Marriage certificate issue!!! Please advice

[chibest 2]

we just received a checklist from NVC stating that the marriage certificate they received from us is from an incorrect issuing authority.

the marriage certificate we submitted is a church marriage/wedding certificate because we didn't do a court marriage. reason below

As at July 2014, my fiancee(now wife) file k-1 for me, ignorantly since we have to do a court marriage once i get to the state, we decided to go on with traditional / church marriage on October 2014. Unfortunately when i attended interview for k-1 February 2015 i was told since we have done the traditional / church marriage that i can't be issued a k -1 visa because the above marriage is legal in Nigeria. the CC advice we file r-1.

i called NVC and the rep was advising the Petitional write a letter stating we don't another marriage certificate with the above reason...

Please we have made serious mistakes we don't want to make one. Please advise.

[Cathi 5,755]

you are no longer eligible for a k-1. You must start over with a cr-1

[Cathi 5,755]

you are no longer eligible for a k-1. You must start over with a cr-1

[chibest 2]

@ mimolicious, we on at NVC stage now for cr -1 visa. NVC is requesting for another marriage certificate that the one we submitted is from incorrect issuing authority. but the NVC rep i spoke to said we can write a letter stating reason why we don't have another marriage certificate.

[dwheels76 5,468]

we just received a checklist from NVC stating that the marriage certificate they received from us is from an incorrect issuing authority.

the marriage certificate we submitted is a church marriage/wedding certificate because we didn't do a court marriage. reason below

As at July 2014, my fiancee(now wife) file k-1 for me, ignorantly since we have to do a court marriage once i get to the state, we decided to go on with traditional / church marriage on October 2014. Unfortunately when i attended interview for k-1 February 2015 i was told since we have done the traditional / church marriage that i can't be issued a k -1 visa because the above marriage is legal in Nigeria. the CC advice we file r-1.

i called NVC and the rep was advising the Petitional write a letter stating we don't another marriage certificate with the above reason...

Please we have made serious mistakes we don't want to make one. Please advise.

You were to take that certificate and take to registry and register your marriage. When you applied (registered) for marriage where did you go? Even church weddings you have to first get registered.

Can you update your profile to IR1/CR1 so there isn't any confusion. Thanks

Edited December 15, 2015 by dwheels76

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

You have a conflict between Lagos going on the basis of local laws and the US using laws here. Did you get in writing the reason that they rejected your K1 ? Registering the wedding now isn't going to fix it because the date must be before you submit the petition. You need to convince them you were married when you submitted the petition. Was your church wedding in Nigeria ? If so than check the Nigerian marriage law and find out what it says. If it supports your claim then use a copy of it in your response.

[chibest 2]

Thanks for all the response so far. what if instead of replying NVC in writing giving reasons why we can send another marriage certificate other than the one send already. the petitional (my wife) should come to Nigeria then we go to high court and do marriage declaration.

[dwheels76 5,468]

Also Chibest here's a thread on Nairaland that might give you some help and insight.

http://www.nairaland.com/1834032/need-registry-marriage-after-church

[dwheels76 5,468]

Thanks for all the response so far. what if instead of replying NVC in writing giving reasons why we can send another marriage certificate other than the one send already. the petitional (my wife) should come to Nigeria then we go to high court and do marriage declaration.

The thing is you already filed. So your declaration would be filed after the fact. Sure you could try not saying it will work with immigration

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

There is proof that you were "too married for a K1" (church wedding ) and not enough for a CR1 (not registered).

You can try to see if NVC will accept a registered marriage certificate now but since you want to register it after filing the CR1 they will likely

not accept it but it's worth a try.

I would say you must register the marriage and then start all over with a CR1.

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

There should be a way for you to take the church certificate that you already have and get it registered and then get the registered certified marriage certificate

from the registrar to send to NVC, I don't see why your wife has to come to do the whole thing over at the court.

[Joey & NaYa 13]

I had the same issue with mine from Ghana.

In Ghana, the church ordinance marriage is legal and registered if the minister of the charge has license to officiate marriages and also if the church is gazetted to perform marriage ceremonies. I don't think it may be too different from Naija but check the marriage laws.

In that case, you can go to the Marriage Registrar's office of the Registrar General department to request for a letter of confirmation. They will verify the duplicate copy of the certificate sent to them by the church and ask for a few things.

Again this only applies if Nigeria has the same structure.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

http://www.nigeria-law.org/Marriage%20Act.htm Here is the Nigerian marriage act

[Joey & NaYa 13]

http://www.nigeria-law.org/Marriage%20Act.htm Here is the Nigerian marriage act

Great! I just went through the document and it's amazing how it is verbatim with the Ghana law.

The most important articles for you are 21 - 26 and 30 - 32.

So long as the priest is licensed and the church his registered to perform ordinance marriages, the Principal registrar should have a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

Once you apply for the letter of confirmation or a certified copy and provide the required documents they need, you should be fine.

[Solomon&Anne 29]

We did the exact same thing not thinking we got married in South Africa, and never registered it so even tho we werent legally married we filed for K-1 fiancee...went to the whole process and got denied was put in AP for months...then got a letter stating our petition ran out of time,,case was closed....

We had to go to the Registry in Lagos and get married by the Registry and refile but this time I-130 Spousal...

Sorry but from what we went thru...my advice would be register your church wedding at the registry or have your spouse remarry you at the registry...and cancel your K-1 and refile IR-1....they will drag your case out with the K-1 and you wont get any answers and have to file spousal anyhow....this is just from my experience each case is different...

So sorry your going thru this...I feel your pain