I-130 QUESTION - Do we need to get married again in the US after the CR1 VISA is issued?

[Ismael&Blair 66]

If you need a good certified translator that is approved by the US Consulate in Rabat, drop me a note and I'll go through my papers to get his his name and contact information. He was friendly, spoke English and works at the same building as my hubby's family member.

[XXXYYYZZZ 20]

If the health insurance is through your employer you can add your husband now. Marriage is a major life change so you can make a change. My company allows 60 days after a major life change to update benefits. I added my wife still in Vietnam; they never asked for a marriage certificate, it took one e-mail to the benefits department.

[Ian H. 207]

I think it depends on the kind of insurance it is and the policy of the company itself. For example, for my mom's car insurance she had to provide a copy of her marriage cert. Married couples typically get a lower car insurance rate even if not living together. I agree that they may not ask for proof most of the time, but one would be charged with insurance fraud if it turns out to be a lie. I believe they retain the right to ask for evidence at any time though.

As for the marriage, each jurisdiction has it's own marriage laws, therefore as such they can decide what marriages they will accept. For immigration purposes, the marriage must have been valid in the place it was performed and can't go against the laws of the US as a whole, not dependent on which state you will live in.

That said, as long as your marriage was performed according to the laws of Morocco, if it is valid over there it will be valid here. If the US placed such a restriction most people would never be able to bring a spouse from abroad. Just make sure the certificate is certified by the appropriate civil authority and make sure that you use a competent translator since mistakes on the translation or certificates not properly certified can result in an RFE. Good luck.

[Yousnina 2]

Just got my answer: I emailed my union president. I am a school teacher in a public school in NY ( and will return to my job after my contract ends here). She said the school district and the insurance company will each want a copy of the marriage certificate.

Thanks all for your input. Learning a lot on this site. So much knowledge from everyone. It's great!

[Goldenland 1]

Some states recognize common law marriages( NY is among these states), and they allow you to add your partner( boyfriend or girlfriend) to your health insurance if your plan allows it. and you lived together long enough.

More info: http://www.dfs.ny.gov/insurance/ogco2001/rg112201.htm

Edited November 8, 2014 by Goldenland

[Cathi 5,748]

Yes, you do. Otherwise everyone would put friends/ boyfriend and girlfriends down to get coverage.

Not true, we did not not need to supply a copy of our marriage cert for insurance, we weren't asked and we have different last names. They didn't ask for proof that my children were his step children either. This is for health, dental and life insurance. No proof asked for any of us, just SS numbers

Edited November 8, 2014 by mimolicious

[Ian H. 207]

I think we can all agree to disagree. It is clear that it depends on the specific company policy since every company has their own rules as well as adhering to state and local laws.

I am going to conclude that most people don't get asked for proof, however it is unwise to state that it is not required whatsoever seeing as how some people have been required to provide proof.The OP has specified already that her employer and insurance will both require proof.

ps NY recognizes common law marriages from other states as part of the full faith and credit clause of the constitution, but they do not recognize common law marriages that occur within NY state.

Edited November 8, 2014 by Ian H.