Question regarding I-130 for u.s.

[yakster]

I recently went to turn in paperwork for u.s. I-130 only to be told our marriage of ten years isn't valid outside of Thailand. The reason is that we were married at the Thai embassy in Laos, and Laos won't validate the marriage. This seems hard to believe, but there we are. I can put the application in, but without Lao validation, it will be rejected and then we'd start all over again!.By any chance has anyone out there had a similar issue? If so how were you able to get around it? We can't remarry here as we are married, and I don't want to have to get divorced to remarry though I suppose that is an option. Again, I'm really looking for anyone who has been through this,  Long shot I know. Thanks

[lopburi3]

Are you married to a Thai or Lao citizen?  Ask because that may be a key factor.

 

How reliable is your source saying marriage is only legal in Thailand?

Edited June 11, 2017 by lopburi3

[ubonjoe]

If your registered your marriage to a Thai citizen at the embassy in Vientiane the department of consular affairs in Bangkok may legitimize your marriage certificate.

After you were able do that it would be good to register your marriage at an Amphoe and they would issue a Kor Ror 22 marriage registry.

[yakster]

Thanks for the replies. Yes wife is Thai. Source was the officer at the USCIS office who noticed where the marriage had taken place and explained why it was an issue. When I then found the travel.state.gov page that explains reciprocity with Thailand, consular marriages are indeed mentioned as only being valid with the acceptance of local (in this case Lao) authorities. Wife will visit foreign office tomorrow, but still hoping maybe someone out there has been through this and can shed some light on our rather odd catch-22 situation. Oh, USCIS officer explained I could certainly turn my application in, but were they to ask for proof that Lao accepted the marriage, which they would ask for, and Lao won't give it, which they won't, then we'd have to resubmit paperwork and of course, pay again! It's 535 bucks, so I'd rather get it right first time! Here is link to govt. page. https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/reciprocity-by-country/TH.html

 

To Ubonjoe, problem with them legitimizing is it will still state that wedding took place in Laos, which will seemingly take us back to the root problem, However as mentioned, wife is in BKK and will go to foreign office tomorrow. I'll post what happends.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2017 by yakster
adding information.

[lopburi3]

Believe if you can do as Ubonjoe says and it is be registered in a Thai Amphur it would be fully legal and recognized by US the same as any other marriage registered in an Amphur.  The reference does not say it would not be legal as it is now actually - only that some states would not allow - so believe if it gets recorded in the normal Amphur here there would not be any problem - as that proves it a legal Thai marriage.