Date:    Tue, 13 Aug 2002 14:28:51 -0500
From:    Xin Zhang <xzhang10@UIC.EDU>
Subject: Re: need information about wedding

Hi, Xiaoyong:
    I think I am the person to answer your question, because I got married half year ago. Here is the procedure.

    What you need is two official photo ID, say driver license, state ID, or just passport. Plus $30 cash, that's all. You can go to city hall, it's on basement, you can ask any guardian in city hall to show the way. Hand in your photo ID, and $30, then you can get a marriage license right way. It only took me about 10 minutes to finish everything. Of cause, the officer there need some general information of your family, such as your parents' name, but no other documents needed.  I once joked to my wife that even I had married in China, I can still get my second wife in US, because the system seems so bad. :).

    Then, you need to do second step. After you get marriage license on the day you apply, you need to finish your wedding ceremony within 60 days. That means, you should either go to church, ask certified priest to fill in the marriage license and sent it back, or you can go to marriage court for verification. I did latter, because it's much cheaper and more convenient for us. There is a marriage court just opposite the place you get marriage license, you can go there directly, and pay $10 to ask the judge there to verify your marriage. :).

     After the verification, you should go to city clerk to pay for your marriage certificate. It locates just beside marriage court.  I remember it's $15 for one, and $7 for additional copy. Usually, you and your wife should have 2 certificates, so in total $22.

     In general, it's too easy to get married in American, no need to prepare so many documents, no need to do pre-marriage body examine, no need to get approve from your "Dan(1) Wei(4)", :). It's cheap as well, if you do not want to hold the wedding party, do not want to buy rings, you can take your wife back by less than $100. :). Sounds like good deal, then
why not wait?

     Have a good day.


yours
------------------------
Zhang, Xin
Ph.D. Candidate
Dept. of Bioengineering
U of Illinois-Chicago
(Tel) 312-9969259
------------------------


十、在使领馆申请登记结婚须知

1．     根据《中华人民共和国婚姻法》有关规定，在美国定居或工作学习的中国公民，男方年满22周岁，女方年满20周岁，均可在中国驻美使领馆申请登记结婚。
2．     申请登记结婚，需男女双方亲自前来我馆申办，并携带如下材料：
（1）   中国护照原件；
（2）   出国时已超过22周岁、申请时已离婚或丧偶者，还须提供中国国内公证处出具的婚姻状况公证书原件；
（3）   在校学习的中国留学生，需提供学校中国学生学者联谊会负责人出具的婚姻状况证明。该证明需我馆教育组领事签字确认，或者由申请人的两名熟悉人（如同寝室同学）签字旁证，并附旁证人的护照复印件；
（4）   填妥《留美学习期间未婚保证书》；
（5）   非在校生请向居住地的美国婚姻登记部门申请办理一份在美国期间查无结婚登记记录的证明和居住地公证员（又称地保官，Notary Public）公证出具的单身证明，经所在州的州务卿（Secretary of State）认证；
（6）   经所在州的州务卿认证的健康证明书；
（7）   4张3X3英寸两人正面半身免冠合影照片。
3．     递交申请时，在我馆填妥《结婚登记申请书》。
4．     申请登记结婚及两人结婚证工本费共同40美元。
十、在使领馆申请登记结婚须知

1．     根据《中华人民共和国婚姻法》有关规定，在美国定居或工作学习的中国公民，男方年满22周岁，女方年满20周岁，均可在中国驻美使领馆申请登记结婚。
2．     申请登记结婚，需男女双方亲自前来我馆申办，并携带如下材料：
（1）   中国护照原件；
（2）   出国时已超过22周岁、申请时已离婚或丧偶者，还须提供中国国内公证处出具的婚姻状况公证书原件；
（3）   在校学习的中国留学生，需提供学校中国学生学者联谊会负责人出具的婚姻状况证明。该证明需我馆教育组领事签字确认，或者由申请人的两名熟悉人（如同寝室同学）签字旁证，并附旁证人的护照复印件；
（4）   填妥《留美学习期间未婚保证书》；
（5）   非在校生请向居住地的美国婚姻登记部门申请办理一份在美国期间查无结婚登记记录的证明和居住地公证员（又称地保官，Notary Public）公证出具的单身证明，经所在州的州务卿（Secretary of State）认证；
（6）   经所在州的州务卿认证的健康证明书；
（7）   4张3X3英寸两人正面半身免冠合影照片。
3．     递交申请时，在我馆填妥《结婚登记申请书》。
4．     申请登记结婚及两人结婚证工本费共同40美元。