Marriage certificate: just "certified" or exemplified?

[Shub 78]

I got married last Saturday and we went to the Register of Wills today to obtain a certified copy. According to the lady there, an exemplified copy is required for CIS purposes, but according to all sources here, that's incorrect.

The certified copy only has the embossed seal of the court house and that same lady's signature (as well as all the data pertaining to us -- names, marriage license number and the name and signature of the reverend who married us. It costs $25.

The exemplified copy has all that, plus a golden seal, plus the seal of some head honcho there who has the title of esquire. It costs $30.

My understanding based on my readings here is that a photocopy of a certified copy is fine for AoS. Can someone please confirm just for my peace of mind?

If yes, that'll be fantastic, because the lady at the Register of Wills was nice enough to give us the certified copy right away, although normally they'd make us wait 5-7 days, meaning I have a certified copy ready to go and am ready to send the package out today or tomorrow once my wife has filled out her I-864.

If not, I need to wait for the exemplified copy and the clerks there weren't sure whether their esquire person would be around to sign my exemplified copies since he's supposed to go on vacation. He might drop by tomorrow, in which case he could do our exemplified copies, but it's stressing me out that we're getting closer and closer to that damned deadline of July 30th.

So anyway, which is it?

Original certified copy?

Photocopy of the certified copy?

Original exemplified copy?

Thank you.

[YuAndDan 153]

USCIS no longer routinely requires submission of original documents or "certified copies." Instead, ordinary legible photocopies of such documents (including naturalization certificates and alien registration cards) will be acceptable for initial filing and approval of petitions and applications.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

If you have the original marriage cert just send a photocopy of that. If they want to see the original they will ask to see it at the AOS interview.

[Shub 78]

Alright, thanks!