Spouse visa Dual citizenship questions

[Golden Me 2]

Hello,

 

I'm an Albanian born citizen with dual Albanian and italian citizenship so I have two passports. I live in the UK through the EU settlement scheme. I intend to marry my American fiance in the US and then go back and start the spouse visa process. I'm a woman. 

 

My questions are: 

 

1) Was it an issue or seen as bad by the immigration officer at your interview that you didn't change your civil status to married on your Albanian Birth certificate? (The Albanian birth certificate has a section where it says if you're married, single etc I don't know why but it does.) 

 

2) Was it an issue for you if you presented an Albanian Birth Certificate older than 1 year at the time of the interview? (According to the US government website Albanian documents should be less than 1 year old.) 

 

3) Did you have to go to the  "Zyren e Gjendjes Civile", Office of Vital records, in Albania to  change your last name on your Albanian passport when you married your US husband? Or is it possible to change your last name at the Albanian Embassy in London without going to Albania? ( Italy doesn't allow married women to change their last name so it won't be changed on the Italian passport)

 

 

4) Did you have an issue with your Albanian criminal record being received in time at the US embassy where you had your interview? (Albanian criminal record is directly sent  by the institution that issues it to the US embassy, I can't bring it with me at the interview. But I'll be able to bring the italian criminal record and UK criminal record certificate myself.) 

 

5) Do you think it'd be acceptable if I'd bring the Extract of Birth certificate from italy and the Albanian Birth certificate at the interview? ( When I obtained italian citizenship my birth records from Albania were transcribed into the italian office of vital records and I've been issued one before. The italian birth certificate doesn't contain the civil status so it doesn't say if you're married, single etc.) 

 

I appreciate any answers

 

 

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by Golden Me

[JFH 12,189]

*~*~*country-specific questions moved to Europe sub-forum*~*~*

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

1. If Albania requires you to update your birth certificate when you get married you should do this.. all your documents must be current in status when submitting them to USCIS 

2. If USCIS site says it must be less than a year old.. then that’s the requirement, obtain a new one

3. You should be able to do it at the consulate by providing evidance of marriage 

4. Extracts will not be permitted.. originals must be taken to the interview 

 

looks like you have some document updates etc to get before you consider applying for immigration benefits.. it’s the same for most people.. but if you don’t do it, you’ll just get either rejections or RFI’s which will further slow the process.. 

Edited October 12, 2020 by Duke & Marie

[Golden Me 2]

9 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

1. If Albania requires you to update your birth certificate when you get married you should do this.. all your documents must be current in status when submitting them to USCIS 

2. If USCIS site says it must be less than a year old.. then that’s the requirement, obtain a new one

3. You should be able to do it at the consulate by providing evidance of marriage 

4. Extracts will not be permitted.. originals must be taken to the interview 

 

looks like you have some document updates etc to get before you consider applying for immigration benefits.. it’s the same for most people.. but if you don’t do it, you’ll just get either rejections or RFI’s which will further slow the process.. 

 

I don't think it's mandatory by Albanian law to change the civil status on the Albanian birth certificate but I'm not sure that's why I asked fellow Albanians if they changed it or not. No, I can't change my last name on my Albanian passport at the consulate/embassy. I contacted the Albanian embassy in London and they told me I first needed to go back to Albania and register the marriage there even if I don't live there so I got the answer for that now. They do accept extracts of birth for Italy, I saw it in the US governments website so I just wanted to know if any Albanian citizen with dual italian citizenship has had that experience. As I said in my post Italy doesn't allow married women to take their husband's last name so If I apply to the i-130 with the italian passport I can't change my last name in there and I use the italian passport to travel to the US. So I'm thinking I could just keep my single name on the marriage certificate to avoid issues. 

 

I appreciate your answers but I prefer to hear from someone who has Albanian citizenship so they know what I'm talking about. 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Golden Me

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

5 hours ago, Golden Me said:

 

I don't think it's mandatory by Albanian law to change the civil status on the Albanian birth certificate but I'm not sure that's why I asked fellow Albanians if they changed it or not. No, I can't change my last name on my Albanian passport at the consulate/embassy. I contacted the Albanian embassy in London and they told me I first needed to go back to Albania and register the marriage there even if I don't live there so I got the answer for that now. They do accept extracts of birth for Italy, I saw it in the US governments website so I just wanted to know if any Albanian citizen with dual italian citizenship has had that experience. As I said in my post Italy doesn't allow married women to take their husband's last name so If I apply to the i-130 with the italian passport I can't change my last name in there and I use the italian passport to travel to the US. So I'm thinking I could just keep my single name on the marriage certificate to avoid issues. 

 

I appreciate your answers but I prefer to hear from someone who has Albanian citizenship so they know what I'm talking about. 

Personally I think your over complicating it unnecessarily, I have 3 citizenships... pick one as the primary (usually where born) and process the application listing the other citizenship as an additional one, that way you only have to give the passport number for that country (if you have one) along with a police certificates..
 

additionally, you can change your name at any time post marriage, it doesn’t have to be done immediately so you could process everything in you madden name..and change your name after you got your visa and moved to the US. Leaving the passport update until the next time you travel there.

 

but hey, what do I know, I’m not Albanian 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Duke & Marie

[Golden Me 2]

4 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

Personally I think your over complicating it unnecessarily, I have 3 citizenships... pick one as the primary (usually where born) and process the application listing the other citizenship as an additional one, that way you only have to give the passport number for that country (if you have one) along with a police certificates..
 

additionally, you can change your name at any time post marriage, it doesn’t have to be done immediately so you could process everything in you madden name..and change your name after you got your visa and moved to the US. Leaving the passport update until the next time you travel there.

 

but hey, what do I know, I’m not Albanian 

Yeah you're not Albanian.  My questions about the Albanian birth certificate and the "Zyren e Gjendjes Civile" remain and I don't know the rules concerning those because I left Albania when I was a kid so only an Albanian that lives there would know about these specific things. Each country has different documents and rules. I don't know the rules and documents concerning your 3 countries of citizenship so I wouldn't answer questions about those.

 

Not many fellow Albanians out there lol 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Golden Me