marriage license needed?!?!?

[Meera12 1]

Hi all,

Urgent help is needed:

I have a nikkah khat which is the marriage license in my native country of Afghanistan and where I got married. I sponsored my husband here and I was wondering if we need to get a California marriage license by any chance? I am assuming that our native marriage license is valid.

Please let me know ASAP

[JA_Martinez 81]

Nope...international licenses are valid here but it has to be translated and notarized for you visa application

[Ryan H 3,826]

***Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Progress Reports to General Immigration-Related Discussion.***

**Moderator hat off**

I have a nikkah khat which is the marriage license in my native country of Afghanistan and where I got married. I sponsored my husband here and I was wondering if we need to get a California marriage license by any chance? I am assuming that our native marriage license is valid.

The original marriage certificate (not license) from Afghanistan is recognized in California.

Nope...international licenses are valid here but it has to be translated and notarized for you visa application

OP has already completed process. Furthermore, the section in bold is not universally correct. When submitting a petition, a translated document does not need to be notarized, the translation only requires an attestation statement. Furthermore, document translation requirements at the embassy level are country specific.

[NickD 203]

I gather the answer depends upon where you are planning to live. Wisconsin has some strange rules that we had to learn about and this is where we planned to live. As a resident of Wisconsin, required by the state law to get our marriage license in the county we were planning on living in. But we could get married any where with it. But certainly not in Colombia, they wouldn't recognize it, I would have to move down there for something like three months with a pile of paper work to fill out, Then Wisconsin would not recognize that marriage as that license would have to be obtained down there.

But if I wasn't a resident of Wisconsin and moved here, practically any marriage certificate would be recognized. The only logic I could see in this, as a resident, state wanted my 200 bucks. But I believe Wisconsin is the only state that has this crazy law.

Only thing I can say is to check with your country for there laws and if planning in living in a state in the US, to check with their laws.

We elected to get married by a federal judge to keep the USCIS happy, had to get married in the next county to do this, but within the guidelines of our state laws. Wife's niece just came over on a K1 and wanted a church wedding, no way could she get that done in this short span of time. So also got married by a judge. But is planning on having a church wedding in August and we were invited.

Bottom line is you have to keep the USCIS happy. I wasn't even aware of our state laws until I asked, its not like I get married everyday. Just suggesting you check with your state laws on this subject, only have to call your local county court house. If you plan on living in that state and are a resident of.