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Thread: Marriage... How does a foreigner marry a chinese woman?
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[quote=ROGERINCA,238059]To: ASPDX Sorry I did not see your post last week. I can answer your questions very specifically, as I married my Lao Po in China and have filed for K-3 and 4, and I have other close friends who have married in the USA on a Fiancée Visa which is the K-1 and 2. I expect my wife and child will receive their visas after the first of the new year. Looking at the historical trends, the fiancée visa (K-1) has been somewhat faster than the spousal visa (K-3). In recent months, the two are in a ‘horserace’ for final interview date at the US Consulate in Guangzhou. It is a matter of personal preference on which to pursue. I married in China, because it was important to Lao Po that her family be involved with the event. We went through the official civil marriage ceremony in Guangzhou, received our little red marriage books, and the next day we had the family wedding supper at a local hotel banquet room. Please note that a marriage that is legal in another jurisdiction (China) is deemed to be legal in any state in the USA. A second marriage ceremony is not required for it to be valid in America. The process, be it for the K-1 or the K-3 is not a simple one. The US government is concerned about immigration fraud as well as national security. The process is longer and more paper intensive now, since 9-11. The main issues are: Fraud, i.e., is the marriage/relationship one that is of a bona fide nature. Next is support, can the American citizen meet minimum income levels and support the foreign national and not allow her to become a public charge. Domicile, does the American citizen have a valid domicile in the US. Background: The new IMBRA regulations/law signed into effect in March 2006, requires disclosure of any criminal past of the American citizen with a focus on spousal abuse and/or sex crimes etc. There is a mountain of paperwork and USCIS forms to complete, with milestones and many steps along the way. Moreover, there are government fees to be paid. In this regard, on July 31st, the fee schedule will increase sharply, for many of the fee based steps of the process. The entire process will take anywhere from 8 months to 12 months on average, from date of first filing. Moreover, after the spouse/fiancée arrives there are still steps and fees to follow up on to make the process valid. An American citizen has a right to marry anyone of their choice. However, one does not have a ‘right’ to have his/her spouse or fiancée immigrate to the USA. Moreover, the chances of a single female Chinese national, getting a tourist visa to the USA are nearly impossible. It is also not possible if you have married her in China. Her status does not change/improve in this regard. Last, all American citizen marriage visas are now centrally handled/processed (in the end) at the US Consulate in Guangzhou. This is where the final and mandatory interview is conducted by a USCIS officer. [/quote]
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