Second marriage?

[Whippy 0]

Hi folks,

I was wondering if anyone knows if my wife and I can get re-married in America? We were married under South African law a little over a year ago but would now like to be married under South Carolina law as well.

Under our SA marriage, my wife is basically considered a minor and has to get my permission to do anything legal in her home country just because she is a woman. Because of this, we are having some slight legal problems getting some things on the other side wrapped up.

If it IS possible to be also married in South Carolina, will one marriage supercede the other?

I know this is prolly a question for a lawer, but I thought I'd ask and see if anyone had any experience or thoughts on the matter.

thanks!

[Old Dominion 26]

Hi folks,

I was wondering if anyone knows if my wife and I can get re-married in America? We were married under South African law a little over a year ago but would now like to be married under South Carolina law as well.

Under our SA marriage, my wife is basically considered a minor and has to get my permission to do anything legal in her home country just because she is a woman. Because of this, we are having some slight legal problems getting some things on the other side wrapped up.

If it IS possible to be also married in South Carolina, will one marriage supercede the other?

I know this is prolly a question for a lawer, but I thought I'd ask and see if anyone had any experience or thoughts on the matter.

thanks!

The answer can be found by going to your local courthouse and applying for a marriage license. It is not uncommon for a couple to have a civil marriage and then another in a church, but yours is a different question and the answer would vary state by state.

[Lili 3]

You might want to be careful. I wanted to do a marriage in France and the consulate told me NO. If i do that, i will be considered doing polygamy to the same man. I would then have to have one of the marriage legally annulled.

[john_and_marlene 162]

You can't have a legal marriage if you are currently married--not even if it is the same person. Your SA marriage is recognized in the US.

[Old Dominion 26]

You can't have a legal marriage if you are currently married--not even if it is the same person. Your SA marriage is recognized in the US.

Again, the answer will be found at the courthouse. Marriage is a legal matter that varies state by state. The federal government is not involved except to recognize which marriages are valid.

[pushbrk 13,073]

You can't have a legal marriage if you are currently married--not even if it is the same person. Your SA marriage is recognized in the US.

Again, the answer will be found at the courthouse. Marriage is a legal matter that varies state by state. The federal government is not involved except to recognize which marriages are valid.

Marriage is a legal matter but married is married. All US States recognize marriages legally registered in other countries and will not knowingly issue a marriage license to a couple already married.

The only exception would be a marriage expressly forbidden under a State's Constitution. For instance some State's Constitutions provide for not recognizing marriages between same sex couples. Another exception would be polygamus marriages performed abroad. In that case, only the first marriage is recognized.

[Old Dominion 26]

Again, no matter what the answer will be found at the local courthouse, not among those who are experienced in immigration issues. There may be a circumstance that would allow such a second marriage, but of course it seems rare that anyone would want to do this, and it would seem to provide no benefit to the couple.

[pushbrk 13,073]

Again, no matter what the answer will be found at the local courthouse, not among those who are experienced in immigration issues. There may be a circumstance that would allow such a second marriage, but of course it seems rare that anyone would want to do this, and it would seem to provide no benefit to the couple.

Some people with immigration experience have broad experience with other issues. Married is married. Married people are not allowed to get married to people, not even the person they are already married to. At least not in the USA today.

[SunDrop 59]

You are legally married, as others have said but your marriage falls under the law of the country inwhich you are applying said law. Even if you had married in SC instead of SA, you would still encounter the same difficulties in SA as you are now.

Remarrying legally would be completely irrelevant.

[Ning 619]

Again, no matter what the answer will be found at the local courthouse, not among those who are experienced in immigration issues. There may be a circumstance that would allow such a second marriage, but of course it seems rare that anyone would want to do this, and it would seem to provide no benefit to the couple.

Some people with immigration experience have broad experience with other issues. Married is married. Married people are not allowed to get married to people, not even the person they are already married to. At least not in the USA today.

Your broad experiance has led to a giant ego it seems. I have seen you give a lot of good advise. Then chastise people for bringing up unrelated subjects in these forums. Such as experiance with dance contests or people we know from T V shows.

I went to a courthouse in Arizona recently to verify that my marrige would be legal. You are right in that respect; it is. However the clerk said there was no problem marrying agin if we felt we wanted to. We could have paid a small fee & done it right there & then.

[Old Dominion 26]

Again, no matter what the answer will be found at the local courthouse, not among those who are experienced in immigration issues. There may be a circumstance that would allow such a second marriage, but of course it seems rare that anyone would want to do this, and it would seem to provide no benefit to the couple.

Some people with immigration experience have broad experience with other issues. Married is married. Married people are not allowed to get married to people, not even the person they are already married to. At least not in the USA today.

Your broad experiance has led to a giant ego it seems. I have seen you give a lot of good advise. Then chastise people for bringing up unrelated subjects in these forums. Such as experiance with dance contests or people we know from T V shows.

I went to a courthouse in Arizona recently to verify that my marrige would be legal. You are right in that respect; it is. However the clerk said there was no problem marrying agin if we felt we wanted to. We could have paid a small fee & done it right there & then.

Exactly! The answer lies at the courthouse.

[LaL 418]

What does the courthouse knowledge have to do with immigration? Is it possible for immigration purposes, this can cause some confusion?

[Old Dominion 26]

The question was about marriage, not immigration. Each state has its own marriage laws.

[LaL 418]

The question was about marriage, not immigration. Each state has its own marriage laws.

And this is an immigration forum, and I would think most of our suggestions would be from that point of vew, no? How can this impact the immigration process?

[Caladan 19]

Within the U.S., marriages in one state (excluding gay marriage atm) are recognized in another. There's no discretion at the courthouse; New Haven County can't declare that I'm not married because we were married in Allegheny County. The U.S. government recognizes (man-woman) legal marriages performed in other countries.

I'm not sure quite what you're asking; you've filed for a K-3. On the assumption that your marriage is legit enough to get that (legally recognized in SA), you'll already count as married in the U.S.