divorce certificate

[SE18 2]

I had a topic that got locked, but there was some good advice from a few people. It had to do with getting my divorce decree of 35 years ago which was lost over the years. The topic is here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/613426-uscis-is-giving-me-problems-with-k1/

For instance:

n immigration attorney in Japan who specializes in US immigration might be able to tell you what kind of document is accepted by USCIS and how to get it. Or a family/divorce lawyer in Japan? Although this problem is rare I am sure you are not the first to have this issue. Are you still in touch with your ex-wife? might she have copies of the divorce document.

I contacted every attorney on the Japanese embassy site that supplies names for those on Okinawa.

All 7 declined to take my case.

[SE18 2]

Oh, btw, I cannot locate my ex-wife; Japanese do not have accessible phone records. I'm not even sure if she's still in japan or even still living.

I contacted some Japanese attorneys here in the US but they too declined to help. I think they value privacy a lot there. I haven't been in contact with my ex- since the divorce in 1981

[Georgia16 2,858]

Did you contact the military people that multiple also advised you to do?

[SE18 2]

I contacted the National Military Personnel Records Center (I'm retired so they have my records) but they didn't respond (yet). I think they're backed up with cases. I will try and get an appt with a military attorney at a nearby installation as well. I'm open to all avenues of approach

[Georgia16 2,858]

Then you have to wait until you hear from them.

You problem right now is also you didn't respond right to your RFE you might be lucky and get a new one otherwise they will deny your case and you'll have to file again.

[SE18 2]

Thank. In their RFE, they pointed me to the State's website: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/fees/reciprocity-by-country.html

I didn't really find anything relevant there.

[SE18 2]

Oh, btw, here's the full response regarding the divorce that I sent to USCIS in response to their RFE: I removed everyone's names for privacy concerns. I'm waiting to hear back from USCIS.

A copy of the final divorce decree was lost my be and none exists in Japan, according to xxx, who is a clerk at Naha Family Court, Okinawa, Japan, telephone from the U.S. is 01181-98-855-1000.

According to the Japanese Embassy, https://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-marriagedoc.html

"If one of the partners is a Japanese citizen, marriage documents will only be kept at the city or ward office for one month or one year. They are kept one month if the Japanese partner registers his/her marriage at his/her office of permanent domicile, and one year for other cases. After that, marriage records are forwarded to the nearest Legal Affairs Bureau, where they are kept for 27 years."

After 27 years, the divorce decree no longer exists.

I sent you secondary evidence from my official U.S. Marine Corps Service Record Book showing that I was divorced to xxx, Dec. 14, 1981. The Marine Corps would not have allowed my new wife, xxx (married in 1985), to have received her military ID card without showing proof that I was divorced to xxx.

Furthermore, USCIS would not have allowed me to marry xxx in 1985 without first establishing that I was divorced to xxx. In other words, the only agency that has the divorce paperwork is USCIS, in your files.

[millefleur 5,047]

Wow, sorry to hear this...I too have a Japanese divorce decree but thank the lord I've never lost it.

Had no clue that it actually just disappears after 27 years!!!

Wish you the best of luck with this....what a red tape nightmare.

[Anitafeliz 1,133]

Can you get a new divorce is this an option?

[SE18 2]

I guess the bottom line is hold onto your divorce certs!

I'm taking multiple steps right now:

1. I'm trying to locate the USMC officer who witnessed seeing my divorce decree in 1985 and wrote an entry in my service record book and signed his name to it. He was my executive officer in 1985 while on recruiting duty in Little Rock AR; I'm having trouble locating him. Surely, a statement from him might help.

2. I contacted a Marine Corps base on Okinawa Japan to ask for their help (retiree services)

3. I'm getting ready to send another statement to my congressman

Had it not been for me being in military at the time, probably less than snowball's chance in hell

Anyway, thanks much for input

Also thanks for help on my first post for an assortment of questions regarding money I thought was due me, adjudication, etc etc. I learned lots

If (hopefully) everything processes, I'll be back on the forum to read about the green card journey

[SE18 2]

Some great news. Got approved yesterday so no more problems.

The next steps? Can anyone provide a link within this forum of what I have to do next? I pecked around on the site and wasn't sure where to go for the K1 journey.

Thanks

[Georgia16 2,858]

Some great news. Got approved yesterday so no more problems.

The next steps? Can anyone provide a link within this forum of what I have to do next? I pecked around on the site and wasn't sure where to go for the K1 journey.

Thanks

Congrats!

The you start gathering the financial stuff + I-134 and sen to your fiancé so she can bring it with her to the interview.

The case will be send to NVC now in about 3 weeks you start calling them to get the case number and after that it will be send to the embassy.

You have to do DS-160 both for K-1 and for k-2 they need their own.

Go to the PI forum to see how the embassy does it from there.