Can we use this marriage certificate for a partner visa application?

[Moving Forward]

My partner took her copy of our marriage certificate to the NSO main office in Manila today.

The reverse of the marriage certificate was stamped, signed and certified by the NSO.

Does this mean we can now use this marriage certificate for the visa application?

[Michael Parnham]

I would assume so!

[sheriel]

Yes,good luck with the Visa, :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Terpe]

My partner took her copy of our marriage certificate to the NSO main office in Manila today.

The reverse of the marriage certificate was stamped, signed and certified by the NSO.

Does this mean we can now use this marriage certificate for the visa application?

Hmmm, not sure.
I seem to recall that NSO certificates need to be on the currently used security paper.
Maybe she should check, or even apply online for a new one :Erm:

[Rhose]

I don't think so, NSO marriage cert. used SECPA and has stamp, bar code, and signed in front of it.

[Michael Parnham]

We used our NSO and our marriage certificate from the registrar!

[Moving Forward]

I am glad I started this thread.

Here is a copy of the rear of the marriage certificate .

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How can I find out with any certainty that this will be acceptable. According to my wife, the NSO certificate printed on official paper will not be issued for 6 months, they can only stamp and verify the one that has been issued.

Has anyone here used a certificate such as the one shown here and been successful with their visa application.

[Rhose]

UKBA required the proper NSO paper or they called it Security Paper (SECPA).
I got my marriage cert. for only 3 weeks after filling it. Would you mind if I ask where your wife living? It's better to get it in NSO Quezon Ave. after she get the recommendation from NSO main or local registry. Easy to process she's going to wait for a week. :smile:

[Moving Forward]

Hello

She is living in Paranaque City, near Manila.

I will tell her about this.

Sorry I am confused.
So, you are saying my wife may only have to wait a week after applying for it, although it took you 3 weeks?

My main issue with time, is that my application is based on meeting the financial requirement via self employment from the last full financial year 2011/2012. I want her to get her application in before the end of March this year.

[raynaputi]

I had some changes in my birth certificate before (missing name that has to be put on paper). After the corrected one got stamped by NSO branch in Laguna (where I was born), my dad had to file it at the NSO main office in Quezon City and I think it just took a couple of weeks or a month at the most before I got it in SECPA.

[Moving Forward]

Thanks.

Will they send the SECPA marriage certificate to her address or will she receive notification that it is ready and have to collect this document.

Also, can you recall what the fees are for this?

[Moving Forward]

My stress levels are rising here. My wife is insisting she was told at the NSO agency that we have to be married for 6 months before they will give the SECPA marriage certificate (we were married in September).

She will be renewing her passport soon via the DFA. It seems the marriage certificate she has stamped by the NSO is good enough for the DFA passport renewal proving her marital status, but not good enough for the UKBA partner visa requirement.

Is there any way I can establish the facts? Is there any way I can contact the UKBA about this?

[raynaputi]

I think you need to read this.. http://nso.citizenservices.com.ph/registration-of-marriage

[raynaputi]

Also, read through this forum as you got the same issue with this guy.. http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/nso-marriage-certificate-with-teleserv-t74974.0.html

[Moving Forward]

Thanks for the links. I am still confused by this. I keep reading anecdotal accounts of some being able to fast track their NSO marriage certificate application (however there was a limited time window after the marriage from when they could do this).

I also need to establish whether or not a local marriage contract, stamped and signed by the NSO would cause a refusal for a UKBA partner visa application. If I can read on a UKBA document somewhere that only an NSO issued marriage certificate can be used then that will be a fact for me.

If we do have to wait the 6 months, then my wife will apply for the partner visa application based on self employment category G, with the average of the last two full financial years taxable income being used to meet the financial requirement. This will mean that my wife will have to apply from April 2013 and I'll have to get my accounts signed off by an accountant again. I'll probably also visit the Philippines once more to show an ongoing relationship. This means more time and money spent.

It does not make sense that a marriage certificate signed and stamped by the NSO which can be used for a DFA filipono passport renewal, won't be accepted by the UKBA.

[Rhose]

My stress levels are rising here. My wife is insisting she was told at the NSO agency that we have to be married for 6 months before they will give the SECPA marriage certificate (we were married in September).

Getting stress is part of filling of spouse visa application...but don't worry after it you're going to have a big smile in your face!
3 weeks after filling of my church that's what I mean.
At NSO they will ask her about the purpose of getting the marriage cert. Tell her to write UK Visa application requirements...I think it will be a negative result, they will tell her it's not yet forwarded to them. She can ask if they can give her a recommendation to get it a copy in NCR NSO which is located at Quezon Ave. It's an easy process they just going to interview her. And don't forget to bring her original copy of marriage contract. I think that's the one you posted. Your passport bio page copy and valid ID

[raynaputi]

The only requirement that UKBA states in the supporting docs list is this:


Evidence of your marital status : This could include a marriage certificate, a civil partnership certificate, a divorce certificate or a death certificate

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/out-of-country/sup-docs-settlement.pdf

Now, what your wife has is the marriage certificate stamped by NSO. It is a legal document as they have stamped it already. All your wife has to do is try to get a marriage certificate that is copied on SECPA or security paper by NSO. If she can't get that by the time you plan to apply for a spouse visa, what you both currently have is still a legal document. UKBA won't refuse a visa just because it's not on security paper. They would inquire to NSO if you are really registered as married. PLUS, you can explain in your supporting letter about the details of your marriage cert.

Now, as what I've read in that link I gave you, it's easy to file a marriage cert in NSO and to get it copied on SECPA. Try it first so you know what your next step is.

[Moving Forward]

Hello Rhose thanks for the reply although I do not understand all of your post.

"She can ask if they can give her a recommendation to get it a copy in NCR NSO which is located at Quezon Ave. " - can you elaborate on this - ask who,her local NSO to recommend to the NSO at Quezon offfice to help with this application?

"It's an easy process they just going to interview her". - so she needs to arrange an interview with the NSO at Quezon Ave. in which she explains the situation and requirements for a UK Visa application and from that they can speed up the issue of an NSO marriage certificate?

[Moving Forward]

The only requirement that UKBA states in the supporting docs list is this:



Now, what your wife has is the marriage certificate stamped by NSO. It is a legal document as they have stamped it already. All your wife has to do is try to get a marriage certificate that is copied on SECPA or security paper by NSO. If she can't get that by the time you plan to apply for a spouse visa, what you both currently have is still a legal document. UKBA won't refuse a visa just because it's not on security paper. They would inquire to NSO if you are really registered as married. PLUS, you can explain in your supporting letter about the details of your marriage cert.

Now, as what I've read in that link I gave you, it's easy to file a marriage cert in NSO and to get it copied on SECPA. Try it first so you know what your next step is.

Thanks for detailing that for me, it's a big help.

I have just sent an email to VFS global asking whether the marriage certificate I have will be accepted.

[sars_notd_virus]

I went to our local Registrar and paid for the fast processing to deliver my NSO copy of my marriage certificate to my address...it takes a while about 7days,...the NSO Copy has got a bar code meaning it has been copied in the database of the NSO which will be easier for the embassy to trace if your marriage is legit. If you have submitted the marriage certificate with stamp then just inform the embassy about it and let them know that you will send the NSO copy of your marriage certicate once you have it.

[Moving Forward]

Thanks for the reply sars_notd_virus.

Can I ask, did you apply for the fast processing within a certain period of time after the marriage. It seems if such a time window exists for fast processing that we have missed it as the local registry office filed it as 'automatic' not fast.

[Moving Forward]

The reason why my wife was able to get the back of this marriage document signed, stamped and verified by the NSO was because she needed evidence of her marital status for a forthcoming passport renewal.

[sars_notd_virus]

Thanks for the reply sars_notd_virus.

Can I ask, did you apply for the fast processing within a certain period of time after the marriage. It seems if such a time window exists for fast processing that we have missed it.

yes i did, after about a week that weve been married , we went on our local registrar..I informed them that i will be needing the NSO copy because i plan to apply for a spouse visa to go to the Uk and that is one of the requirements... I think all the local registrar in the PH has the same procedures , you just have to ask them.

[sars_notd_virus]

Hello




My main issue with time, is that my application is based on meeting the financial requirement via self employment from the last full financial year 2011/2012. I want her to get her application in before the end of March this year.

she still got loads of time to prepare for all the documents, tell her to sort the NSO marriage certificate then the passport , i think she will need to attend the CFO seminar before her passport be renewed or change to her married name.

[Moving Forward]

We believe it is too late now for her to fast track the NSO certificate, if we had done it in the same time frame as yourself I don't think it would have been a problem.

Yes she needs to attend the seminar first before she renews her passport.

[Moving Forward]

If we use the NSO verified marriage certificate we have now I may ask my wife to write in her supporting letter something along the lines of this:

"In accordance with the UK Border Agency list of supporting documents, included is a marriage certificate verified, signed and stamped by the Philippine National Statistics Office (NSO).

As we have recently married (September 21st 2012), this certificate is not on NSO paper, as it can take 6 months for such a certificate to be issued if it is sent automatically and not fast tracked from the local registry office to the NSO.

I recently renewed my passport and needed evidence to update my marital status on my passport. The NSO verified, signed and stamped this marriage certificate, a legal document, making it valid for a DFA Philippine passport renewal."

[sars_notd_virus]

yeah i dont see any problem with the letter ....i think it is acceptable but for future reference she will still need the NSO Copy of Marriage Certificate.
I think it will still be best to go to the local registrar because they have copies of your marriage certificate they can send out one to be process to NSO , then your wife can keep the one she have which is the one with stamp then submit it for the visa ,...then you know that both are being process.

[Moving Forward]

Yes we will still get NSO copies for the future. However, I think the problem with the local registry office is that it is now too late to change this procedure from automatic to fast and we won't have a stamped copy in time for the visa application. The mistake I made was not fast tracking this document shortly after marrying ( I thought she would be applying for the visa Summer 2013 but its been brought forward).

When she visited the main NSO office in Manila (where things can apparently be speeded up) they told her she had to now wait 6 months after the wedding date before such an NSO certificate can be issued.

[raynaputi]

Which branch did she go to? The one in Quezon City? Maybe you can try to contact them http://www.census.gov.ph/directory/civil-registration-department

[Moving Forward]

Yes, she visited the main branch in Quezon City and tried her best to get an NSO issued certificate, but they said its not available yet.

The only reason they authenticated her local marriage certificate was because her passport is damaged and she needs to renew this showing her marital status.

My wife will not go back to the Quezon branch as she has already tried. She has also visited the local registry office and its too late now, the copy being sent to the NSO is 'automatic' not 'fast.

[belle29]

Hi just wanted to say that when I apply for my spouse visa I used the NSO Marriage Certificate with the stamp( gold Stamp with red ribbon) from the DFA to secured that my paper is real and strong. And to do that you have to call them and make an appointment if I'm right hope this help :)