Immigration and Marriage..ugh!?

Question

I am an American citizen in LOVE with a French man. We have been seeing eachother until he was finally REFUSED entry to the US because of his numerous visits and they found out he did little freelance jobs too. I have not finished my studies so i cannot really go to him as much.

We have decided to just marry to make our situation better. (we were planning to marry anyways) I understand its easier to marry in the foreign country. So i plan to do it, but how long and is it expensive for the process to go through? Is it better to use an immigration lawyer? We want to be together asap!

Also, i may not have enough income to show i can support him too, so can my parents file their incomes too?

Anyone with info, i'd greatly appreciate it!


Thanks, and please dont leave your immature and stupid comments if you intend on it.

Answer 1

No, dear, marriage in France is not as easy as you think.
First of all, as you want to marry, you can not do it on a tourist
visa - I mean, you do not need any visa for the stay up to 90 days,
but you can't marry like this, because you will be considered as a
tourist, and no mairie will marry you. If you want to marry in France, you must collect a lot of papers. The list is changing, but
approximately:
1. Your birth certificate, issued no later than 6 month, with
apostille.
2. Your marriage/divorce certificate, if you were married before, with apostille.
3. A medical test, done by a doctor, accredited with the French
embassy in your country, with apostille.
4. A paper, which states that you are not married now (should be
recent) with apostille.
5. Certificate de coutume - this is a paper that says that in your
country and in his country only one wife are allowed per husband (no polygamy). This paper can be get from American embassy in Paris.
Plus some forms from the mairie, ceriticate de honor and so on.
This is your part of the papers, and there are his - the same, minus the ceritficate de coutume, but the copy of his ID and some fractures - bills, to prove that he lives there, because one can marry only where one lives (register the marriage).
With these papers he - or better you and he - should go to the mairie.
The mairie will put out bannes - an announcement that you two are going to marry. After this announcement was out for ten days, you can marry, and not earlier. When ten days pass, you should get a copy of banns, and certificate non-oposition - it is a paper which says that no one turned up to stop your marriage.
Then you collect:
1. Your birth certificate, issued no later than 6 month, with
apostille.
2. Your marriage/divorce certificate, if you were married before, with apostille.
3. Police clearance certificate with apostille.
4. Papers showing your income in the past year.
5. A couple of photos.
6. Passport.
7. His papers, showing his income for the last 3 months.
8. Copy of his national ID.
9. Certificate non-oposition.
10. Bannes.
With these papers you go to the French embassy and apply for a visa to marry! The you go to France with that visa, and go to the mairie and marry!
Apostille is a special stamp on the papers, which makes them valid in Europe. Can be obtained from a notary.
All the papers must be translated into French!
Much better choice for you both would be to apply for K-1 visa for him - a fiance visa. You will have to fill a couple of forms, and send them to your immigration office, nearest to you, with the proofs of your relationship - photos, e-mails, phone bills, plane tickets copies and so on. When they receive it, they will process your case in States, and then will send it to the American embassy in France. He will be called to the interview to prove that he really wants to get married, knows you, that you met, that you have a relationship.
You will have to show that you have sufficient income to support him there. If you do not, your parents can be co-sponsors, and provide their financial information. The case processing will last for about 6-7 month. Then he will get a visa for 90 days. He can go there and must marry until his visa expired. Since he already have immigration problems, his case might not be approved, then you had to apply for a waiver.
If you do marry in France, you still have to apply for a visa for him,
but that would be a spouse visa. The papers and forms are mostly the same, plus marriage certificate. Then send them to your Immigration service centre. The time processing will be somewhat quicker, maybe 5-6 months. Again, your parents can co-sponsor and he might be refused, and you will have to apply for a waiver.
You can read about the process here:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=0775667706f7d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

What with the papers to collect for the marriage, you'd better go for a fiance visa, that is my opinion.

Answer 2

you have a sticky situation.... He's going to have major issues because of the money and because they stopped his visits and so will you...get a lawyer now before you go marry him. They can tell you the fastest and easiest way to deal with this, that will save you money and time and will also maybe show you some things you ought to know before you marry him, they can run a check on your mans background.. You would be suprised to find out how many men seeking American women are already married with kids sometimes back home. Or crimes they ommited. I see it all the time and the women all same the same thing, there must be a patent written somewhere " I know my man, he doesn't have anything to hide" famous last words..sad but true.

Answer 3

To find out about getting married in France, you and your fiance need to check with the French embassy - it's a good idea if you go together so that you both know where you stand. You need to check with US immigration if that will allow him to come and join you - for UK for example being married to a UK citizen does NOT give the foreign partner an automatic right of residence in UK. You may need to consider if you are prepared to move to France - so you better check with the French embassy about what rights you may have on that score, and you better start learning French!

You may not need a lawyer as such, but it is ESSENTIAL at this point, especially given your fiance's previous breach of the rules, that you follow procedures correctly, and that you know what you are getting into.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Please trust me when I say this - you need an attorney. A good immigration attorney. They can walk you through the whole process.

Think about this carefully. If you go abroad and marry there, your intended still has no more chance of being admitted than he had before. Talk to an attorney about all the options. Be totally honest about his previous history with the immigration people. Your attorney must have all the information to be able to present your case in its best light.

Now, as to costs, it cost me over $5,000 for a straightforward immigration from the UK. It isn't cheap but I really do think an attorney is the best way to go in this case.

Your parents can sponsor him in too, but they are agreeing to support him for three years - he is not allowed any benefit from the federal government for that length of time. Do your parents love him as much as you do?

I can understand what you must be going through. I know how I felt and my immigration was remarkably painless.

Answer 5

Use your parents income? You two plan on living with your parents? Seems like you should be waiting on this. Finish school, get a good income, then marry your foreigner and bring him legally into the country.

Answer 6

ok...he was refused entry. a LOT of americans are under the false assumption that if you "just marry them" it will be ok. this is FALSE. you CANNOT do that. it's not going to change the situation or fix it. sorry, he should not have taken those jobs and whatever you say isn't going to change the government's mind.
you need to face the facts that you have made a grave error in not taking this seriously enough to research your options when you first met him, and consider moving to france. of course if you love him...try the lawyer option....but i think you are very naive in your assumption that this is going to work out...you are facing a very lengthy amount of time fighting this battle, and living apart. talk to the lawyer first, he'll tell you the facts right away.

Answer 7

i went through all of this with my husband. we got a immigration lawyer and his so called help only hurt us. so really check into your lawyer and make sure he is in it for the good and not just the money. i have been 2 mexico twice and am in dept around 20 thousand. bad thing is all the good thing's that was going to happen after we married..didn't. no green card, no work paper's...nata.. so be careful who you trust.

Answer 8

WHY DONT YOU CALL IMMIGRATION AT 1800 3755285 AND ASKED THEM THE CAN SEND YOU ALL THE FORM NEEDED I THINK YOU NEED TI FILE A 129F TO GET MARRY AND IF YOU MARRY OVER THERE IT MAY TAKE LONGER TO BRING HIM HERE

Answer 9

Dear Mam'

Please tell me where are you located right now? so that I can inform about the solicitor / barristor to act upon your issue.

About financial resources too he can guide you with ( immovable property asset, share or some thing helpful)..

Please mail me with complete picture so that I can forward to the respective one ..... bye and have a great time !!

Answer 10

I'm not sure on this one, hon.
Go talk to the American consulate. I'm sure they have answers for you.
Good luck.......you'll be all right. Love conquers all!