What is the Process to Marry a Girl From the Philippines and Bring Her to the United States?

We’ve heard it said all too often, “A Filipina’s worth everything!” Indeed, many foreign men will go through all the trouble to marry a Filipina. But really, it can’t all be that troublesome with the availability of tools and information online. Following are some guides should you decide to make the next move following a successful courtship and marriage proposal:

First, and foremost, you need to present proof that you have legal capacity to contract marriage, presuming of course that the girl you want to marry is beyond 24 already, otherwise the first thing that needs to be done is to get parental consent (if the girl is between 18-21 years old) or parental advice (if the girl is between 22-24 years old). Granting that is not the case or has already been taken cared of, make an appointment with the US embassy in Manila or Consular Agency in Cebu  to execute an Affidavit in Lieu of Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage. You will be asked to present the printout of the confirmation of your appointment, as well as your passport, documents proving that you are free to marry and other relevant documents, so make sure you have these ready when you visit either office. Payment of the filing fee may be done in cash or through credit card.

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Having hurdled that, you can now apply for a marriage license at the Office of the Civil Registrar in the municipality or city where you or your fiancee is residing, bringing with you the Affidavit in Lieu of Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage, your US passport, documents showing you are single or free to marry.

With a Philippine marriage license, you can get married to your Filipina fiancee before a judge, mayor, or anyone who is authorized by the Philippine government to administer the ceremony.

It has to be understood that your marriage to a Filipina does not grant her eligibility to enter the United States. It is necessary that you, a US citizen, file a Petition for Immigrant Visa (also known as I-130) with the local USCIS (that’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services). The process can take up to two years, however, and that means you will not be able to take your wife to the United States till then.

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A shorter route to get your wife to the United States when you have already filed the I-130 Visa is to get her  the K3 Visa (otherwise known as the Non-immigrant Visa for Spouse). This normally takes around eight months to a year to process. Of course, it is understood that you are qualified to file the petition in this case. Needless to say, you need to present proofs of your US citizenship and your wife’s FIlipino citizenship, valid IDs issued by the government, your marriage license, and some photos of you as a couple.

Once your wife receives her K3 Visa, she may now enter the “Land of the Free” where she can move to change her non-immigrant status to immigrant.

If one year still sounds like a long time, you may want to consider getting a Fiancee Visa (I-129F), which can be done in just about six months or even less. The Fiancee Visa a non-immigrant type of visa that will allow you to take your fiancee to the United States and get married there. The Fiancee Visa is conditional, however. It requires that marriage must take place within 90 days from arrival to the US.

But as they say, “it’s more fun in the Philippines”, and that includes getting married. Indeed, for many Filipina women (and foreign men), there’s nothing like getting married in the Philippines, where not just the whole family, but the entire barangay, can witness the proceedings. Getting married in the Philippines is an experience you really wouldn’t want to miss. From the preparation right to the reception, are funny and memorable moments you are sure to cherish for the rest of your life.

Time flies, anyway, so one year or two years of waiting may only seem like a long time, but really it’s not. Besides, there’s the internet to keep you connected until you can be together physically in the United States.

Are you looking for a Filipina girlfriend?
Find her now at www.findfilipinagirlfriend.com
.