Interview instructions asking for petitioner prior marriage divorce AND marriage certificates

[pushbrk 12,228]

10 hours ago, Dan and Akari said:

The problem is that I don’t have a certified copy of the marriage certificate from my previous marriage and I am in Thailand helping my wife prepare everything for her medical, interview, and moving out of our condo. 
 

I believe the courthouse has e-certified documents they can send me via email, but I don’t know if w-certified documents are acceptable. 
 

I asked another member of VJ who was just approved in Thailand if he had to produce this document. 

What somebody else was asked for is not an assurance of what you will or will not be asked for.  Get what you can get, just in case.  If you don't and it is asked for, you will be looking at a month or more delay while you comply and wait through a queue to have it reviewed.

[Dan and Akari 37]

18 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

What somebody else was asked for is not an assurance of what you will or will not be asked for.  Get what you can get, just in case.  If you don't and it is asked for, you will be looking at a month or more delay while you comply and wait through a queue to have it reviewed.

I know. Consequently I rearranged my travel plans so I am not leaving today for Thailand. I will stay in the states until I have the necessary documents. We’ve done this throughout the process and it has paid dividends. I’d rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. 
 

Thanks again for your insight. 

[guyintex 6]

On 4/11/2024 at 3:29 AM, Dan and Akari said:

Received an email with instructions for my wife's interview next month in Bangkok.  I am a bit confused/stressed because the email states:

 

Prior to your interview, you must scan and upload the following documents into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website by accessing the following link: https://ceac.state.gov/IV/Login.aspx

  

Petitioner’s heading 

 

-          All previous marriage and divorce certificate (if any).  

 

I've never been asked for the marriage certificate from my pervious marriage.

In every other document I have read about this process, I am only required to provide a certified copy of my final divorce decree, but reading the above language literally it says "AND".  Even clicking this link https://th.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/packets/ later in the email takes you another link to a document with specific instructions for the Thai embassy and it says:

 

"If you are applying for an IR1, CR1, or F2A visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident and your petitioning spouse was previously married, then you must submit the following documents to prove the current marriage is valid:   ▪ Evidence of the termination of EVERY prior marriage your petitioning spouse has had. This evidence must be an original or certified copy of one of the following documents:  FINAL legal divorce decree, death certificate, or annulment papers."

 

No mention of marriage certificate from prior marriage.

 

SO...is my previous marriage certificate required or is this another example of confusing language?

 

I was the referenced person the OP  noted in this thread. I just got my CR-1 approved in Feb. (Bangkok). I got the same email as the OP and it was the first time anything was mentioned about the petitioner having to submit original or court certified copies of marriage certificates. I never saw this requirement in any of the instructions anywhere. I did not have the time (I was in Thailand at the time) to try to locate my old marriage docs so I pretty much ignored this one-off request. I did of course supply original or certified copies of my divorce. It did not become an issue and was never requested again. I think that it is a poorly crafted email and is not an official requirement per se.