in-lieu of non impediment certificate?!?!?! HELP

[katie3234]

I need a in-lieu of non impediment certificate/freedom to marry certificate. I am an Albertan citizen, and cannot figure out how I get this form. I realize that I need to:


1.)Make a Statutory Declaration of my present marital status (how? With a notary?)
2.)Apply and obtain a search paper (from where)
3.)Apply for in lieu of non impediment certificate (where?)

 

[Cheetah123]

1.)Make a Statutory Declaration of my present marital status (how? With a notary?)

A lawyer/notary should be able to help you with this.

2.)Apply and obtain a search paper (from where)

From govt. registries in Canadian provinces where you've resided. Check with embassy or consulate of country where you intend to marry to see how far back your search needs to go (e.g. from 16 or 18 years onwards).

3.)Apply for in lieu of non impediment certificate (where?)

Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa. Check the DFAIT website under "Authentication of Documents" section.

 

[toby]

I guess you have good reasons to get the "in lieu" document, instead of the normal certificate of non-impediment....

For me, the Certificate of non-impediment was easy to get. All I needed to do was go to the Canadian embassy in the country where I was getting married, and they produced it for me on the spot (actually by appointment).

You need a divorce certificate (if you have been married before).

 

[Cdagal]

I am in BC, but I just went to the government agent and asked for a marriage search, paid the $80 and got it in 2 weeks. Don't know if that helps?! Is there a reason why you want something in-lieu?

 

[bobshynoswife]

Make sure when you request it you let the know what country you are getting married in.

I was marrying a Nigerian, but we were getting married in Scotland (which requires the certificate in lieu of non-impediment) All the gov't asked for was the citizenship of my fiance, not WHERE we were getting married. I said he was nigerian, and 45 days after sending the request, I got my stuff back with a note from them saying I did not need that certificate to get married in Nigeria. I was so pissed off that they assumed I was getting married in Nigeria. Due to the time required to get this certificate and the waiting time before getting married in Scotland, we were no longer able to do it, and it pushed our wedding back SIX MONTHS. We only had a small window of time when he was still in UK.

Obviously I am still angry about this, 6 months later! Just want to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else.

 

[katie3234]

Hi everyone, thank you for your help! I was just told by the Canadian consulate in Albania that I need the in-lieu of non impediment to marriage certificate. I actually have no idea what that means, or why I need it. But off I go to get it! A little nervous since I am meant to be on an airplane to Albania on May 20 and apparently it all takes longer than I thought.

1.) search paper 2 weeks.
2.) in lieu of non impediment paper - 25 business days.
3.) send everything to Albanian Embassy in Canada to get legalized - time unknown since they couldn't speak English very well.
Also because the people at the Albanian Embassy could not understand my English, and I could not understand theirs I am just going to do the search paper from the time I was 18, or should I play it safe and do it from the time I was 16?

Do you know if any of these things can be expedited?
Thank you all for the help!

 

[Cheetah123]

If you are marrying in a foreign country, that country will usually require proof from your government that you are entitled to marry (i.e. there is no impediment to you marrying). Some governments issue such certificates (e.g. UK, Australia), but Canada doesn't. What Foreign Affairs does is issue you a document which says that you intend to marry person X and have applied to the Govt. of Canada for a certificate of non-impediment, but Canada doesn't issue these certificates. Oddly enough, many countries will accept this document as proof that you can marry.

I believe that there is an expedited service for marriage search documents in Alberta. I think a search back to 18 is safe since that is the legal age of marriage in Albania. It will be tougher to get faster service from Foreign Affairs (unless you call them and explain your situation, copy of plane ticket, etc.). For legalization, I would guess that there is expedited service if you're willing to pay more.

 

[katie3234]

Hello everyone!

I am gathering all my documents so I can go ahead and marry my future spouse. I am in a bit of a time crunch, as I am getting married on May 20th, and don’t really have room for any error. If someone can answer this question that would be fabulous.

1.) When making a statutory declaration of marital status what must you all include?
- Your name, and birth date?
- Future spouses name, birth date, and citizenship?
- And a little blurb about being single?

Thank you everyone for helping me out with my question above. I am in such a panic to have everything done in time! I do not want to risk messing up on anything, and delying things any farther.
Hopefully if I tuck a nice little note in with my documents explaining that I need things ASAP, and a copy of my plane ticket they will put a bit of a rush on things!

 

[pisces17]

Hi, here's how the notary prepared mine:

I, YOUR NAME, of the city of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, MAKE OATH AND SAY AS FOLLOWS:

I AM A CANADIAN CITIZEN and reside at YOUR ADDRESS, CITY, PROVINCE, POSTAL CODE, CANADA. Attached hereto as Exhibit "A", are copies of my Citizenship Car, my Canadian Passport and my Ontario Driver's License.

I HEREBY CONFIRM that YOUR NAME OF HUSBAND TO BE and I have decided to be married. I am given to understand that in order to pursue legal marriage in COUNTRY, the consular authorities require from me, a "Single Affidavit" confirming my civil status as a single person.

TO THIS END, I HEREBY CONFIRM that my civil status is SINGLE and that I am eligible to marry NAME OF YOUR HUSBAND TO BE.

I MAKE THIS Declaration for no improper purpose but to confirm my status as a SINGLE person who is eligible to get married, and for no other improper purpose.

AND I make this Solemn Declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath and by virtue of the Canada Evidence Act.


DECLARED before me at the City of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario this DATE...

 

[helda]

Hi , i have been in the same situation. i was getting married in sweden ,iam a PR in ottawa.before going to sweden i was told that i need to prove that iam not married so ,i should get in-lieu of non impediment,.i was so confused and i didnt know how to get it or form where. I went to the city hall of ottawa,and i told them iam getting married in sweden and i need something to prove iam single, so they gave me an application to fill.that it is called a marriage search letter it takes 6-8 weeks. i didnt have time niether becase we had arrange everything in sweden and i was not told that i need to bring this paper with me. so i went again to expedit the service and i was told that they need a prove of urgency such as airline tickit or a wedding invitation .so they got me to book a tickit a head of time and i gave it to them but they told me ,(it is not guaranteed that it will accepted as an urgency prove) time went and i didnt recieve the paper in the week 4 and becasue i was booked my airplane i travelled without the paper. In sweden i went to the canadian embassy, and they helped me to get that in-lieu certificate and i gave it to the office that is responsible to send our document to the court to get married to book an appointment .after two weeks they told us that they need a paper form canada to prove that iam not married ,at that time this search letter was sent to me, so my brother sent it to me.and it was accepted. for other reasons i couldnot get married. but for you i think you need this paper ,and if you get it is better than any paper form the canadian embassy where you want to get married beacsue it might be refused as it happened with me. i wish that will help you ,good luck

 

[katie3234]

Thank you to everyone who replied to me! I have been in such panic mode trying to sort through what I do and do not need in order to get married in Albania. And the long processing times for all the papers really threw me off! I think that I have it all sorted now. And was told by the authentication folk in Ottawa that if I call them once I see that my couriered package has been delivered to them that they will do their best to expedited things. So hopefully everything will get expedited and I will get my papers in time, and the ash cloud lingering over Europe will get a move on so I may finally marry the love of my life.

Once again thank you!

 

[melouttamegacity]

This is all so very confusing.

I will probably do a marriage search, and get a letter done from the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines. Just so I cover all my bases.

 

[rjessome]

This is all so very confusing.

I will probably do a marriage search, and get a letter done from the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines. Just so I cover all my bases.

For the Philippines, the information about how to get this is here: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/philippines/consular_services_consulaires/marriage-mariage.aspx?lang=eng

Everyone needs to check the Canadian embassy/consulate website for the country where they are getting married as it "normally" has this information on it if you are required to produce it for marriage.

 

[melouttamegacity]

Thanks! I've been having a hell of a time trying to find this exact webpage with the exact information!!!

 

[cjg1987]

Can permanent residents (not citizen) of Canada get the No impediment certificate ?