At the final stage, now asking for "notarized" marriage certificate????

[unsmiley 111]

I do not understand this (see letter below). We sent them long ago a "Certificate of Marriage Registration" - the original, which has a seal and is certified which is what you get in NYC from the county clerk when you are married and pay the fee. I thought that is enough. No one questioned it until this point, including at the interview seven months ago. Is this request a mistake? What exactly do they want?

(Also, our police certificate had at least two more days of validity when we got this letter, but they are saying it has expired. Do they know what they are doing in Guangzhou??)

Immigrant Visa Unit, U. S. Consulate General, Guangzhou
美国驻广州总领事馆移民部

Important: As of March 16, 2013, the U.S. Consulate Guangzhou has implemented new visa processing procedures. Under these new procedures, a number of services will be provided to visa applicants by our authorized partner, CGI Stanley. Please follow the instructions below to submit the required documents (including this letter) through CGI Stanley.
重要通知：从2013年3月16日起， 美国驻广州总领事馆将实行移民签证申请办理的新程序。在这些新程序下，一系列的签证服务将由我们授权的合作伙伴CGI Stanley 提供给签证申请人。请按照以下指引，通过使用CGI Stanley提供的服务提交所需的文件（包括此信）。

Case Number ： GZOxxxxxxxx
Principal Applicant ： xxxxxxxxx

Dear Applicant(s),

• Immigrant (or K) visa requires additional processing for ; please follow the instructions below and submit your passport (with at least 8 months validity) and two new visa photos for each applicant taken within the past 6 months. If you have already submitted your passport to the consulate, we will keep your passport with your file pending the issuance of your visa. When the documents have been received and your visa has been printed, your passport along with your visa packet will be delivered to your selected document pick-up location.
的签证需要进一步处理，请按要求提交护照（此护照必须有至少8个月的有效期），每人两张新的签证照片（最近6个月内拍摄）。如果你的护照已经提交至本馆，本馆将会保留你的护照及档案，直至签证批准。领事馆收到所需材料后即印出签证，你的护照及签证包裹将会递送到你已经选定的取件地点。

• Police Report has expired. 无犯罪记录公证书已经过期。

If your Police Report has already expired or you cannot submit it to the Consulate before it expires, please renew your Police Report and submit it to the Consulate with your passport.
如果你的无犯罪记录公证书已过期或者你不能在此材料过期前提交到领事馆，请办理新的无犯罪记录公证书连同你的护照提交到领事馆。

• Medical Report will expire on 体检报告将于此日过期：2015-xx-xx

If your Medical Report has already expired or you cannot submit all required documents at least one month before your current Medical Report expires, please return to the panel physician for a new medical exam and Medical Report. You need to submit the sealed Medical Report and your passport along with other required documents to the Consulate. Your Medical Report must be conducted by a Consulate- approved panel physician. Please do not mail your chest X-ray unless you are instructed. Please note that we will not issue a visa with validity longer than the validity of your Medical Report. You must enter the U.S. before your Medical Report expires. If your Medical Report will expire before you plan to enter the U.S., you must renew it.
如果你的体检报告已过期或者你不能在体检报告过期前至少一个月将所有相关材料提交到领事馆，请务必到指定的体检医院重新体检并将体检机构封好的体检报告，你的护照与其他所需的材料一同提交给领事馆。除非特别要求，请不要将你的X光片邮寄到领事馆。请注意，签证有效期必须被限定在体检报告过期日之前。在此情况下，你务必在签证到期前（即体检报告过期前）入境美国。如果你的体检报告将在你计划入境美国之前过期，你必须重新体检。

• : Please submit notarized Marriage Certificate.
: 请提交结婚公证书。

• need to submit new Chinese police certificate
请提供一份新的中国无犯罪记录公证

Please follow the steps listed below:
请参照下文了解下一步你需要怎样做。

1. If you did not already do so before your interview, you must register a document pick-up location by selecting the “Select Document Delivery Address” option in the Immigrant Visa Section of http://ustraveldocs.com
假如你在签证面谈之前还未在签证申请服务网站http://ustraveldocs.com 上进行登记，在进一步办理你的申请之前，你必须登陆上述签证申请服务网站并在移民签证信息页面上点击“选择文件送达地址”进行登记文件送达地址。

[Darnell 8,478]

i will assume they want a white book , a notarial translation of the red marriage book, from her.

if you not marry in china, then there is another marriage document.

so - if you two married in china - there are two red books - one on you, one on her.

get HER red book translated into a WHITE book - then submit the white book, notarial translation of chinese wedding document/book.

I assumed her other docs expire and wrote of it in your other topic. check the pinned topic in the China forum for an overview of a white book.

[unsmiley 111]

i will assume they want a white book , a notarial translation of the red marriage book, from her.

if you not marry in china, then there is another marriage document.

so - if you two married in china - there are two red books - one on you, one on her.

get HER red book translated into a WHITE book - then submit the white book, notarial translation of chinese wedding document/book.

I assumed her other docs expire and wrote of it in your other topic. check the pinned topic in the China forum for an overview of a white book.

Darnell, we were married in New York City.

[unsmiley 111]

Wife is getting another police certificate even though it really has not expired. But it is me who would have to get anything related to a marriage certificate here in NYC. Not sure what they want. Should I get another ORIGINAL certificate of marriage registration (at a cost of $50 from the clerk's office), go to a notary and get that notarized? That seems silly when it already has a seal, and will delay things further.

[Darnell 8,478]

ok - then if she had original certified copy of the marriage certificate to give over on interview day,

then

the PRC clerks are confused with what they see.

You'll need to email the IV Unit, ask for Vice-Consul review on this document, asking also that any PRC employee show 'this email reply' to the Vice-Consul. I think you sent over the actual original document, not any certified copy (certified by the issuing authority) and the PRC clerks are very, very, very confused.

[unsmiley 111]

ok - then if she had original certified copy of the marriage certificate to give over on interview day,

then

the PRC clerks are confused with what they see.

You'll need to email the IV Unit, ask for Vice-Consul review on this document, asking also that any PRC employee show 'this email reply' to the Vice-Consul. I think you sent over the actual original document, not any certified copy (certified by the issuing authority) and the PRC clerks are very, very, very confused.

Yes we gave them the actual original document - NOT a certified copy.

And the originals issued in NYC state clearly on the bottom: "Please note: Facsimile Signatures and seal are printed pursuant to Secction 11-A, Domestic Relations Law of New York" and on the back of the document, it states that "Subdiv. 2, Section 11-a, Domestic Relations Law of the State of New York: The signature and seal of said clerk of cities of the first class of over one million inhabitants upon the marriage license, certificate of marriage registration, and marriage search provided by the article may be a printed facsimile."

[Darnell 8,478]

since that's what is at Guangzhou IV - I'll posit the PRC clerk that did the review is @#$@ing clueless.

use the webform email thingie on the IV website (not ustraveldocs)

and write up an email to them about this one document.

Or your wife can get another letter (from you) sent out via citic bank delivery with that coversheet thingie --

regardless of either mechanism - i am suggesting that you use wording in the letter that

clearly states that the PRC employees not understand an original document issued from NY and request a Vice-Consul review the marriage document.

[unsmiley 111]

since that's what is at Guangzhou IV - I'll posit the PRC clerk that did the review is @#$@ing clueless.

use the webform email thingie on the IV website (not ustraveldocs)

and write up an email to them about this one document.

Or your wife can get another letter (from you) sent out via citic bank delivery with that coversheet thingie --

regardless of either mechanism - i am suggesting that you use wording in the letter that

clearly states that the PRC employees not understand an original document issued from NY and request a Vice-Consul review the marriage document.

I sent in a email on the website, requesting a higher level review of the situation, and they (thankfully) replied that we do NOT have to supply another marriage certificate.

But I have a question: Can I get the original back? I believe they should not have taken it in the first place during the interview (she had a copy with her but the officer asked for the original -- although the officer may not have known it was an original at the time). If so, how should I go about getting it returned?

[Darnell 8,478]

make another citic bank coversheet thingie - include a photocopy of the marriage certificate, and a cover letter with case # and all bio data,

and ask

that they replace original with the photocopy

and

put the original OUTSIDE of the sealed envelope packet , unattached /unstapled to the outside of the visa packet but inside the larger envelope.

send it all in again via citic bank courier soon/Tuesday and maybe it will get there in time, before the visa packet is actually sealed up.

while yer at it - make another webform /email thingie - ask that the original be returned loose in the big envelope and mention a photocopy is coming in via citic bank courier delivery.

[unsmiley 111]

make another citic bank coversheet thingie - include a photocopy of the marriage certificate, and a cover letter with case # and all bio data,

and ask

that they replace original with the photocopy

and

put the original OUTSIDE of the sealed envelope packet , unattached /unstapled to the outside of the visa packet but inside the larger envelope.

send it all in again via citic bank courier soon/Tuesday and maybe it will get there in time, before the visa packet is actually sealed up.

while yer at it - make another webform /email thingie - ask that the original be returned loose in the big envelope and mention a photocopy is coming in via citic bank courier delivery.

So a simple email request through ustraveldocs site is not good enough?

That option would be easier for the wife... who would prefer not having to drive and park at Citic bank and wait hours...

[Darnell 8,478]

ustraveldocs ? no. rarely anything gets sent over to the IV Unit from ustraveldocs, on any email stuff.

[dustyrah 13]

Wife is getting another police certificate even though it really has not expired. But it is me who would have to get anything related to a marriage certificate here in NYC. Not sure what they want. Should I get another ORIGINAL certificate of marriage registration (at a cost of $50 from the clerk's office), go to a notary and get that notarized? That seems silly when it already has a seal, and will delay things further.

Get another original marriage certificate and get a notarized copy as well. Send both and if possible include a freakin Chinese language notarized copy as well.

The whole thing sounds like BS to me and almost feel that they are writing about someone else's file to you guys.

[unsmiley 111]

ustraveldocs ? no. rarely anything gets sent over to the IV Unit from ustraveldocs, on any email stuff.

Oops, you are right about not doing it through the ustraveldocs site, I actually meant the US Embassy GZO IV unit email link (see below). Would this work, requesting they return original through this portal? My Wuhan dear is expressing some displeasure about having to travel (again!) to CITIC bank and waiting...

http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn//immigrant-visa-unit-question.html

[Darnell 8,478]

yup - that's the one. restudy post #9, ok la.

[Darnell 8,478]

any movement over there? I'm a hoping so !