Orginal marriage certificate

[Kenny joy 5]

Hello everyone. 

My husband summited our original marriage certificate to the uscis when he filed for our I-130 petition. Please how do we get it back? Will they return it to us on the day of our interview or will a photocopy work in place of the original? Please has anyone gone through this before? 

[Crazy Cat 39,567]

I would try to get a new original.  A copy will not suffice unless it is a certified copy.  The original should not have been sent to USCIS.  Good luck.

[JeanneAdil 6,239]

you will need an original for the interview in Lagos

[Mike E 11,725]

51 minutes ago, Kenny joy said:

Hello everyone. 

My husband summited our original marriage certificate to the uscis when he filed for our I-130 petition. Please how do we get it back? Will they return it to us on the day of our interview or will a photocopy work in place of the original? Please has anyone gone through this before? 

https://www.uscis.gov/g-884

 

”

G-884, Request for the Return of Original Documents

Use this form to request that USCIS return original documents that you submitted to establish eligibility for an immigration benefit.”

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by Mike E

[Dashinka 23,355]

Yep, don’t expect to get it back.  You need to find out how to get more certified copies from wherever you got married.

 

Good Luck!

Just now, Mike E said:

https://www.uscis.gov/g-884
 

 

Does this actually work?

[powerpuff 5,970]

~~ Topic moved from CR1/IR1 Progress Reports to Process~~
 

I would try my chances with G-884 form especially that it’s free. It does have this note in the instructions “NOTE: If you submit original documents when not required or requested by USCIS, your original documents may be
immediately destroyed after we receive them.” so that’s something to keep in mind.
 

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-884instr.pdf
 

In the future and to anyone who’s reading this who is filing any forms with USCIS, never submit originals. They even state in the instructions to submit photocopies only. when USCIS wants you to submit originals they will explicitly ask you to (i.e. when you get an RFE asking you to do so). 

 

 

[Kenny joy 5]

49 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

I would try to get a new original.  A copy will not suffice unless it is a certified copy.  The original should not have been sent to USCIS.  Good luck.

It was a mistake

 

[Kenny joy 5]

17 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

~~ Topic moved from CR1/IR1 Progress Reports to Process~~
 

I would try my chances with G-884 form especially that it’s free. It does have this note in the instructions “NOTE: If you submit original documents when not required or requested by USCIS, your original documents may be
immediately destroyed after we receive them.” so that’s something to keep in mind.
 

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-884instr.pdf
 

In the future and to anyone who’s reading this who is filing any forms with USCIS, never submit originals. They even state in the instructions to submit photocopies only. when USCIS wants you to submit originals they will explicitly ask you to (i.e. when you get an RFE asking you to do so). 

 

 

We've tried the G-884 but didn't get a positive response in getting our document back.

 

30 minutes ago, Mike E said:

https://www.uscis.gov/g-884

 

”

G-884, Request for the Return of Original Documents

Use this form to request that USCIS return original documents that you submitted to establish eligibility for an immigration benefit.”

 

It didn't work. We tried it with no positive response in getting the certificate back

 

[Kenny joy 5]

54 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

I would try to get a new original.  A copy will not suffice unless it is a certified copy.  The original should not have been sent to USCIS.  Good luck.

I will try to get a certified copy from the marriage registry where we got married 

33 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Yep, don’t expect to get it back.  You need to find out how to get more certified copies from wherever you got married.

 

Good Luck!

Does this actually work?

I will try to get a certified copy. Thanks

 

[iwannaplay54 985]

52 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Yep, don’t expect to get it back.  You need to find out how to get more certified copies from wherever you got married.

 

Good Luck!

Does this actually work?

That certificate is as good as gone.

[iwannaplay54 985]

19 minutes ago, Kenny joy said:

I will try to get a certified copy from the marriage registry where we got married 

I will try to get a certified copy. Thanks

 

You must get one because you need that certificate over and over through the different steps of the process.

I wouldn’t even try to get it back from USCIS.

[Kenny joy 5]

2 minutes ago, iwannaplay54 said:

You must get one because you need that certificate over and over through the different steps of the process.

I wouldn’t even try to get it back from USCIS.

I actually called them on Friday to ask if i could get the original copy since i got married there and they keep a record. They said they can only give me a certified copy in replacement of the original. I just pray it will do

 

[iwannaplay54 985]

Just now, Kenny joy said:

I actually called them on Friday to ask if i could get the original copy since i got married there and they keep a record. They said they can only give me a certified copy in replacement of the original. I just pray it will do

 

Certified copy is fine

[Kenny joy 5]

Just now, iwannaplay54 said:

Certified copy is fine

Thank you for your assistance 🙏

[Crazy Cat 39,567]

30 minutes ago, Kenny joy said:

I actually called them on Friday to ask if i could get the original copy since i got married there and they keep a record. They said they can only give me a certified copy in replacement of the original. I just pray it will do

 

A certified copy is an original.