"Legalize" the wedding in your home country

[caro06 0]

I'm going to do it obviously but I was wondering why it is important...

Does anyone have more information on that matter?

[Dan J 277]

I'm going to do it obviously but I was wondering why it is important...

Does anyone have more information on that matter?

This is most important if you are planning to live again in your home country at some time. Some countries do not automatically recognize a marriage occuring in another country.

If your not planning to go back home, It doesn't really matter that much.

[Lili 3]

It matters so you can take your husband name.

You need to have your marriage recognized in order to have a passport and so forth in your husband name.

Also, what if you decide to have kids? If you want them to have the french Citizenship, it makes it easier.

[Tex'n'Brit 0]

Perhaps I misunderstand you, but you are applying for a K-1 fiance visa, are you not?

Don't forget the K-1 Fiance visa is just that - a visa for a fiance to enter the USA in order to get married. If the USCIS find out that you two were already married before you entered the USA using this visa, even if the french 'marriage' is 'just a legality' ... well, you are asking for trouble.

So for your peace of mind - unless you don't mind lying about your situation to the USCIS from the moment you arrive in the USA - I would highly recommend you do not do anything before you leave France that seems even remotely marriage like. Wait until after you have married your fiance here in the USA ...

Perhaps you can return to France for your honeymoon and get married again!

Anyway, it is just my advice, you understand. It's up to you, of course!

Whatever you decide, I hope you'll be as happy as I am in America!

Edited March 27, 2008 by Tex'n'Brit

[Lili 3]

Perhaps I misunderstand you, but you are applying for a K-1 fiance visa, are you not?

Don't forget the K-1 Fiance visa is just that - a visa for a fiance to enter the USA in order to get married. If the USCIS find out that you two were already married before you entered the USA using this visa, even if the french 'marriage' is 'just a legality' ... well, you are asking for trouble.

So for your peace of mind - unless you don't mind lying about your situation to the USCIS from the moment you arrive in the USA - I would highly recommend you do not do anything before you leave France that seems even remotely marriage like. Wait until after you have married your fiance here in the USA ...

Perhaps you can return to France for your honeymoon and get married again!

Anyway, it is just my advice, you understand. It's up to you, of course!

Whatever you decide, I hope you'll be as happy as I am in America!

DO NOT GET REMARRIED IN FRANCE. It is considered polygamy to the same man and you will have to get one of the marriage annulled by the court of Nantes.

Caro06 meant getting her marriage recognized by the French government, not getting married in France or anything like that.

[saratara 0]

I am just doing it right now, I am just letting know my embassy that I got married. They wont give me passport unless I give them notice about marriage. I got form to fill and they need certified original copy of marriage certificate with Apostille. So when you go to court house look for extended form of marriage certificate for international purposes, and then you need to have one more verification of signature.

Here is the link for Apostille for example in NYC, but usually at Secretary of State you can get one in any state that you live.

http://www.dos.state.ny.us/corp/apostile.htm

[Dan J 277]

Perhaps I misunderstand you, but you are applying for a K-1 fiance visa, are you not?

Don't forget the K-1 Fiance visa is just that - a visa for a fiance to enter the USA in order to get married. If the USCIS find out that you two were already married before you entered the USA using this visa, even if the french 'marriage' is 'just a legality' ... well, you are asking for trouble.

So for your peace of mind - unless you don't mind lying about your situation to the USCIS from the moment you arrive in the USA - I would highly recommend you do not do anything before you leave France that seems even remotely marriage like. Wait until after you have married your fiance here in the USA ...

Perhaps you can return to France for your honeymoon and get married again!

Anyway, it is just my advice, you understand. It's up to you, of course!

Whatever you decide, I hope you'll be as happy as I am in America!

You misunderstand what is being talked about here. Not all countries will automatically recognize a marriage performed in the US. If you want your home country to recognize that you are married, for passports or other things, you need to legalize it in your home country.

Ussualy this process is pretty simple. But varies by country.

[eau_xplain 2]

Yes, the procedure will vary by country.

For the Philippines, I had to submit a Report of Marriage (with supporting documents) to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC. I did that together with an application for passport renewal so that I can get my new passport in my married name.

[Ta Ta 1]

Dan and Gemvita, you have some awesome pics in your links. The 1. link are some of the best I have ever seen the way the light hits the old

building and the dress is stunning, the colors all magnificent. A masterpiece of photography.

Sorry for being off topic but I just had to comment !

[Dan J 277]

Dan and Gemvita, you have some awesome pics in your links. The 1. link are some of the best I have ever seen the way the light hits the old

building and the dress is stunning, the colors all magnificent. A masterpiece of photography.

Sorry for being off topic but I just had to comment !

Thank you. Though the credit goes to Kaoy who was the photographer for those photos. http://kaoy-photo.com/

[caro06 0]

Thanks for all your answers.

Yes lili I was thinking of all the things you mentionned.

Do you think need to ask my consulate to issue me a new ID card as well? Or that's something they will automatically do?

Is the consulate going to change my pasport as well then?

Perhaps I misunderstand you, but you are applying for a K-1 fiance visa, are you not?

Don't forget the K-1 Fiance visa is just that - a visa for a fiance to enter the USA in order to get married. If the USCIS find out that you two were already married before you entered the USA using this visa, even if the french 'marriage' is 'just a legality' ... well, you are asking for trouble.

So for your peace of mind - unless you don't mind lying about your situation to the USCIS from the moment you arrive in the USA - I would highly recommend you do not do anything before you leave France that seems even remotely marriage like. Wait until after you have married your fiance here in the USA ...

Perhaps you can return to France for your honeymoon and get married again!

Anyway, it is just my advice, you understand. It's up to you, of course!

Whatever you decide, I hope you'll be as happy as I am in America!

Haha don't worry, I think you misunderstood me. I have the K1 and I don't intend on getting married in France (and to this day I'm not married).

I'm getting married in the US but before and after the wedding I have to go through a procedure with the French consulate in the USA to have my wedding being known to the French autorities... To change my name on my passport, election cards, ID card i suppose? and to be considered as a married person. And lili is right about kids as well...

Don't worry I'm not crazy

I'm not lying to the USCIS and don't intend to. My situation is spotless!

Edited March 27, 2008 by caro06

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

Hello Caro06

Congratulations for your visa.

I don't have any more answers to your question (the "why do we need to legalize it") but I got some information for the "publication des bans" from the consulate in Chicago that might be useful to you. I posted it on the America/France couples: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=1699817

[Tex'n'Brit 0]

Ooops! Mes excuses!

It's just I can't resist trying to help fellow VJ'ers avoid nasty USCIS situations if I can. But I really must learn not stick my nose in where it's not needed, eh?!

The whole immigration process never ceases to amaze me and it just seems to get more and more complicated, doesn't it?! Thank goodness I didn't have to mess with anything like you're dealing with - I'm sure I would have had no hair or fingernails left by the time I got here!

Anyway, I still wish you nothing but happiness, and I am officially retracting my nose now ... "As You Were!"

Brit

[GabiandVi 34]

We were married in a third country and haven't done anything to "legalize" that marriage in either home country. Is this going to be a problem? When I was arranging my marriage in Thailand, I thought I understood that it was not necessary to report the marriage to the US embassy there. I'm pretty sure they told me that when I went to get an affadavit of celibacy notarized. There is no national registrar of marriages in the US, so where would I register ours? Or should we just do it again in the US? But that would be after our petition is approved . . .