Should I amend marriage certificate during USCIS stage? [merged threads]

[pushbrk 12,869]

4 hours ago, Family said:

If you filed w US address and have not severed financial/ residence connections plus you planned so well in returning ahead of time, you won’t have any domicile issues.

 

Your chance to correct her name is on the form. Stick to the English format of First, Middle , Last …as I presume you already have it aligned with the I-130 Receipt Notice and Chinese Passport…

You have lots of time to review that translations for birth certificate are also correct …it’s not a big issue , the no space name variant will become part of a predictable long list of aka’s she will acquire in the West.

Chinese documents for US immigration must be obtained through the Chinese Notarial Office (Gong Zheng Chu) where her Chinese residence is registered.  Other family members carrying the family book can obtain them.

 

Note also that Chinese documents will show the single syllable family name first followed by the given name.

 

Passports and other international travel documents do NOT follow the first, middle, last format.  US Immigration forms don't either.  There are separate spaces for surname or family name, and given name(s).  Check your own passport.

 

For example Xi Jingping is the president of China.  His name is written with three characters.  The first character is transliterated as Xi  The second two characters are transliterated as Jinping.  (His childhood nickname was likely Pingping.) The Chinese do not have middle names.  There are no two syllable surnames and only one OR two syllable given names.  There are no three syllable words in the Chinese language.  Each character represents what equals a "syllable" not a "letter".  When providing a written translation from Chinese, Arabic, Cyrillic etc. it is actually a transliteration, not just a translation.

 

It is very common for a Chinese person to refer to even a close relative by their full name, so the "first" name IS the family name.  Now you know.  Rant over. LOL

 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by pushbrk

[Redro 4,611]

14 hours ago, roughlyworried said:

I just noticed a pretty big mistake I think on our marriage certificate. We already filed the I-130 9 months ago. We had done a Utah virtual marriage, and she was living in China and I was in America. I did it with Webwed, and they told me it was normal for both to be listed at the same location. However, I sadly didn’t confirm with the Utah courthouse and I come to find out they can in fact list other countries. The only problem? They don’t edit marriage certificates older than 2 months! So now this marriage certificate I can’t change and it shows her as being in the United States at the time of marriage. What do I do since they can’t change it? Should I get married here in Thailand with her again with a Chinese marriage certificate? Any help would be appreciated. My stomach just sank to the bottom of the ocean.

We had an error on our marriage certificate regarding address. 

At no time was it an issue. 

USCIS approved the petition- they aren't looking to flag your wife for being in the country without legal status- they just care you are qualified to petition her/the marriage is bonafide. 

NVC accepted our documents. 

The consulate issued my visa. 

I am currently in the US. 

[ilikepotatoes 57]

20 hours ago, roughlyworried said:

I just noticed a pretty big mistake I think on our marriage certificate. We already filed the I-130 9 months ago. We had done a Utah virtual marriage, and she was living in China and I was in America. I did it with Webwed, and they told me it was normal for both to be listed at the same location. However, I sadly didn’t confirm with the Utah courthouse and I come to find out they can in fact list other countries. The only problem? They don’t edit marriage certificates older than 2 months! So now this marriage certificate I can’t change and it shows her as being in the United States at the time of marriage. What do I do since they can’t change it? Should I get married here in Thailand with her again with a Chinese marriage certificate? Any help would be appreciated. My stomach just sank to the bottom of the ocean.

I wouldn’t worry about it. Hubby and I did the Utah County ceremony via zoom last year and they listed our addresses as the same too! They told us it was a non issue….and they were right! Our case was approved, he passed the interview, and we are now ecstatic to finally be living together in the US. Best of luck to you!

[roughlyworried 5]

1 hour ago, ilikepotatoes said:

I wouldn’t worry about it. Hubby and I did the Utah County ceremony via zoom last year and they listed our addresses as the same too! They told us it was a non issue….and they were right! Our case was approved, he passed the interview, and we are now ecstatic to finally be living together in the US. Best of luck to you!

Hi. Thank you for your response! Super helpful to have someone else with a similiar experience. Can I ask did you guys get married while living in different countries? You in United States and him in another country at the time of the ceremony?

[ilikepotatoes 57]

19 minutes ago, roughlyworried said:

Hi. Thank you for your response! Super helpful to have someone else with a similiar experience. Can I ask did you guys get married while living in different countries? You in United States and him in another country at the time of the ceremony?

You’re very welcome! We actually got married while I was visiting him. Couples can still do the ceremony while they are in different countries. However, they do have to make sure to see each other again in person before filing as evidence that the marriage has been consummated. This is an important rule not to forget!

[roughlyworried 5]

4 minutes ago, ilikepotatoes said:

You’re very welcome! We actually got married while I was visiting him. Couples can still do the ceremony while they are in different countries. However, they do have to make sure to see each other again in person before filing as evidence that the marriage has been consummated. This is an important rule not to forget!

Ah yes. I have the evidence and filed with it. I’m just worried because of getting married so soon after meeting online and having not seen each other in person before marriage (I was 18, we were in love, and there were some special circumstances surrounding morality of the nature of relationship it was becoming). I was hoping you guys were not in the same country since that would be more related for my case, but I’m glad you were able to do that nonetheless.

[Jimmyzr1 36]

On 9/20/2022 at 7:18 PM, roughlyworried said:

We were in July of 2020. It was quite new then. I did some digging on VJ, and someone else had the same issue, except they had a way to correct it in 2021. According to my emails with webwed, they were correct in saying we couldn’t use foreign addresses or countries. However, I know there was a way it could be changed based on a post I just saw in VJ by contacting them right after. But that was in 2021 that was posted…a full year later. So I’m wondering if there wasn’t a way for me to legitimately do it. Sadly, I won’t have any proof of this. Either way I’ll seek an amendment. I don’t see how they could truly Deny us beyond an RFE unless they think she was present illegally in the United States OR somehow find us guilty of willful misrepresentation.

 

We married online, through Utah in December as well, I had to travel to Philippines to consummate in March. Our paperwork had me living in the US and her living at her address in the Philippines. We submitted our paperwork after I returned to the US. Utah county never said she couldn’t use her address in the Philippines. Maybe they changed that after you filed.

[roughlyworried 5]

On our Utah marriage certificate, it lists my wife’s location at the time of marriage incorrectly. Long story short, I have the amendment form signed and filled out with both of our signatures and can get it corrected. However our case is currently processing with the USCIS, likely to be finished before the amendment is done. That means during the interview, they will have the un amended marriage certificate. Same with NVC. Would this affect anything if we bring in the amended marriage certificate during the interview? Should I get it amended? 
 

Thanks

[Mike E 11,739]

i would  get it corrected and add the I-130 case as undiluted evidence.  

[dwheels76 5,468]

32 minutes ago, roughlyworried said:

On our Utah marriage certificate, it lists my wife’s location at the time of marriage incorrectly. Long story short, I have the amendment form signed and filled out with both of our signatures and can get it corrected. However our case is currently processing with the USCIS, likely to be finished before the amendment is done. That means during the interview, they will have the un amended marriage certificate. Same with NVC. Would this affect anything if we bring in the amended marriage certificate during the interview? Should I get it amended? 
 

Thanks

So you will have amended marriage certificate for NVC and upload that and if asked at interview you can explain reason to amend.

[roughlyworried 5]

26 minutes ago, Mike E said:

i would  get it corrected and add the I-130 case as undiluted evidence.  

Are you saying to add the amended marriage certificate to the I-130 at USCIS? I don’t have the certificate yet if so. I have the documents to submit to the courthouse, just unsure if I should

 

9 minutes ago, dwheels76 said:

So you will have amended marriage certificate for NVC and upload that and if asked at interview you can explain reason to amend.

I don’t think I would have it in time for the NVC though.That’s why I’m unsure.

[dwheels76 5,468]

6 minutes ago, roughlyworried said:

I don’t think I would have it in time for the NVC though.That’s why I’m unsure.

have you submitted the correct. Regardless when you submit it as long as you have it at interview. Her location really doesn't matter. As long as you submitted proof you met up before you filed. Don;t get hung up on the small stuff. If not ready for NVC stage take to interview.

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, roughlyworried said:

Are you saying to add the amended marriage certificate to the I-130 at USCIS?

Yes 

[roughlyworried 5]

2 hours ago, dwheels76 said:

. Don;t get hung up on the small stuff.

That’s my terribly special talent, or curse. 😅

 

48 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Yes 

Well I don’t have the amended certificate yet. I was talking to them today and it can be done within a month it seems. At that point, the certificate will have the original page, then a second page with amendment on it. That is the full legal document at that point. So if I do it, I can only use that from then on. Which is why I’m debating doing it as I’m not sure if any of the US agencies will even notice or care. 
 

I do, however, have a letter from the county of Utah stating that the marriage was done and is legal. At this point I’m not sure whether to leave it alone or actually do it.

[pushbrk 12,869]

11 minutes ago, roughlyworried said:

That’s my terribly special talent, or curse. 😅

 

Well I don’t have the amended certificate yet. I was talking to them today and it can be done within a month it seems. At that point, the certificate will have the original page, then a second page with amendment on it. That is the full legal document at that point. So if I do it, I can only use that from then on. Which is why I’m debating doing it as I’m not sure if any of the US agencies will even notice or care. 
 

I do, however, have a letter from the county of Utah stating that the marriage was done and is legal. At this point I’m not sure whether to leave it alone or actually do it.

They may or may not care.  What's the actual problem with the original certificate?  Details please.