Tennessee Marriage Certificate

[Nashvan 133]

For AOS would this count as a marriage certificate or marriage license?

 

Vital Records (TN State Gov) says it is a marriage license while my County Clerk's office says it is a marriage certificate.

[sirvang 18]

Yes, the Marriage Certificate you post will be needed for AOS

 

And remember a Marriage License and Marriage Certificate are TWO different things.

 

Marriage License: Permission/Authorization to get married

Marriage Certificate: Vital record stated that you are married

[Mrsjackson 300]

I can’t tell does it have an auditor’s seal? You’re probably better off just requesting a certified copy from your county licensing department and then you know for sure. Otherwise you might get an RFIE

[arken 4,197]

The title and the content itself proves it’s a marriage certificate. Good to go for AOS.

[WaterLeaf 199]

2 minutes ago, arken said:

The title and the content itself proves it’s a marriage certificate. Good to go for AOS.

Yep!

[Nashvan 133]

1 minute ago, sirvang said:

Yes, the Marriage Certificate you post will be needed for AOS

 

And remember a Marriage License and Marriage Certificate are TWO different things.

 

Marriage License: Permission/Authorization to get married

Marriage Certificate: Vital record stated that you are married

Thank you.

 

1 minute ago, Mrsjackson said:

I can’t tell does it have an auditor’s seal? You’re probably better off just requesting a certified copy from your county licensing department and then you know for sure. Otherwise you might get an RFIE

It has a golden County Clerk seal along with the signature of the Deputy Clerk and County Clerk. I agree, a certified copy is ideal. The problem is that they spelled my name wrong on the certificate above and told me to correct it through Vital Records. I requested an amendment and 3 certified copies from Vital Records but they can't amend my name/issue corrected certificate until they receive our marriage from the CC. I was thinking of perhaps using this in the meantime, risking the RFIE but the timing might not work out.

[Nashvan 133]

3 minutes ago, arken said:

The title and the content itself proves it’s a marriage certificate. Good to go for AOS.

 

1 minute ago, WaterLeaf said:

Yep!

Thank you both.

[Mrsjackson 300]

42 minutes ago, Vans said:

Thank you.

 

It has a golden County Clerk seal along with the signature of the Deputy Clerk and County Clerk. I agree, a certified copy is ideal. The problem is that they spelled my name wrong on the certificate above and told me to correct it through Vital Records. I requested an amendment and 3 certified copies from Vital Records but they can't amend my name/issue corrected certificate until they receive our marriage from the CC. I was thinking of perhaps using this in the meantime, risking the RFIE but the timing might not work out.

Honestly I would probably do just that in your position. It sounds legitimate anyway with the signatures it has, and I wouldn’t delay sending the AOS because of that when it might be perfectly fine. Others may disagree, but an RFIE is not the end of the world by any means. I got one because they wanted a tax transcript. I sent it out the day I got the letter in the mail, and three days later my case status online changed to ‘Response to RFIE Recieved’ and they began working on my case again. I would send the one you have, but I would continue to actively pursue changing your name in the mean time and not just resume it when and if you get the RFIE. That way if you do get one you’ll be ahead and it will minimize any delay time. Good luck.

[K1visaHopeful 2,655]

I was married in TN and our Marriage Certificate looks similar.

TN issues either MCs with affixed seals (which looks like what yours is) or raised seals.

Just make sure that is an affixed seal (like a sticker) and not just ink. If it does, that's your original certified MC and you can photocopy it and submit photocopies with your I485, I765 and I131 forms.

[K1visaHopeful 2,655]

If you have a spelling error the choice is yours though. You could fix it now and wait it out or submit it and get an RFIE. 

I got an RFIE for them losing my MCs entirely and it put me back about 30 days.

[Nashvan 133]

1 hour ago, Mrsjackson said:

Honestly I would probably do just that in your position. It sounds legitimate anyway with the signatures it has, and I wouldn’t delay sending the AOS because of that when it might be perfectly fine. Others may disagree, but an RFIE is not the end of the world by any means. I got one because they wanted a tax transcript. I sent it out the day I got the letter in the mail, and three days later my case status online changed to ‘Response to RFIE Recieved’ and they began working on my case again. I would send the one you have, but I would continue to actively pursue changing your name in the mean time and not just resume it when and if you get the RFIE. That way if you do get one you’ll be ahead and it will minimize any delay time. Good luck.

Thanks for the reassurance. The time it takes it respond to a potential RFIE is what worries me, as you pointed out. I'll continue to check with Vital Records to make sure my name gets amended. They can't do anything right now because they haven't received our file from the CC. It's so confusing because the state and county interpret the above document differently despite the "Marriage Certificate" title.

 

I called the CC's office again and the woman I spoke with managed to correct my name on the certificate and said I can pick it up tomorrow! (Technically it's supposed to go through VR but she said it was an easy fix.) So at least on the county level it's correct and I'll have something to use for AOS in the meantime.

[Nashvan 133]

5 minutes ago, K1visaHopeful said:

I was married in TN and our Marriage Certificate looks similar.

TN issues either MCs with affixed seals (which looks like what yours is) or raised seals.

Just make sure that is an affixed seal (like a sticker) and not just ink. If it does, that's your original certified MC and you can photocopy it and submit photocopies with your I485, I765 and I131 forms.

Thank you, it helps to know that the paper is indeed a marriage certificate. Our certificate does have raised lettering on the seal. Luckily someone managed to help correct my name at the CC's office and I can pick them up tomorrow. It still needs to be amended at the state level but I'm keeping tabs on it.