Hello from Houston, Texas, USA. I just proposed to a beautiful Hong Kong girl.

[Michael and Elsie 0]

Hello, my name is Michael and I am a new member here. I am in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, who also happens to be living on the other side of the world. heh I guess I will just copy and paste my story from my profile if anybody is interested.

**CORNY LOVE STORY ALERT**

Well, It all begin when I was 15 years old, still in highschool. I met Hung Ngai-Lee (Elsie) online in a yahoo chat room. We instantly connected, and soon our long-distance relationship formed. Despite much critisism, we waited all though our highschool years for each other. After waiting for close to 5 years (im serious!), I bought a plane ticket in September 2007 to Hong Kong so I could finally meet Elsie in person... Seeing her there in the airport for the first time was the most dramatic moment of my entire life. She was even more beautiful than I had imagined! For about 11 days Elsie showed my mother, my mother's friend, and me her beautiful city. Before I left for home, I proposed to her...and she said "Of course!" Now in 2008 I have booked another flight to see her again this May. This time Elsie will introduce her whole family to my mother and I. I myself will stay in Hong Kong to live with her family for a whole month and a half. Because I am 21 and still a college student, I will have to have co-signers I believe. I am meeting with a lawyer to help me this month. If anyone can help me with information please contact me. I would love to hear your story as well. As I would really like to know if I am not the only one that has gone through this long a struggle. This has been so hard....but we call each other twice a day, and it has gotten easier since we met in person. I'll never give up on the perfect girl! I am so glad I found this place. It's nice to meet you all!

That pretty much sums up my situaton. I new to forums so I'm sure I could find answers to a lot of my questions on my own...but I hope nobody minds if just ask a few right now. I have a part-time job with a low income while studying as a full time student. My famiily is fully willing to support Elsie when she comes here. She would be living with my mom and I until I finish college..... At least thats my plan. So what problems can I expect since I am only 21 and Elsie is 22? After I get back from my second trip I will go there again in 2009 and hopfully bring her back with me. I sure this will not be as easy as it sounds. So anybody from Hong Kong here?

[garya505 2]

Wow, 5 years! Can anyone beat that?

[Nagishkaw 510]

That is a nice love story! Welcome to VJ!

[Minya's wife 24]

Hi Michael,

Aw such a cute love story ....disregard the sarcasm you may encounter sometimes. Browse the guides, and the VJ in general . You'll find it a great source of information and advice.

Welcome to VJ!

-P

[JVKn'CVO 11]

Very nice story! Congrats on your engagement, welcome to VJ and good luck on your visa journey!

Saludos,

Caro

Edited February 2, 2008 by JVKn'CVO

[Michael and Elsie 0]

Thanks everyone!

I am happy to be a part of this forum, everybody here seems so friendly and willing to help.

One of the main questions I have is will we need to sign a marriage license in Hong Kong. Signing that paper is a big event in her culture's tradition. Elsie wanted to know if she is going to need to plan for this with her family. From just my reading online I think we won't need to, as marriage in Hong Kong and marriage in the U.S. are considered separate. However, if we need to sign the marriage papers in her city then it may affect the date's that my family must book our flight. We want to go mid May this year, but if I need to sign that paper then her family would want us to sign it in the lucky month tha matches us. We are planning on having the wedding in the USA so I think we wll be applying for the K1 visa. I will talk to a lawyer this month for some of my basic questions......my apologies for being such a newbie

[ForeverAmen 0]

Welcome!

[NYN 0]

Hello there and welcome!

Yours is a wonderful story, and while I am not in the same boat as you, I am in a similar boat. =) I too am considering my options.

As to your questions, I found this on a site called TravelChinaGide.Com:

"I married in China, because it was important to Lao Po that her family be involved with the event. We went through the official civil marriage ceremony in Guangzhou, received our little red marriage books, and the next day we had the family wedding supper at a local hotel banquet room. Please note that a marriage that is legal in another jurisdiction (China) is deemed to be legal in any state in the USA. A second marriage ceremony is not required for it to be valid in America.

You need to speak to people in the US immigration and find out the rules."

and somebody else wrote:

"If you can get yr fiancee into the US I would look at formally marryingthere, it is simpler. Nothing to stop u having a wedding ceremony in China before you leave. In China the official marriage and the ceremony are quite distinct. To many families it is the ceremony that is important so you can have that in China but not get legally married until you get to the US. "

So, you have to decide which route you are going to go. Because if you do marry her there, then I think you are not going the K1 route, but the K3 route because she is no longer your fiance but your spouse. You could do what that second person said though, and have a ceremony in China, and have the legal ceremony in the US to go with your K1 plan. Many of my friends are Chinese American, and the ceremony is very important to their families. I am sure talking with her, and both of your families will help you sort out all of your expectations and what you both are OK with.

I am also new to the site, and like you have many questions, but if I can help you I definitely will. I was also not sure about the legality of my marriage in El Salvador and how to "register" it in the US, etc. There are so many questions I didn't even know I had!

Like you, I do not have enough money because I have been studying abroad, which is where I met my fiance, and so will also have to show I can 'financially support' him.

I don't think your age will matter though since you are both old enough to legally marry.

Since I live overseas though I am going to marry him and bring him by filing overseas, which might be a little bit faster. But like you I was considering bringing him here through the K1 or K3 process.

There is a lot of information out there, but this site is so great! Just reading it will make you feel a lot better.

Congratulations on your engagement and good luck!

[Zee Bee 61]

Welcome to VJ and good luck on your journey!!!

[Minya's wife 24]

Thanks everyone!

I am happy to be a part of this forum, everybody here seems so friendly and willing to help.

One of the main questions I have is will we need to sign a marriage license in Hong Kong. Signing that paper is a big event in her culture's tradition. Elsie wanted to know if she is going to need to plan for this with her family. From just my reading online I think we won't need to, as marriage in Hong Kong and marriage in the U.S. are considered separate. However, if we need to sign the marriage papers in her city then it may affect the date's that my family must book our flight. We want to go mid May this year, but if I need to sign that paper then her family would want us to sign it in the lucky month tha matches us. We are planning on having the wedding in the USA so I think we wll be applying for the K1 visa. I will talk to a lawyer this month for some of my basic questions......my apologies for being such a newbie

For the purposes of immigration a marriage is a marriage...so to speak. If the marriage is considered legally binding in that country, then it will also be legally binding here in the US. This means that if you go that route, and that "marriage license" you sign in Hong Kong binds you legally as husband and wife, the K-1 Fiancee visa will no longer be an option for your. You will then have to chose between the IR/CR1 our K-3 Spousal visas. The K-1 is only for fiancees, and it stipulates that you must marry here in the US.

Looks like you have some more research to do....but before you talk to the lawyer, as you plan, I would look around here on VJ, the forums, and especially the Guides. They will inform you and certainly give you information from which to ask questions to your lawyer that are specific and important to your situation.

Cheers,

-P

[~Chad~ 0]

welcome to VJ! Cool story

[Sand 5]

Welcome To VJ

[yukfou 0]

Welcome bro, I feel like you can make a movie based on your love story Good luck to you both with the journey

[Jesse and Hema 2]

Wow, 5 years! Can anyone beat that?

Yep

[Michael and Elsie 0]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Your information is very useful. I already have most of my question's answered within my first few days in this forum! I'm sure I will have more as I begin the visa process....Thanks again!