American moved to the Philippines, procedure questions...

[Kaylara 814]

Ok, I have a friend that moved to the Philippines with her American husband last year. (They've been married well over 20 years and living in the US. Everything was done properly on the US immigration end, just to be clear.) Now they had started the process to have his residency permit over there when they moved back there, but it's a year and it's been dragging on.

She just got a list (I'll be getting a copy of it tomorrow.) of documents that they're requesting. One problem that they're having is getting a copy of their marriage certificate from California. I don't know at this point whether they're just asking for a certified copy or an apostille, but apparently they're having some kinds of issue with getting it because of California's privacy laws.

So my questions are the following:

1. Has anyone here gone through this process already? If so, would you be willing to help me tell her what she needs to do and whom to contact?

2. Does anyone else have experience getting copies of a US marriage certificate for the Philippines from outside of the country?

[Greenbaum 12,260]

Kaylara, on 28 Apr 2014 - 12:09 AM, said:

Ok, I have a friend that moved to the Philippines with her American husband last year. (They've been married well over 20 years and living in the US. Everything was done properly on the US immigration end, just to be clear.) Now they had started the process to have his residency permit over there when they moved back there, but it's a year and it's been dragging on.

She just got a list (I'll be getting a copy of it tomorrow.) of documents that they're requesting. One problem that they're having is getting a copy of their marriage certificate from California. I don't know at this point whether they're just asking for a certified copy or an apostille, but apparently they're having some kinds of issue with getting it because of California's privacy laws.

So my questions are the following:

1. Has anyone here gone through this process already? If so, would you be willing to help me tell her what she needs to do and whom to contact?

2. Does anyone else have experience getting copies of a US marriage certificate for the Philippines from outside of the country?

More information here on procedure to secure a marriage certificate from California. http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/pages/certifiedcopiesofmarriageanddivorcerecords.aspx

[Kaylara 814]

Yeah, the problem that we're having is that she's already in the Philippines, and can't go to California to pick up a new copy of her marriage certificate. Apparently California has some weird privacy laws. (Am I reading that correctly, btw?)

[Hank_ 9,174]

I know it is 20 years ago, but did they report their marriage through the Philippines consulate back then? If yes, it may be possible a copy is on record at NSO.

[Greenbaum 12,260]

Yeah, the problem that we're having is that she's already in the Philippines, and can't go to California to pick up a new copy of her marriage certificate. Apparently California has some weird privacy laws. (Am I reading that correctly, btw?)

There are two ways to get the certificate, as outlined on the website I linked in my earlier post, if you are in the Philippines and can't physically retrieve it yourself.

1. Do you have a child, grandparent, grandchild, brother or sister, spouse, or domestic partner of the registrant living in California that can get the copy for you?
2. Or, appoint rights in a power of attorney to a friend who lives in California.

I know it is 20 years ago, but did they report their marriage through the Philippines consulate back then? If yes, it may be possible a copy is on record at NSO.

I was thinking the same thing Hank_

[milimelo 4,581]

Vital records could also be obtained via vital record services. I think my husband used vital check dot something to get his birth certificate that needed to be apostilled before being sent to Bosnia. Didn't take too long. Google for the vital check plus your state of interest.