Document Name: For U.S. immigration purposes, Pakistani Muslim applicants must present both an original, signed Nikah Nama (with its English translation) and a NADRA-issued marriage registration certificate. Note that while both documents reflect similar information, each on its own does not constitute sufficient proof of marriage.
Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, and other applicants considered to be non-Muslim must present only a marriage certificate issued by their respective religious authority (i.e. a church or temple), since Union Councils do not uniformly issue NADRA certificates to these groups.
Citizens of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Afghans living in Pakistan must also only present a marriage certificate issued by religious authorities, as Union Councils do not issue NADRA certificates to these groups.
Issuing Authority: Union Councils register Nikah Nama documents for Pakistani Muslim citizens and issue subsequent NADRA marriage certificates. Marriage certificates for Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, Parsis, and other non-Muslim citizens are issued by their respective sectarian registration authority (i.e. church or temple), (Note: Some Union Councils have begun issuing NADRA marriage certificates to Hindus and Christians, though this process has not yet been standardized. As a result, such NADRA certificates are not required for non-Muslim applicants, per the above.)