Whether there’s a validity period for submitting a marriage certificate
I’m preparing for a marriage-based green card.
My boyfriend and I haven’t yet had the wedding ceremony or registered the marriage.
I understand the first step is going to court to get a marriage certificate.
Due to circumstances, we expect to start the green card process at least 6 months after getting the certificate/marrying.
But I’ve heard the certificate also has a validity period.
In other words, it seems we’d need to start the green card paperwork process before the issued certificate’s validity expires.
I’d like to know if my understanding above is correct.
Please get married first, and then obtain the marriage certificate.
The marriage certificate doesn’t particularly have a strict validity period, but officially it’s typically matched to within 6 months. Usually, this isn’t an issue since it’s obtained right before filing with USCIS.
How long your immigration attorney’s work takes also matters here.