JamalNTam

Tamzyn,

What you've got is a certified copy. Don't know how to overcome the fact that the stamp won't photocopy. Maybe try playing with the darkness and contrast (if any) adjustments on the copier. Or go to someplace that has a very fancy copier that might be able to bring out an image of the seal.

How did you get a notarized copy of the divorce certificate? What person, of any relevant authority, signed the certificate in the presence of the notary here in the USA?

Yodrak

Thanks for the response. The trouble is that the Tanzanian divorce certificate doesnt have a gold seal. It was stamped with the Tanzaninan government stamp thing - but its an imprint in the paper and doesnt show on the copy (aparentley alot of the countries and courts now use stamps that show up but Tanzania isnt as advanced).

I think im getting confused. What I did was take the original, certified copy of the certificate to a notary in the US - he made a copy of it and then notarized a copy of it confirming that it was an exact copy of the original document. Is that acceptable?

First off I don't think they need a notarized copy, what they require is a decree absolute or fnal decree. I don't know what they givein your country but in the sates ou get it from the court in which you wre divorced. NO gold seal doesn't make much difference. You can shade it with black dust for the copy machine.

I would agre with the prior poster. Who would notorize something without the erson being in front of hm? That is a criminal offense in my state

But its my divorce certificate and i was the one who took it for notarizing. Isnt that legal?

I assume the only one who has the ability to certify a divorce decree would be the Clerk of Court (or its equivalent). What value does notarizing your signature to the document add... I think that is the question.

Tamzyn,

What you've got is a certified copy. Don't know how to overcome the fact that the stamp won't photocopy. Maybe try playing with the darkness and contrast (if any) adjustments on the copier. Or go to someplace that has a very fancy copier that might be able to bring out an image of the seal.

How did you get a notarized copy of the divorce certificate? What person, of any relevant authority, signed the certificate in the presence of the notary here in the USA?

Yodrak

Thanks for the response. The trouble is that the Tanzanian divorce certificate doesnt have a gold seal. It was stamped with the Tanzaninan government stamp thing - but its an imprint in the paper and doesnt show on the copy (aparentley alot of the countries and courts now use stamps that show up but Tanzania isnt as advanced).

First off I don't think they need a notarized copy, what they require is a decree absolute or fnal decree. I don't know what they givein your country but in the sates ou get it from the court in which you wre divorced. NO gold seal doesn't make much difference. You can shade it with black dust for the copy machine.

I would agre with the prior poster. Who would notorize something without the erson being in front of hm? That is a criminal offense in my state

But its my divorce certificate and i was the one who took it for notarizing. Isnt that legal?

Tamzyn,

What you've got is a certified copy. Don't know how to overcome the fact that the stamp won't photocopy. Maybe try playing with the darkness and contrast (if any) adjustments on the copier. Or go to someplace that has a very fancy copier that might be able to bring out an image of the seal.

How did you get a notarized copy of the divorce certificate? What person, of any relevant authority, signed the certificate in the presence of the notary here in the USA?

Yodrak

Thanks for the response. The trouble is that the Tanzanian divorce certificate doesnt have a gold seal. It was stamped with the Tanzaninan government stamp thing - but its an imprint in the paper and doesnt show on the copy (aparentley alot of the countries and courts now use stamps that show up but Tanzania isnt as advanced).

Ok i got the notarized one by going to a notary in AZ. They photocopied the original one and notarized it. Inm guessing that was notarizing it! I really have no idea! lol

Thanks for the response. The trouble is that the Tanzanian divorce certificate doesnt have a gold seal. It was stamped with the Tanzaninan government stamp thing - but its an imprint in the paper and doesnt show on the copy (aparentley alot of the countries and courts now use stamps that show up but Tanzania isnt as advanced).

Hi all! Can someone tell me the difference between a notorized copy of an original divorce certificate and a certified one? Im so worred as it took a long time and a lot of money to get my decree from my ex husband in Tanzania and I just got a copy of that notorized in the states. Now Im seeing people getting RFEs for certified ones! Thanks!

Well we've officially started our K1 journey! We sent our packet off on the 1st Dec and checked online today and the CSC have signed for it - so now I guess we have to start the long waiting period. Thanks everyone who helped us with our many questions!

Just need a lil bit of help on this. Everything seems complicated for our applications! On the part about parents names etc we have a lil confussion. My fiance (USC) father has legally changed both his first and last name from his birth name. Which name do we put on the form? To make matters more complicated, his mother has also changed her last name which actually differs from his dads last name. Do we just put her maiden name or the new name that she uses? Hope this makes sense.

With all the questions and confusion you have had trying to put your documents together I think it is time to find a different fiance'

U know! So complicated ....

Just need a lil bit of help on this. Everything seems complicated for our applications! On the part about parents names etc we have a lil confussion. My fiance (USC) father has legally changed both his first and last name from his birth name. Which name do we put on the form? To make matters more complicated, his mother has also changed her last name which actually differs from his dads last name. Do we just put her maiden name or the new name that she uses? Hope this makes sense.

Really ... Ok so in the section about previous marriage it asked for the ex spouse birthdate. I have truley forgotten! It was over 5 years ago since i saw him! I was only 18 when i got married the 1st time and i was kinda tricked into it - anyway its a long story! Do i really need to put that piece of info? Also on the part 'Applicants last address outside of the US of more than 1 year' Im a uk citizen and have never lived in the states. Is that part just for the USC? If I do have to fill it in - do I just put my current address or the last address I lived in for over a year? Ive moved alot and the last time I lived somewhere for more than a year I moved out at the beginning of 2005. Thanks

Thanks I lied when I said I had one last question!! On the form in the 'year' boxes i put for example 2006 and when i print it it shows with a + sign on top of the last number. I guess its because the whole 4 digits wont fit in the box. How can I get it so all 4 digits fit? or is it ok to send it with the +s? I hope this makes sence

Ok - Im just aboutt done on the form - one last question if its ok regarding the list of previous employment. From Jan 2004 - April 2004 I was volunteering as a teacher in Ecuador. Do i need to put that or just put unemployed? Thanks

When you complete the first page on Adobe the next 3 are automatically completed with the same answers. You each have to sign 4 pages.

They're not exactly the same in the sense that each page goes somewhere differently so you need to sign all 4.

If you have a supplement for one page then you should include it for each page.

Hope this makes sense.

Thanks Its clearer now! lol! So do both people fill one out each? Or just the USC?

A lil confussed about G-325A! I see there are 4 pages to fill in. Does the USC fill all 4 in about themselves? Or does the Alien fiancee fill them all in? or does the USC fill 2 in and the alien the other 2? Sorry if its an obvious question but Im just not sure. Thanks

Well we've filled everything in on the I-129F form but we're a little stuck on the section asking if the alien fiance is currently in the US. I am in the US (alien fiancee) but only on a 90 day visa waiver and i'll be going back to the UK in Feb. I just arrived and we wanted to submit the petition while i was here visiting so that we dont have to wait so long apart from each other. When i entered the US i told the immigration officer i was here to visit my fiance so i wasnt lying and i will be returning on the 14th feb, when my flight is booked. Do i still need to put in the information on my arrival/departure record? Will they think im trying to go against the system if i say im in the states as a visitor? I called USCIS before I went to the states and asked if we could file the petition while i was in the states visiting and they said yea. Does anyone know or anyone have any advise? Im worried now! Thanks

You were silent about this, but if there is any documents being provided as evidence that is not in English will also include a "certified" translation.

The Tanzanian divorce certificate is in English so I dont have to worry about that. Thanks though

O yea and all the photos are dated and our names are written on the back. The dates range from Nov 2005 - Sept 2006

Ok - so we have everything ready for our K1 application and i just wanted to double check with everyone if it all seems ok. We have

-Cover letter

-$170 money order made out to the Department of homeland security

-I-129F form signed and dated

-Letter of how and when we met signed and dates (also explained that we lived together)

-G-325a forms for both me and my fiance

-Passport size photos of both me and my fiance

-Copies of all pages of my fiances US passport

-Letter of intent to marry for both me and my finace both signed and dated

-Copies of US airforce deployment papers showing my fiances permanent change of base to Mildenhall, England with date and the deployment papers showing the new permanent change of base to Davis Monthan, Arizona with date

- A few printed email itineries with both our names on detailing a trip to the states we made together

-A printed itenary for a vacation to Salzburg we had together with both our names

-A few bills dated around the same time with the same address for both of us

-Yet another itineray on a trip to Cyprus we took together with both our names and our address

-2 copies of US airforce base passes dated, signed and with a photo of me on them.

-9 color photos of both me and my fiance together - many of them on trips we took, one in our house, one with both my parents at christmas and one at his military graduation to SSGT

-A few emails dated during the time that my fiance was deployed to Qatar for 4 months.

-A copy of my Tanzanian divorce certificate, notorized, dated and signed.

Is there anything we're missing? Do you think we should send a copy of my fiances military ID for extra ID? Im actually in the states right now in our apartment and Im dreading the day i have to leave and not know when i can return because of the time the visa takes. I want to make things as smooth as possible so the time apart wont be as long and finally we can get back to life like it was before Jamal was stationed back in the US. Your comments would be really appretiated.

Thanks! This is a really dumb question but who do we make the money order out to?

Ok so we're about to send the K1 application off and i just have a small question. Can we send the fee in a money order or does it have to be a personal cheque? Thanks

Thanks everyone He's gone to Davis Monthan in Tucson and the reason we couldnt get married before is because my divorce was pending! the things you do when your young and foolish that make things complicated for you in the future! LOL

Has anyone had any experience with applying for a K1 visa when the non USC has been through a Tanzanian divorce? We will be applying for the K1 visa but the only doubt in my mind is the divorce certificate that I will be sending from my previos marriage (long story) in Tanzania. I'm a UK citizen by the way. Its been very hard to obtain the divorce - bribes being the only way it would seem to get one without me having to actually go to TZ. I havent seen my 'ex husband' for 5 years and i was kinda tricked into it but again - long story. I'm worried that the us will question the divorce. We filled for it on the 4th sept and received the swahili certificate but had to wait 45days (tomoro) for the English version to be released. I have no idea about Tanzanian Law so any info would be helpful.

Well - my baby has finally left the UK after seeing him almost all the time for 2 years and waking up next to him for a year, he's now arrived back in the states ready to start his job at his new base. I guess now I'll be joining everyone here and sitting at home waiting to see their honeys again! We wont start the visa process until mid November but o god i miss him so much already! If only they approved and issued the visas within a month - it would save so many days of just sitting there daydreaming about the one u love ....

Hi guys - I'm a regular in the K1 forum but1st time for AOS! I have a ferw questions about the AOS - how long is the green card valid? Is it 2 years? what happens after that 2 years? I read somewhere that if your US spose is in the US military on active duty then you can apply for citizenship earlier - is this correct? I also have a question regarding greencards and bankruptcy - If i get my greencard and during the time between then and getting a new one (if you need to do this) I declair myself bankrupt in my home country - will this effect my chances of staying in the US with my husband? They wont just turn around and deport me or refuse the new greencard will they? Ok thats it for now - any feedback would be help me alot Thanks

Could you not file bankruptcy before going, perhaps,

Im in a similar situation , total to date £30,000,

do you think they'll find us????...lol

The US is a big place...

ok, I know... morally wrong,

Id seek advice from National Debt Line, in the UK, they can send you

a big advice pack on Bankruptcy free of charge.

Personally, Im not trying not to think about it at the moment, it brings on

a migraine...

Good Luck x

Lol - me too! I just dont want anything to complicate it - plus it would look like i was using the visa to run from my problems in the UK!! I was thinking that saying after I'd been in the states for a while (after getting my greencard) that i just couldn afford the repayments wouldn't seem so bad. I dont know!!

I am not quite sure about your situation, but in my case I (the USC) would probably get a personal loan from my bank in the states to pay off that debt in UK, transferring the debt to the USA. Bankruptcy can affect you for many years.

The trouble is that my fiance the usc doesnt have a good credit rating - also i've been told that bankruptcy on the UK would not effect credit rating in the US. The amount is quite alot - around £20,000 and it would mean having to pay $40,000 loan and we would be paying alot of money a month for the rest of our lives! I guess I dont want my fiance to suffer for the debt that i accumilated from being young and foolish!