Questions about marriage in South Africa

[hestgot]

Hi - my partner (Mexican) and I (Canadian) are planning to get married in South Africa before we start our sponsorship application. Is anyone knowledgeable about this? We have a tough question...

Our immigration lawyer says we need a marriage certificate that is 'government certified-true, signed and sealed'.

Does this have to be the unabridged marriage certificate with certificate of authentication for use abroad?

If so, how do you get around the time it takes to get this? Apparently it takes 6-8 weeks to order the unabridged certificate and then you have to take it to a Legalization department to get the certificate of authentication.

I heard you can apply for the unabridged certificate and have it sent to your home overseas. But does it have the certificate of authentication too or would we have to go back to South Africa to get this? The Consulate here has not been very helpful...

Please help?

 

[Josephs]

Hi - my partner (Mexican) and I (Canadian) are planning to get married in South Africa before we start our sponsorship application. Is anyone knowledgeable about this? We have a tough question...

Our immigration lawyer says we need a marriage certificate that is 'government certified-true, signed and sealed'.

Does this have to be the unabridged marriage certificate with certificate of authentication for use abroad?

If so, how do you get around the time it takes to get this? Apparently it takes 6-8 weeks to order the unabridged certificate and then you have to take it to a Legalization department to get the certificate of authentication.

I heard you can apply for the unabridged certificate and have it sent to your home overseas. But does it have the certificate of authentication too or would we have to go back to South Africa to get this? The Consulate here has not been very helpful...

Please help?

I got married in South Africa, my wife is Canadian and I am Nigerian. We got the unabridged marriage certificate on the same day we got married and that's all you need to process your visa. That's what we did and I have my visa already. I hope that helps.

If you have another question about it let me know.

 

[Sweetmine]

Hi - my partner (Mexican) and I (Canadian) are planning to get married in South Africa before we start our sponsorship application. Is anyone knowledgeable about this? We have a tough question...

Our immigration lawyer says we need a marriage certificate that is 'government certified-true, signed and sealed'.

Does this have to be the unabridged marriage certificate with certificate of authentication for use abroad?

If so, how do you get around the time it takes to get this? Apparently it takes 6-8 weeks to order the unabridged certificate and then you have to take it to a Legalization department to get the certificate of authentication.

I heard you can apply for the unabridged certificate and have it sent to your home overseas. But does it have the certificate of authentication too or would we have to go back to South Africa to get this? The Consulate here has not been very helpful...

Please help?

Josephs is right. The unabridge marriage certificate is all you need. No extra certificate of authentication and so on needed...
In my case it was a bit different, we did not get the unabridge marriage certificate the same day. I think maybe because we did not get married at Home Affairs. We got married, then we went to Home Affairs to apply to the unabridge marriage certificate, which we received after 4or 6 weeks (I think, I don't remember the exact time it took). It is sent to my husband in the mail (he lives in SA).
I think it will be better/easier for you to get it the same day. You can then ask Josephs where he got married, and you can do the same as him.