Help! How can I bring an "original" marriage certificate when I was issued a digitally signed certificate?

[9000miles 46]

Hello!

 

My wife and I are approaching our CR-1 interview in India and we were issued a Digitally Signed PDF for our marriage certificate. There is no "original" due to Delhi's e-government scheme (https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/CIR_0141122_Y.pdf). Our marriage certificate is legally valid and has been accepted in India as authentic, but it's just a digitally signed PDF that we print out and carry with us. 

 

I know that the embassy asks for an "original" and photocopy of marriage certificate. What can do we do? Does anybody have experience with digitally signed documents in the Interview and how to proceed?

 

Thanks,

9000miles

[NikLR 13,232]

Is there a way to order a physical marriage certificate? 

[mayaz 0]

Try calling the consulate of india (or the city hall of the city where the marriage took place or equivalent authority) to check if there is a method to acquire a physical copy. 

 

If there isn't due to laws establishing that its only online, my suggestion would be to get the law text and have it translated by a certified translator and bring it along the printed digital marriage certificate and explain the interviewer of this peculiarity with the law to back your explanation. If the Indian government won't issue a physically signed copy, it's not your fault and that should be proof you did your due diligence to get the best documentation possible. 

[payxibka 10,047]

5 hours ago, 9000miles said:

Hello!

 

My wife and I are approaching our CR-1 interview in India and we were issued a Digitally Signed PDF for our marriage certificate. There is no "original" due to Delhi's e-government scheme (https://portal2.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/CIR_0141122_Y.pdf). Our marriage certificate is legally valid and has been accepted in India as authentic, but it's just a digitally signed PDF that we print out and carry with us. 

 

I know that the embassy asks for an "original" and photocopy of marriage certificate. What can do we do? Does anybody have experience with digitally signed documents in the Interview and how to proceed?

 

Thanks,

9000miles

Perfect example of a question that should be asked in the India regional forum 

[9000miles 46]

On 1/13/2020 at 4:49 PM, NikLR said:

Is there a way to order a physical marriage certificate? 

Not for some places in India, they switched to electronic to reduce corruption I think

[9000miles 46]

On 1/13/2020 at 9:28 PM, payxibka said:

Perfect example of a question that should be asked in the India regional forum 

The India regional forum here is not very well visited and hard to get responses in. I ended up finding a telegram group of people in IR1/CR1 for India and that's become the best place online to get India specific information for the time being. The reason I came back here with the question is that digital marriage certificates weren't something the members had experienced. 

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by 9000miles

[9000miles 46]

Somebody actually pinged me in the India telegram group to say they were able to use their (printed) Indian digital marriage certificate in the Interview and were approved. Phew!