Stamped copy of marriage cert needed?

[Rumit 0]

Hi, sorry to bring an old topic up but I am in the process if putting my application package including the I-130 together and I am supposed to submit a marriage certificate along with my I-130 but it will take 6-8 weeks for my certified marriage certificate (with the county stamp) to arrive and reading from here, it seems like I do not need the a copy of the county stamped marriage license for the I-130 submission?

[The Mean Lady 604]

Hi, sorry to bring an old topic up but I am in the process if putting my application package including the I-130 together and I am supposed to submit a marriage certificate along with my I-130 but it will take 6-8 weeks for my certified marriage certificate (with the county stamp) to arrive and reading from here, it seems like I do not need the a copy of the county stamped marriage license for the I-130 submission?

This is correct. You submit a COPY of that for the I-130.

In the future, please start your own new topic.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Hi, sorry to bring an old topic up but I am in the process if putting my application package including the I-130 together and I am supposed to submit a marriage certificate along with my I-130 but it will take 6-8 weeks for my certified marriage certificate (with the county stamp) to arrive and reading from here, it seems like I do not need the a copy of the county stamped marriage license for the I-130 submission?

Not sure how your state/county does it, but I still have the original marriage certificate and marriage license that my wife and I signed along with the judge and witnesses. I can go to the county courthouse and request certified copies of this document or I can make a copy of that document. I will never give up this document to anybody. They can see it and make a copy of it, but it stays in a safe place. You can send in just a plan copy, but I would have a certified copy or two around for when you need them. These are like Birth or Death Certificates, you never know when you will need one so having them on hand to quickly produce is important. So order several certified copied if it take 2 months to get them--not for the USCIS but just to have.

Good luck,

Dave

[The Mean Lady 604]

Not sure how your state/county does it, but I still have the original marriage certificate and marriage license that my wife and I signed along with the judge and witnesses. I can go to the county courthouse and request certified copies of this document or I can make a copy of that document. I will never give up this document to anybody. They can see it and make a copy of it, but it stays in a safe place. You can send in just a plan copy, but I would have a certified copy or two around for when you need them. These are like Birth or Death Certificates, you never know when you will need one so having them on hand to quickly produce is important. So order several certified copied if it take 2 months to get them--not for the USCIS but just to have.

Good luck,

Dave

Uhhhh... I'm pretty certain the original signed during the ceremony is supposed to be sent to the county clerk.

Not only am I thinking that because they made copies of it to SEND me mine, but my parents have a fake one... because they couldn't keep the real one.

The officiant of your ceremony is supposed to send it there.

After the ceremony, your officiant will send your signed license to the marriage license bureau (or to the county clerk, recorder or registrar, depending on where you live). You should receive a certified copy for your own files within a few weeks, depending on your state.

[Rumit 0]

Yes, the signed original document got sent to the county clerk by the officiant.

I received a "customer copy" of what was filed to the county clerk, the thing we all signed. The title says "Confidential License and Certificate of Marriage".

This customer copy has everything filled in and signed except in the last row which says the following:

---------------NAME OF COUNTY CLERK-------SIGNATURE OF CLERK OR DEPUTY CLERK------------------------------DATE ACCEPTED FOR REGISTRATION

COUNTY CLERK: [Dean C. Logan]------------[..................................................................]--------------------------------[........................................................]

This part will obviously get signed, dated and registered/recorded when the county processes it. What I am wondering, since this process will take up to eight weeks, has anyone sent in their "customer copy" or the marriage certificate which is not yet recorded by the county, while submitting the I-130?

Is this certificate what they ask for in the I-130 instructions or must I wait for it to be signed and recorded by the county?

Edited January 23, 2013 by Rumit

[Dave&Roza 748]

Uhhhh... I'm pretty certain the original signed during the ceremony is supposed to be sent to the county clerk.

Not only am I thinking that because they made copies of it to SEND me mine, but my parents have a fake one... because they couldn't keep the real one.

The officiant of your ceremony is supposed to send it there.

As I said not ever state/county does things the same way. We took the marriage license to the courthouse and got married and the judge, myself, my wife and the witnesses signed the document. The Clerck of the Recorder was still open so I went there paid $2 per copy and got 6 certified copies of this document right then and there and they put a sticker on it to record it into the system. Three days later I received the original back after it was recorded--scanned into the system. So actually the county has a copy of the document I have at home as I have the ORIGINAL with all the original signatures. So yes, I have the real original marriage certificate and marriage license AND I have certified copies as well.

OP: Send in a copy of the document you have and then when you get the recorded one have it ready. This process taks too long to wait 8 weeks for the recorded copy and then several weeks for th e USCIS to do anything. Use the delay in the USCIS system to your advantage.

Dave