Marriage certificate taking a while to come in. Options?

[uapilot 68]

So in these times of COVID, things are, as usual, unprecedented.

 

My wife and K-2 child entered in mid-April, we got our license on April 29th. No in-person ceremonies were allowed at the Clerk of Courts, so we were married by a pastor on May 1st. All licenses also had to be returned by mail, it could not be done by appointment.

 

We sent our license in the mail via Priority Mail on May 3rd, and it took over a week for that license to travel all of 5 miles (not sure what the heck happened here. It was in some limbo state between facilities for a few days, before arriving there on May 10th.

 

During one of my calls to the Clerks office, they said that getting a certificate takes about 4-12 weeks after receiving the license 😨 and that there are no expedite options (including for the mailing part).

 

We're about 1 month out from when their 90 day period expires, and I'm wondering what to do. I'm willing to wait 1-2 more weeks, but what do we do then if the certificates don't arrive? I have a photocopy of the license, and the marriage record is available online; would they accept instructions on how to search the county records and a printout of the record from online?

 

And a side question: if the certificate comes in on time, do we submit an original certificate? Or would a photocopy work?

[arken 4,197]

You need a copy of the marriage certificate. You can wait past 90 days of K1 entry, marriage is done, so all good.

[Crazy Cat 41,857]

12 minutes ago, uapilot said:

but what do we do then if the certificates don't arrive?

There is nothing you do other than wait.  You do NOT want to file the I-485 without a copy of the marriage certificate.  That could result in an immediate denial.  

 

[K1visaHopeful 2,814]

The instructions state for all USCIS forms (take a read) never original unless the instructions specify (they do not specify for MCs).

Photocopy of original works. Is accepted. Will be approved.

[flicks1998 1,044]

17 hours ago, uapilot said:

 

 

During one of my calls to the Clerks office, they said that getting a certificate takes about 4-12 weeks after receiving the license 😨 and that there are no expedite options (including for the mailing part).

 

 

Wow, crazy timelines.  As soon as I saw ours listed in the Clerks office (which was about 2 days after we were married), I requested a certified copy of the marriage certificate and had that in my mailbox in 2 days.  As others have said, just wait until you receive it before filing the AOS.  You'll have other problems later on if you dont.