Filed I-130 for CR-1. Worried about Marriage document.

[S_AL_ 1]

Hi everyone!

I have been reading discussions on this forum. They are very informative. Me and my husband got married in London, UK in November 2007. He has filed I-130 in January 19th 2008 and have not heard from CSC yet. Wondering if our marriage which was a religious ceremony in London where both he and I were on Visitor's visa be valid as an actual marriage by the US government. Anybody out there with a similar case? Also, is the check sent with the petition when cashed a sign as the petition being approved?

Please help!

your replies will be much appreciated.

S.

[trailmix 77]

Hi everyone!

I have been reading discussions on this forum. They are very informative. Me and my husband got married in London, UK in November 2007. He has filed I-130 in January 19th 2008 and have not heard from CSC yet. Wondering if our marriage which was a religious ceremony in London where both he and I were on Visitor's visa be valid as an actual marriage by the US government. Anybody out there with a similar case? Also, is the check sent with the petition when cashed a sign as the petition being approved?

Please help!

your replies will be much appreciated.

S.

Hi,

If you have a UK marriage certificate - yes. And No, the cheque being cashed is not a sign of an approval, it just means they got your application/cheque.

[mateo 0]

If you sent your I-130 to the CSC and did not do Direct Consular Filing in London then you can expect at current processing times to have your case adjudicated around August 2008. Maybe sooner, maybe later.

Get ready for a long wait if so!

M.

[Jamie&Dora 0]

S AL,

I don't want to suprise you, but your check being cleared has only begun a long process. Read many posts here, READ MEMBER TIMELINES. The quickest i have seen these petitions be totally complete is 4.5 months. Many average 6-7 months. I am an a group that is much longer. My "check" was cashed in early May '07 and I still do not have an approval. (251 days). Even after approval, i still face perhaps 4 months of processing with the National Visa Center, then my wife's interview at the Embassy. All i can offer is to read read read this site. Consult an immigration lawyer to identify certain details of your story that may be a problem later.

In the end, if you try to hide anything, you will make your journey a torture. If you are open and honest, things will go better. Oh, and pray for guidance and strength; you will need more of those than you can imagine.

Peace to you,

-jamie

[Lansbury 19]

I notice you are from Pakistan and said you had a religious ceremony I take it it wasn't in a Church of England. In which case if you didn't comply with other requirements you need to know if the person who conducted the marriage is licenced to conduct legal marriages in England.

In short legal marriages I believe can only be conducted in a Anglican church or by a registrar. The following is an extract from http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/marriage...marry/index.asp for people not marrying in an Anglican church or registry office.

"It will also be necessary for both of you to give formal notice of your marriage to the superintendent registrar of the district(s) where you live. A registrar may also need to be booked from the register office in the district where the marriage is to take place in order to register the marriage.

If you have done that then your marriage is legal in England and will be accepted as such by the US.

I used to deal with child abductions and we tripped over the legal marriage problem a lot.

[S_AL_ 1]

Thank you very much trailmix, mateo, Jamie&Dora and Lansbury for your posts. My husband and I are a little more alert now and mentally prepared for what could come next but we really apprecaite your help.

No, the marriage did not take place in the Church of England nor at a registrar's office due to our status as visitors. We are now thinking of all other possibilities to our case.

Thanks a lot again for your help!

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Thank you very much trailmix, mateo, Jamie&Dora and Lansbury for your posts. My husband and I are a little more alert now and mentally prepared for what could come next but we really apprecaite your help.

No, the marriage did not take place in the Church of England nor at a registrar's office due to our status as visitors. We are now thinking of all other possibilities to our case.

Thanks a lot again for your help!

If you do not have a UK marriage certificate then your marriage was not registered with the UK Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, then you are not legally married, so the US will not approve your application...

Kez

[S_AL_ 1]

Thank you very much trailmix, mateo, Jamie&Dora and Lansbury for your posts. My husband and I are a little more alert now and mentally prepared for what could come next but we really apprecaite your help.

No, the marriage did not take place in the Church of England nor at a registrar's office due to our status as visitors. We are now thinking of all other possibilities to our case.

Thanks a lot again for your help!

If you do not have a UK marriage certificate then your marriage was not registered with the UK Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, then you are not legally married, so the US will not approve your application...

Kez

Thanks a lot Kez for that post. We have realised this will not work. Now we would need to get registered somewhere and then apply for the visa. Your help is greatly appreciated.