Marriage Termination Records

Also searched as

divorce decree, annulment record, death certificate of prior spouse

What this is

Divorce decrees, annulment records, or death records proving how each prior marriage ended.

Case-specific: Whether this document matters depends on category, facts, or relationship to the case.

Who usually needs it

Applicants or petitioners with prior marriages often need it when current eligibility depends on marital history being clean and documented.

When it usually appears

Usually when the current case includes a spouse-based petition, a current marriage record, or interview questions about prior marital history.

What changes by process, path, or post

The exact record depends on how the earlier marriage ended and what the issuing authority uses for a final civil record.

Common format or evidence traps

• Using an incomplete divorce record that does not show finality.
• Documenting one prior marriage but not all prior marriages in the chain.

Related pages

• Petition stage guideUnderstand what petitions decide and what they do not.
• Conditional residence guideSee I-751 and I-829 lifecycle stages.

Related glossary terms

Relationship evidence · Beneficiary · Petitioner

Examples from current exact-support flows

Coverage posture: Current public exact-support flows include multiple direct examples for this document, but exact requirements still depend on the route, process stage, and official instructions.

• Needed in some cases

  Bring records showing how any prior marriage ended (divorce decree, annulment, or death certificate). (Sources: DOS civil documents, DOS NVC consular processing guidance)

  Shown when: family.has_prior_marriage: true

• Needed in some cases

  Include certified records showing the legal termination of each prior marriage (final divorce decree, annulment order, or death certificate). USCIS requires these for both the applicant and the petitioner. (Sources: USCIS I-485 instructions, USCIS Policy Manual Vol. 7 Part A)

  Shown when: scope.green_card_path: family-based · scope.processing_context: adjustment-of-status · family.has_prior_marriage: true

• Needed in some cases

  Bring certified records showing how any prior marriage ended (final divorce decree, annulment order, or death certificate). Required for both the principal applicant and any derivative spouse. (Sources: DOS civil documents, DOS Step 10)

  Shown when: scope.green_card_path: employment-based · scope.processing_context: consular-processing · family.has_prior_marriage: true

• Needed in some cases

  Include certified records showing how any prior marriage ended (final divorce decree, annulment order, or death certificate). USCIS requires these for both the principal applicant and any derivative spouse. (Sources: USCIS I-485 page, USCIS Policy Manual Vol. 7 Part A, USCIS employment-based adjustment of status overview)

  Shown when: scope.green_card_path: employment-based · scope.processing_context: adjustment-of-status · family.has_prior_marriage: true

• Needed in some cases

  Include certified records showing how any prior marriage ended (final divorce decree, annulment order, or death certificate). USCIS requires these for both the applicant and any co-filing family member. (Sources: uscis_i485_instructions, uscis_i485_initial_evidence_checklist)

  Shown when: scope.green_card_path: humanitarian · scope.processing_context: adjustment-of-status · family.has_prior_marriage: true