Affidavit of Bona Fide Marriage-- Can it be notarized in another country?

[thedude6752000 360]

Hello all,

I will be getting married in just 2 months (ya!) and thereafter applying for the CR-1. Since I and my fiancee do not live together, the only proof we can really show besides the photo-chat-email type is sworn affidavits (not entirely true, we will be opening a joint bank account in India too for me to put a little money in, but that's the best we could do). Three non-Indian friends and one Indian friend of mine will be coming to the wedding, as well as a bunch of her family and friends. My one friend is from Austria, and the other two live in states far from where I live, and my Indian friend and his wife live in India. I want to get their affidavits right after the wedding, but I will not be able to go visit notaries in the US with all of them of course! Will the USCIS and embassy accept documents notarized in a foreign country (India?)? Also, can family members sign? And can people who have never met my fiancee in person sign if they know about our relationship? Thanks!

[himher 634]

We did not actually submit affidavits of Bonafide marriage. We submitted (certified translations+copies of the originals) of our marriage books (equivalent to official marriage certificates) as proof of bonafide marriage.

[speedwell 224]

Documents notarized in a foreign country should be fine. That said, the USCIS will understand that you were just married. We filed just three weeks after our marriage. My husband insisted that we didn't need any extra supporting documentation because he felt it would make it look like our basic documentation wasn't good enough (NO that wasn't correct lol)... we were SO expecting an RFE but to our shock we didn't get one, and we think it was because we had been married for just a few weeks. We DID gather and submit supporting documentation with the NVC step, and that was enough to get a visa approval.

[thedude6752000 360]

Thanks for the responses! I will go to the India forum to find out where we can notarize them. I don't want an RFE, no sir-ee, so we will be gathering all of the documents we need while I am there for the wedding.

[NikLR 13,234]

We sent in two affidavits, one was notarized, from his best friend, and one was not, from my mother. She is a minister though. Since affidavits are low on the evidence scale it's not entirely necessary. But any notarization will be fine. Just remember to keep piling up the evidence to submit with the IV package at the NVC stage.

[thedude6752000 360]

Thanks for the replies! Another question. Can affidavits come from people who have never met the beneficiary in person? My family knows all about my case but they have never had the chance to meet her due to travel costs etc. Can (or should?) they also sign affidavits?

[stevie b 141]

Thanks for the replies! Another question. Can affidavits come from people who have never met the beneficiary in person? My family knows all about my case but they have never had the chance to meet her due to travel costs etc. Can (or should?) they also sign affidavits?

doubtful they would even be looked at

[thedude6752000 360]

doubtful they would even be looked at

Ok, good to know. What about her parents and other family members who know me and have met me?

[stevie b 141]

remember it is about a bona fide marriage

affidavits have little impact

i did include three, one from each witness and one from my USC mother who was there

your best proof is the marriage certificate and presenting solid evidence over time, pictures with captions and dates, boarding passes, etc.. think quality and quantity for your country's embassy

[NikLR 13,234]

Affidavits should be from people who know you two as a couple. Which is why mother (who was our minister at our wedding) and his best friend did ours. They were the people we best felt knew us as a couple, not just "oh they got married."

It's really the least important kind of evidence. We just didn't feel comfortable sending in our emails etc unless it was needed. BUT Canada is a low fraud country and a lot of evidence isn't needed unlike other countries.

[moon_light 0]

You will not be able to open a joint ac in india bcoz ur a US citizen and ur wife an indian citizen....

as long as u have ur marriage certificate and pics u dont need affidavit ..

for interview ur wife can take along the copies of ur chat, txt or email....

they ask for additional proof only if the doubt ur intention of marriage.

[thedude6752000 360]

Another question on evidence: a lot of our emails and chats are in Hindi(is tarah se likhaa huaa). Do we need to translate them? There are tons in English as well...I would say it's about 66%/33% Hindi/English.