Marriage Certificate in the USA Required?

[turbocomppro 3]

Hello all!  So my wife is here in the US after I applied an IR1 for her.  She already has her green card.  I'm curious of our legal marriage status right now.  Do we need to get a marriage certificate to be consider legally married in the US?  If not, how can I proof that we are married?  

[Ryan H 3,834]

12 minutes ago, turbocomppro said:

Do we need to get a marriage certificate to be consider legally married in the US? 

 

No

13 minutes ago, turbocomppro said:

If not, how can I proof that we are married?  

 

Your Chinese marriage certificate.

[turbocomppro 3]

Thank you!  

[Lee & Lei 42]

According to USCIS, "In general, the legal validity of a marriage is determined by the law of the place where the marriage was celebrated (“place-of-celebration rule”). Under this rule, a marriage is valid for immigration purposes in cases where the marriage is valid under the law of the jurisdiction in which it is performed." So basically, if it is considered valid and legally-binding in the place where you got married (China), it is considered legally-binding in the United States.

 

Source: https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume12-PartG-Chapter2.html

Edited August 16, 2017 by knightofdight
additional information

[pushbrk 13,174]

In short, married is married everywhere, unless the marriage is bigamous or polygamous.

 

Hopefully the OP still has a copy of their Notarial Marriage Certificate.   That's all they'll ever need in the US and their marriage books are all they'll ever need in China.