Marriage certifcate lost

[ManuFred 10]

Darn, just gathered some stuff for interview in a month. I'm filing based on marriage and now I found out I can't find the original marriage certificate. I do have certified copies though. My guess is that IO will accept this as substantial evidence. What do you guys think? Should I go through the hassle of getting another one (not even sure if that's possible)?

ManuFred

Edited April 2, 2012 by ManuFred

[Caryh 5,206]

All our copies are certified copies with raised seal. They never give an actual original where I live. The license is signed by everyone, the person performing the marriage sends it in, then you go get certified copies.

[Inky 1,110]

The instructions state to send a copy not an original. You should have no problem with sending a copy.

[ManuFred 10]

The instructions state to send a copy not an original. You should have no problem with sending a copy.

You don't not need to send any originals filing N-400 but the interview letter states to bring the following (I'll type it out for people who are interested in this):

You MUST BRING the following with you to the interview:

* This letter

* Your Alien Registration Card (green card)

* Any Evidence of Selective Service Registration

* Your passport and/or any other documents you used in connection with any entries into the United States

* Those items noted below which are applicable to you:

If applying for NATURALIZATION AS THE SPOUSE of a United States Citizen;

* Your marriage certificate

* Proof of death or divorce for each prior marriage of yourself or spouse

* Your spouse's birth or naturalization certificate of certificate of citizenship

If applying for NATURALIZATION as a member of the United States Army Forces;

* Your discharge certificate or form DD 214

If copies were submitted as evidence with your N-400 application, the originals of those documents should be brought to the interview.

[Bodza 0]

Darn, just gathered some stuff for interview in a month. I'm filing based on marriage and now I found out I can't find the original marriage certificate. I do have certified copies though. My guess is that IO will accept this as substantial evidence. What do you guys think? Should I go through the hassle of getting another one (not even sure if that's possible)?

ManuFred

I had a similar problem. I submitted my application with the copy of a certified copy I obtained in July 2011 which I couldn't find the week before my interview (March 2012) ... So I went to the courthouse, requested a new certified copy and presented that one during the interview. They didn't question why it was from a different date. It was valid and original, showing my current marital status.

I hope that it won't be a problem for you either. Or that you find the original in the month ahead

Edited April 2, 2012 by Bodza

[mari&Ryan 93]

All our copies are certified copies with raised seal. They never give an actual original where I live. The license is signed by everyone, the person performing the marriage sends it in, then you go get certified copies.

I agree with this post.

County Clerk's office keeps official records of marriages that occur in each county. So, Certificate copy is what they issue not an original. Don't know in other cities but here in Chicago you can get as many certificate copies as you want anytime. Also, you're able to get it on the spot if you request it in person. But again, It might be different in others cities.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

You can bet the farm that the I.O. will not want to see your marriage certificate. He knows that you got married, when you got married, where you got married, and to whom you got married, because you got a Green Card based on it. All he wants to know is if you are still married, and that is not something your marriage certificate would reveal.

[NickD 202]

Certified copies are history in the state of Wisconsin, and any copy of a marriage certificate can carry a $10,000 fine with it. Took no gamble and sent in an original, plus brought in another original in for the interview that had to be shown. Not only that, but our divorce papers, original from our previous marriages.

This may depend upon your IO, USCIS, sure wouldn't bet my farm on this. But one would think with everything we had to go through with the USCIS during the AOS and ROC stages, would think they would accept that green card as proof of marriage.

Is away around this, just wait another couple of years before applying. Can also skip that ton of evidence they want that your are living, buying, paying bills together stuff. Go way overboard in my opinion and experience on this marriage thing.

As a Wisconsin resident, could have been fined another $10,000.00 if we applied for a marriage license anywhere else except the county we live in. So not only USCIS rules, but state rules as well.

[ManuFred 10]

You can bet the farm that the I.O. will not want to see your marriage certificate. He knows that you got married, when you got married, where you got married, and to whom you got married, because you got a Green Card based on it. All he wants to know is if you are still married, and that is not something your marriage certificate would reveal.

That was my thought too. The only thing it might reveal is that USCIS made a mistake in the past in some cases. My case is not one of them.

[Matt & Bing 56]

Certified copies are history in the state of Wisconsin, and any copy of a marriage certificate can carry a $10,000 fine with it. Took no gamble and sent in an original, plus brought in another original in for the interview that had to be shown. Not only that, but our divorce papers, original from our previous marriages.

What does "Certified copies are history in the state of Wisconsin, and any copy of a marriage certificate can carry a $10,000 fine with it" mean? You can be fined $10,000 for what?

And how do you have more than one original? In most states, a certifeid copy is exactly the same (legally) as the original. Seems strange that WI would not have a process for issuing a certified copy of a marriage license or a birth certificate or a death certificate.

[NickD 202]

Charged us $8.00 for the first one, $5.00 for each additional one, everyone looks identical. Says right on our marriage certificate, will be fined $10,000 if you make a copy of it. As we also wanted to register our marriage in my wife's home country, we needed additional certificates for that and an apostile, but that only cost two bucks extra. All have their seal on it.

[ManuFred 10]

Charged us $8.00 for the first one, $5.00 for each additional one, everyone looks identical. Says right on our marriage certificate, will be fined $10,000 if you make a copy of it. As we also wanted to register our marriage in my wife's home country, we needed additional certificates for that and an apostile, but that only cost two bucks extra. All have their seal on it.

Exactly, they don't want you to make a copy. They themselves issue you as many as you want them too. The 10.000 dollar fine is just warning people not to do anything fraudulent with the certificate. I'm pretty sure nobody is gonna prosecute you for sending a copy to USCIS upon their request.

O that reminds me that a naturalization certificate states a similar thing but USCIS doesn't seem to mind receiving copies at all.

Edited April 3, 2012 by ManuFred

[arvinb 17]

Charged us $8.00 for the first one, $5.00 for each additional one, everyone looks identical. Says right on our marriage certificate, will be fined $10,000 if you make a copy of it. As we also wanted to register our marriage in my wife's home country, we needed additional certificates for that and an apostile, but that only cost two bucks extra. All have their seal on it.

I'm pretty sure that's the definition of a certified copy... aka a copy made after the original was issued, that has all the real seals and signatures of the original... a photocopy is not a certified copy, and not what people are referring to when they say certified copy.

[NickD 202]

Our register of deeds use to do that, bring in any document and a dollar, she would copy and file it, if you ever lost it. If lost, she would make a copy from her file, stamp it with her seal and sign it, was suppose to be just as good as the original. Did take in my wife's and stepdaughter's foreign birth certificates in after so many years. They don't do that anymore and haven't done this for years I was told. This would be a certified copy.

This led to a net search on this subject, from what I found, certified copies no longer exist in this country. Can you find such a thing as a certified copy? And one that is acceptable to agencies like the DOS? All government agencies we dealt with, want to see the original. But this is just experience, not fact.

[ManuFred 10]

I'm pretty sure that's the definition of a certified copy... aka a copy made after the original was issued, that has all the real seals and signatures of the original... a photocopy is not a certified copy, and not what people are referring to when they say certified copy.

Indeed. A certified copy is ussualy made by the institution that issued you the original certifcate and has this institutions' certification it's an true copy of the original.