Am I in the right place?

[Fu Lai]

I am an American in New Zealand. I am going to teach English at Wuhan University in a month. My long-time (3 years) girlfriend is a Chinese national living in Wuhan. We have never met in person. It is our general understanding that if all is well when we are together in person, we will marry in China and take it from there. We are both near 50. Neither one of us is rich enough to make the trek to the USA right now but I have a bunch of questions about proceeding in China. Am I in the right place to ask or is this place just for Chinese folks coming to the USA sponsored?

 

Hello everybody!

[dnoblett]

Candle For Love is the place to ask about these things.

 

To get married in China, you will have to first visit a US consulate in China to get a certificate of non marriage before the Chinese authorities will perform the marriage.

 

See: http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/information_about_getting_married_in_china2.html

 

 

Gonna move this to "First Steps"

[Mick]

^{Welcome to Candle! In addition to first rate visa information here, you can also get great info on living and working in China. Several of our current members are living over there now, and quite a few of us lived and worked there in the past. I lived in China, for example, for five years. I taught English and Journalism, first in Anhui Province, then in Guangdong. I am sure you can get much help and support from the Candle members, whether it be visa related or related to living and working in China. Again, welcome aboard.}

[dan1984]

Welcome!

[MikeXiao]

Welcome to the Candle. There is much wisdom here.

[Fu Lai]

Thanks everyone

[tsap seui]

I am an American in New Zealand. I am going to teach English at Wuhan University in a month. My long-time (3 years) girlfriend is a Chinese national living in Wuhan. We have never met in person. It is our general understanding that if all is well when we are together in person, we will marry in China and take it from there. We are both near 50. Neither one of us is rich enough to make the trek to the USA right now but I have a bunch of questions about proceeding in China. Am I in the right place to ask or is this place just for Chinese folks coming to the USA sponsored?

 

Hello everybody!

 

You found the best place to learn about immigration for Chinese women and men to the US through K-1 or CR-1 or IR-1 visas, and the consulate in Guangzhou, China where they have their interviews for the visa. Welcome to the party.

 

Looks like, by marrying, and living, in China you are gonna use the Direct Consulate Filing CR-1 route, or possibly a DCF IR-1 visa route if her interview in China is around or more than two years from the marriage date, and you live there when you file. There is a FAQ section here that can help you get a start on the forms necessary, give you some information on the steps and help you to ask pertinent questions as you put your evidence together.

 

We talk of a kitchen sink of evidence, which basically is gathering as much evidence of your bona fide relationship (photos in China with your wife, her family members, friends, of the two of you together in front of well known sites, etc, and ticket stubs of any travel together in China as well as your travel from NZed to visit her....e-mails of portions of however you communicate with each other these past 3 years.

 

Keep detailed records of everything you have ever done or will do as far as your relationship. You only get one "important" time to send in your evidence which you will do with your initial application with the proper forms. Trying to send in additional information later in the process is a hat trick as to if they will even look at it.

 

After meeting and seeing if you two are compatable and wind up marrying you will want to compile every shred of evidence you can to prepare for that initial application. Make up an evolution of relationship folder starting from when you met 3 years ago....document document document. You can't have too much evidence, and while the two basic forms you send in at first are critical, the real power of your application is your relationship evidence....especially what your wife will have in her folder once she goes for her interview.

 

Again mate, it all starts from that initial application. I can't say that loud enough. Take your time before sending it in, ask lots of questions.

 

Where in Godzone do you live? I've got friends who are like family that live in Wellington, and down on the south rock in Nelson. I spent almost 9 cumulative months teaching, and exploring the beauty of the land of the long white cloud.

 

Good luck with the wee tiki tour of the wop wop. Ya got lots of good people here who can help you put together yer application, sit with you while you wait, and be with you and She who must be obeyed, in spirit, on the day when she walks up to her interview window. I hope one day to read of her success, see your happiness and sayo ya...And Bob's Yer Uncle, mate.

 

tsap seui

Edited August 19, 2012 by tsap seui (see edit history)

[Randy W]

I am an American in New Zealand. I am going to teach English at Wuhan University in a month. My long-time (3 years) girlfriend is a Chinese national living in Wuhan. We have never met in person. It is our general understanding that if all is well when we are together in person, we will marry in China and take it from there. We are both near 50. Neither one of us is rich enough to make the trek to the USA right now but I have a bunch of questions about proceeding in China. Am I in the right place to ask or is this place just for Chinese folks coming to the USA sponsored?

 

Hello everybody!

 

You will need a single certification, like Dan says. As of this year, they are leaning more towards requiring stateside certification of legal documents - that is, certified by the Dept. of State and the Chinese consulate in the U.S. We're not sure if this would apply to the single certificates or not. If you decide to get married, you should check with the Chinese folks to find out what they will require. Like it says on the Guangzhou consulate's page, "Regulations for marriage in China may differ significantly amongst different provinces, cities and townships. Check with the Chinese Civil Affairs Office where you will be registering your marriage for the most current information."

 

One guy who is here in China now to get married chose to have his done stateside, but that was because of complications from a previous divorce with a Chinese citizen.

Edited August 20, 2012 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Fu Lai]

I will check with the Chinese Civil Affairs Office ASAP

[dnoblett]

I have seen a few recently have no issues with the US Consulate issued single cert.

 

I would get a consulate cert, and see what they say.