On the other hand, it’s also, well, beneficial—women from different countries are generally more traditional and they make great wives, it’s always an exciting experience, and of course, learning about other cultures is always a great thing. I am a big fan of traveling, so for me, dating a foreign person is also great because that’s how I can visit other countries and see them from another angle, from the perspective of a local person—it’s always a completely different level of traveling experience, not as polished and “generic” as just going there as a tourist, living in the same hotel rooms as thousands of tourists, and visiting the same places they visited.
But when it comes to marriage, it’s much deeper and more serious than just a 1-week tour. Here, I’m going to answer all the most common questions, like “Can I marry someone in another country?” and “Is it worth marrying a foreigner?”—continue reading and you’ll find all the information you need.
Let’s start with the legal aspects, and let me from time to time discuss it all in terms of marrying a foreign woman. All the processes are similar for any foreign partner, yet there can be some more aspects with female ones.
1. Process of marrying someone from another country
So, can I marry someone from another country? The answer is yes, 100% yes. If you’re a US citizen, you can bring your partner to the US on a K-1 or a CR-1 visa. If you’re a US permanent resident, it’s only the latter—the K-1 fiance(e) visas are not available to green card holders. But anyway, it’s 100% legal and if you meet certain requirements, there should be no problems with taking your partner to your country.
Let’s talk about the three possible options: when both of you are in the US, when you’re in the US but your partner is not, and when none of you are in the US right now.
If both partners are in the United States
Can you marry someone from another country if they’re already in the US? Well, technically, yes. However, this is probably not the best choice for you.
Why?
You see, if your partner is already in the United States, we’re probably not talking about the K-1 visa—this option will be discussed in the next paragraph and there’s nothing to discuss, actually, because if your bride enters the US on a K-1 visa, you probably already have your wedding planned and you probably already know what to do. What we’re talking about here is marrying a foreigner who entered the US on another type of visa—for example, on a tourist visa. And technically, it’s not prohibited. A woman enters the US as a tourist and suddenly finds love there, what’s wrong with this scenario?
The main problem here is that when someone enters the US as a tourist and then changes their intentions, this can be considered fraud. The USCIS officers might (and probably will) think that your partner misrepresented their intentions when they applied for the tourist visa, and in this case, they’ll reject the application. However, the chances of being rejected are the highest during the 90-day period—if you wait for 91 days, it will be easier to convince the officers that it’s not a fraud.
If you’re going to marry someone who’s already in the US, the process looks like this: you get married, then your partner applies for adjustment of status, then, you file Form I-130, and after that, you file Form I-385 and wait for the interview. After that, your partner will be granted a green card.
If you are in the United States and your future spouse is not
This is the best-case scenario. Your partner will still be interviewed and the USCIS officers will still dig quite deep to make sure your relationship is real, but the risk of being suspected of visa fraud will be minimized.
If she’s not in the US, you can go two ways: marry her in her country or marry her in the United States.
The first option is called a CR-1 visa, a “spouse” visa. Here’s how it works:
- You marry outside of the US
- You file Form I-130 and form DS-260
- Your wife will need to get an immigrant medical exam
- You are interviewed
- If everything is correct, your partner will be able to enter the US and get a green card right after arrival
There’s also another option—a K-1 visa. You’ll still have to meet your bride in her or any other country at least twice to become an eligible couple (in terms of the US laws), but you don’t have to marry her before the visa application. In fact, that’s the main difference between a K-1 and a CR-1 visa—if you’re going the K-1 visa path, you’ll marry your bride after the visa is granted, not before it.
If neither spouse is in the United States
So, how to marry someone from another country if neither of you is in the US?
The K-1 visa is the best option in this situation. You collect all the documents and apply for the visa, your bride attends the interview, and then, you travel to the United States where you get married and apply for a green card for your wife.
Of course, it’s also possible to apply for the CR-1 visa—if you marry outside the US, your marriage will be recognized by the US government in the majority of cases. Just marry her in any country, apply for the CR-1 visa, and enter the US where she’ll get her green card, it’s simple as that.
Process of marrying foreigner in other countries
What if I marry someone from another country as a citizen of the UK, Canada, Australia, or Germany?
Well, in this case, you’ll have to go through the visa application process, too.
- In the United Kingdom, for example, there’s a Spouse visa (for those already married) and a Fiance visa for those who want to enter the country and get married to the UK citizen later. Those who apply for the Fiance visa should switch to the Spouse visa after the marriage.
- In Canada, there’s a “sponsor application” which is pretty similar to what they have in the United States. The requirements are pretty similar: for example, your relationship must be genuine and real and you must be able to support your partner financially. There are two options: the Family Class (for those whose partners live outside Canada) and the Spouse Class (for those whose partners live with them in Canada).
- In Australia, there are two options: a Prospective marriage visa (820) and a Spouse visa (801). These visas are pretty similar to K-1 and CR-1 visas, but with one major difference: if it’s your bride who wants to enter the country, she’ll need to apply for a Prospective Marriage visa first, and then, apply for a Spouse visa. However, those who got their Spouse visa in fact become permanent residents in Australia.
- What about Germany? The bride of a German citizen has to apply for a Visa for Intended Marriage which is pretty much like the K-1 visa—you need to have your wedding planned and scheduled in order to be granted a visa. After the marriage, the wife of a German citizen will be able to apply for the Family Reunion visa.
So, as you see, the good news is that in most countries, the process is pretty similar to what you can face in the United States.
2. Pros and cons of marrying someone from another country
The pros come first
First of all, it’s the foreign women who made the idea of international marriage so popular. They are usually young, very educated, and often are more traditional than the women who live in Westernized countries, so most of these women have pretty old-fashioned views on gender and family roles. If you’re interested in finding a trad wife, marrying a foreign lady is a great idea—they are usually more family-centered, more marriage-minded, have closer family ties, and have a perfect family-career balance.
Of course, it’s also about small things, too. You’ll learn how to be more open-minded and tolerant, you’ll learn more about a foreign culture which is always an enriching experience, and you’ll also travel to another country a lot and maybe even live and work there which is (again, in my opinion) always a great experience.
What about the disadvantages of marrying a foreigner?
Well, there are two main problems you need to be aware of: the language barrier and the cultural barrier. The language barrier is something you just can’t avoid, unfortunately—unless you marry a girl from Canada or the UK, of course. But as for other countries, even if you learn their language and they are fluent English speakers, minor misunderstandings will still happen from time to time.
The cultural barrier is not the biggest problem, to be fair. Yes, women from Asia might be too shy sometimes, Latinas can be too loud and emotional, and Eastern European women often expect their men to be much more chivalrous than American women do. But all these differences are not that serious, and reading a few guides before going to a new country will help you avoid unpleasant situations. For me, it’s usually enough to read special guides and Reddit for 15-30 minutes.
3. Dangers of marrying a someone from another country
The main dangers of marrying a foreigner are related to a scam.
Unfortunately, Western men are often seen as potential victims by Asian and South American “romance scammers” because they are considered rich and emotionally vulnerable.
What I’m talking about is not necessarily a simple, direct scam when someone asks you to send them money and then ghost abruptly. It’s also fake dating sites that look real but only have fake profiles, complex schemes that include fake sites where you need to enter your credit card information, less complex schemes that include sending phishing links to your email, even less complex schemes that include blackmail, etc.
As for offline dating, the dangers are pretty clear, too—for example, you can get robbed on the streets of Colombia or Vietnam, and you should not forget about things like drink spiking.
But it’s more about dating, and when it comes to marriage, there’s only one major danger: marrying someone whose intentions are not what they appear. Unfortunately, some men get married to foreign ladies whose real intentions are far from “finding love”—their intentions might include immediate divorce, engaging their husbands in various criminal activities, blackmail, etc.
4. How to protect yourself when marrying a foreigner
With all those dangers, it makes sense that you’re wondering how to protect yourself when marrying a foreigner. The good news is that it’s not that difficult.
First of all, pay special attention when you’re still in the online dating process. Do not send them money and be extra cautious when choosing a mail order bride website—choose only the ones with a good reputation and real users.
Second, be careful when you visit your bride’s country. As a traveling fan, I know more than 15 ways they can rob you on the streets. You need to know at least the top 3 dangers and how to protect yourself from them: never leave your drink unattended, don’t show a lot of cash, and always meet in a public place.
And third, you need to be 100% sure your bride has genuine intentions and is genuinely interested in you. Entering a sham marriage is not only stressful and it doesn’t just lead to disappointment. It’s actually a crime, and engaging in such schemes can include a penalty of up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000! Maybe, conducting research on your potential bride isn’t the worst idea?
Conclusion
If you marry someone from a different country, you’re probably about to make the best decision in your life. Yes, there will be problems, and there will be language and cultural barriers, but I still believe that marrying someone from a different country is a great idea. It’s not even about cultural enrichment, it’s more about the personalities of foreign women—most of those ladies you’ll meet online make perfect wives, are very loyal, and are just great for a serious relationship.
What else to read before start looking for foreign spouse?
“But Philippe”, you might say. “What if I want to marry someone from another country but still don’t know anything about it?”
Well, congratulations, my friend, because I have something useful for you! There are at least 4 guides for you here:
- A very detailed guide on meeting foreign women
- An article about the top countries that love American men,
- Another top list of the best countries where you can find a wife.
Oh, and you’ve probably heard of getting paid to marry a foreigner? I have a cool guide for those who’re interested in this topic, too.
And that’s not all! There are also several incredibly useful guides about mail order brides here: a guide for those who want to learn more about how to “buy” a wife (spoiler: it’s not about buying), a guide for those who want to understand how this industry works, and a very useful post that covers the legal aspects of mail order brides. And of course, that top list of the best countries for mail order brides—you just can’t miss it!
Written byJohn Millerstone, Author
We decided to create this project because we’re tired of the situation in the industry. 10 years ago, there were like 40% good sites and 60% bad ones. Today, the ratio is more like 10% to 90%, and that’s not how I want it to be. I mean, it kills me that when an American man types “mail order brides” on Google, there is a 90% possibility that he won’t even find a good dating site, let alone find a bride. I want to change that.
Edited byPhilippe Berry, Contributing Editor
I'm going to tell you everything I know, mes amis. We'll spot online dating charlatans, test the dating sites together, and, of course, with me, you'll learn everything about traveling—I have had 33 trips since 2009, and I think traveling is the best part of online dating. I'll tell you how to save money, how to enjoy a trip, and how to have a good date in a foreign country. I know something about that, too!
