Divorce in Norway recognized in other countries?

[xdamselx 0]

Hello. If one was married in the Philippines with a Norwegian national but chose to file for a divorce in Norway after 6 yrs of marriage, is it recognize in the Philippines or in other countries like US for example? Or one has to file for an annulment (dissolution of marriage) too in the Philippines separately since there's no divorce there? The cost of annulment is ridiculously EXPENSIVE and long which is why we opted to get a divorce in Norway instead which takes about 15 months but cost practically nothing. Any insights will help! Thanks.

[Tahoma 2,292]

I'm confused. Are you the Filipino citizen who was married in the Philippines and divorced in Norway? If so, do you want to get married again in the Philippines, or in the U.S.? Where do you live?

[Caryh 5,206]

The divorce is recognized in all countries except the Philippines for the Philippine citizen. The Philippines does recognize the divorces of citizens of other countries. If the non-filipino national filed for the divorce, you can get the divorce recognized in the Philippines, but not if the Philippines citizen filed for the divorce. There is an extra step of getting the courts in the Philippines to recognize the divorce was granted based on the laws of the country it was granted under, then submitting those results to the NSO. But the courts will not recognize a divorce filed for by a Philippines citizen or between to Philippine citizens.

Its a strange set of rules in the Philippines, a non-citizen can be considered divorced from his/her Filipino spouse, while that Filipino spouse is still considered married to the foreigner.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Like asked, who started the divorce process you or the Norwegian citizen? Makes all the difference.

Did you ever have the marriage recorded in the Philippines? If not they (NSO) will not have record of it.

[xdamselx 0]

I'm confused. Are you the Filipino citizen who was married in the Philippines and divorced in Norway? If so, do you want to get married again in the Philippines, or in the U.S.? Where do you live?

Yes. US. Norway.

[xdamselx 0]

If the non-filipino national filed for the divorce, you can get the divorce recognized in the Philippines, but not if the Philippines citizen filed for the divorce.

So if it was my Norwegian ex who filed for the divorce here in Norway, it will be recognized in the Philippines without any problem? Is that what you're saying? Does he have to contact the National Statistics Office or NSO in Manila to let them know about our divorce once it's granted? How exactly does one proceed after the divorce is granted? Thanks.

[Tahoma 2,292]

Yes. US. Norway.

The U.S. Embassy will accept your divorce.

You have a potential problem. If you interview at the U.S. Embassy Manila, you will be granted a visa. However, you will not be able to get a CFO sticker which is required to board a flight from NAIA to the U.S. The CFO likely will require you to get your foreign divorce recognized by a Filipino court.

If you interview at the U.S. Embassy Oslo, you will not have the CFO sticker problem because it's a Filipino requirement, not a U.S. requirement.

[xdamselx 0]

If the non-filipino national filed for the divorce, you can get the divorce recognized in the Philippines, but not if the Philippines citizen filed for the divorce.

So if it was my Norwegian ex who filed for the divorce here in Norway, it will be recognized in the Philippines without any problem? Is that what you're saying? Does he have to contact the National Statistics Office or NSO in Manila to let them know about our divorce once it's granted? How exactly does one proceed after the divorce is granted? Thanks.

Like asked, who started the divorce process you or the Norwegian citizen? Makes all the difference.

Did you ever have the marriage recorded in the Philippines? If not they (NSO) will not have record of it.

Yes it is recorded in the Philippines. It was one of the requirements of my visa application in Norway years ago (family reunification) However, our wedding was done in Manila City Hall by a "minister" (more like a fixer approached me in the City Hall when I was looking for a judge to marry us before my then husband arrives for our wedding)The fixer introduced me to this minister, paid about 10,000 pesos coz my groom was a foreigner, while the other filipino couple who inquired also at the same time was charged around 2,000 pesos and voila, I got my marriage certificate from NSO within a month. His secretary "fixed" it for us and I was able to leave the country the same month. One more thing, the location of our marriage was changed though. In our certificate, it says we were married in a small chapel called Holy Angel Chapel in San Juan Metro Manila when the wedding took place just in Manila City Hall. I am already a permanent resident here in Norway and will be a citizen next year so if the whole marriage certificate was fake, shouldn't the Norway embassy have validated it first before they let me get approval? And shouldn't the NSO have no record of it. I actually emailed one of their heads years ago when the marriage was still new just to ask coz I had doubts about our minister and they said our marriage was recorded in their database.

Also, if in case I found out the minister who married us was not a real one or has no license or "right" to marry a couple (I am currently researching about him) will that make our marriage automatically invalid since even our wedding location in the marriage certificate, they had to fake? I am so confused how to do this the right way. Yes I am currently seeing someone from us and planning to move there that's why I want to be free the soonest possible but legal way.

[Tahoma 2,292]

So if it was my Norwegian ex who filed for the divorce here in Norway, it will be recognized in the Philippines without any problem? Is that what you're saying? Does he have to contact the National Statistics Office or NSO in Manila to let them know about our divorce once it's granted? How exactly does one proceed after the divorce is granted? Thanks.

Yes it is recorded in the Philippines. It was one of the requirements of my visa application in Norway years ago (family reunification) However, our wedding was done in Manila City Hall by a "minister" (more like a fixer approached me in the City Hall when I was looking for a judge to marry us before my then husband arrives for our wedding)The fixer introduced me to this minister, paid about 10,000 pesos coz my groom was a foreigner, while the other filipino couple who inquired also at the same time was charged around 2,000 pesos and voila, I got my marriage certificate from NSO within a month. His secretary "fixed" it for us and I was able to leave the country the same month. One more thing, the location of our marriage was changed though. In our certificate, it says we were married in a small chapel called Holy Angel Chapel in San Juan Metro Manila when the wedding took place just in Manila City Hall. I am already a permanent resident here in Norway and will be a citizen next year so if the whole marriage certificate was fake, shouldn't the Norway embassy have validated it first before they let me get approval? And shouldn't the NSO have no record of it. I actually emailed one of their heads years ago when the marriage was still new just to ask coz I had doubts about our minister and they said our marriage was recorded in their database.

Also, if in case I found out the minister who married us was not a real one or has no license or "right" to marry a couple (I am currently researching about him) will that make our marriage automatically invalid since even our wedding location in the marriage certificate, they had to fake? I am so confused how to do this the right way. Yes I am currently seeing someone from us and planning to move there that's why I want to be free the soonest possible but legal way.

Your case is simpler than you think. You are free right now. Since you are planning to pursue either a fiancée visa or a spousal visa, and since you are planning to interview at the U.S. Embassy Oslo, the issues you have raised are not relevant. The U.S. Embassy Oslo likely will require you to submit a CENOMAR. When you request a CENOMAR from the NSO, they will issue you a CEMAR (Advisory on Marriages) which will show that you were married in the Philippines. You will also be required to submit your divorce papers which show that you are divorced. The U.S. Embassy Oslo will accept your divorce. Because you are going to interview in Oslo, you will not have to attend the CFO, so you will not run into any problems regarding an annulment nor a recognition of foreign divorce by a Filipino court.

[ca_babe 129]

So if it was my Norwegian ex who filed for the divorce here in Norway, it will be recognized in the Philippines without any problem? Is that what you're saying? Does he have to contact the National Statistics Office or NSO in Manila to let them know about our divorce once it's granted? How exactly does one proceed after the divorce is granted? Thanks.

Yes it is recorded in the Philippines. It was one of the requirements of my visa application in Norway years ago (family reunification) However, our wedding was done in Manila City Hall by a "minister" (more like a fixer approached me in the City Hall when I was looking for a judge to marry us before my then husband arrives for our wedding)The fixer introduced me to this minister, paid about 10,000 pesos coz my groom was a foreigner, while the other filipino couple who inquired also at the same time was charged around 2,000 pesos and voila, I got my marriage certificate from NSO within a month. His secretary "fixed" it for us and I was able to leave the country the same month. One more thing, the location of our marriage was changed though. In our certificate, it says we were married in a small chapel called Holy Angel Chapel in San Juan Metro Manila when the wedding took place just in Manila City Hall. I am already a permanent resident here in Norway and will be a citizen next year so if the whole marriage certificate was fake, shouldn't the Norway embassy have validated it first before they let me get approval? And shouldn't the NSO have no record of it. I actually emailed one of their heads years ago when the marriage was still new just to ask coz I had doubts about our minister and they said our marriage was recorded in their database.

Also, if in case I found out the minister who married us was not a real one or has no license or "right" to marry a couple (I am currently researching about him) will that make our marriage automatically invalid since even our wedding location in the marriage certificate, they had to fake? I am so confused how to do this the right way. Yes I am currently seeing someone from us and planning to move there that's why I want to be free the soonest possible but legal way.

If your marriage was recorded in the NSO, then you have a valid marriage. If you're going to be a Norwegian citizen before you apply for a k1 or IR1 visa to US, then you won't be interviewed as a Filipino national since you will have to renounce your Filipino citizenship in order to be a naturalized Norwegian.

Edited November 19, 2012 by ca_babe

[ca_babe 129]

It looks like your interview will be in Sweden.

http://travel.state.gov/pdf/supplements/STK-SUP-ENGL-0001-1201.pdf

Please note that the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm is conducting immigrant visa interviews for applicants legally residing in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. They don't seem to have any embassy specific requirements in addition to the standard requirement http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3741.html.

[Tahoma 2,292]

If your marriage was recorded in the NSO, then you have a valid marriage. If you're going to be a Norwegian citizen before you apply for a k1 or IR1 visa to US, then you won't be interviewed as a Filipino national since you will have to renounce your Filipino citizenship in order to be a naturalized Norwegian.

It won't matter whether she's a Filipino citizen or a Norwegian citizen because the USCIS and the U.S. Embassy Stockholm will apply U.S. laws to her case. Since the U.S. will honor her divorce, the NSO and the CFO are not relevant.

It looks like your interview will be in Sweden.

http://travel.state.gov/pdf/supplements/STK-SUP-ENGL-0001-1201.pdf

Please note that the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm is conducting immigrant visa interviews for applicants legally residing in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. They don't seem to have any embassy specific requirements in addition to the standard requirement http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3741.html.

Good eye, California Babe. Stockholm it is.

The OP's non-immigrant K-1 fiancée visa will be adjudicated in Stockholm.

[Caryh 5,206]

So if it was my Norwegian ex who filed for the divorce here in Norway, it will be recognized in the Philippines without any problem? Is that what you're saying? Does he have to contact the National Statistics Office or NSO in Manila to let them know about our divorce once it's granted? How exactly does one proceed after the divorce is granted? Thanks.

As other's have said, if you're not getting an interview in the Philippines, it doesn't matter who filed. It only matters in relation to the Philippines government. If you remarry, you'll continue to carry what every name you took on when your first marriage occurred in the Philippines. If you're not sure if the first marriage was really recorded, you can request the Cenomar from the CFO. There's a web site where you can order if from abroad and it will be mailed to you.

Getting your divorce recognized in the Philippines requires going to court there, or having a lawyer do it for you. They need a copy of the divorce decree and a copy of the laws pertaining to divorce in the country it was given. The court is supposed to go over those documents and make sure if was filed for by the non-Filipino, and followed the country's laws. Once they've reviewed it and rule that it was a valid divorce, that ruling then needs to be sent by you or your representative to the NSO. Its not near as intensive or long as getting an annulment in the Philippines.

All of this only matters if you want be considered no longer married to your ex-husband in the Philippines. If you never plan to return, or reclaim any rights in the Philippines, it doesn't really matter. Or if you want to get a passport in a new married name, which also requires registering a new marriage.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Your case is simpler than you think. You are free right now. Since you are planning to pursue either a fiancée visa or a spousal visa, and since you are planning to interview at the U.S. Embassy Oslo, the issues you have raised are not relevant. The U.S. Embassy Oslo likely will require you to submit a CENOMAR. When you request a CENOMAR from the NSO, they will issue you a CEMAR (Advisory on Marriages) which will show that you were married in the Philippines. You will also be required to submit your divorce papers which show that you are divorced. The U.S. Embassy Oslo will accept your divorce. Because you are going to interview in Oslo, you will not have to attend the CFO, so you will not run into any problems regarding an annulment nor a recognition of foreign divorce by a Filipino court.

:thumbs:

[xdamselx 0]

Ok thank you guys, you are all awesome.