Howdy

[luckytxn]

I am new here and wanted to talk to anyone else that is or have married a Vietnamese lady. I was married for 8 years to a Korean girl and she was a great wife but been divorced for 14 years now.

I know her Vietnamese family here and for years they have been trying to hook me up with her. I resisted but last year I started to chat ( Mostly to get them off my back) with her and am now ready to go meet her and marry her. I have met her other family here in the states in Kansas and California besides the one in Texas and they are very happy. Her family has consented there because she has always wanted to come to the states and leave there. I plan on leaving in April for two weeks and needed to know from others exactly what I needed to bring with me to make it as smooth as possible. I understand it is a thing of patience and all but any help would be appreciated. The main thing I can't seem to get is the paper that says I am married to no one currently that the Government wants there from my state as my state has no such thing. I also want to be sure what forms I need to bring with me or get while there at the embassy.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Bear]

When I went to the R.P. I went to the Embassy in Manila and obtained a Legal Capacity to Marry, basically saying I wasn't married, etc.  I also brought copies of my divorce decrees which they said they didn't need and later delayed Honey getting her visa until I sent ( I complained till they let me fax them, plus I had my congressman call them) copies.

The Bear Family

[Ray]

Hi Lucky, welcome aboard!

First, you asked about the document that says you are not married. You apparently already found out that there is no such document issued in the U.S. What they want I believe is a letter from your state or county vital statistics office stating that a search of their records shows no marriage license or marriage certificate for you in your state of residence since you were 18-years-old. You must also provide certified copies of any divorce decrees or annulments. You also need an Affidavit of Single Status executed at the U.S. consulate in Vietnam.

In addition, you will need medical and psychiatric reports. All of your documents must include Vietnamese translations and go through an authentication process that will likely involve your state’s Secretary of State Office, the U.S. Secretary of State, and the Vietnamese Embassy in D.C.

I think you will find that the Vietnamese government red tape involved in getting married over there will make it nearly impossible to complete everything during a two-week visit. For more info, see:

http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/uploads/images/PuJeLcNM53XukaEX-DPhkg/marriageinvietnam.pdf

http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/consular_services/marry_a_vietnamese/

Now my next question is: why are you going to get married on your first trip to meet her? What’s your hurry?

Meeting a foreign lady through relatives here in the States can be an excellent way to find a foreign bride. HOWEVER, you should be aware that the motivations of those involved may not necessarily be in your best interest, so you need to be very careful here. You mentioned that she is looking for a way out of her country and you implied that her family approves because they want her to come to the U.S. Those are understandable reasons for her to want to marry an American citizen, but those alone are not good reasons for you to marry her.

May I suggest that you go for the two-week visit to spend some time with her and get to know her and her family. Instead of attempting to get married during your trip, use the time together to explore your relationship and keep your eyes and ears open. After you return home, take some time to seriously consider your options. You could always return later to marry over there but you will probably find that it would be much easier in this case to petition her for a fiancée visa so you can legally marry here in the States. You can file a fiancée petition within two years of meeting in person.

Good luck in your endeavor,

Ray

[Jeff S]

Hi Tex and welcome. We're happy to have you. I also strongly agree with Ray's comments. Have fun, get to know her and if the sparks fly, think about permanence after you decide if she's right for you.

- Jeff

[luckytxn]

Why thanks for the info and it is much appreciated. I agree there is no hurry for me at all. I do know the whole family well here and even live at one of their houses or a romm there for a long time. It is strange how I have helped them find someone for the girl and now I am the one planning on marrying her. I do plan on going there and meeting here and getting a Fiancee visa but to tell the truth if it is easier for her to get citizenship I will marry her there.

It seems harder now to do this stuff than when I married my Korean wife many years ago but who knows. Thanks for any info.---Curtis---

[Ray]

Curtis,

This isn’t the time to worry about how easy it will be for her to get U.S. citizenship. Your number one priority now should be determining whether or not you two are even compatible for marriage.

Regardless of which method you use, fiancée or spouse visa, your foreign bride will be eligible to apply for citizenship here if she remains married to you. She may be able to apply a little earlier if you marry over there, but not every immigrant chooses to become an American citizen. I know many immigrant legal residents who have been here for 20-30 years and never became U.S. citizens. That’s something for her to decide after she has been here for a few years and has a chance to live under our system.

Since there is no reason for you to hurry into this, I wouldn’t commit to anything just yet. You don’t know if you will change your mind after you meet her and of equal importance, you aren’t giving her a chance to really get to know you in person before she commits.

If you do decide to go with a fiancée (K-1) visa, you will need lots evidence of a valid relationship when she goes in for her visa interview. You mentioned chatting since last year. Do you have phone bills as evidence of regular communications since you started your relationship? Do you have letters in original envelopes with postmarks? You two should be gathering evidence now in case you do decide to go forward with your relationship. Vietnam has a bad record of visa fraud and she will automatically be suspect, more so if you two have spent little time together.

If you do decide to file a fiancée petition, we can help you with a list of documents and forms to bring with you on your trip, but I strongly recommend that you slow down a bit and exercise caution.

Ray