decided, on the advice of an immigration lawyer, to travel to Cuba and marry my fiancee there.

I've been told they want a single status certificate to prove I'm not already married, and the US doesn't appear to issue anything like that.

Does anyone know what they will accept in it's place? Like a sworn statement from Apostille US or something like that?

Thanks!

If you already think you're doomed, you WILL FAIL, and lose money with the lawyer too. The US doesn't issue this to you...it's just a matter of marriage/divorce records here, but your Cuban fiance will need to get this there in Cuba, and they do issue it quite easily. I can't remember the agency, but we went together one day, and the very next day, we picked up her "solteria"/single certificate...It was probably the easiest thing in the whole process, and if you marry there, you will still need to go through this step. Don't give up, or you WILL FAIL. Get a new lawyer if you really need to, but VJ can help you out with almost anything if you study, and ask...It's not easy.

[calygirl75 12]

I'm sorry if this topic has been rehashed many times.

Since it appears that my K1 visa is doomed to fail, I've decided, on the advice of an immigration lawyer, to travel to Cuba and marry my fiancee there.

I've been told they want a single status certificate to prove I'm not already married, and the US doesn't appear to issue anything like that.

Does anyone know what they will accept in it's place? Like a sworn statement from Apostille US or something like that?

Thanks!

Hi. We opted to get married in Havana. I'm a USC and my husband is a Cuban National. In order to get married on the Island, I requested a birth certificate from the county in which I was born (long version). Since I reside in Florida and have never married up until now, I requested the office of Tallahassee check all county records to confirm that there are no records of a marriage. Once I received this official vital record back from the State of FL - indicating there were no records found, I went here: http://www.nass.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=262&Itemid=484

Use this link to select the State you are in. It will instruct you on how you can authenticate the Single Status vital record. You don't need to authenticate your US birth certificate. Once you get this back (each state has their own turn around times). In order for these two documents to be used in Cuba they have to also be authenticated by the Cuban Interst Seciton in Washington. I have another thread that I started on this same forum that goes into detail about that process and the cost. Just remember that you need to have those sent into DC within 6 months of the state issuing you these documents. Per the Cuban Interest Section. Argh! Once you have these sent back to you, then you can use them in Cuba to marry there. Hope this helps.

[Gricel Y Arturo 0]

Hi. We opted to get married in Havana. I'm a USC and my husband is a Cuban National. In order to get married on the Island, I requested a birth certificate from the county in which I was born (long version). Since I reside in Florida and have never married up until now, I requested the office of Tallahassee check all county records to confirm that there are no records of a marriage. Once I received this official vital record back from the State of FL - indicating there were no records found, I went here: http://www.nass.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=262&Itemid=484

Use this link to select the State you are in. It will instruct you on how you can authenticate the Single Status vital record. You don't need to authenticate your US birth certificate. Once you get this back (each state has their own turn around times). In order for these two documents to be used in Cuba they have to also be authenticated by the Cuban Interst Seciton in Washington. I have another thread that I started on this same forum that goes into detail about that process and the cost. Just remember that you need to have those sent into DC within 6 months of the state issuing you these documents. Per the Cuban Interest Section. Argh! Once you have these sent back to you, then you can use them in Cuba to marry there. Hope this helps.

Calygirl, I am in the middle of doing all this now. Do you really need the long form on the birth certificate? I never thought of that since I am not running for president........thats an excellent link by the way. I am still going to send my stuff out and try and get it done there at reduced cost. Worse comes to worse, just start over here and send them to DC.

[calygirl75 12]

Hi. We opted to get married in Havana. I'm a USC and my husband is a Cuban National. In order to get married on the Island, I requested a birth certificate from the county in which I was born (long version). Since I reside in Florida and have never married up until now, I requested the office of Tallahassee check all county records to confirm that there are no records of a marriage. Once I received this official vital record back from the State of FL - indicating there were no records found, I went here: http://www.nass.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=262&Itemid=484

Use this link to select the State you are in. It will instruct you on how you can authenticate the Single Status vital record. You don't need to authenticate your US birth certificate. Once you get this back (each state has their own turn around times). In order for these two documents to be used in Cuba they have to also be authenticated by the Cuban Interst Seciton in Washington. I have another thread that I started on this same forum that goes into detail about that process and the cost. Just remember that you need to have those sent into DC within 6 months of the state issuing you these documents. Per the Cuban Interest Section. Argh! Once you have these sent back to you, then you can use them in Cuba to marry there. Hope this helps.

This post is only with regards to a USC's documentation requirements; who is preparing to marry a Cuban national in Cuba. You should definitely have your loved one verify his/her requirements, hence Beau & Digna's response above

[calygirl75 12]

Calygirl, I am in the middle of doing all this now. Do you really need the long form on the birth certificate? I never thought of that since I am not running for president........thats an excellent link by the way. I am still going to send my stuff out and try and get it done there at reduced cost. Worse comes to worse, just start over here and send them to DC.

I was asked for the long version. But you never know with these things, good luck.

[Gricel Y Arturo 0]

Well this was pretty much my project this week and I will share with others what I have found even though I am sure the same info exists somewhere on VJ.

Calygirl is correct, the "Long Form Birth Certificate" is the bullet proof document instead of the short form. We are talking about Cuba here where a Cuban citizen does not have to have near the documentation (of course) that the USC would need to marry. So, if you want to avoid problems, order the long form and make sure that it is notarized from the Vital Records department of the state that you live in. -They usually do this when they issue it anyway but you need to ask and make sure.

The Single status certificate is one that does not really exist in the United states. In Florida, this can be obtained by contacting the Vital records office in Jacksonville, do a range of years to search (18-Present Age) and you can specify on the document that it is for the purpose of Single Status for the state in which you live in. In a country as big as ours, a document such as this does not really accomplish anything as you could be married in another state and of course, that would not be found. But you have to provide one, no big deal.

What Calygirl did next was to take her Vital Records single status search results and then have an "Apostille Certification" done by the Florida Secretary of State's office. This is also overkill and bulletproof and is smart to do IMHO because we do not have an official "Single Status Certificate" in the US. Cuba is not a member of the Hague convention and does not recognize the Apostille Certification from anyplace. It is a "Non-Apostille Country".

And this is the reason why: They want you to send your documents to THEM either in Washington DC or Habana and have your documents "Certified" by the Cuban government. This allows them to collect the incredible amount of revenue that they can extract from you because you are now playing their game. $140 per page.

Here is what I found and what it cost me and the order I did it in:

Long Form Birth Certficate from Vital Records in your birth state $15

Single Status search from Vital Records in your state of residence $55

Apostille the Single Status $10

Translate Documents from English to Spanish $40

Notarize the Translation of the above Documents

Total $120

Send documents to Cuban Interests Section in Washington DC. Certified Mail $20

Birth Certificate English Certification $140

Birth Certificate Translated to Spanish Certification $140

Single Status English Certification $140

Single Status Translated to Spanish Certification $140

Shipping/Postage?Processing of Documents back to you $20

Wait 4-6 Weeks

Total $600

In Cuba:

Aifare from Miami $400

Tourist Card $50

Spouse Single Status Certificate $75

Cuban Marriage Certificate $600

Total $1225

Somewhat Total $1945

Are you ready?

[K-9 Visa 11]

Since it appears that my K1 visa is doomed to fail, I've decided, on the advice of an immigration lawyer, to travel to Cuba and marry my fiancee there.

I'm not an immigration attorney but that advice doesn't make sense. The K-3 marriage visa is gone. Now you file a K-1 visa whether you're engaged or married. If your K-1 visa was rejected once, why would a second K-1 visa get accepted?

The obvious question is, why was your K-1 visa rejected?

[Gricel Y Arturo 0]

I'm not an immigration attorney but that advice doesn't make sense. The K-3 marriage visa is gone. Now you file a K-1 visa whether you're engaged or married. If your K-1 visa was rejected once, why would a second K-1 visa get accepted?

The obvious question is, why was your K-1 visa rejected?

No, you are totally incorrect. You do not file a K-1 if you already married, that is fraud. A K-1 is a Fiance Visa and a CR-1 is a Spouse Visa.

The Op said he filed a K-1 Visa and for whatever reason it failed which is really none of our business why it was rejected.

He stated that he is now planning on marrying his fiance in Cuba which is the only thing left for him to do legally and file for the CR-1 after he has obtained a marriage certificate.

[K-9 Visa 11]

You're right, I confused the I-129F and the K-1. The I-129F is for both a K-1 and K-3 visas. For a K-3 he would file the same forms as he filed for his K-1, except he would check the boxes for "married."