Marriage Certificate Rejected by NVC

[showag 52]

Hello all. I am new here and my query is unique. I am a Pakistani citizen who is a Canadian permanent resident living in Canada, and married to a US citizen. Our marriage took place in the US in 2017 but we have been living together in Canada after our marriage. Last year, we decided to move to the US and applied for IR1 immigrant visa and are currently at the NVC stage. We submitted all our documents to NVC on June 4 and today, we got the following response regarding our marriage certificate:

 

Please replace this with an acceptable marriage certificate from a correct issuing authority. Please use our Document Finder at https://nvc.state.gov/find for acceptable documents guidelines.

 

Since we were married in the US, we provided our original marriage certificate issued to us by the local mosque. According to the Civil Documents by Country > Pakistan, a Pakistani- Muslim applicant must provide a NADRA-issued marriage registration certificate which we obviously do not have since the marriage took place in the US. My question is that since we were not married in Pakistan nor do I live there, what would be my appropriate reply to the NVC regarding this? I have a State of Indiana issued marriage license if that will help? I appreciate any advice that can be sent my way. Thanks. 

 

 

[JFH 12,190]

They need the marriage certificate from the state of Indiana, if you married in Indiana. 

[Marieke H 2,519]

I believe a mosque is not a "correct issuing authority". After your marriage, the marriage was recorded at your county (or it should have been). The county courthouse should then be able to provide you a copy of the marriage certificate. 

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

Exactly as mentioned in the previous post: the person solemnizing the marriage must return the original marriage license to the county office to get it recorded; after a few days, the marriage certificate is ready and you can get as many copies as you need. Yours must be there if the officiant followed the right steps. 

That's the ONLY valid certificate if you got married in the US.

Edited June 16, 2020 by Allaboutwaiting

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

A mosque doesn’t issue a marriage certificate as far as I know- it should be the town, county or state.

[showag 52]

11 hours ago, JFH said:

They need the marriage certificate from the state of Indiana, if you married in Indiana. 

 

11 hours ago, Marieke H said:

I believe a mosque is not a "correct issuing authority". After your marriage, the marriage was recorded at your county (or it should have been). The county courthouse should then be able to provide you a copy of the marriage certificate. 

 

10 hours ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

Exactly as mentioned in the previous post: the person solemnizing the marriage must return the original marriage license to the county office to get it recorded; after a few days, the marriage certificate is ready and you can get as many copies as you need. Yours must be there if the officiant followed the right steps. 

That's the ONLY valid certificate if you got married in the US.

 

6 hours ago, Luckycuds said:

A mosque doesn’t issue a marriage certificate as far as I know- it should be the town, county or state.

 

Thank you all for the quick responses. I read somewhere (can't recall where) that specifically said to submit a marriage certificate and not a license while the document I have from the State of Indiana reads marriage license which is why I did not submit it. I should have known better.

 

Thanks again for the help, I will upload the state issued license and write an explanation along.

 

 

[JFH 12,190]

3 minutes ago, showag said:

 

 

 

 

Thank you all for the quick responses. I read somewhere (can't recall where) that specifically said to submit a marriage certificate and not a license while the document I have from the State of Indiana reads marriage license which is why I did not submit it. I should have known better.

 

Thanks again for the help, I will upload the state issued license and write an explanation along.

 

 

Many states use the same document for the license and the certificate. Washington state does, for example. The license is a license until the ceremony has been performed, the officiant has signed and dated the license to confirm a legal ceremony took place and it is returned to the county auditor who then signs and seals it. The same piece of paper is then the marriage certificate. 

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

5 minutes ago, showag said:

Thank you all for the quick responses. I read somewhere (can't recall where) that specifically said to submit a marriage certificate and not a license while the document I have from the State of Indiana reads marriage license which is why I did not submit it. I should have known better.

 

Thanks again for the help, I will upload the state issued license and write an explanation along.

As mentioned in the previous comment, it is marriage certificate just if it has the county clerk's signature and seal and it was already recorded. 

If you received the copy you have on the day of your wedding, it is just the license; if you obtained it after going to the county office a few days/weeks later and paid for a certificate, it is the correct document.

[carmel34 3,639]

Normally a marriage license is only permission to legally marry in the state, it is not the same as a marriage certificate.  A certificate is issued by the county clerk's office, and cannot be done until the marriage license is sent with proof of marriage (religious or civil ceremony) to the county clerk, who records the marriage and issues a certificate.

 

In Indiana, the marriage license is valid for 60 days. This means that you must have the ceremony and the license returned to the county clerk to be recorded within that time. If you don't do this, you will need to reapply and pay another fee for a new marriage license.

 

Copy of Certificate of Marriage
If you need a copy of your official marriage certificate in Indiana, contact the clerk of court in the county where it was issued.

[Timona 4,207]

4 hours ago, showag said:

Thank you all for the quick responses. I read somewhere (can't recall where) that specifically said to submit a marriage certificate and not a license while the document I have from the State of Indiana reads marriage license which is why I did not submit it. I should have known better.

 

Thanks again for the help, I will upload the state issued license and write an explanation along.

Licence becomes a certificate after:

 

1. Marriage, where it is signed by whoever was legalized to officiate your wedding and

2. It is returned by the officiant or by you to the county clerk's office for recording and gets stamped. 

 

Now, look at the paper you have. Does BOTH 1 and 2 apply to it? If yes, then you're good to go. If no, then you have to get the issue resolved. 

Edited June 16, 2020 by Timona

[showag 52]

@Timona @carmel34 @Allaboutwaiting @JFH Thanks for further clarification. We did go to the county clerk's office after a few days of our wedding to record and stamp the license. They sent us the marriage license a week later in the mail. The document we have says 'STATE OF INDIANA Certified Marriage License' notarized with the county court's seal. I believe that's the document I need to upload.

[JFH 12,190]

49 minutes ago, showag said:

@Timona @carmel34 @Allaboutwaiting @JFH Thanks for further clarification. We did go to the county clerk's office after a few days of our wedding to record and stamp the license. They sent us the marriage license a week later in the mail. The document we have says 'STATE OF INDIANA Certified Marriage License' notarized with the county court's seal. I believe that's the document I need to upload.

Yep. That’s the one you need. Good luck with the rest of your visa journey. 

[Amadia 711]

When I got married at the courthouse in West Palm Beach, I was given a certificate of marriage and a certified copy of my marriage certificate.

The wording on my certificate of marriage was along the lines of "This certificate is awarded to.....(our names) on this date at the (courthouse address). It was like a commemorative piece  

However, the marriage certificate had both our names and signatures, the officiant who married us and official courthouse stamp, etc.

The clerk who gave these docs to us told us which one to use as proof of marriage and explained that it was a certified copy since all original docs go to the main courthouse in Tallahassee. 

[showag 52]

Update: So, I  uploaded the correct marriage certificate (as you all mentioned) on June 16 and this morning I received an email from NVC regarding my case becoming Documentarily Qualified. Such a relief.

 

Thank you @JFH @Marieke H @Allaboutwaiting @Luckycuds @carmel34 @Timona and @Amadia for your input and suggestions. You guys have been very helpful.

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

12 minutes ago, showag said:

Update: So, I  uploaded the correct marriage certificate (as you all mentioned) on June 16 and this morning I received an email from NVC regarding my case becoming Documentarily Qualified. Such a relief.

 

Thank you @JFH @Marieke H @Allaboutwaiting @Luckycuds @carmel34 @Timona and @Amadia for your input and suggestions. You guys have been very helpful.

So happy for you. Fortunately it was an easy fix as you already had the right document. 

Good luck on the rest of your journey. 🙌