MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

[mmarkovs]

Hello all,

Im hoping someone can help because I am very confused. I sent in my application to sponsor my wife while following all instructions. I then received an email from the Vienna office saying to please resubmit legible copy of marriage cettificate. The instructions specifically said to send a photocopy and no originals. So I resent a perfectly legivble photocopy of my marriage certificate. Then two weeks later i get another email from Vienna office asking me to:

"Send either original marriage certificate or "original" ceritified copy with notary stamp"

I am very confused. Am I not sending in the correct marriage certificate? I am from Ontario, and I ordered this "certified" copy directly from the Ontario goverment website for a fee. Is this not considered an original copy? IF so, where do I get this so called original copy? They are now asking me to send the hard copy as a scan will not be acceptable. However I want to make sure that what I have is in fact a marriage certificate. Thank you,

 

[annakrystyna13]

This just seems like standard CIC incompetence. I guess the best bet would be to make a notarized copy and send it again. It's really not your fault, you're just a victim of a very incompetent visa officer. It happens all the time.

 

[S_and_C]

I've noticed that there are nearly always small inconsistencies with the General Guide / sponsor forms and country-specific guides when it comes to some of these details. Like for us (Philippines), the General Guide says one photo should contain Name, Date of Birth and signature plus the studio information, but the photo specifications page on the Philippines guide doesn't say to include a signature, just have Name and Date of Birth plus the studio information. So, we are including her signature anyway.

As for marriage certificates, my wife can order one for a small fee and they essentially print it for us and it is a NSO certified true copy of the original government record. The Philippines guide says it must be original, whereas the sponsor checklist says to include a photocopy. We will send the original.

So I agree with the other post, order a new original or certified true copy and send that...

 

[Regina]

So I resent a perfectly legible photocopy of my marriage certificate

Do you know the difference between a photocopy and certified copy ? If you send just a photocopy and they asked you for a copy again could not you understand that they ask you for " "original" certified copy with notary stamp"?

 

[mmarkovs]

Yes I know the difference. The wording is a little confusing. SO which one is considered your actual ORIGINAL marriage certificate? For example, when I was married, we all signed something including the witnesses. Then I was told that my marriage would be registered and I would have to wait to ask for a certieid copy so I could send it to CIC. So when I got this certified copy, i made a photocopy and sent it. So now what do I have to do? Do they want me to go get my certified copy notarized? If so, which document am I supposed to use to get it notarized? Was I gsupposed to be given an actual ORIGINAL copy of my marriage certidicate immediately after my wedding? Thanks,

 

[S_and_C]

Yes it really is confusing. Our "original" marriage certificate is a local registry copy that we submitted at Quezon City Hall. However, the only one they will accept for PRV purposes is the NSO copy (i.e. the national registry), of which you can order as many "official certified copies" as you want, but it has to be from them and not a personal photocopy.

The confusion is the fault of the sponsor document checklist that actually states "Photocopy of your marriage certificate". It says nothing of certified true copy or any of that. The Austria (Western Europe) guide only says "If you are married, you must include a marriage certificate". Again, it doesn't state original or certified true copy, but if you go by the document checklist a photocopy seems to be acceptable.

I think that each country is different and with respect to each document, really research what is acceptable because the guides are truly lacking in that regard.

 

[Nyhiraba]

Yes I know the difference. The wording is a little confusing. SO which one is considered your actual ORIGINAL marriage certificate? For example, when I was married, we all signed something including the witnesses. Then I was told that my marriage would be registered and I would have to wait to ask for a certieid copy so I could send it to CIC. So when I got this certified copy, i made a photocopy and sent it. So now what do I have to do? Do they want me to go get my certified copy notarized? If so, which document am I supposed to use to get it notarized? Was I gsupposed to be given an actual ORIGINAL copy of my marriage certidicate immediately after my wedding? Thanks,

If you only have a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the registry, order another certified copy and send it to CIC. A photocopy of a certified copy is not an official document for evidentiary purposes.