My husband and I were married in Morocco in December 2006 and applied for a CR-1 Visa. He was approved and arrived in NY last week. When we went to the county office to register our marriage, we were told that NYS does not recognize marriages that took place outside the country. This does not make sense to us since his Visa was based on the fact that we ARE married. But, to appease the state, we were going to have a civil ceremony tonight, just for the paperwork but now I wonder if that will in any way affect his visa status in the future. I am thinking maybe we will just 'go through the motions' since my family was not with us in Morocco when we married, and simply not process the paperwork. Any suggestions on this situation???

I didnt have tht problem the court clerk just registered ours and attached a front page form

We got married in Colombia and our marriage is valid anywhere in the US.

Diana

Why do you need to register your marriage???

I had to register ours before i could do a name change with social security

I think you may have asked the wrong question at the clerk's office. Married is married. All States in the USA recognize marriages legalized in any country provided they are between one man and one woman.

You don't need to do anything about registering your foreign marriage with any State agency, New York or any other US State at any time. Just get on with your life and do not do another legal marriage in the USA. Just don't do what you are planning tonight. It would be a travesty.

Because You ARE Already Married.

It's a New York State thing... I just spoke with a county clerk in another part of NY, where the issue of foreign marriages comes up a lot. I need to register our marriage if I want to change my name, and SOME state government agencies (like DMV) will NOT accept a foreign marriage certificate. Many people marry a second time, more of a renewing of vows than anything, just for this very reason. The Justice of the Peace marrying us has 5 business days to file the papers, so that should give me some time to decide if they truly need to be filed or not.

we got married in Mexico and we did not have to register the marriage at all, when I changed my name with Social Security, BMV and the Department of State (Passport) I just had to furnish the Acta De Matrimonio (Marriage Certificate) with the certified translated copy.

I've posted this somewhere else in the forum but I'll say it again.

Any city hall in NY does not recognize any foreign marriages for changing name purposes, DMV, SSN, etc. We got married in Malaysia last July but it isn't valid in NY. What we did was we applied for a marriage license from city hall two weeks ago and had a justice of peace marry us officially in the US (I've returned to Malaysia since). We had no problem with that because we were planning on having a wedding reception in the US anyways. So it was just convenient for us.

This is exactly what I was talking about. Thank you julietom!

You still don't have to marry again. NY recognizes foreign marriages. What was needed was to change the passport and get a Social Security card first. Neither has anything to do with the State of NY. With a passport and Social Security card in married name, a driver license is not a problem. It's only when you go about things backwards that the problem occurs.

The problem IS New York. Where do YOU live??? Did YOU go to try to change your passport and license in NY with a Moroccan marriage certificate?? No? Because *I* DID. The best and easiest way to get a NYS marriage certificate was to have a civil ceremony. If you can call NYS and find any other way to get a NYS Marriage certificate, feel free. I have lived here my entire life (except for when I lived in Morocco) and they DO NOT accept foreign marriage certificates as proof of marriage when you want to change your name. Every state in the US is different, they all have their own laws. NYS will accept that I am married but they will not accept what I have as PROOF of that marriage. I called several different counties within NYS and got the same answer from them all, and they all say this is a problem, that they argue this issue often. If my husband can be here on a Visa from the FEDERAL government and that Visa was based on our marriage in Morocco and our marriage certificate was crucial in this entire process, then NYS SHOULD accept it as proof as weel. But, they don't. I am not going to argue with someone who is not fron NY. I'm glad you didn't have this issue, because none of us should
.

Is this the petitioner's name change we're talking about?

In any event, the State of New York has no jurisdiction over the name in anybody's passport. That's Federal, through the Dept. of State for a USC or through the foreigner's Consulate, not NY State.

The Social Security Administration and US State Department are not subject to the laws of the State of NY, so even if you are the USC petitioner, changing the passport and SS records first would have solved the problem with the State of NY. Like I said, you're doing it backwards.

You an expert, I presume? I am following the procedures as I did the first time I married (to my first husband, 13 years ago)... ie changing my name AFTER I marry with my marriage certificate as proof. I didn't change anything prior to my husband's arrival because I didn't want a name change to interfere or complicate an already difficult Visa process. I spoke with an immigration attorney IN NY and am also following his suggestions.

"The Social Security Administration and US State Department are not subject to the laws of the State of NY, so even if you are the USC petitioner, changing the passport and SS records first would have solved the problem with the State of NY. Like I said, you're doing it backwards." Backwards????????

I take it your first marriage was to another USC, not a foreigner. By backwards, I mean you are approaching the State of New York first instead of last. If you go to the State after the SSA and DOS, they'll accept you new SS card and Passport as evidence your name has changed and you won't have to do a second marriage to a man you're already married to. So, yes, backwards.

You would have had the feds first, State last option with your first marriage too but there was no need that time.

Passport name change info.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/fri/Chang...geName_851.html

SS Card name change information.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10002.html#identity

With a corrected passport and Social Security card, you can get your name changed on your NY driver license without a new marriage to a man you've already married abroad.