Tennessee marriage license and marriage certificate

[Adventine 3,196]

Hey VJ, I did searches on Google and on the forums to see if this question was already answered, but I still have a tiny shred of doubt, so I'm posting this question.

 

Life happened, my flights back home got cancelled, my country's government seems to have gone completely insane, and my foreign employer says I can't telework from the US. So I'm now married and adjusting status from my B2 visa. I'm putting together our AOS packet and I fully understand that I need a certified copy of our marriage certificate.

 

When we went to get our marriage license at the county clerk's office, the staff explained to us that, in Shelby County, Tennessee, the marriage license and marriage certificate are a single document (sample below), and that this simply needed to be signed, dated and filed by our wedding officiant. It already says Certified Copy (yellow highlight below).

 

The staff explained to us that the document below is what I need as proof of my marriage, for anything immigration related. The Shelby County website indicates the same thing: "Newly married couples should present the Marriage License - Certified Copy as proof of their marriage for legal documents, name changes, etc." I already have the original document with wet ink signature from our wedding officiant. I included scans in our AOS packet.

 

To put my mind 100% at rest, is this document acceptable to send with our AOS packet? It would be such a shame for my AOS package to be rejected if I didn't include the correct document to prove my marriage.

 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

It is acceptable.  As they told you, in some states, the marriage license becomes a marriage certificate when signed  after the ceremony.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Lucky Cat

[Adventine 3,196]

Just now, Lucky Cat said:

It is acceptable.  As they told you, in some states, the marriage license becomes a marriage certificate when signed  after the ceremony.

 

Thanks, @Lucky Cat. I think the anxiety is getting to me. But this makes me feel more at ease.

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

16 minutes ago, Adventine said:

 

Thanks, @Lucky Cat. I think the anxiety is getting to me. But this makes me feel more at ease.

To be safe, it might be a good idea to take the document to the county clerk's office after the marriage to get a stamp (if they do that).

 

 

[Adventine 3,196]

29 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

To be safe, it might be a good idea to take the document to the county clerk's office after the marriage to get a stamp (if they do that).

 

 

I don't think they do, otherwise the staff would have told us to. He only told us that certain tear-off parts of the marriage license/certificate should be mailed back to the county clerk's office, which our officiant did.

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

12 minutes ago, Adventine said:

I don't think they do, otherwise the staff would have told us to. He only told us that certain tear-off parts of the marriage license/certificate should be mailed back to the county clerk's office, which our officiant did.

OK.  Great.  

Edited March 29, 2021 by Lucky Cat

[bklyn24601 17]

1 hour ago, Lucky Cat said:

It is acceptable.  As they told you, in some states, the marriage license becomes a marriage certificate when signed  after the ceremony.

Hi, do you happen to know if a certificate like this Marriage certificate NYC would work?

This is the only thing we have, got married in 2018.

 

[Skyman 321]

2 hours ago, Lucky Cat said:

To be safe, it might be a good idea to take the document to the county clerk's office after the marriage to get a stamp (if they do that).

 

 

Looks like it is. Even some notaries use a rubber stamp instead of a raised seal now.

[Megadreams 81]

7 hours ago, Lucky Cat said:

It is acceptable.  As they told you, in some states, the marriage license becomes a marriage certificate when signed  after the ceremony.

Can confirm. This was the case for us and the entire process went smooth.

[Adventine 3,196]

48 minutes ago, Megadreams said:

Can confirm. This was the case for us and the entire process went smooth.

Thanks a lot!

[Chancy 6,241]

8 hours ago, Adventine said:

I already have the original document with wet ink signature from our wedding officiant. I included scans in our AOS packet.

 

We got married in Louisiana and our marriage license also became our marriage certificate after it was signed and filed.  I don't know how it works in Tennessee, but in Louisiana, the clerk of court kept the original certificate with the wet signatures, photocopied it, rubber stamped and signed the certificate copies, and mailed those stamped copies back to us.  The stamp was on the back of the certificate, so we also submitted a scan of the back when we filed our petition.

 

I suggest you call the county clerk's office and ask if they put a stamp or seal on the certificate.  USCIS might be expecting that stamp or seal.

 

Congratulations on the wedding!

 

[Adventine 3,196]

36 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

We got married in Louisiana and our marriage license also became our marriage certificate after it was signed and filed.  I don't know how it works in Tennessee, but in Louisiana, the clerk of court kept the original certificate with the wet signatures, photocopied it, rubber stamped and signed the certificate copies, and mailed those stamped copies back to us.  The stamp was on the back of the certificate, so we also submitted a scan of the back when we filed our petition.

 

I suggest you call the county clerk's office and ask if they put a stamp or seal on the certificate.  USCIS might be expecting that stamp or seal.

 

Congratulations on the wedding!

 

 

Thanks!

 

In Tennessee, the county clerk gave us the original license/certificates and then the officiant signed it and gave it back to us. There's nothing on the back. So I actually have in my hands the original marriage certificate with wet ink signature. It's already got the stamp, similar to the screenshot in my original post... not sure what other stamp USCIS would look for.

[Villanelle 4,122]

6 minutes ago, Adventine said:

 

Thanks!

 

In Tennessee, the county clerk gave us the original license/certificates and then the officiant signed it and gave it back to us. There's nothing on the back. So I actually have in my hands the original marriage certificate with wet ink signature. It's already got the stamp, similar to the screenshot in my original post... not sure what other stamp USCIS would look for.

You are fine. What they are actually looking for is that is has some kind of seal or stamp from the person at the records office saying that this "information" is shown as/is recorded in their record books. It could be as detailed as saying its shown on page XXX line XXX or a more vague 'this was reported on X date".  Either way the seal verifies the contents as to be an accurate reflection- hence a certified or original copy. 

[Scandi 4,166]

Is that a new requirement that you have to send in a certified copy of the marriage certificate for AOS?

[randy32 165]

Stop stressing. They clerks at the county almost certainly gave you the correct info about your marriage certificate.

 

I think that if you are still in doubt, request for certified copy of your marriage certificate as if you lost the original or just want a additional copy.

 

like my birth certificate, they copy I requested recently was certified and valid like what was give to my parents 30 years ago