How do I validate my Ghana marriage license in the US??

[Mrs Gayomeh 0]

Came across VJ searching for help w/name change. I married my husband in Ghana 12/16/2016 at the Registry. When I returned to Texas I had know problem adding my new last name to mine on my CDL the marriage license was accepted wo/an issue.

I then took the print out of new drivers license w/updated name, vehicle insurance including husband, and marriage license from Ghana w/pics to the Social Security Office. I received a stamped letter saying I would receive new SS card in (2)weeks. Then later received a call saying that I needed to go to the courts or to the registers office to get a marriage license from the US. I'm lost!! How do  I do that? I wanted to marry on the soil of my ancestors it was a beautiful traditional wedding. My husband is not yet in the US so what do I do?

[strongmyk 51]

wow that's surprising... I applied for an ITIN for my wife who lives overseas with her Overseas DL and our marriage certificate and we didn't have any problem at all... The ITIN was issued in her current name (with my lastname)

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Thread is moved from the Introducing Our Members forum to the Social Security Numbers subforum.

[Kosi Wahala 153]

On 1/11/2017 at 6:17 PM, Mrs Gayomeh said:

Came across VJ searching for help w/name change. I married my husband in Ghana 12/16/2016 at the Registry. When I returned to Texas I had know problem adding my new last name to mine on my CDL the marriage license was accepted wo/an issue.

I then took the print out of new drivers license w/updated name, vehicle insurance including husband, and marriage license from Ghana w/pics to the Social Security Office. I received a stamped letter saying I would receive new SS card in (2)weeks. Then later received a call saying that I needed to go to the courts or to the registers office to get a marriage license from the US. I'm lost!! How do  I do that? I wanted to marry on the soil of my ancestors it was a beautiful traditional wedding. My husband is not yet in the US so what do I do?

Ah, the wonderful Social Security Administration, with their hidden policies and disregard for the 10th Amendment. 

I have been battling them since October, when they denied my name change, based on my Nigerian marriage certificate. SSA claims that their policy regarding Nigeria was developed with input from the State Department, but the State Department changed the name on my U.S. passport, with my Nigerian marriage certificate as proof of name change. 

Currently, I have a discrimination complaint against SSA, as they are violating my due process rights, under the 10th Amendment (the state I am a resident of, does recognize my marriage). 

Bottom line is this...you cannot get a marriage license in the U.S., if you already have a valid foreign marriage. The first question you will be asked, if you even try is..."Are you currently married?" You will tell them "yes" and show the clerk of the court your marriage license, and they will NOT issue you a marriage license in your state...because you don't need one! You are already married. 

If you want to PM me, I can let you know more.

[Mrs Gayomeh 0]

So I ended up having to take my marriage license down to the recorders office have it stamped, scanned, and a bar code sticker affixed to it. For a $35 fee took it along w/receipt for the new clerk to tell me it was already sent out. I was very upset I had receipt it was to be received then a call saying "it wasn't " smdh glad I have it. Thank you all for the feed back still figuring out how to reply

[Kosi Wahala 153]

7 hours ago, Mrs Gayomeh said:

So I ended up having to take my marriage license down to the recorders office have it stamped, scanned, and a bar code sticker affixed to it. For a $35 fee took it along w/receipt for the new clerk to tell me it was already sent out. I was very upset I had receipt it was to be received then a call saying "it wasn't " smdh glad I have it. Thank you all for the feed back still figuring out how to reply

My local SSA office told me to go have my Nigerian marriage certificate recorded, as well. This was after their first denial. I did as I was told, recorded the marriage certificate at the County Recorder's Office, paid for a recorded copy, and took that back to the SSA. The woman who took it, told me all was well, and that I would be able to go to the BMV and change my name on my Indiana driver's license the next day. By that afternoon, I had a call from the local SSA office manager, asking where my Indiana marriage license was - she insisted that once I recorded my Nigerian marriage certificate, the Clerk's office should have issued me an Indiana marriage license. Many phone calls and emails later, between me, SSA, the County Clerk's office, and the State Attorney General - and they all told the SSA office manager that I could not be issued an Indiana marriage license, as I was not married in Indiana, and my Nigerian marriage certificate was recognized as valid. The SSA office manager wrote to my U.S. Senator, telling him that without a "U.S. marriage certificate" they would not change my name. 

Meanwhile, two other federal agencies had no problem changing my name, based upon my Nigerian marriage certificate - the Department of State, on my passport, and the FAA on my Airline Transport Pilot certificate. To date, SSA still refuses to change my name, and that is why I have a discrimination complaint sitting on their Regional Counsel's desk. 

Interestingly enough, if you read this section of the SSA's own policy manual, specifically paragraph B (1), then SSA should look to the State of domicile to determine validity of marriage...yet, here I sit, with SSA disregarding this policy, which also happens to coincide with my State's law...If a marriage is conducted under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it takes place, and it is not done to evade State laws, then the marriage is valid.   https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0200305005

To refuse to recognize a marriage that *is* recognized by the State, is clearly a violation of the Tenth Amendment to the U.S Constitution, which states: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."  Marriage is *not* a power delegated to the United States...it is a power reserved to the States themselves. Further, the Due Process clause says: “No person shall … be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…”  Since there is *no* law prohibiting foreign marriage, it is my opinion that SSA is overstepping their bounds in failing to recognize a valid marriage, and in making unreasonable and impossible demands for presentation of a State marriage certificate. 

 

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

1 hour ago, Kosi Wahala said:

My local SSA office told me to go have my Nigerian marriage certificate recorded, as well. This was after their first denial. I did as I was told, recorded the marriage certificate at the County Recorder's Office, paid for a recorded copy, and took that back to the SSA. The woman who took it, told me all was well, and that I would be able to go to the BMV and change my name on my Indiana driver's license the next day. By that afternoon, I had a call from the local SSA office manager, asking where my Indiana marriage license was - she insisted that once I recorded my Nigerian marriage certificate, the Clerk's office should have issued me an Indiana marriage license. Many phone calls and emails later, between me, SSA, the County Clerk's office, and the State Attorney General - and they all told the SSA office manager that I could not be issued an Indiana marriage license, as I was not married in Indiana, and my Nigerian marriage certificate was recognized as valid. The SSA office manager wrote to my U.S. Senator, telling him that without a "U.S. marriage certificate" they would not change my name. 

Meanwhile, two other federal agencies had no problem changing my name, based upon my Nigerian marriage certificate - the Department of State, on my passport, and the FAA on my Airline Transport Pilot certificate. To date, SSA still refuses to change my name, and that is why I have a discrimination complaint sitting on their Regional Counsel's desk. 

Interestingly enough, if you read this section of the SSA's own policy manual, specifically paragraph B (1), then SSA should look to the State of domicile to determine validity of marriage...yet, here I sit, with SSA disregarding this policy, which also happens to coincide with my State's law...If a marriage is conducted under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it takes place, and it is not done to evade State laws, then the marriage is valid.   https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0200305005

To refuse to recognize a marriage that *is* recognized by the State, is clearly a violation of the Tenth Amendment to the U.S Constitution, which states: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."  Marriage is *not* a power delegated to the United States...it is a power reserved to the States themselves. Further, the Due Process clause says: “No person shall … be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…”  Since there is *no* law prohibiting foreign marriage, it is my opinion that SSA is overstepping their bounds in failing to recognize a valid marriage, and in making unreasonable and impossible demands for presentation of a State marriage certificate. 

 

Wow.. that manager should be fired for gross incompetence... Holy cow

[Kosi Wahala 153]

15 minutes ago, Suss&Camm said:

Wow.. that manager should be fired for gross incompetence... Holy cow

It sounds like Mrs Gayomeh is being told the same thing, by her local SSA office. 

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

3 minutes ago, Kosi Wahala said:

It sounds like Mrs Gayomeh is being told the same thing, by her local SSA office. 

I can understand that it needs to be recorded at the registrars office. But that's where it should have ended for the two of you. I hope she doesn't have to go through the same thing as you. I don't understand the stubbornness of that manager when told by both state and federal that they are wrong.

I am positive you will win.

[Boiler 45,505]

A Marriage Certificate is not like a Drivers License, it does not need to be registered in whichever State you are currently living in.

 

SSN screw up is hardly new.

 

Registering a document does nothing to conform its validity. Just that it has been registered.

[Kosi Wahala 153]

8 minutes ago, Boiler said:

A Marriage Certificate is not like a Drivers License, it does not need to be registered in whichever State you are currently living in.

 

SSN screw up is hardly new.

 

Registering a document does nothing to conform its validity. Just that it has been registered.

Exactly, but tell SSA that. They are demanding that some of us do that, then insist that we should be given a "U.S. marriage certificate," of which there is no such thing. And, once you are already married, you obviously cannot get a marriage certificate from your state of residence, so then SSA uses that to continue to deny a name change. Hence the reason I have a discrimination/civil rights complaint at the SSA's Chicago Regional Counsel's office, right now.

[Boiler 45,505]

Obviously the vast majority of people do not have this issue, my first suggestion would be to try a different office or go back and talk to a different person.

 

Dealing with SS, DMV etc can be frustrating.

[Kosi Wahala 153]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

Obviously the vast majority of people do not have this issue, my first suggestion would be to try a different office or go back and talk to a different person.

 

Dealing with SS, DMV etc can be frustrating.

Once you have done that (three times for me), your file is marked and there is not getting past their stupidity, except by doing what I am doing now with a discrimination/civil rights complaint. My Senator and U.S. Rep. are also involved. 

[Boiler 45,505]

As an aside I think NY allows you to marry the same person more than once.