Are online marriages accepted when filing CR-1?

[Nacafagno 0]

Hello guys,

I am planning on filing a CR-1 visa for my Filipina fiancé later this year. My original plan was to marry her in August or September in the Philippines when I visit again. However, upon further research I see that the marriage process in the Philippines is rather lengthy and complicated. I have been recently informed about online marriage and that the USCIS recognizes them as being valid for CR-1. Specifically through the state of Utah. I am very skeptical about this process as it seems to go to be true. Does anyone have more insight on this? I understand that you can marry online now, but we would still have to wait until we meet again in person before we can file the CR-1. Is this a viable alternative for us instead of marrying in the Philippines? Also if anyone has other suggestions of alternatives we have instead of marrying in Philippines like alternative countries that would be great too.

Thanks!

[Boiler 45,482]

Yes

[top_secret 2,417]

They have now been rather heavily tested and are being accepted by both the US and the Philippines for all purposes. It sounds like you have correct information.  it's a very attractive option. 

[Daphne . 1,852]

Please note that you would still have to see each other after the online marriage before you can file for the CR1. So it would still require travel. Maybe find a country that you can both easily visit and marry there? 

[Nacafagno 0]

5 hours ago, Daphne . said:

Please note that you would still have to see each other after the online marriage before you can file for the CR1. So it would still require travel. Maybe find a country that you can both easily visit and marry there? 

Yes, my plan is to still travel to Philippines in august to fulfill that prerequisite. If however we still decided to marry in the Philippines along with the Utah marriage, would that cause any issues with the CR-1 filing? And would I still need to file a ROM with the Philippine consulate in San Fransisco?

[Daphne . 1,852]

5 hours ago, Nacafagno said:

Yes, my plan is to still travel to Philippines in august to fulfill that prerequisite. If however we still decided to marry in the Philippines along with the Utah marriage, would that cause any issues with the CR-1 filing? And would I still need to file a ROM with the Philippine consulate in San Fransisco?

I will let people with experience with the Philippines chime in, but once you completed the Utah online marriage, you are married and don’t need to marry again in the Philippines though (or did you mean more of a wedding celebration? ). I remember a post from somebody who got married ‘twice’ and that got them in a pickle because they sent in both marriage certificates. 

[top_secret 2,417]

8 hours ago, Nacafagno said:

Yes, my plan is to still travel to Philippines in august to fulfill that prerequisite. If however we still decided to marry in the Philippines along with the Utah marriage, would that cause any issues with the CR-1 filing? And would I still need to file a ROM with the Philippine consulate in San Fransisco?

 

You could have a religious ceremony or a renewal of vows in the Philippines if you want an event to involve family and guests.  You cannot remarry in the Philippines because you would already be married in Utah and a primary legal requirement for marriage in the Philippines is that both parties are not already married.  You also cannot have two marriages and file for a CR-1 visa without legally ending one or the other marriage.  The ROM with the Philippine consulate in San Francisco fulfills all legal requirements in the Philippines just the same a PSA marriage certificate from a marriage there would..

[Vegamanx7 12]

My wife and I did the Utah zoom marriage through Provo. She’s from the Philippines and everything was accepted fine, no issues. We just had our cr1 approved and forwarded to nvc. Her country already processed the report of marriage, so they accept it. The whole thing was easy. I recommend it. 

[Chancy 6,241]

On 5/13/2023 at 2:14 AM, Nacafagno said:

would I still need to file a ROM with the Philippine consulate in San Fransisco?

 

The US embassy in Manila won't require ROM to issue a spouse visa.  BUT, your wife-to-be would need ROM for CFO, and to get a PH passport in her married name (if she wants).

 

[pushbrk 12,877]

Married is married.  Have as many celebrations as you want, but do not marry twice.  You cannot marry in the Philippines without signing a notarized affidavit that you are free to marry.  Once you are legally and lawfully married in Utah county, you would be committing fraud to legally and lawfully marry AGAIN.....ANYWHERE.

[Boiler 45,482]

It certainly used to be that you could have a second marriage in New York, struck me as odd so I checked it and seemed possible.

 

I assume that certainly for anything here the first one and that date apply.

 

I was not able to find out why anybody would want to do this.

[Nacafagno 0]

8 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

The US embassy in Manila won't require ROM to issue a spouse visa.  BUT, your wife-to-be would need ROM for CFO, and to get a PH passport in her married name (if she wants).

 

So this is the part me and my fiancé are confused on. I've heard that the ROM is not required to file a CR-1 but heard it will be required for a CFO. And that she cannot leave the Philippines without the CFO. Is this true? We have no issue with filing a ROM through the consulate in San Fransisco but I've heard recently they are starting to not accept ROM involving an online marriage and even if it was accepted, it would take 6-12 months to officially get the PSA certificate. Obviously, we could file the CR-1 without the PSA certificate right?

[Chancy 6,241]

14 hours ago, Nacafagno said:

I've heard that the ROM is not required to file a CR-1 but heard it will be required for a CFO. And that she cannot leave the Philippines without the CFO. Is this true?

 

Yes.  No CFO certificate/sticker = no boarding the plane out of the PH.  But that comes after getting the spouse visa.  No need to worry about it yet.

 

15 hours ago, Nacafagno said:

we could file the CR-1 without the PSA certificate right?

 

Yes -- if you marry through Utah county, your Utah marriage certificate will be valid for the I-130 petition (after meeting in person during or after the zoom wedding ceremony).  No need for PSA marriage certificate.  PSA ROM will be required for CFO and passport renewal, but you will have more than enough time to get that.

 

[top_secret 2,417]

14 hours ago, Nacafagno said:

So this is the part me and my fiancé are confused on. I've heard that the ROM is not required to file a CR-1 but heard it will be required for a CFO. And that she cannot leave the Philippines without the CFO. Is this true? We have no issue with filing a ROM through the consulate in San Fransisco but I've heard recently they are starting to not accept ROM involving an online marriage and even if it was accepted, it would take 6-12 months to officially get the PSA certificate. Obviously, we could file the CR-1 without the PSA certificate right?

The issue with the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco not accepting ROMs for online marriages was only a temporary suspension while PSA evaluated the legality of such marriages.  They have now resumed accepting ROM's normally and the legality of such marriages in the Philippines was apparently settled once and for all in the process.

 

If one is opposed to filing the ROM or cannot for some reason there are certainly folks who have successfully made it through CFO without it.  But expect to at least get a hard time from CFO on the issue.

 

The timeframe to get a PSA copy of the ROM is probably more like 3 or 4 months now. There were some major backlogs at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco last year that seem to have improved lately.  Once the consulate is done with it, the time for PSA to process it is similar to what they take to process a marriage certificate from a LCRO.  The wait is not really an issue anyways because no matter how slow the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco may be, USCIS is still slower.  So, there is still plenty of time to change a passport or prepare for CFO while a visa petition is processing.  There is no need to have a ROM to file a petition for a CR-1 visa.

[pushbrk 12,877]

5 hours ago, top_secret said:

The issue with the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco not accepting ROMs for online marriages was only a temporary suspension while PSA evaluated the legality of such marriages.  They have now resumed accepting ROM's normally and the legality of such marriages in the Philippines was apparently settled once and for all in the process.

 

If one is opposed to filing the ROM or cannot for some reason there are certainly folks who have successfully made it through CFO without it.  But expect to at least get a hard time from CFO on the issue.

 

The timeframe to get a PSA copy of the ROM is probably more like 3 or 4 months now. There were some major backlogs at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco last year that seem to have improved lately.  Once the consulate is done with it, the time for PSA to process it is similar to what they take to process a marriage certificate from a LCRO.  The wait is not really an issue anyways because no matter how slow the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco may be, USCIS is still slower.  So, there is still plenty of time to change a passport or prepare for CFO while a visa petition is processing.  There is no need to have a ROM to file a petition for a CR-1 visa.

Can't the Pinay just do the ROM in the PHilippines?