What's the First step?

[jamin55]

Hellow out there.

So I'm planning to go to ShenZhen, China at the begining of March for maybe even 50 days.

I'am a male U.S citizen (Washington State). I'm now in Calif.

My fiance and I want to get married in China. Goungzhou province.

I've been looking all around. I hve found alot of bits of info, forms, ect but no compleate step by step process. I found a step by step (here on Candle) starting with form I-130. But from what I gathered form I-130 starts after the marrage. Correct?

Is there anything I can do now? Or could do now before going "over there" to get the process started?

Thank you again anyone, this a terrific site!

Jamin55--------

[castaway109]

Hellow out there.

So I'm planning to go to ShenZhen, China at the begining of March for maybe even 50 days.

I'am a male U.S citizen (Washington State). I'm now in Calif.

My fiance and I want to get married in China. Goungzhou province.

I've been looking all around. I hve found alot of bits of info, forms, ect but no compleate step by step process. I found a step by step (here on Candle) starting with form I-130. But from what I gathered form I-130 starts after the marrage. Correct?

Is there anything I can do now? Or could do now before going "over there" to get the process started?

Thank you again anyone, this a terrific site!

Jamin55--------

181646[/snapback]

Have you been married before?

 

1.a Divorced = get certified copy of divorce certificate from city agency. Then send to the state for state certification. Then to the Chinese Consulate adjudicating your area along with a letter stating that you are free and clear to marry. You need the letter from them to get married in China.

 

1.b Divorced = get a certified copy of your divorce certificate from the city. Take it to the US consulate in China along with a letter stating that you are free to marry. The consulate will give you the paper necessary to get married.

 

2. Single = Write a notarized letter that states that you have never been married and are free to marry. Then....see above.

[jamin55]

Hellow out there.

So I'm planning to go to ShenZhen, China at the begining of March for maybe even 50 days.

I'am a male U.S citizen (Washington State). I'm now in Calif.

My fiance and I want to get married in China. Goungzhou province.

I've been looking all around. I hve found alot of bits of info, forms, ect but no compleate step by step process. I found a step by step (here on Candle) starting with form I-130. But from what I gathered form I-130 starts after the marrage. Correct?

Is there anything I can do now? Or could do now before going "over there" to get the process started?

Thank you again anyone, this a terrific site!

Jamin55--------

181646[/snapback]

Have you been married before?

 

1.a Divorced = get certified copy of divorce certificate from city agency. Then send to the state for state certification. Then to the Chinese Consulate adjudicating your area along with a letter stating that you are free and clear to marry. You need the letter from them to get married in China.

 

1.b Divorced = get a certified copy of your divorce certificate from the city. Take it to the US consulate in China along with a letter stating that you are free to marry. The consulate will give you the paper necessary to get married.

 

2. Single = Write a notarized letter that states that you have never been married and are free to marry. Then....see above.

181648[/snapback]

Yes I was divorced. I have the official divorce decree and all my final divorce paperwork. (Offical disssolution of Marrage document). Isn't this good enough to bring to China?

My (divorce) Dissolution of Marrage was in Washington State. So I guess I need to get this document certified back in Washington? And also find the Chinese Counsulate back in Washington and get a letter from them?

I was planning to stay in California until I leave for China. But it sounds like maybe I will have to go back to my home state of Washington?

there is a consulate in SF which is close to me now.

[jamin55]

Hellow out there.

So I'm planning to go to ShenZhen, China at the begining of March for maybe even 50 days.

I'am a male U.S citizen (Washington State). I'm now in Calif.

My fiance and I want to get married in China. Goungzhou province.

I've been looking all around. I hve found alot of bits of info, forms, ect but no compleate step by step process. I found a step by step (here on Candle) starting with form I-130. But from what I gathered form I-130 starts after the marrage. Correct?

Is there anything I can do now? Or could do now before going "over there" to get the process started?

Thank you again anyone, this a terrific site!

Jamin55--------

181646[/snapback]

Have you been married before?

 

1.a Divorced = get certified copy of divorce certificate from city agency. Then send to the state for state certification. Then to the Chinese Consulate adjudicating your area along with a letter stating that you are free and clear to marry. You need the letter from them to get married in China.

 

1.b Divorced = get a certified copy of your divorce certificate from the city. Take it to the US consulate in China along with a letter stating that you are free to marry. The consulate will give you the paper necessary to get married.

 

2. Single = Write a notarized letter that states that you have never been married and are free to marry. Then....see above.

181648[/snapback]

Yes I was divorced. I have the official divorce decree and all my final divorce paperwork. (Offical disssolution of Marrage document). Isn't this good enough to bring to China?

My (divorce) Dissolution of Marrage was in Washington State. So I guess I need to get this document certified back in Washington? And also find the Chinese Counsulate back in Washington and get a letter from them?

I was planning to stay in California until I leave for China. But it sounds like maybe I will have to go back to my home state of Washington?

there is a consulate in SF which is close to me now.

181652[/snapback]

Be back tomarrow---thanks for your input.

Jamin55

[Guest pushbrk]

Hellow out there.

So I'm planning to go to ShenZhen, China at the begining of March for maybe even 50 days.

I'am a male U.S citizen (Washington State). I'm now in Calif.

My fiance and I want to get married in China. Goungzhou province.

I've been looking all around. I hve found alot of bits of info, forms, ect but no compleate step by step process. I found a step by step (here on Candle) starting with form I-130. But from what I gathered form I-130 starts after the marrage. Correct?

Is there anything I can do now? Or could do now before going "over there" to get the process started?

Thank you again anyone, this a terrific site!

Jamin55--------

181646[/snapback]

I would start by reading this thread. By the way, Guangzhou is in Guangdong (sp) province. I know it's kind of confusing.

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15093

 

You can find instructions for obtaining certified copies of WA divorce decrees from the State of WA website. You don't certify the documents you have. You get certified copies mailed to you. They are not obtained from any city or county.

 

There is no Chinese Embassy or Consulate in the State of Washington. WA is assigned to San Francisco.

 

There are three ways to obtain a single certificate. If you are going to BE in Guangzhou anyway you'll find it easier and less expensive to obtain your certificate there at the US Consulate. If not, you may well want to go one of the other two routes.

 

Another thing you need to do is find out exactly what is required for your lady to marry in her home town. Then get her started on pulling all her part together. She'll need divorce decrees, if applicable, and they'll need to be translated at her local government notarial office. Get at least three notarial copies of those, and her birth certificate. You'll need to bring those back to the US with you and use them to file your visa application.

 

If there are any Chinese children involved you'll need 3 notarial copies of thier birth certificates too.

 

If you choose to get your certificate of marriageability in Guangzhou, you'll need to find out whether it needs notarial translation to satisfy the local marriage office. If so, have her find out where and how fast that can be done, including the expense. If not, cool. If translation is needed it may be to slow or too expensive to satisfy your schedule. Usually with a little grease, (less than USD 100) it's a matter of half a day.

[Yuanyang]

Yes, what Mike said. Please read http://houston.china-consulate.org/eng/vp/fhjh/t53298.htm for obtaining the Certificate of Marriageability from inside the USA.

[tywy_99]

Everything I learned about a foreigner marrying a Chinese citizen came off the website of the Chinese embassy in D.C.

[Guest pushbrk]

Everything I learned about a foreigner marrying a Chinese citizen came off the website of the Chinese embassy in D.C.

181765[/snapback]

I don't think much has changed since my wedding day 40 days ago.

[tywy_99]

Ditto Ty!

 

For a long, LONG time AFTER the change (about National Day 2003) the US Embassy/Cons. sites STILL had the OLD requirements for a medical posted.

 

If I remember right you got the full treatment Ty?

181770[/snapback]

It was blsqueaky who reported the "full treatment."........

 

But we had to have the medical exam before marrying. If I'm not mistaken, all that came to an end in October 2003.

 

My exam at the hospital wasn't bad. I was quite the "celebratory" that day! For the whole morning we marched from one room to another, getting this done and that. The doctor and nurses were extremely nice. It was quite the adventure, and experience!

[shyaushu]

I don't pretend to have the knowledge others may have regarding this matter, but I can communicate my own personal experience.

 

I am pretty certain SOME official documentation that each of you is eligible to marry (i.e., not already or still married) is required by Chinese law and, I suppose, custom. This document is sometimes called a Single Status Statement, and it is to be presented to the official who actually marries you in China.

 

The other (so far) unchanging requirement is that you apparently must get married in your spouse's "home town."

 

I cannot speak to the relative ease or difficulty in obtaining a Single Status Statement in the US versus in China, but I can say how I got mine.

 

After I finally figured out what they were talking about (since there is no similar requirement here in the US), I located a company in New Jersey through the Internet, down-loaded one of their forms, signed it, and sent it to them with my payment (I don't remember the fee, but it was less than $100).

 

About two weeks later they sent me the completed form, notarized by (of all things) the Attorney General of New York, and certified by the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

 

My wife and I were married in Changchun (north-eastern China) in January, 2005, and at the appropriate moment, I handed my statement to the marriage official. It was not translated.

 

He nodded, said something like "hao-la", and pounded on it with his stamp.

 

There were so many things to do in China when we were getting married I was quite happy I didn't have to deal with that part.

 

Others may have different experiences, but that was mine.

Edited January 12, 2006 by shyaushu (see edit history)

[artmill4]

If I had to do it all over again I think I would have explored getting married in Hong Kong. I got married in Zhuhai. Shenzen is right next door to Hong Kong so everybody could attend the wedding. I have just read several times that Hong Kong is better to deal with in terms of immigration than Guz. This was just the first thing that came to mind when I saw you were not married. With the proper care and digging for information this site gives you all the answers you will need. Everything! From the point where you are in the process I remember not knowing the questions to ask. Happiness be yours. I just read the first post you have. The writer states you must get married in your spouses Home-town. Forget the part of getting married in Hong Kong. I didn't know this and was thinking like an American.

[Guest pushbrk]

If I had to do it all over again I think I would have explored getting married in Hong Kong. I got married in Zhuhai. Shenzen is right next door to Hong Kong so everybody could attend the wedding. I have just read several times that Hong Kong is better to deal with in terms of immigration than Guz. This was just the first thing that came to mind when I saw you were not married. With the proper care and digging for information this site gives you all the answers you will need. Everything! From the point where you are in the process I remember not knowing the questions to ask. Happiness be yours. I just read the first post you have. The writer states you must get married in your spouses Home-town. Forget the part of getting married in Hong Kong. I didn't know this and was thinking like an American.

181976[/snapback]

Hong Kong is the exception to the home town rule. The home town rule is for the mainland. Hong Kong has its own complications for marriage but the K3 process is much faster through HK.

[Matman]

If I had to do it all over again I think I would have explored getting married in Hong Kong. I got married in Zhuhai. Shenzen is right next door to Hong Kong so everybody could attend the wedding. I have just read several times that Hong Kong is better to deal with in terms of immigration than Guz. This was just the first thing that came to mind when I saw you were not married. With the proper care and digging for information this site gives you all the answers you will need. Everything! From the point where you are in the process I remember not knowing the questions to ask. Happiness be yours. I just read the first post you have. The writer states you must get married in your spouses Home-town. Forget the part of getting married in Hong Kong. I didn't know this and was thinking like an American.

181976[/snapback]

Hong Kong is the exception to the home town rule. The home town rule is for the mainland. Hong Kong has its own complications for marriage but the K3 process is much faster through HK.

181983[/snapback]

I agree, after all my research. I think this is theroute I will take.My SO has HK My SO lives in Shenzhen and has HK ID. I think it will be faster.

 

Mat

[Jonathan]

Just wondering if he can just go for a K1 instead of a K3,

and do it through Hong Kong instead?

 

K1 are much easier than K3's if you are in a hurry to bring her back to the states.

[tywy_99]

I don't pretend to have the knowledge others may have regarding this matter, but I can communicate my own personal experience.

 

I am pretty certain SOME official documentation that each of you is eligible to marry (i.e., not already or still married) is required by Chinese law and, I suppose, custom.  This document is sometimes called a Single Status Statement, and it is to be presented to the official who actually marries you in China.

 

The other (so far) unchanging requirement is that you apparently must get married in your spouse's "home town."

 

I cannot speak to the relative ease or difficulty in obtaining a Single Status Statement in the US versus in China, but I can say how I got mine.

 

After I finally figured out what they were talking about (since there is no similar requirement here in the US), I located a company in New Jersey through the Internet, down-loaded one of their forms, signed it, and sent it to them with my payment (I don't remember the fee, but it was less than $100).

 

About two weeks later they sent me the completed form, notarized by (of all things) the Attorney General of New York, and certified by the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

 

My wife and I were married in Changchun (north-eastern China) in January, 2005, and at the appropriate moment, I handed my statement to the marriage official.  It was not translated. 

 

He nodded, said something like "hao-la", and pounded on it with his stamp. 

 

There were so many things to do in China when we were getting married I was quite happy I didn't have to deal with that part.

 

Others may have different experiences, but that was mine.

181891[/snapback]

In my case, I got a single-status certificate, along with my divorce certificates from my state's vital records department. For an additional fee, it was notarized by my state's attorney's office. Then it was sent to DOS and then to the Chinese embassy for authentication.

All went very smoothly in this procedure.

 

At first, I was stumped as exactly what a single-status certificate was. I searched the internet to no avail and at that time the Chinese embassy didn't have a posted form.

 

Preparing my papers, I called the vital records dept. about obtaining the divorce certificates. I then asked the lady if she knew anything about a single-status certificate. She said yeah, we got them. Do you need one?