I-130: Ontario Marriage Certificate or Certified Copy of License?

[jelky 14]

Hi there! I apologize in advance if I'm posting this in the wrong forum, or if I've missed this information somewhere else. I've found a few topics related to my query, but I'm still a bit confused.

My husband (American) and I (Canadian) were married in Ontario in 2015. We are preparing the I-130 package, and I understand we need to include our marriage certificate.

We already have a certified copy of our marriage license from the registrar general, which is what I requested of the two options available on the Service Ontario website. The other option was "Marriage Certificate (File Size)". I assumed we'd need the long form because it apparently has more information, but now I'm wondering if I should actually request the marriage certificate and send that in the I-130 package instead.

I have attached a screenshot of what is available to be requested through the Service Ontario website.

I guess my question is: will the certified copy of our marriage license be enough to include in our I-130 package as it has more information regarding our marriage, or should I take the I-130 instructions more literally and request a marriage certificate to include instead?

I hope this makes sense, and thanks for your help!

[B&Z 201]

This is really confusing because you keep referring to it as a "marriage license". A marriage license is the document you get BEFORE you get married. A marriage certificate is the document you get AFTER you finalize your marriage. As long as this "certified copy of marriage registration" that you have is the registration of the final marriage AFTER the marriage was performed and attests to the fact that you are now married, then you're good to go.

[moemac59 192]

Hi there! I apologize in advance if I'm posting this in the wrong forum, or if I've missed this information somewhere else. I've found a few topics related to my query, but I'm still a bit confused.

My husband (American) and I (Canadian) were married in Ontario in 2015. We are preparing the I-130 package, and I understand we need to include our marriage certificate.

We already have a certified copy of our marriage license from the registrar general, which is what I requested of the two options available on the Service Ontario website. The other option was "Marriage Certificate (File Size)". I assumed we'd need the long form because it apparently has more information, but now I'm wondering if I should actually request the marriage certificate and send that in the I-130 package instead.

I have attached a screenshot of what is available to be requested through the Service Ontario website.

I guess my question is: will the certified copy of our marriage license be enough to include in our I-130 package as it has more information regarding our marriage, or should I take the I-130 instructions more literally and request a marriage certificate to include instead?

I hope this makes sense, and thanks for your help!

Get a copy of your marriage certificate. This is what USCIS will want

[jelky 14]

This is really confusing because you keep referring to it as a "marriage license". A marriage license is the document you get BEFORE you get married. A marriage certificate is the document you get AFTER you finalize your marriage. As long as this "certified copy of marriage registration" that you have is the registration of the final marriage AFTER the marriage was performed and attests to the fact that you are now married, then you're good to go.

I'm sorry for the confusion! Yes, the marriage license was obtained before we got married, and the document I have is a "certified copy" of that, which was only made available to us a few months after. What throws me off is that it is just that - a copy of the form we signed before and after our marriage ceremony. It is signed by the registrar general and has a certificate number, but the copy itself is titled marriage license. Do you think that will be sufficient?

I have attached an image I found on google that is very similar to what I have.

Thanks again for your help!

Edited October 13, 2016 by jelky

[jelky 14]

Get a copy of your marriage certificate. This is what USCIS will want

Thanks! Honestly it isn't really a big deal for me to do that anyway. Do you know what the purpose is of the marriage license certified copies?

[dwheels76 5,468]

Thanks! Honestly it isn't really a big deal for me to do that anyway. Do you know what the purpose is of the marriage license certified copies?

The purpose probably pertains to your country. Maybe sone people use it to rent a venue or donething. Immigration doesn't need it.

Also only send a photocopy with your petition. You will need a photocopy for USCIS and one at NVC. Save the original or certified copy for interview.

Is the marriage certificate in English or French?

If other than English it will need translation attached also.

[jelky 14]

The purpose probably pertains to your country. Maybe sone people use it to rent a venue or donething. Immigration doesn't need it.

Also only send a photocopy with your petition. You will need a photocopy for USCIS and one at NVC. Save the original or certified copy for interview.

Is the marriage certificate in English or French?

If other than English it will need translation attached also.

Thanks! It will be in English.

[NikLR 13,227]

You need a copy of the marriage CERTIFICATE not the marriage license.

[AstroCanada 206]

You need a copy of the marriage CERTIFICATE not the marriage license.

Exactly. You just have a copy of the marriage license. You need to order from Service Ontario the marriage certificate. You can actually order the cheaper short form, this that is exactly what everyone expects the marriage certificate to look like. The more expensive long form, is actually just a certified copy of your paperwork you signed on your wedding day.

FYI, I suggest asking for an expedite and stating it's for immigration reasons if you're in a rush, otherwise, they can take up to 3 months to return it. The office is some make-work project in Thunder Bay.

[jelky 14]

You need a copy of the marriage CERTIFICATE not the marriage license.

Exactly. You just have a copy of the marriage license. You need to order from Service Ontario the marriage certificate. You can actually order the cheaper short form, this that is exactly what everyone expects the marriage certificate to look like. The more expensive long form, is actually just a certified copy of your paperwork you signed on your wedding day.

FYI, I suggest asking for an expedite and stating it's for immigration reasons if you're in a rush, otherwise, they can take up to 3 months to return it. The office is some make-work project in Thunder Bay.

Thanks folks!

[moemac59 192]

Just an FYI but I made the mistake of sending in a certified copy of our marriage transcript for my AOS application and not a copy of our marriage certificate...well when I did that I ended up getting the dreaded RFE in the mail.

I had to then send out a photocopy of our marriage certificate. If you put the 2 documents side by side, they looked exactly the same. The only difference was the wording at the top of the certificate.