Counties not issuing Marriage Licences/Ceremonies due to COVID-19

[SJ2020 65]

Hi all, not sure if I am posting in the correct place but I just arrived in the US on Sunday with a K1 visa and me and my fiance were planning on getting our marriage license this week and have a courthouse wedding on the weekend but due to the Corona Virus Scare none of the Southern California/Vegas counties issue them until further notice. I am really worried as I my 90 days started ticking and I hoped to get this done ASAP after my arrival. I was wondering if someone else is in the same situation or have any advice on what we can do?

Thank you very much in advance.

[Lil bear 4,171]

1 minute ago, SJ2020 said:

Hi all, not sure if I am posting in the correct place but I just arrived in the US on Sunday with a K1 visa and me and my fiance were planning on getting our marriage license this week and have a courthouse wedding on the weekend but due to the Corona Virus Scare none of the Southern California/Vegas counties issue them until further notice. I am really worried as I my 90 days started ticking and I hoped to get this done ASAP after my arrival. I was wondering if someone else is in the same situation or have any advice on what we can do?

Thank you very much in advance.

Take a drive to Vegas 

[payxibka 10,045]

1 minute ago, Lil bear said:

Take a drive to Vegas 

Clark county is shut down 

Edited March 19, 2020 by payxibka

[Goshlook 3]

We are in the exact same situation, and also based on Orange County. I spent hours calling numerous county clerk recorder's offices this morning, and was repeatedly told they are NOT issuing marriage licenses. I desperately called Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Luis Obispo counties' offices and many others, and they are all pretty much unable to help. As a previous poster mentioned, Clark County/Las Vegas is also closed down.

 

I also called USCIS customer service and not only did the representative not offer any assistance, but very rudely and impatiently told me "what do you expect us to do" and indicated that it was our problem. When I patiently explained that it was near-impossible to get married at the current moment, and that I was seeking USCIS advice/guidance, I was told they could offer no advice. As we do not expect the situation to improve any time soon and the USCIS seems to be throwing us under the bus, we may have to resort to extreme measures and travel vast distances to find a county that will issue a marriage license -- even as far as Alaska.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Goshlook

[HTMW 378]

1 hour ago, SJ2020 said:

Hi all, not sure if I am posting in the correct place but I just arrived in the US on Sunday with a K1 visa and me and my fiance were planning on getting our marriage license this week and have a courthouse wedding on the weekend but due to the Corona Virus Scare none of the Southern California/Vegas counties issue them until further notice. I am really worried as I my 90 days started ticking and I hoped to get this done ASAP after my arrival. I was wondering if someone else is in the same situation or have any advice on what we can do?

Thank you very much in advance.

You may have to venture in to the central valley for a marriage license - check Kern, Kings, Inyo etc, keep looking up to northern counties and prepare yourself for a road trip. There is bound to be a county that is issuing them. Please be sure to take precautionary health measures for yourself as well.

 

I'm in San Francisco and in the beginning days of the mandatory Shelter in Place - so stay away from Bay Area counties.

 

Good luck to you.

[Ontarkie 14,193]

~~Moved to CV-19 forum, from K1 P&P - as this is about closures due to CV~~

[SJ2020 65]

2 minutes ago, Goshlook said:

We are in the exact same situation, and also based on Orange County. I spent hours calling numerous county clerk recorder's offices this morning, and was repeatedly told they are NOT issuing marriage licenses. I desperately called Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Luis Obispo counties' offices and countless others, and they are all pretty much unable to help. As a previous poster mentioned, Clark County/Las Vegas is also closed down.

nt

I also called USCIS customer service and not only did the representative not offer any assistance, but very rudely and impatiently told me "what do you expect us to do" and indicated that it was our problem. When I patiently explained that it was near-impossible to get married at the current moment, and that I was seeking USCIS advice/guidance, I was told they could offer no advice. As we do not expect the situation to improve any time soon and the USCIS seems to be throwing us under the bus, we may have to resort to extreme measures and travel vast distances to find a county that will issue a marriage license -- even as far as Alaska.

Yes, I have also been trying to find open county clerks even further away but couldn't find anything yet  When do your 90 days expire? Also, please keep me updated if you find a county clerk somewhere!!! I hope everything goes back to normal soon!!

[geowrian 22,337]

9 minutes ago, Goshlook said:

I also called USCIS customer service and not only did the representative not offer any assistance, but very rudely and impatiently told me "what do you expect us to do" and indicated that it was our problem. When I patiently explained that it was near-impossible to get married at the current moment, and that I was seeking USCIS advice/guidance, I was told they could offer no advice. As we do not expect the situation to improve any time soon and the USCIS seems to be throwing us under the bus, we may have to resort to extreme measures and travel vast distances to find a county that will issue a marriage license -- even as far as Alaska.

USCIS service representatives cannot provide legal advice.

It's not a matter of them throwing anybody under the bus. They have not changed anything. They just do not have anything in place to pull you out from the bus that is running everyone off the road.

[JFH 12,189]

The license can be obtained from any county within the state. It doesn’t have to be the county where you intend to marry. If you can get one from any Nevada county, @Loren Y may be able to help with the actual ceremony. 

[Goshlook 3]

14 minutes ago, geowrian said:

USCIS service representatives cannot provide legal advice.

It's not a matter of them throwing anybody under the bus. They have not changed anything. They just do not have anything in place to pull you out from the bus that is running everyone off the road.

Yes please excuse the mis-applied expression. I do not mean to say that the USCIS deliberately put us in this difficult situation.

I guess I was a bit taken aback by the impatient response from the other end when I was merely seeking advice or avenues we haven't though of (much like we are on this forum). The USCIS is obviously not in a position to do anything about the closures themselves.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Goshlook

[HTMW 378]

1 minute ago, SJ2020 said:

Yes, I have also been trying to find open county clerks even further away but couldn't find anything yet  When do your 90 days expire? Also, please keep me updated if you find a county clerk somewhere!!! I hope everything goes back to normal soon!!

We've filed for AOS a couple months ago thankfully - I'm the USC

 

I'm located in SF but am a native of the valley - try Merced, Fresno, Tulare, Stanislaus - just keep calling. This entire state has events unfolding with COVID-19 and their respective websites may not be updated to reflect any closures. I would just call directly to save time - fingers crossed for you. 

[payxibka 10,045]

There is a solution if you can't get married prior to 90 days expiring.   

[little immigrant 801]

If you can't get married within the 90 day period, you can adjust status with an additional I-130. I don't know if that's something y'all want to do. Or go back home (if flights are available) and marry another time and file CR1.

[Daisy.Chain 317]

If you just arrived in the US Sunday, you still have most of 90 days to worry. The offices are going to open again in a few weeks. Dpn't wordy! You are not accruing illegal stay and you have plenty of time.

[Loren Y 2,755]

I can help if needed later, right now everything is shut down here in Las Vegas, but message me and as soon as the clerk's office is open again, I can get you married with certificate in hand in under an hour pretty easily. They are supposed to reopen in like 14 days. The governor wanted 30 days, but I think that's off the table now as the Las Vegas mayor threw a fit when he said 30 days, and I'm pretty sure it will be cut down. We're talking hundreds of thousands of casino employees out of work right now, not a good thing.