Ahmadiyya Muslim Marriage Certificate.

[Lexushim 105]

I am a US Muslim Citizen who belong to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and I am married to my spouse who is also an Ahmadi. In Pakistan, if you are Ahmadi, you can use the Ahmadi issued marriage certificate. However, my husband's documents show that he is a Muslim, and it's a tough procedure to go through the change of documents due to religion/faith-based persecution. Pakistani people do not easily issue the religion-change documents, and they can face jail time due to persecution. What can be done to go the process smoothly? NVC rejected my marriage certificate and Nikkah Nama issued by the Ahmadiyya community.

 

They want the NADRA ISSUED certificate!

This is written on the website:

Marriage Certificates

Available

Fees: Fees vary.

Document Name: For U.S. immigration purposes, Pakistani Muslim applicants must present both an original, signed Nikah Nama (with its English translation) and a NADRA-issued marriage registration certificate. Note that while both documents reflect similar information, each on its own does not constitute sufficient proof of marriage.

Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, and other applicants considered to be non-Muslim must present only a marriage certificate issued by their respective religious authority (i.e. a church or temple), since Union Councils do not uniformly issue NADRA certificates to these groups.

Citizens of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Afghans living in Pakistan must also only present a marriage certificate issued by religious authorities, as Union Councils do not issue NADRA certificates to these groups.

Issuing Authority: Union Councils register Nikah Nama documents for Pakistani Muslim citizens and issue subsequent NADRA marriage certificates.  Marriage certificates for Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, Parsis, and other non-Muslim citizens are issued by their respective sectarian registration authority (i.e. church or temple), (Note: Some Union Councils have begun issuing NADRA marriage certificates to Hindus and Christians, though this process has not yet been standardized. As a result, such NADRA certificates are not required for non-Muslim applicants, per the above.)

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: This varies by location and religion.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: For Muslim applicants registering a Nikah Nama, the Secretary of the local Union Council and the Nikah Registrar constitute the appropriate authorities.

For non-Muslim applicants, priests or other religious leaders are considered appropriate issuing authorities.  

Registration Criteria: For Muslim applicants, the marriage registrar signs and stamps each original Nikah Nama, submitting the first copy to the local Union Council and providing the second and third copies to the bride and groom. The registrar keeps the fourth copy. In theory, the Nikah Registrar should register the marriage within two months, but this does not always occur. Upon registration, the Union Council issues a NADRA marriage certificate.

While there are penal consequences for not registering one’s marriage with the appropriate authorities, a signed Nikah Nama alone still constitutes a valid marriage under Pakistani law, according to the MFLO. For immigration purposes, however, the Nikah must be registered with and a NADRA marriage certificate issued by the Union Council.

Ahmadi, Christian, Hindu, and Parsi marriage certificates are issued by church or temple leaders and are not generally registered with the local Union Council).

Procedure for Obtaining: Muslim applicants can obtain and Urdu-language Nikah Nama from the Nikah Registrar. Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, and other non-Muslim applicants can obtain marriage certificates from their local religious authorities.

Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are available.

Alternate Documents: No alternate documents are available or accepted.

Exceptions: 

Comments: Both the Nikah Nama and NADRA marriage certificate are required for a Muslim marriage to be considered valid for U.S. immigration purposes. 

 

 

 

Any suggestions, ideas what can be done? We are waiting for NVC to accept the document because we told them its written on their website... But, any suggestions and idea. Will be helpful. Thank you.

[Ryan H 3,790]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.