Marriage in Singapore

[BurningFinger 5]

Hello everyone,

My name is Travis and I am US Citizen. I met the lovely Trang, who is a Vietnamese Citizen, on a business trip to Vietnam about 2 years ago. I have made a total of 4 trips to Vietnam during those 2 years and we finally got married last month! There is a problem with this however. We tried to arrange the wedding in Vietnam, but the people that were helping to arrange everything for us, scammed us and took our money

Trang was very upset by all of this. I suggested we go to Singapore and get married and we did. Prior to all these events, I did not know about your Visa Journey website. I am grateful that I came across this website Since Trang and I just got married in Singapore even though none of us have Singapore Citizenship, will this become a problem if I apply for a visa to have her enter the US? I was looking into the K3 Visa. I have not yet filed any petition so that is some good news. Trang and I also did not have any engagement party in Vietnam. Which visa would be correct for our situation?

-Travis & Trang

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

Hello everyone,

My name is Travis and I am US Citizen. I met the lovely Trang, who is a Vietnamese Citizen, on a business trip to Vietnam about 2 years ago. I have made a total of 4 trips to Vietnam during those 2 years and we finally got married last month! There is a problem with this however. We tried to arrange the wedding in Vietnam, but the people that were helping to arrange everything for us, scammed us and took our money

Trang was very upset by all of this. I suggested we go to Singapore and get married and we did. Prior to all these events, I did not know about your Visa Journey website. I am grateful that I came across this website Since Trang and I just got married in Singapore even though none of us have Singapore Citizenship, will this become a problem if I apply for a visa to have her enter the US? I was looking into the K3 Visa. I have not yet filed any petition so that is some good news. Trang and I also did not have any engagement party in Vietnam. Which visa would be correct for our situation?

-Travis & Trang

If both of you are married, and have married certificate. I would recommend you to file for CR1 Visa. But, you both didn't have any engagement party in Viet Nam. CR1 is always better. Faster, and cheaper.

[WeatherEmperor 21]

BurningFinger,

First of all congratulations on your wedding. Second, that is very interesting. I had no idea that you and your wife could marry in a country that neither of you have citizenship for. I don't know if getting married in Singapore will be a problem considering that you will have to deal with the HCMC Consulate. The HCMC Consulate is tough according to many who went through it, but every case is different. I am just curious though, did you and Trang have a Dinh Hon in Vietnam? If not, do you plan on having one?

<CARRICK>

Edited October 28, 2009 by WeatherEmperor

[lindal24 1]

Hello everyone,

My name is Travis and I am US Citizen. I met the lovely Trang, who is a Vietnamese Citizen, on a business trip to Vietnam about 2 years ago. I have made a total of 4 trips to Vietnam during those 2 years and we finally got married last month! There is a problem with this however. We tried to arrange the wedding in Vietnam, but the people that were helping to arrange everything for us, scammed us and took our money

Trang was very upset by all of this. I suggested we go to Singapore and get married and we did. Prior to all these events, I did not know about your Visa Journey website. I am grateful that I came across this website Since Trang and I just got married in Singapore even though none of us have Singapore Citizenship, will this become a problem if I apply for a visa to have her enter the US? I was looking into the K3 Visa. I have not yet filed any petition so that is some good news. Trang and I also did not have any engagement party in Vietnam. Which visa would be correct for our situation?

-Travis & Trang

CR-1 or K-3

[Dai. 7]

BurningFinger,

First of all congratulations on your wedding. Second, that is very interesting. I had no idea that you and your wife could marry in a country that neither of you have citizenship for. I don't know if getting married in Singapore will be a problem considering that you will have to deal with the HCMC Consulate. The HCMC Consulate is tough according to many who went through it, but every case is different. I am just curious though, did you and Trang have a Dinh Hon in Vietnam? If not, do you plan on having one?

<CARRICK>

There is a person who was on here name Konton who is from US and wife is from Vietnam, the married in Singapore, they did Direct consular filing and got their cr-1 visa with in 3 months.

[BurningFinger 5]

I know this may sound like a dumb question but is this Direct Consular procedure even legal? Forgive me if that is not a good question. I am still new to this experience. lol. If it works, I will truly consider the Direct Consular option. One question about that, do I process the Direct Consular filing in Singapore (where we got married) or in Vietnam (where Trang lives)?

To answer the other member, I visited Vietnam a few times but never had an engagement ceremony or marriage ceremony. I only got married in Singapore. Thank you,

-Travis & Trang

BurningFinger,

First of all congratulations on your wedding. Second, that is very interesting. I had no idea that you and your wife could marry in a country that neither of you have citizenship for. I don't know if getting married in Singapore will be a problem considering that you will have to deal with the HCMC Consulate. The HCMC Consulate is tough according to many who went through it, but every case is different. I am just curious though, did you and Trang have a Dinh Hon in Vietnam? If not, do you plan on having one?

<CARRICK>

There is a person who was on here name Konton who is from US and wife is from Vietnam, the married in Singapore, they did Direct consular filing and got their cr-1 visa with in 3 months.

[lindal24 1]

I know this may sound like a dumb question but is this Direct Consular procedure even legal? Forgive me if that is not a good question. I am still new to this experience. lol. If it works, I will truly consider the Direct Consular option. One question about that, do I process the Direct Consular filing in Singapore (where we got married) or in Vietnam (where Trang lives)?

To answer the other member, I visited Vietnam a few times but never had an engagement ceremony or marriage ceremony. I only got married in Singapore. Thank you,

-Travis & Trang

It is very legal....lol... - it's considered another avenue of applying. Before they opened this, the peitioner would have to come back to the states to file the peition.

Edited October 28, 2009 by lindal24

[BurningFinger 5]

Ooooh now I understand what Direct Consular filing is. This can only be done if both the US Citizen and Spouse live overseas. I live in Atlanta, GA. Trang lives in Vietnam. Therefore I don't know if this method would work for us. Basically I just don't want any consulate to look bad at us simply because we got married in Singapore and not in Vietnam.

-Travis & Trang

[WeatherEmperor 21]

Hey,

I don't think you can use Direct Consular filing if you live in the US and she lives in Vietnam. I wonder how the consulate in HCMC will look at the fact that you married in Singapore and not Vietnam. Maybe you can file with the consulate in Singapore instead of HCMC. But I think that would require at least one of you to be a Singapore resident though.

[BurningFinger 5]

Hello,

I am still researching my options. Since I was married in Singapore, what I may end up doing is just file for Singapore Permanent Residence (not citizenship). Once I do that, I can apply for my wife to become a Singapore Permanent Resident (not a citizenship). She always expressed interest in living there anyways. Once she has Singapore Permant Residence we may file for her to come to the US or if not, we can just stay living in Singapore.

-Travis & Trang

Hey,

I don't think you can use Direct Consular filing if you live in the US and she lives in Vietnam. I wonder how the consulate in HCMC will look at the fact that you married in Singapore and not Vietnam. Maybe you can file with the consulate in Singapore instead of HCMC. But I think that would require at least one of you to be a Singapore resident though.

[WeatherEmperor 21]

Wow I dont know if that is a good idea. I think that unless you plan to live in Singapore, I dont know if you should do this. I met my SO in Singapore, but getting married in Singapore and applying for Permanent Residency in Singapore to make it easier to get a visa for her to go to the US seems.....way off . I don't know, that is just my opinion. Can somebody with more experience chime in on this?

<CARRICK>

Hello,

I am still researching my options. Since I was married in Singapore, what I may end up doing is just file for Singapore Permanent Residence (not citizenship). Once I do that, I can apply for my wife to become a Singapore Permanent Resident (not a citizenship). She always expressed interest in living there anyways. Once she has Singapore Permant Residence we may file for her to come to the US or if not, we can just stay living in Singapore.

-Travis & Trang

Hey,

I don't think you can use Direct Consular filing if you live in the US and she lives in Vietnam. I wonder how the consulate in HCMC will look at the fact that you married in Singapore and not Vietnam. Maybe you can file with the consulate in Singapore instead of HCMC. But I think that would require at least one of you to be a Singapore resident though.

[Dai. 7]

Hello,

I am still researching my options. Since I was married in Singapore, what I may end up doing is just file for Singapore Permanent Residence (not citizenship). Once I do that, I can apply for my wife to become a Singapore Permanent Resident (not a citizenship). She always expressed interest in living there anyways. Once she has Singapore Permant Residence we may file for her to come to the US or if not, we can just stay living in Singapore.

-Travis & Trang

Hey,

I don't think you can use Direct Consular filing if you live in the US and she lives in Vietnam. I wonder how the consulate in HCMC will look at the fact that you married in Singapore and not Vietnam. Maybe you can file with the consulate in Singapore instead of HCMC. But I think that would require at least one of you to be a Singapore resident though.

If you plan to live overseas then why don't you just live in Vietnam and apply for Direct Consular Filing. You already have the marriage paperwork from Singapore, Just submit it to the consulate. I think you have to live a minimum of 6 months to do Direct Consular Filing. But once you meet the requirement then to get the visa only take 3-4 months.

[Dai. 7]

I think Direct Consular Filing is more worth it since Cr-1 Visa talk about 8 months to 1 year anyways, and when you do this you build better evidence of a bonifide relationship since you have Tam Chu paperwork of you living in Vietnam, you have the Vietnam visa stamps in your passport proving you are there, It's a lot easier to collect evidence in you everyday life with her to prove the relationship is real, and you can take more pictures of different events easier so they know you are living there. I just think it's easier to build your case and get an approval.

[WeatherEmperor 21]

This would be good if Travis & Trang decides to live in Singapore. If he is going to live in the US with his wife, wouldnt it be awkward to file for the singapore permanent resident status so that he can sponsor his wife to also get the permanent resident status for singapore? I mean technically speaking, I would assume that it would be easier to deal with singapore compared to the HCMC consulate. Is this even possible?

<CARRICK>

I think Direct Consular Filing is more worth it since Cr-1 Visa talk about 8 months to 1 year anyways, and when you do this you build better evidence of a bonifide relationship since you have Tam Chu paperwork of you living in Vietnam, you have the Vietnam visa stamps in your passport proving you are there, It's a lot easier to collect evidence in you everyday life with her to prove the relationship is real, and you can take more pictures of different events easier so they know you are living there. I just think it's easier to build your case and get an approval.

[Dai. 7]

I am still researching my options. Since I was married in Singapore, what I may end up doing is just file for Singapore Permanent Residence (not citizenship). Once I do that, I can apply for my wife to become a Singapore Permanent Resident (not a citizenship). She always expressed interest in living there anyways. Once she has Singapore Permant Residence we may file for her to come to the US or if not, we can just stay living in Singapore.

-Travis & Trang

This would be good if Travis & Trang decides to live in Singapore. If he is going to live in the US with his wife, wouldnt it be awkward to file for the singapore permanent resident status so that he can sponsor his wife to also get the permanent resident status for singapore? I mean technically speaking, I would assume that it would be easier to deal with singapore compared to the HCMC consulate. Is this even possible?

<CARRICK>

He said he was willing to get permanent residence status for both him and his wife in Singapore. I assumed he was willing to live there with her. If that's the case he doesn't need to live in Singapore and instead he can just live in Vietnam. Both of them will not have to apply for permanent residency if she is already a Vietnamese national. He can still keep his US passport and be classified as an American Living Abroad. He needs to show proof (with a Tam Chu paperwork from the local police office) that he has been living in Vietnam for a certain amount of time before he can go on with Direct Consular Filing. Like I said before, a guy on Here name Konton was living here in Vietnam for a long period of time(I think 6 months or more), has went to singapore just to be married for a short amount of time (I'm thinking maybe it took him a week to get Married over there), went back to Vietnam to live with his wife, and then did Direct Consular Filing in Ho Chi Minh City and they approved him and she got her Visa 3 or 4 months after they filed. I think this method of Filing in Vietnam, since she is a Vietnamese National, it would be less complicating than doing it all in Singapore. Plus, (forgive me for my ignorance because I have never been to singapore) I don't know what language they speak there and I don't know what Language she would be comfortable interviewing with, but if she is more comfortable interviewing in her native Language (she might be able to get her point across better), then Vietnam might be the way to go since they have Vietnamese Translators available.