Just getting started, any help would be great!

[Quixote9]

Hi guys,

My name is Scott, I am 32 and from Salem OR in the US.  Why am I here? I have always been attracted to foriegn women, more so than american women.  But more important than their exotic looks, I have always found foriegn women to be more receptive and interested in me than their american counterparts.  I have always found girls in the US to be very dismissive and rude to most men (not just me!) who try and approach them.

I have done some travelling and found the differences to be like night and day when it comes to how I am treated by women in the US vs. abroad.  Women don't really seem to notice me at all in the US but when I go to Asia or Latin America I definitely get lots of attention. With blonde hair, blue eyes, and being 6'0" tall my looks suddenly change from average to exotic.  Maybe they just think I am rich, and perhaps I am by their standard of living, but it really seems like I am viewed as "a catch" by beautiful women in other countries. Girls over there like to show me off to make their friends jealous, not something I have ever experienced in the US.

So I have decided to take my next vacation in Colombia in hopes to find a woman that I would be interested in marrying.  I have chosen Colombia as I speak decent Spanish, think Colombian women are gorgeous, and because it seems like Colombia is less touristy and probably has less scammers than Asia and the former Soviet Union.

I need advice from people who have done this successfully, I want to do this "the right way".  I also have some questions too.  For instance, realistically do I need to be rich?  How much does an immigration lawyer for all the visa paperwork cost?  If my fiance thinks my salary makes me a rich man in Colombia will she be disapointed to find out I am only middle class back in the US?  What do most Colombian women expect their new lives in the US to be like?  Should I use a marriage agency to meet women in colombia or try and connect with women on the internet.  How much time should I schedule for my first trip, and how many trips to Colombia should I expect to make?

Thanks, any advice is appreciated!
Scott

[Jeff S]

Hi Scott and welcome aboard. I'd spend a few hours reading the archives and all of your questings will be answered, because we've discussed these topics over and over again. No you don't need to be rich, very few of us are. There is also no "right" way to do it. There are at least as many different successful methods as there married guys on this board. In the archives, you'll also read about some of the failures and can learn a lot about what to look out for.

Stick around, the water is fine. Just take your time and all will be OK. BTW, most of the guys do the paperwork themselves, and don't use a lawyer. There are several immigration lawyers who are regular posters here and seem happy to give advice freely. Also some of the regulars are very up on current immigration law, and even though they aren't lawyers, offer up plenty of good (and free) advice.

- Jeff

Oh - one more thing - no country has cornered the market on scammers - it's all a matter of degree. You can find sincere wife material anywhere and visa whores anywhere. It's a question of sharpening your BS detector and not ignoring subtle clues. Well, spend some time reading all about it.

[Looking4Wife]

Welcome, Scott.

I'm happily married, my wife is from Barranquilla, Colombia.  I met her through www.Latin-Wife.com.  You can check out pictures of several couples in the archives on this forum.  There's also a recent thread "how I met my foreign bride/wife" or something like that.

As Jeff said, there is no exactly "right" way.  However, many of us will be glad to share our experiences that worked out (or didn't) for us.

Also you can find information on immigration issues from other couples going thru the process on www.visajourney.com.  Many people get enough guidance there so they don't need an attorney.  Whether you hire an attorney or not, you and your lady still need to do all the legwork of gathering your info.  You should also know how the process works so you know whether your attorney is doing their job.

Not to put the cart before the horse, since you don't have a foreign Latina Love interest at this moment, but studying visajourney is good so you know the red tape that you may eventually get tied up in.
 
Good luck and God bless you on your quest for Latina love.

[sean126]

Glad you decided to join us Scott.

Like Looking4wife, I found my little queen in Barranquilla and indirectly through latin-wife.com when I was using his service.

1.  Rich----Personally I think that's relative.  If your living paycheck to paycheck...it might be a little rough on you.  I mean....you will have ALOT of new expenses for your wife, not to mention the cost of the paperwork for the visa and stuff.

2.  Cost of the lawyer---some use one because their case is complicated, some use them for "just in case" or "I'm to lazy to do it myself", and some do it themselves.  If you've never been married, no kids and no felonies...you should be able to do it yourself.  We have two lawyers on here that are very experienced and I'm sure will give you a good price, if you decide to go that way.  Ray is also our honorary immigration lawyer on here.  He's pretty sharp on all that stuff.

3.  Middle class in the U.S.----hopefully you will have sense enough to find a woman who loves you for you and not how many cars or vacations you can give her.

4.  New lives---Different women have different expectations.  Certainly they hope their lives will be easier, financially speaking.

5.  Agency or internet---As Jeff and l4w said...there's no "one right way".  

6.  How long in Colombia---As much as you can spare.

7.  How many trips----As much as you can spare.  (We are talking about a live human being here...someone who will want to be in your presence as much as possible.)

Personally....I went for 10 days or more at a time...about every 3-5 months or so.  When I was going through my visa process...I think we was apart for about 8 months.  I figured...why spend a bunch of money to see her so soon, when in about 3 more months I will spend the rest of my life with her.    


Above all....use common sense!!!!!!!!!!!