Marriage certificate vs marriage license for I-485 AOS?

[PandaSmile]

I posted this question over at VJ with no luck. So I'll try here. I had a question about the marriage certificate. On the I-485 instructions, it says to send in a certified marriage certificate, but I could only get certified copies of the marriage LICENSE. When I went to my county marriage office, they said the certificate is only for decorate use; there is no official use for it. When I had tried to get another "certified copy" of marriage certificate, they took my original one and gave me a new one which had nothing written on it (therefore I still only have one and this time it's unsigned and blank, strange eh?) So I just took back my original certificate and left it at that. I wasn't sure to send in the original certificate + another certificated copy of my marriage license? Or just a certified copy of the marriage license? Thanks!

[dnoblett]

A marriage license only is permission from the state to marry, the marriage certificate is proof of marriage.

 

Also you can send a photo copy of the certificate, it does not need to be a certified copy.

 

USCIS no longer routinely requires submission of original documents or "certified copies." Instead, ordinary legible photocopies of such documents (including naturalization certificates and alien registration cards) will be acceptable for initial filing and approval of petitions and applications.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

[warpedbored]

It may depend on the state you live in but in Oregon the certificate is just something to frame and hang on the wall. It is the marriage license that is official. The presiding official over your wedding ceremony fills out their part of the marriage license and sends it back in to the state after the ceremony. What you need is a state certified copy of your marriage license from after the ceremony when it has been processed. I would get a couple while you are down there in case you need one for something else. such as Social Security.

 

We sent in a certified copy of our marriage license for AOS and had no problems with it what so ever.

Edited September 17, 2007 by warpedbored (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Yes - as long as it's signed by the presiding officer/minister, the marriage license is probably the correct thing to send in. It was for us. No marriage certificate here.

[tywy_99]

Two varying opinions on certificate v. license. It looks like either one will work which would be my opinion; either one. The USCIS will let you know either way via a RFE.

[SirLancelot]

Yes - as long as it's signed by the presiding officer/minister, the marriage license is probably the correct thing to send in. It was for us. No marriage certificate here.

 

Interesting. Different states do seem to do it differently. In CA, one applies for the marriage license before the actual date of marriage. On the date of the ceremony, the presiding officer/minister signs the license and that license becomes the official written record which will be recorded and kept at the County Registrars Offices. We do receive a memorabilia marriage "certificate" which has no legal validity, but it's a cute keep-sake. One can only obtain certified copies of the original marriage license as the original is forever kept at the Registrars office. One is never able to obtain the original marriage license.

[jim_julian]

Yes - as long as it's signed by the presiding officer/minister, the marriage license is probably the correct thing to send in. It was for us. No marriage certificate here.

 

Interesting. Different states do seem to do it differently. In CA, one applies for the marriage license before the actual date of marriage. On the date of the ceremony, the presiding officer/minister signs the license and that license becomes the official written record which will be recorded and kept at the County Registrars Offices. We do receive a memorabilia marriage "certificate" which has no legal validity, but it's a cute keep-sake. One can only obtain certified copies of the original marriage license as the original is forever kept at the Registrars office. One is never able to obtain the original marriage license.

 

We sent in an original of the California certificate ... no problem.

[tywy_99]

Maybe we should start a poll among us to see which one worked; a certificate or a license, because, IMO, either one would work. I see nothing imperative about either one! Of course, that doesn't mean that the CIS would think that way.

[dnoblett]

In our case we applied for a license a week before, then had th town court judge perform the marriage ceremony, he kept the license and a day or so later had the marriage certificate delivered along with 2 certified copies. That is how NY does it.

 

A simple photo copy of the certificate was all we sent in as part of the I-485 package.

[david_dawei]

The instructions say a copy of the marriage certificate... we sent in a copy of the certified copy of marriage certificate!

[PandaSmile]

It may depend on the state you live in but in Oregon the certificate is just something to frame and hang on the wall. It is the marriage license that is official. The presiding official over your wedding ceremony fills out their part of the marriage license and sends it back in to the state after the ceremony. What you need is a state certified copy of your marriage license from after the ceremony when it has been processed. I would get a couple while you are down there in case you need one for something else. such as Social Security.

 

We sent in a certified copy of our marriage license for AOS and had no problems with it what so ever.

 

Yep, we also live in Oregon. The certificate/license is definately confusing, although certainly 99% of the instructions of USCIS is right... sometimes it doesn't work for certain people like us. I'm going to just send in the certified copy of the license and perhaps a photocopy of the certificate, despite it's decorate use.

[SirLancelot]

The instructions say a copy of the marriage certificate... we sent in a copy of the certified copy of marriage certificate!

 

 

Marriage Certificates - General Information

 

Marriage Licenses vs. Marriage Certifcates

 

When a man and a woman desire to get married, they are first required to obtain a marriage license. After the marriage ceremony, the marriage license is signed by the proper parties and sent back to the Clerk-Recorder's Office for recording. After it is recorded, customers may then purchase a certified copy of the marriage certificate.

 

In my county, the marriage license automagically becomes the marriage certificate once it's been signed and recorded. The only distinction between a license and certificate is that one is signed and recorded. Otherwise it's the same document.

 

However, there is also a memorabilia "marriage certificate" that is given to you at the time the wedding is performed. That is given to the couple as a keep-sake. That is different from the official certified copy of the marriage certificate (really a signed and recorded marriage license).

 

Oh interesting. My wife just dug up our "License and Certificate of Marriage". The title of the document is License and Certificate of Marriage. Haha.. That's why it's indeed a License before the signature and recording, but once it's recorded and signed, it becomes a Certificate.

Edited September 18, 2007 by SirLancelot (see edit history)

[warpedbored]

You got me curious Lance so I dug it up and it says right at the top

 

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS

APPLICATION, LICENSE AND RECORD OF MARRIAGE

 

Like California Oregon's marriage license serves as both license and certificate.

 

You simply must attend one of our Oregon get togethers Kabijin. There are over 20 CFL couples in the Portland area. We have about 3 get togethers a year.

Edited September 18, 2007 by warpedbored (see edit history)

[SirLancelot]

You got me curious Lance so I dug it up and it says right at the top

 

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS

APPLICATION, LICENSE AND RECORD OF MARRIAGE

 

 

Our says:

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

CERTIFICATION OF VITAL RECORD

LICENSE AND CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE

 

at the very bottom it says:

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE REGISTRAR

[NY-Viking]

Because we got married within a few days of the 90 day period and I didn't want my wife to be "out of status," we filed a photocopy of the marriage license, which was signed by the presiding minister, my wife, me, our best man and maid of honor. We made a photocopy at the church right after we all signed, and the pastor mailed the original to the relevant New York State department. I mailed the photocopy with our application a couple of weeks later. No RFE was asked, and our biometrics and interview dates eventually were set (see the timeline in my signature).

 

We received the marriage certificate about a month or so later from New York State (we lived in Minnesota at the time because I was in school, but got married in NY).

 

Our AOS interview was about 5 months after we submitted. I brought a certified copy of the marriage certificate with us to the interview. The interviewer said she thought our application already had what was required, but she took the copy of the certificate and put it in our file, just in case. She also took photocopies of pictures from our wedding that we had brought, as well as a copy of the program.

 

So, based on my experience, I think either the license or certificate would have been ok for AOS purposes.