How Many Marriage Certificate Copies Should I Request?

[JakeChi 0]

I'm a US citizen getting married soon in the country Georgia with my fiancé who is a citizen of Uzbekistan. We plan to start the CR-1 application process shortly after that, and I wanted to know how many copies of the marriage certificate you would recommend we request from the Georgian Public Service Hall? A single translated copy with an apostille costs around $50, and each additional certified copy costs another $10. We'll be leaving Georgia after the wedding, so we don't want to have to come back here just for the purpose of issuing additional copies in the future.

 

More context: I'm still learning about the CR-1 process but I know there are a lot of stages (USCIS, NVC, Embassy Interview) and I imagine that once we arrive in the United States we might be asked to present marriage certificates for various other bureaucratic purposes too (bank accounts, insurance, etc.) I just don't know if the tendency among the authorities in the US is to take the original certified copy and keep it for themselves, if they usually return it after verifying it's authenticity, or if they typically just accept photocopies.

[powerpuff 6,697]

It’s a personal choice, I’d say 5 (?) should be sufficient. Various institutions here (banks, DMV) ask to present an original at an appointment, after which they give it back to you. Even when I submitted documents for my adjustment of status to USCIS, I only submitted a photocopy. When I went to the interview with my husband, the IO asked for an original after which it was given back to me at the end of the interview. The only place I had to give away my original certified copy was when I had to renew my passport at the embassy of my country in the US and wanted to change my last name.
 

Have you considered Utah Zoom marriage? Many, many members here have used that option. That way you will have access to certified copies any time at a lower cost and you don’t ever have to be worried about translating it since it’s an official US marriage certificate.
 

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by powerpuff

[Vickys_Mom 225]

You want one official copy.  Mine was issued in the United States.  The paper is colored and the county clerk's office (local official) used an embossed stamp that left an imprint of the county seal.

 

I don't think you need more than one official copy.  You can make photocopies of the official copy.  You can also scan the official copy (black and white or color) for email or online submissions.

 

You keep the official copy in your possession at all times.  (Mine is in a safe deposit box at my bank.)  When you send paperwork to USCIS you send them a photocopy or a scanned copy.  You bring the original with you to any in-person interviews.

 

Regards,

Vicky's Mom

[Mike E 11,739]

I would get 10 snd keep sone copies with trusted associates. Georgia is s future war zone, and you might be able to get more.

[Verrou 1,962]

i always told people get 3 especially if there's discrepancy on the name. let say the name on the passport is maiden name, while the rest of the document will be in marriage name. u always want to carry when u travel overseas.

 

i only have 1, just because i didnt know at that time i need to have backup. but i didnt change my name either

Edited April 19, 2023 by Misscloud

[Redro 4,611]

If possible, I would get married via UTAH and do the Zoom marriage. 
This way if anything happens you’ll be able to secure additional marriage certificates after you move to the US… 

We ordered 5 copies and haven’t had to submit any to any institutions… they generally photocopy the official copy and return it to me… 

[JakeChi 0]

21 hours ago, powerpuff said:

It’s a personal choice, I’d say 5 (?) should be sufficient. Various institutions here (banks, DMV) ask to present an original at an appointment, after which they give it back to you. Even when I submitted documents for my adjustment of status to USCIS, I only submitted a photocopy. When I went to the interview with my husband, the IO asked for an original after which it was given back to me at the end of the interview. The only place I had to give away my original certified copy was when I had to renew my passport at the embassy of my country in the US and wanted to change my last name.
 

Have you considered Utah Zoom marriage? Many, many members here have used that option. That way you will have access to certified copies any time at a lower cost and you don’t ever have to be worried about translating it since it’s an official US marriage certificate.
 

 

Thanks for the detailed reply! Yes we thought about the Utah marriage at first, but after consulting with a couple of immigration lawyers none of them seemed too enthused about the idea and they said they didn't have much firsthand experience with it because of how new it is. We're probably going to get married in Georgia in any case (we're already in the region and have made plans around that) but I'm just curious for future reference - do you know people who already went through the entire CR-1 process and arrived in the US successfully off the basis of a Utah Zoom marriage? Also, does Kazakhstan recognize the Utah Zoom marriage? From our cursory check it seemed like Uzbekistan might not recognize it as valid, and so we thought that might create difficulties for me/us obtaining visas to visit family in Uzbekistan in the future.

[Verrou 1,962]

@JakeChi u can check here : https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Kazakhstan.html 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Uzbekistan.html

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Georgia.html

 

scroll down to marriage certificate. they put in detail which marriage certificate is consider valid by their country. im not sure which country u want to apply the spouse visa so please click the right country if the link that i gave u are wrong

 

u have to make sure that the marriage is valid and legal in the eye of the country that u are going to get married to, make sure that 2 foreigner can legally marry over there. does ur future spouse is resident of georgia ? or both of u just fly to get married there but none of u live there.

Edited April 20, 2023 by Misscloud

[OldUser 6,633]

The more the better 😊

3-10 sounds like a good option to ensure you'll have plenty for the rest of your life.

 

[JakeChi 0]

On 4/20/2023 at 4:55 PM, Misscloud said:

@JakeChi u can check here : https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Kazakhstan.html 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Uzbekistan.html

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Georgia.html

 

scroll down to marriage certificate. they put in detail which marriage certificate is consider valid by their country. im not sure which country u want to apply the spouse visa so please click the right country if the link that i gave u are wrong

 

u have to make sure that the marriage is valid and legal in the eye of the country that u are going to get married to, make sure that 2 foreigner can legally marry over there. does ur future spouse is resident of georgia ? or both of u just fly to get married there but none of u live there.

 

Yes, Georgia allows any two foreigners to get married in the country (though they don't allow same-sex marriage.) They don't need to have residency here, they just both have to be in the country on a legal basis. A regular tourist visa or even just an entry stamp in the passport (for people who come from countries with visa-free entry privileges) are sufficient proof of being in the country legally.