Getting married outside of US during the N400 process

[Sk86 0]

Hello all,

I'm currently in the middle of the N400 application where I just finished the biometric appointment and awaiting a letter for the interview. I'm planning to get married with my fiancee in about a month in our home country (Japan) since all of our family is there. I have read in other posts that it shouldn't technically be an issue to get married during the process of the N400 application if I take my certificate to the interview but could not find any other case if I got married outside of the US. I'm wondering if getting married outside the US will raise a red flag and potentially cause my application to be rejected?  If it may not be a concern, do I just bring an authorized translation of the Japanese marriage certificate?

To give a little background about myself, I've been a green card holder for over 22 years and I have pretty much been raised in the states. I still currently live here but my fiancee currently lives in Japan. I don't have a criminal record as far as I know. I'm also well under the # of days limit outside the US so I don't think I need to be worried about traveling for my marriage... I would greatly appreciate your time if I could get some feedback/past experience regarding my concern. Thank you very much for reading.

[Hypnos 6,579]

This shouldn't be an issue. 

 

Just be sure to bring a certified copy of your marriage certificate, as well as a certified English translation, to your interview. Be sure to tell them the number of days you were outside the US, also. 

[Going through 5,674]

A little tip for you....get TWO certified copies of your marriage certificate, and TWO certified English translations.

 

You never ever know when you might need a second one, or for what...and since you'll already be in Japan, may as well get the 2nd copies now instead of having to send away for them later on down the road and wait a few months....

 

I say this speaking in hindsight of major certified documents I had to collect for various government-related issues and wishing I'd gotten two when I had the opportunity instead of just one...and now catching my tail (as they say) to get it again.

[Sk86 0]

Thank you both for the answers and tips.  I got married last week in Japan and returned to NY this week with 2 copies of both the marriage certificate and "koseki" with me.

 

Now that I am at this stage, two other questions came to mind and am having trouble finding answers.

1a. I've read I can translate the documents myself and get it certified at the consulate of Japan here in NY.  I'm wondering if there is a translation template for this or if I should follow word by word on a blank document? I've found a translation template for marriage but it appears to be meant for some sort of a passport document:  https://jp.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/205/2016/09/acs-acceptance-of-marriage.pdf

1b. Or, I guess should I just hire a certified translator?  The only reason why I considered the above is because the service seems to be quite pricy 

 

2. Do I need to submit my marriage somewhere before the interview to anywhere (such as the OAG) to inform the US that I am now married?

Thank you once again for reading and I greatly appreciate your time to reply to my questions
 

PS.  I am still waiting to receive my interview letter. By next week (September 18), it would be exactly 2 months since the biometrics, which seems like it is taking longer than usual? 

Edited September 12, 2017 by Sk86

[SM & EF 41]

18 hours ago, Sk86 said:

PS.  I am still waiting to receive my interview letter. By next week (September 18), it would be exactly 2 months since the biometrics, which seems like it is taking longer than usual? 

The wait time between biometrics and getting an interview scheduled varies depending on your local office and how busy they are.  That being said, waiting for 2 months after biometrics is not a long time at any local office from what I've been seeing.  Many people are waiting close to a year and sometimes more for an appointment, so hopefully you're not in that group.

 

The best thing to do is look at the progress report forums over the past year to see how long it's taking people from your office to finish the process.  This will be your best way to estimate how long it might take.  

 

Just keep in mind that many locations seem to have slowed down over the past year which means past performance is no indicator of future success. 😎

 

Best wishes for a speedy completion! 

Edited September 13, 2017 by SM & EF

[AK_2014 113]

On 9/12/2017 at 0:31 PM, Sk86 said:

Now that I am at this stage, two other questions came to mind and am having trouble finding answers.

1a. I've read I can translate the documents myself and get it certified at the consulate of Japan here in NY.  I'm wondering if there is a translation template for this or if I should follow word by word on a blank document? I've found a translation template for marriage but it appears to be meant for some sort of a passport document:  https://jp.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/205/2016/09/acs-acceptance-of-marriage.pdf

1b. Or, I guess should I just hire a certified translator?  The only reason why I considered the above is because the service seems to be quite pricy 

Not Japan-specific, but back during the AOS process, my wife just translated the necessary documents (in this case, her birth certificate) herself, following general USCIS translation guidelines (https://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/AFM/HTML/AFM/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-2061/0-0-0-2253.html):

"All documents submitted in support of an application or petition must include complete translation into English. In addition, there must be a certification from the translator indicating that the translation is complete and accurate and attesting to his or her competence as a translator. See 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) ."

 

She didn't follow a specific template; just sort of typed it up on Word so that the words were in approximately the same page on the translation as they were in the original. She officially certified it by putting this certification at the end:

 

Certification by Translator

I, [her full name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and [language name] languages, and that the above document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled [name of document here].

She signed it, dated it, and included her full address.