July15

The same thing happened to me, they sent me an RFE about the military certificate which I had included (original, copy and translation). I called them and the person who answered told me it wasnt the one they wanted because it was issued by a different ministry than the one noted for her on the computer (its the only military certificate that is available). I told her that that was it she said she would send it to be reviewed by a supervisor and call in 10 days. I did so and found out it was approved.

call them and talk to someone.

Oh this is good to read....Did you call exctaly 10 days after or did you call earlier? I also got a RFE wanting the original marriage certificate that I had already sent. The certificate doesn't have the stamp with "registrar of marriages" but it has "Sub-registrar" when I called they told me to call in 10days. It happened last Friday 2/24. I don't have another one it is the only certificate I have.

The IRS did did my taxes in there office, so yes they accepted it on February 1, 2012. They told me my wife don't need a ITIN from the IRS unless she has income i need to claim on my taxes.

Again, this was done at the IRS OFFICE here in Texas!

Also, I gave a IRS Stamped copy to my wife to bring to her interview, this will show that i filed as married!

For real?! Wow, that's nice. I didn't claim any income from my spouse but still send it in to the IRS office in Texas to get an ITIN number. Well, I'll see in about 2 more weeks if it has been accepted or not. This is good to know.

So, you didn't submit any paperwork right? Such as your wife's passport (notarized copy.

Yay, grats!

It's been taking NVC about a week or two to review packages.

Thank you.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf

From looking at W-7 form, Q's #6d, I can submit the below of the beneficiary:

1) Birth Certificate = just a regular color copy?

2) USCIS Documentation = Beneficiary's Photo and a copy of I-130 app which was submitted to USCIS?

The W-7 instruction shows that:

1) A Passport (apostille notorized) can be used to verify: Foreign Status and Identity.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw7.pdf

But since this can't be done in my situation, looks like in page 3 of W-7 instruction, I can submit:

1) Civil birth Certificate = is it talking about just a regular color copy?

2) US citizenship and USCIS photo id (but she is not US citizen yet but we do have copy of i-130)id)

What do you think?

thanks !

You can submit the national identification card, the foreigner's voter registration card, birth certificate, school records -if they are from a foreign country. The Photo ID must be notarized. Remember to include at least 2 of these to prove Foreign Status and Identity.

Copies Only.

But if you go to your Local IRS office you take the original documents (ID) for them to see it and that's it. You don't need to get them notarized.

First of all Ms. Divya Rao has summarized some important points in this issue.

Secondly and I really do feel that US citizens marriage to Indian Nationals present a huge challenge due to so many conflicting views and opinions. But the important thing to focus on is this: The US Department of State has stated at this website: http://travel.state....5.html?cid=9215 their view of Indian Marriages under their "Reciprocity" rules. I am pasting the relevant section here below:

Marriage Certificates

Available. The Hindu and Muslim communities do not usually register marriages, however, marriages by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains or Sikhs may be voluntarily registered under the Hindu Marriage Act of l955. This Act does not apply to Muslims, Parsis, Jews or Christians, who may register their marriages under the Special Marriage Act of l954, or the Christian Marriage Act. Marriage certificates for marriages registered under these Acts may be obtained from the offices of Government Registrar of Marriages, which are located in the headquarters of each district. The certificate will be issued by the Registrar only if the bride and groom personally appear before the official and pay the required fee.

A certificate of marriage between Muslims is usually issued by the priest who performed the ceremony. The document is in the Urdu language, and a certified translation is required. Marriages between Christians are usually obtainable from Church records. If the marriage has not been officially registered, then two sworn affidavits giving the names, dates and places of birth of the bride and groom, and the date and place of marriage, as well as the names of the parents of both parties are acceptable. The affidavits must be executed by one of the parents of each party, or if the parents are deceased, by the nearest relative of each party who was present at the wedding.

Note: A document termed as "Marriage Agreement" or "Deed of Marriage" to live as man and wife (under the Registration Act of l908) is not confirmation of a marriage solemnized legally under the Indian Marriage Acts now in force. Such a document does not confer upon the contracting parties' legal marital status under the law.

Myself and my bride, are both Christians and we followed the Church rules to the letter and then also registered the marriage with the District Marriage Registrar and our Church Marriage Certificate was properly registered at the Mantralya and paid the requisite fees and the certificate was duly stamped and the Registrar than countersigned. This is supposed to be the proper procedure for Indian Christian Marriages in the State of Maharashtra.

So my suggestion is that depending on the religious affiliation(s) of the couple, one should first meet the local District Marriage Registrar and get a clear path on a legal marriage in India.

Look at it this way: if NVC has any doubts about a particular marriage they will pick up the phone and call the requisite authorities and get the final word on what is legal.

It is not difficult to have a proper legal marriage in India but the local rules based on religion or lack thereof can cause one a lot of grief.

Good Luck to all and Many Blessings.

Totally right. First I should've read NVC's requirements in order to get the document exactly how NVC wants it. Others have used the same certificate I've sent them. I think they just need to review it again -like Divya Rao said.

What you have is more than enough. Pl get NVC to review that document one more time. In all likelihood, they're confused at best guess.

I have the same document with me too.

Thanks, I called them it will take 10-15 days to review.

Ok so the beneficiary went to get her passport Apostille notorized but they said they won't do it on a copy. They said the will only do on real passport Which does not help at all.

So what is my option now?

1) Beneficiary sends me her passport and i get it notorized at a bank in US?

Downside is that here is a chance of passport getting lost in mails...that would be scary.

How about sending the ID and the Birth Certificate? You can use two forms of ID if you do not have a passport. It will be much easier to get an ID than the Passport. -Check W-7 question 6d or read the w-7 instructions.

Hello,

How long does it take NVC to review a document? They'll be reviewing the marriage certificate again. Thanks.

Greetings,

My wife requested from her job main office an Employment letter, 2 weeks ago, that we needed to be sent to NVC. They informed her that they mailed it to her house, which we have not received until now. Last night, The payroll administrator scan the letter and sent it to her email. Do you guys think it is not gonna be a problem if we send it to NVC? we are gathering documents to send AOS. IV package has already been submitted. Thank you

I Included the scanned copy and when I asked NVC I was told everything was fine. Except my IV package -needed another original marriage certificate.

No, you don't need to register nationally. Pl cross check if you sent them the original/certified copy or if you sent them a photocopy.

Thank you Divya.

Do you know if Government Registrar of Marriages is different from Sub-Regristrar Office? This is what the stamp/seals say "office of sub-registrar" and the city's name. I'm confused if we need to get it from the Gov. Registrar

This means you're very close to a case complete!

As for the wait time between case complete and interview date scheduled, I don't know the times for Nigeria. Timelines are your friend Have some fun and look at fellow Nigerian timelines to get an estimate. That's exactly what I did while waiting for my case complete for Canada. Even made a spreadsheet out of it

Did you get married in the US or India?

In India.

We got the same check list request. The Marriage Certificate. Of course, we sent it with the application... and just last week had to do it again.... Same exact document. We are hoping they like this one!

We are so ''done' with incompetency and being held "captive" by this process

Oh Gosh. But hey have my original. Well, I guess we have to try to get one more.

Hello guys,

I got a checklist from NVC, requesting for my Original Marriage Certificate, it was included in the package. When I called them they say it has to come from the "Government Registrar of Marriages from India" What do they mean? We got it from our state's registrars office. Do we need to register Nationally? I don't know what do they mean. Please help me understand...thank you.

Oh No. I got a checklist from NVC, requesting for my Original Marriage Certificate, it was included in the package. When I called them they say it has to come from the "Government Registrar of Marriages from India" Whaat!? What do they mean? We got it from our state registrar's office. I can't beleive this.

Thank you! You are right! I will talk today with my husband about it... i don´t want pay more money to him, because he did not do things in the right way...And I have to stand behind him asking if he did or called. I'm just tired of this whole process.

Thank you again for take your time to help me God bless you and everybody here

That's what I did. I only hired my lawyer for the the first part (I-130) of the process. He never called USCIS regarding the status of my petition that took 6.5months to approve. I was doing all the calling, his work basically. After my petition was approved and reading the VJ forums, I told him that I didn't need his service anymore. So, I did my AOS and IV packages on my own with the help of VJ members. Thank you guys -you saved a couple hundred dollars

I sent the Originals (in a cover sheet -saying originals) along with Copies with a sticky saying Copies.

If you got both of these one from passport office and one from police, then thats all he needs.

Why is he trying to get passport clearance from Delhi? When you first asked me, I was assuming he did not have a clerance from passport office.

Thanks. I thought he also needs one from the place he currently lives. But if he only needs the PCC from the Police Station then we're good to go. He did get a PCC from the passport office in his state. Phew! Sorry for the confusion, I was stressing too much that he couldn't get one from Delhi that I forgot to mention that he got one from his hometown.

Okay, let me make this clear to you as there seems to be some confusion in this regard.

1. If your Indian passport was issued/renewed within the last six months, then you only need a Passport Clearance Certificate from the Passport Office that issued it.

2. If your Indian passport was issued over six months or earlier, then

a. You need to get a Passport Clearance Certificate from the issuing Passport Office.

b. You need to get a Police Clearance Certificate from the local police station/police stations of all cities you've lived in for over six months since the age of 16.

I'd suggest your husband approaches the Passport Seva Kendra and get his passport renewed if possible with the Delhi address. PSKs are quick in this regard and he should get his passport in a week's time. If not, then he better get the Passport Clearance from the office that issued it plus a Police Clearance from the local police station.

Thank you.

He did get a PCC from the passport office where his passport was issued.

He also got a PCC from the Police Station from his hometown and Delhi (the only 2 cities he has reside).

So, by what you're telling me we got what we needed right? I don't need the PCC from the Passport Office in Delhi since he didn't get his passport from there?

THANK YOU!

huh... NVC just told me that when I called this morning someone supposedly put in a request to have the AOS invoice and DS-3032 generated. They also said it wouldn't go out the same day and that it may go out by the end of the week or even next week (which is what they told me this morning). I guess we'll see what tomorrow and the next day bring.

Wow, you've been waiting for 2 weeks. That's long. Hopefully, you'll get them tomorrow. Good Luck

Original Civil docs: Marriage certificate and Beneficiary's Birth Certificate.

What else? is there other Certificates i'm not remembering?

If Divorce, then that.

NVC do not need the copies but the original. You keep the copies just to read them before the interview day just to get used to how you filled each forms as you could be asking a question that is inside of one of them. The guides here says so. only send orginal at NVC stage

Right, I'll be taking all my copies to the interview in case they're missing something. You do send copies of civil documents (marriage cert, birth certificate, etc) along with the Originals. If you didn't send copies of civil documents just bring them with you to the interview so you can collect your Original Docs.

I heared it is good idea to send originals and with it, copies of the originals.

I would also put sticky notes saying "Originals" on original docs ( Marriage certificate, beneficiary birth cert.).

Also put sticky notes saying "Copies of Originals" on copies docs.

I would think Doing this may get your beneficary better chance at getting Original docs back on the interview day.

I put all my originals in a cover sheet with a note saying "originals" and the copies with a sticky note saying Copies.

oh ok good so i dont have to make copies of the ds-230 and i-864? except for my own records

Yes, that's what I did. I made copies of everything for my own records.

hey i just have a quick question.. with the IV package & the AOS package do i have to included copies of the forms? like send 2 of each of everything?

I only sent copies of Civil Documents (with the Originals of course).

Passport Seva Kendra must have to issue the PCC if he can provide the necessary doc:

Check the doc requirement here: http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/docAdvisor/pccPassport

If his passport address is different than his existing address, then he needs to provide:

#1 - Old passport in original with self-attested photocopy of its first two and last two pages including ECR/Non-ECR page and page of observation (if any).

#2 - Proof of Present Address

It is mentioned on Passport Seva Kendra website. PSK should be easy to deal. Make sure, if he really attempted to get PCC from PSK, but not from local passport office.

Thank you, We'll have to try again. We do need this PCC.

My passport had UP state address, and I got the PCC from Chennai within same day.

US Consulate needs PCC from passport office only. Did he try to get PCC from Passport Seva Kendra? Since they are very friendly to take care of such things.

http://www.passportindia.gov.in

Yes he did -he also printed the information from the US EMBASSY in New Delhi -Where it says Passport Clearance must be from Regional/Local Passport Office and took it with him.