acceptable subsitute for marriage certificate? (split topic)

[Godknowsus 28]

Can somebody please help?

 

 I got married on Feb 2019 at a church in India. I couldn't register my marriage at the registrar's office because my husband and I had to return to our work place. My husband and I can't go back to India this year to obtain the marriage certificate due to unavailability of leave from work. (We both have to be physically present to obtain it)

Do you know if notarized affidavits from parents and priest who solemnized the wedding would work instead of marriage certificate.. ? We have the church marriage certificate. 

We can travel to India hopefully end of this year or early next year to get it. But we have already submitted I-130 petition with affidavits, and our wedding pics. 

 

Our previous K-1 visa was denied at embassy level BECAUSE we conducted our wedding at church in India due to a family emergency while K-1 visa was still under process. 

 

Please reply. 

[geowrian 22,337]

4 hours ago, Godknowsus said:

Can somebody please help?

 

 I got married on Feb 2019 at a church in India. I couldn't register my marriage at the registrar's office because my husband and I had to return to our work place. My husband and I can't go back to India this year to obtain the marriage certificate due to unavailability of leave from work. (We both have to be physically present to obtain it)

Do you know if notarized affidavits from parents and priest who solemnized the wedding would work instead of marriage certificate.. ? We have the church marriage certificate. 

We can travel to India hopefully end of this year or early next year to get it. But we have already submitted I-130 petition with affidavits, and our wedding pics. 

 

Our previous K-1 visa was denied at embassy level BECAUSE we conducted our wedding at church in India due to a family emergency while K-1 visa was still under process. 

 

Please reply. 

You need exactly what is stated in the reciprocity table: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/India.html

Quote

Marriage Certificates

Available

Fees:  Varies by authority.

Document Name:  Marriage Certificate.

Issuing Authority: Religious authorities and the offices of the Government Registrar of Marriages, which are located in the headquarters of each district.

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Varies substantially.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: Different for each state and religious authority that conducts the marriage.

Registration Criteria: Prior to 2006, marriages by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs were not required to be registered, but may have been voluntarily registered under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955. As of 2006, it is mandatory to register all marriages. In India, a marriage can either be registered under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 or under the Special Marriage Act of 1954.  For marriages registered at government offices under the Special Marriage Act, the certificate will be issued by the Registrar only if the bride and groom personally appear before the official and pay the required fee. For other marriages that are required to be registered with government authorities under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, registration criteria vary by authority.

Procedure for Obtaining:  Varies for each authority.

Certified Copies Available: There are no certified copies available.

Alternate Documents: See comments section.

Exceptions: None

Comments: Hindu Marriage Act is applicable to Hindus, whereas the Special Marriage Act is applicable to all citizens of India irrespective of their religion. Please note that marriages by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs may be voluntarily registered under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955.

A marriage certificate issued by a Christian church needs to be registered in the office of The Registrar of Marriages.  The registration authority varies from state to state.

If the parties are married in an Islamic religious ceremony, the certificate issued by the religious authority (such as a Nikah Nama contract issued by the mosque, or a marriage certificate issued by the Waqf Board) is sufficient proof of the marriage, and an additional registration with government authorities is not necessary/mandatory. A document known as a “Marriage Agreement” or “Deed of Marriage” to live as man and wife (under the Registration Act of 1908) is not sufficient confirmation of a marriage.  Such a document does not confer legal marital status under the law. The minimum age for a marriage to be legal is 18 for females and 21 for males.

Same-sex marriages are illegal in India.

 

Depending on the religious ceremony, the church marriage certificate may or may not qualify on its own.

[Godknowsus 28]

On 9/10/2019 at 9:05 AM, geowrian said:

You need exactly what is stated in the reciprocity table: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/India.html

 

Depending on the religious ceremony, the church marriage certificate may or may not qualify on its own.

Thank you. I'm planning to get civil Certificate soon.

[Ryan H 3,813]

***Post split from old and unrelated thread; please start your own thread with your own questions instead of hijacking threads started by other members.***