Foreign Marriage | Hillsborough County Clerk (2024)

FAQs

Does the US recognize foreign marriage certificates? ›

Consular officers may authenticate foreign marriage documents. In general, marriages which are legally performed and valid abroad are also legally valid in the United States.

Non-residents of Florida may apply for a marriage license. The 3 day wait period is waived for non-residents of Florida (both persons must present valid out-of-state ID). However, you must get married in the State of Florida by a person authorized to perform weddings in accordance with Florida Statute 741.07.

If an American Citizen plans to marry in Mexico, he/she must follow all the applicable rules and laws of Mexico. A marriage will be recognized in the United States as long as it is apostilled and translated.

If you are already married to someone in the U.S., what happens overseas may be up to the foreign country where it occurs. If polygamy is recognized in another country, you may be able to get married again. However, if you return to the U.S., your additional foreign marriage will generally not be recognized.

You need to pay a license fee to your county clerk for the marriage license. You can then proceed with your ceremony. The officiant must file your marriage certificate with the county recorder's office. The recorder will send you a certified copy of your certificate.

Married abroad: how to get marriage records

Contact the embassy or consulate of the country where the marriage took place. If you were married abroad before November 9, 1989, contact the State Department to get a copy of the Certificate of Witness to Marriage Abroad.

Obtain resident status for your new spouse.

Once you're married, you can apply to change the foreign spouse's status to permanent resident status, which is commonly referred to as having a “green card.” A green card gives someone the ability to live and work in the United States permanently.

Immigration Eligibility Based on Engagement or Marriage

If you are a U.S. citizen, your new spouse becomes your "immediate relative," and may apply for and receive a green card as soon as the two of you make it through the application process.

Marriages performed overseas are valid in the country where they occur as long as they follow local law. Whether another country recognizes your foreign marriage depends on its own law. Getting married overseas can be time-consuming and expensive.

Does USCIS check marriage records? ›

Does USCIS Check Marriage Records? To ensure that a marriage between a United States citizen and a non-U.S. citizen or two non-U.S. citizens is valid, USCIS will first examine the marriage certificate that the couple submits with their green card application.

You are certainly allowed to get married and go back home before your status expires, but you must be ready to present strong and solid evidence to prove to the CBP officer that you intend to return your home country after the wedding.

USCIS recognizes common law marriages for purposes of naturalization if the marriage was valid and recognized by the state in which the marriage was established.

If you are or have ever been married or divorced, you must bring the original marriage certificate, divorce decree, or death certificate for each and every marriage and divorce. Depending on your immigrant visa class, you may also need to bring original documents for the petitioner.

There is no treaty in force between the United States and any country that requires the recognition of foreign divorces. However, a divorce decree issued in a foreign country generally is recognized in a state in the United States on the basis of comity (Hilton v.

Marriage certificate. Divorce decree. Employer identification card. High school or college diploma (including high school equivalency diplomas).