quick question about marriage cert.

[nayalamb 0]

About to file N-400 within a week or so, just getting some documentation together. Its been a while and I'd forgotten how much running around is necessary for this stuff. I've been away from VJ for several years (which I mention in Off Topic) and its good to see some old names still around.

Quick (and possibly dumb) question... in the N-400 document checklist, it says "current" marriage certificate. Are they referring to the certified copy you get from the County Clerk, or a copy of the one I have from my actual wedding with the serial # on it? I think I sent a cert copy for AOS but if I can avoid Philly's $35 charge again, I'd be a happy camper.

[John24689 0]

I think it is the one from the county clerk. Just make a copy of both sides of it and send it in. The one from the church is only for framing and is not the official marriage certificate. Good luck.

[NickD 202]

Copy of your marriage certificate is okay to send in, but they may want to see the original at your interview. Against WI state law to make a copy of your marriage certificate, but they only charge 8 bucks for one that looks exactly like the original, so we sent that in with out documents. Apparently there must be a lot of divorces between AOS and USC as they want to see that marriage certificate again or maybe a new one, they have 16 bucks worth of marriage certificates from us.

We got married by a judge in the same court house that records our marriage, just had to go downstairs to pick up the certificates, we got five, 8 bucks for the first one, five bucks a piece for the others. In our state, regardless of who marries you, they also have to go to the courthouse to register the marriage, and with a 3rd party they make mistakes. We were right there went the clerk was typing it out, and could verify it before signing it. That was one of our finest days in any court house, everyone was wonderful to us.

[lucyrich 20]

Quick (and possibly dumb) question... in the N-400 document checklist, it says "current" marriage certificate. Are they referring to the certified copy you get from the County Clerk, or a copy of the one I have from my actual wedding with the serial # on it? I think I sent a cert copy for AOS but if I can avoid Philly's $35 charge again, I'd be a happy camper.

They want a certificate that shows your marriage has actually been recorded by the appropriate government officials. So that almost certainly means a certified copy from the county clerk.

You don't actually have to send them the original $35.00 certified copy, though. Just make an ordinary photocopy of it at the local copy store. No notarization needed, nothing like that. That's sufficient for filing a petition with the USCIS. Then, at your interview, they may want to see the raised seal on the certified copy that you got directly from the county clerk. They'll take it from you, look at the certifying seal, and hand it back.

You could have done that with your AOS filing, as well. If you did it that way at AOS, you'd still have that certified copy of the marriage certificate to use for your citizenship filing.

Go to the USCIS site, click on "Immigration Forms", then click on "General Directions on Immigration Forms", and finally click on "Tips on assembling applications". Scroll down a bit and you'll see the following text:

USCIS no longer routinely requires submission of original documents or "certified copies." Instead, ordinary legible photocopies of such documents (including naturalization certificates and alien registration cards) will be acceptable for initial filing and approval of petitions and applications.

[NickD 202]

There were times we had to show the original marriage certificate, SS was one, photo ID was in my wife's maiden name, DMV another, same reason, and the Venezuelan Consulate not only wanted that, but with an apostille from our state secretary so my wife could renew her passport with them. They kept that one for their records.