isis375

Hey y'all. When I went to visit my SO for the "consummation" part of the marriage (i.e., the in person visit after marriage but before filing), I left him two physical certified copies of the marriage certificate. One was for the interview, the other to register the marriage in his country which is optional (and requires apostille). 
 
As mentioned in my original post of how the process went for me, I highly recommend ordering extras immediately after the wedding to be on the safe side. I can't say that they would definitely turn you away with the digital copy, but as with all things immigration, why risk a denial with something so easy to fix.
 
I totally understand the hesitation on the mail part because my SO is from Costa Rica and not only do things often not show up, they don't even have standardized addresses. For example, addresses are more like "100 meters west of the school in so and so town". What I've found helpful for really important things mailing there that may be possible depending on your country is mailing directly to the post office for pickup by the person. 

Hey y'all. When I went to visit my SO for the "consummation" part of the marriage (i.e., the in person visit after marriage but before filing), I left him two physical certified copies of the marriage certificate. One was for the interview, the other to register the marriage in his country which is optional (and requires apostille). 
 
As mentioned in my original post of how the process went for me, I highly recommend ordering extras immediately after the wedding to be on the safe side. I can't say that they would definitely turn you away with the digital copy, but as with all things immigration, why risk a denial with something so easy to fix.
 
I totally understand the hesitation on the mail part because my SO is from Costa Rica and not only do things often not show up, they don't even have standardized addresses. For example, addresses are more like "100 meters west of the school in so and so town". What I've found helpful for really important things mailing there that may be possible depending on your country is mailing directly to the post office for pickup by the person. 

At the very least, marriages must be consummated for USCIS to accept them as valid, so you cannot file the I-130 until you've been with each other physically after the marriage. Period. No shortcutting it. 

I originally contemplated using WebWed to get married but after researching extensively, it was much easier, more straightforward, and 90% cheaper to go directly through the Utah Couty Clerk. It's the same jurisdiction WebWed uses and you can do it by yourself. YES, it is completely legal and legitimately recognized across the US and therefore anywhere in the world that registers marriages that occur in the US. NO, your marriage certificate will NOT mention anything about online and will look like any regular marriage certificate. YES, you still have to be in person at some point following the marriage to meet the consummation requirements of USCIS, but that doesn't sound like a problem for you. Don't feel like you're required to explain to all of these people here why you've personally decided that getting married online through the US (Utah). It sounds like you have thought it over and it fits your situation.

Here are instructions based on what I did in September: 
 
Apply for marriage license here :
http://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/ClerkAud/Marriage.html
  You'll need you Driver's License for the US citizen and a government ID or Passport for the foreigner as well as each a selfie that is clear, similar to passport photos.
Please carefully read the instructions before applying. You will need to put the county clerk's address as the mailing address for the non citizen during this part.
You'll complete the application and pay $70 or $50 if you complete the free Marriage Counseling they offer.
You'll get emailed the marriage license, and if you followed the instructions on the site which tells you to put the Utah County clerk's office as the mailing address for the foreigner , you will then forward the marriage license email back to them asking them to correct the address to the foreigner's actual address. Then you'll receive an updated marriage license.
Once you have the license, you go here :
http://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/ClerkAud/MarrCeremony.html
  You will schedule the ceremony as web conference. You'll need the marriage license number, the link on the email they sent you, and the names of two witnesses that will appear for the ceremony. You will get a link you can send to as many friends and family as you want to join the Zoom meeting during the ceremony.
24 hours before your ceremony, you'll get a reminder email with a portal to pay the ceremony fee of $35.
During the ceremony, the clerk will send your marriage license in and within 5 minutes, you'll receive an email with a digital certified marriage certificate that you can use for name changes or any other official business in the USA. You'll have a paper copy mailed to the citizen's address.
Additionally, for registering my marriage in the other country, i went and ordered two more paper copies while i was at it so i can mail one back to Utah to get an apostille.
Edit to add what my digital certificate looks like :
https://imgur.com/a/IYAqpma

Received 1/13. NOA dated and card processed 1/18. Received NOA in mail today with 36 month extension. No emails/texts as of yet.

Thank you! 

I am in Louisiana, neither of us were present in Utah, nor together, nor with the officiant physically. The marriage certificate and the marriage itself is legally considered to have occured in Utah. 

When they asked where he was married, he answered that it was online due to COVID and explained to the officer . I had been worried about answering this way, but he says the officer was just curious about it, not judgmental and did not have any follow up questions to the answer. 

If you or anyone else has further questions, please ask! That's why I am sharing this, because I don't know of any of successes with online marriage yet!

I originally contemplated using WebWed to get married but after researching extensively, it was much easier, more straightforward, and 90% cheaper to go directly through the Utah Couty Clerk. It's the same jurisdiction WebWed uses and you can do it by yourself. YES, it is completely legal and legitimately recognized across the US and therefore anywhere in the world that registers marriages that occur in the US. NO, your marriage certificate will NOT mention anything about online and will look like any regular marriage certificate. YES, you still have to be in person at some point following the marriage to meet the consummation requirements of USCIS, but that doesn't sound like a problem for you. Don't feel like you're required to explain to all of these people here why you've personally decided that getting married online through the US (Utah). It sounds like you have thought it over and it fits your situation.

Here are instructions based on what I did in September: 
 
Apply for marriage license here :
http://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/ClerkAud/Marriage.html
  You'll need you Driver's License for the US citizen and a government ID or Passport for the foreigner as well as each a selfie that is clear, similar to passport photos.
Please carefully read the instructions before applying. You will need to put the county clerk's address as the mailing address for the non citizen during this part.
You'll complete the application and pay $70 or $50 if you complete the free Marriage Counseling they offer.
You'll get emailed the marriage license, and if you followed the instructions on the site which tells you to put the Utah County clerk's office as the mailing address for the foreigner , you will then forward the marriage license email back to them asking them to correct the address to the foreigner's actual address. Then you'll receive an updated marriage license.
Once you have the license, you go here :
http://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/ClerkAud/MarrCeremony.html
  You will schedule the ceremony as web conference. You'll need the marriage license number, the link on the email they sent you, and the names of two witnesses that will appear for the ceremony. You will get a link you can send to as many friends and family as you want to join the Zoom meeting during the ceremony.
24 hours before your ceremony, you'll get a reminder email with a portal to pay the ceremony fee of $35.
During the ceremony, the clerk will send your marriage license in and within 5 minutes, you'll receive an email with a digital certified marriage certificate that you can use for name changes or any other official business in the USA. You'll have a paper copy mailed to the citizen's address.
Additionally, for registering my marriage in the other country, i went and ordered two more paper copies while i was at it so i can mail one back to Utah to get an apostille.
Edit to add what my digital certificate looks like :
https://imgur.com/a/IYAqpma

CR-1 Visa Approved!  Zoom Ceremony.
 
My husband and I married through Utah Online marriage ceremony in September 2020. I visited him in Costa Rica in October 2020 and filed for the CR-1. Our I-130 was approved January 29, 2021. We were DQ in the NVC on February 16, 2021 and received our interview date on February 24th.
 
My husband passed his interview this morning and now we await his passport and POE in the coming weeks.

CR-1 Visa Approved!  Zoom Ceremony.
 
My husband and I married through Utah Online marriage ceremony in September 2020. I visited him in Costa Rica in October 2020 and filed for the CR-1. Our I-130 was approved January 29, 2021. We were DQ in the NVC on February 16, 2021 and received our interview date on February 24th.
 
My husband passed his interview this morning and now we await his passport and POE in the coming weeks.

We met playing ARK Survival Evolved on the PC in 2018, started dating and being on Skype 12~ hours a day. I visited Sept 2019 for three weeks in Costa Rica. We became engaged Feb 2020. We married September 2020, and I visited for three more weeks in quarantine with him in October 2020. 

And he has been here in the US with me since March 25 this year, and it's been wonderful. 

Update: hubby made it through POE and I pick him up from the airport in an hour!

UPDATE: The passport is already ready for pickup! He will get it tomorrow and will buy the plane ticket for next week! OMG

CR-1 Visa Approved!  Zoom Ceremony.
 
My husband and I married through Utah Online marriage ceremony in September 2020. I visited him in Costa Rica in October 2020 and filed for the CR-1. Our I-130 was approved January 29, 2021. We were DQ in the NVC on February 16, 2021 and received our interview date on February 24th.
 
My husband passed his interview this morning and now we await his passport and POE in the coming weeks.

No problem! The alure of WebWed is certainly there, when you don't think there are any other options for your situation, but the price of basically $1000 is just ridiculous when you realize you can do the manwork yourself for basically $100 total. Good luck with your situation! And sure, you can PM me anytime. 

I originally contemplated using WebWed to get married but after researching extensively, it was much easier, more straightforward, and 90% cheaper to go directly through the Utah Couty Clerk. It's the same jurisdiction WebWed uses and you can do it by yourself. YES, it is completely legal and legitimately recognized across the US and therefore anywhere in the world that registers marriages that occur in the US. NO, your marriage certificate will NOT mention anything about online and will look like any regular marriage certificate. YES, you still have to be in person at some point following the marriage to meet the consummation requirements of USCIS, but that doesn't sound like a problem for you. Don't feel like you're required to explain to all of these people here why you've personally decided that getting married online through the US (Utah). It sounds like you have thought it over and it fits your situation.

Here are instructions based on what I did in September: 
 
Apply for marriage license here :
http://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/ClerkAud/Marriage.html
  You'll need you Driver's License for the US citizen and a government ID or Passport for the foreigner as well as each a selfie that is clear, similar to passport photos.
Please carefully read the instructions before applying. You will need to put the county clerk's address as the mailing address for the non citizen during this part.
You'll complete the application and pay $70 or $50 if you complete the free Marriage Counseling they offer.
You'll get emailed the marriage license, and if you followed the instructions on the site which tells you to put the Utah County clerk's office as the mailing address for the foreigner , you will then forward the marriage license email back to them asking them to correct the address to the foreigner's actual address. Then you'll receive an updated marriage license.
Once you have the license, you go here :
http://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/ClerkAud/MarrCeremony.html
  You will schedule the ceremony as web conference. You'll need the marriage license number, the link on the email they sent you, and the names of two witnesses that will appear for the ceremony. You will get a link you can send to as many friends and family as you want to join the Zoom meeting during the ceremony.
24 hours before your ceremony, you'll get a reminder email with a portal to pay the ceremony fee of $35.
During the ceremony, the clerk will send your marriage license in and within 5 minutes, you'll receive an email with a digital certified marriage certificate that you can use for name changes or any other official business in the USA. You'll have a paper copy mailed to the citizen's address.
Additionally, for registering my marriage in the other country, i went and ordered two more paper copies while i was at it so i can mail one back to Utah to get an apostille.
Edit to add what my digital certificate looks like :
https://imgur.com/a/IYAqpma

Also, for foreign purposes, you may need an apostille, like I did, to have the marriage registered in other countries. It sounds like your country may not recognize same sex marriages so unless you end up needing this anyway, I guess this is for other people looking at this post. To get an apostille, I would (and did) order an extra certified copy of the marriage certificate the night of the wedding. To get an apostille (of any document) you need to send the document to the state government office of the state in which the document was created. For the marriage certificate, this would be Utah and the information for obtaining one can be found here: https://authentications.utah.gov/process-from-home-page/

I personally think the process is pretty straightforward especially with the guides they have here. I did everything myself. Some people swear on using an attorney. I guess you'll have to weigh the pros and cons. 

That's not entirely accurate. I met him a year before we married. I've seen him in person a total of twice for three weeks each time. In regards to the post you made about your own spousal visa, good luck, but PLEASE make sure you DO NOT file the CR-1 application (the I-130) UNTIL AFTER you have met with him. As with myself, I did not file until I was with him physically for two weeks after marrying online. 

I personally think the process is pretty straightforward especially with the guides they have here. I did everything myself. Some people swear on using an attorney. I guess you'll have to weigh the pros and cons. 

CR-1 Visa Approved!  Zoom Ceremony.
 
My husband and I married through Utah Online marriage ceremony in September 2020. I visited him in Costa Rica in October 2020 and filed for the CR-1. Our I-130 was approved January 29, 2021. We were DQ in the NVC on February 16, 2021 and received our interview date on February 24th.
 
My husband passed his interview this morning and now we await his passport and POE in the coming weeks.

UPDATE: The passport is already ready for pickup! He will get it tomorrow and will buy the plane ticket for next week! OMG

CR-1 Visa Approved!  Zoom Ceremony.
 
My husband and I married through Utah Online marriage ceremony in September 2020. I visited him in Costa Rica in October 2020 and filed for the CR-1. Our I-130 was approved January 29, 2021. We were DQ in the NVC on February 16, 2021 and received our interview date on February 24th.
 
My husband passed his interview this morning and now we await his passport and POE in the coming weeks.

CR-1 Visa Approved!  Zoom Ceremony.
 
My husband and I married through Utah Online marriage ceremony in September 2020. I visited him in Costa Rica in October 2020 and filed for the CR-1. Our I-130 was approved January 29, 2021. We were DQ in the NVC on February 16, 2021 and received our interview date on February 24th.
 
My husband passed his interview this morning and now we await his passport and POE in the coming weeks.

At the very least, marriages must be consummated for USCIS to accept them as valid, so you cannot file the I-130 until you've been with each other physically after the marriage. Period. No shortcutting it. 

If you are married now - it's too late for a K-1 regardless. 
 
If you are married now and you have not seen each other in person since being married, you have not consummated and cannot file CR1.
 
If you are married and have seen each other since marriage in person, you can file CR1.
 
If you are not married, you can file K1, or marry, meet in person, and file CR1. 
 
Those are you options.