Just pondering

[andersensr68 0]

Hi all

I have a question about what kind of back ground search is done on both of us. My reason is that I got married when I was 17 and devorced before I as 21 I have not seen or heard from my former wife since I was 20 and I do not know what state or city she moved to and filed the divorce papers. I checked her home town with no luck! I could not after a year of searching locate her , so we went ahead and filed hoping that it would not be looked at that closely. If they do ask for it what should I do? Does anyone know what actually happens to our paperwork after it is mailed in?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Hi all

I have a question about what kind of back ground search is done on both of us. My reason is that I got married when I was 17 and devorced before I as 21 I have not seen or heard from my former wife since I was 20 and I do not know what state or city she moved to and filed the divorce papers. I checked her home town with no luck! I could not after a year of searching locate her , so we went ahead and filed hoping that it would not be looked at that closely. If they do ask for it what should I do? Does anyone know what actually happens to our paperwork after it is mailed in?

They will absolutely ask for your divorce papers if you wrote down (as you should) that you were married before. I guess you will have to obtain them somehow, as they are important part of your application.

After your paperwork arrives, it's reviewed and any missing documentation will be required (called a RFE). Hope you can solve this bump, hang in there!

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

They will absolutely ask for your divorce papers if you wrote down (as you should) that you were married before. I guess you will have to obtain them somehow, as they are important part of your application.

After your paperwork arrives, it's reviewed and any missing documentation will be required (called a RFE). Hope you can solve this bump, hang in there!

Yep, just like L&B said..it's a required document.

Best of luck to you.

[chris4gretchen 1]

Do you even know for sure you are divorced? you will have to give them certified copies of your divorce decree. you will be denied if you dont have that. first you will get a RFE for the papers. you also cant file unless you are divorced. so if you happen to only be separated, you will get denied also on those grounds. i think you should try to find her via her family etc and see if she ever filed for divorce from you. that is something major that should have been taken care of before ever filing the I 129 f. i think you just wasted you filing fee unfortunately. you have to get that resolved and quickly. you only have so many days to respond to the RFE when they ask you for the certified divorce decree.

that is more than just a pondering, its a major stumbling block and a garaunteed denial if you dont get those papers. they look closely. every petition has a checklist of papers they must include. if you listed you were married previously, as you should since they will find that out then you have to include that divorce decree.

Chris

Edited November 27, 2007 by chris4gretchen

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Do you even know for sure you are divorced? you will have to give them certified copies of your divorce decree. you will be denied if you dont have that. first you will get a RFE for the papers. you also cant file unless you are divorced. so if you happen to only be separated, you will get denied also on those grounds. i think you should try to find her via her family etc and see if she ever filed for divorce from you. that is something major that should have been taken care of before ever filing the I 129 f. i think you just wasted you filing fee unfortunately. you have to get that resolved and quickly. you only have so many days to respond to the RFE when they ask you for the certified divorce decree.

that is more than just a pondering, its a major stumbling block and a garaunteed denial if you dont get those papers. they look closely. every petition has a checklist of papers they must include. if you listed you were married previously, as you should since they will find that out then you have to include that divorce decree.

Chris

[SHELLYandFCO 0]

Hi all

I have a question about what kind of back ground search is done on both of us. My reason is that I got married when I was 17 and devorced before I as 21 I have not seen or heard from my former wife since I was 20 and I do not know what state or city she moved to and filed the divorce papers. I checked her home town with no luck! I could not after a year of searching locate her , so we went ahead and filed hoping that it would not be looked at that closely. If they do ask for it what should I do? Does anyone know what actually happens to our paperwork after it is mailed in?

I know it varies from state to state, but wouldn't you have been served divorce papers? Maybe you can make an inquiry at the County Clerk or City where you were married. They may be able to provide advise on how to obtain a copy of the divorce decree. If you have been married before and cannot prove that you are free to marry, your case will come to a complete stop until you can provide the documents. If you did not claim to have been married in the past and USCIS finds out, your case will come to a complete stop. Best of luck!

[mox 298]

Marriage is a state thing. No other state has jurisdiction over your marriage except the state you were married in. You have to file for divorce in the city/state/county you were married in. So it should be easy enough to go to the county clerk in the county you were married in and obtain those records. If those records don't exist then you're not divorced.

[Dakine 26]

Marriage is a state thing. No other state has jurisdiction over your marriage except the state you were married in. You have to file for divorce in the city/state/county you were married in. So it should be easy enough to go to the county clerk in the county you were married in and obtain those records. If those records don't exist then you're not divorced.

Never seen where you have to file for divorce in the state you were married in. If that was the case Las Vegas would lose a lot of business.

I was married in California and divorced in Hawaii.

[mox 298]

You're right, I misspoke. You can file in another state if you have residency in that state. The divorce is, however, recorded in the original state/county where the marriage took place. So even if she filed in another state, the original county should still have those records.