Modern world lays down its own rules when it comes to meeting people for dating and marriage. Nowadays your opportunities are much wider. You encounter singles not only at work or parties but on special online dating platforms. They’re full of single men and women (mail order brides) who look for love. Users pay for the services, find partners from abroad, plan to marry, and move in together. They, as might be reasonably expected, have one common doubt. Are mail order brides legal? Find the answer to this and other frequently asked questions in the article below.
Are mail order brides legal?
Seems like due to the name of the notion, people doubt its legacy. Like “Can I really order a bride?” or “Paying for a mail order bride seems illegal, doesn’t it?” Due to the wrong interpretation of the phenomenon’s name, a lot of myths and anxieties have appeared. But let’s alleviate all your concerns. Mail order brides are legal. You don’t pay for a girl. A man spends money on a site’s services, travel or document expenses, presents or flowers, but it has nothing to do with buying a woman.
In fact, modern dating platforms care a lot about their users and do their best to make sure the services are safe and harmless. So before you decide to become a dating site’s member and pay for a subscription, make some time for the research. Find and read the reviews and comments. Study the website’s refund policy, protection system, and what it does to ensure you’ll attain your goal.
You should understand that the mail order bride industry isn’t that new. It has its own pretty long history. One of the turning points happened in the early 1980s when there was a notable rise in the numbers of women entering the US as mail order brides due to global migration. Since then public consciousness of mail order bride industry existence has also been only increasing. That’s why national and international efforts were put into studying the phenomenon and controlling that everything is done in a way harmless for women.
Let’s study what to do if you decide to mail order a bride, what are the ways to do it correctly, and are there any laws or regulations that protect girls who decide to marry a foreigner and immigrate to another country?
How-To: Legal mail order brides marriages
Love is neither bought nor sold. Love knows no bounds. All of these are nice proverbs and folk wisdom that reflect the fundamental feeling and need. But the modern world isn’t that simple anymore. Nowadays people meet partners online. They in many cases come from different countries and have to overcome certain obstacles and barriers to unite and live happily ever after.
For example, if you’re a US citizen and want to bring your bride to your country, you’ll have to stick to specific federal laws to marry legally. The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA), which was passed in 2005, obligates strict obedience to several rules through a spousal broker. It requires a complete revelation of a potential “husband’s” prior marital, financial, and criminal histories. Until they’re submitted and passed to the bride, marriage permission can’t be awarded. It’s all done with one global purpose — to prevent abuse and violence.
Another obligatory constituent of a legal international marriage between a US citizen and a foreign woman is a visa for your mail-order bride. Your partner can enter America legitimately only in case she has a fiancee visa (K-1).
Mail order brides and legal ways to protect them
International nuptials arranged through the mail order bride industry appear to have a quite low divorce rate. Women claim they feel happy and protected in their marriages. It proves that dating platforms really give everyone a chance for a better life. The thing is to use it wisely and to be careful. Here are the tips to make sure you do everything right.
Remember, you’re also legally protected.
- Embassy. No matter what country a bride goes to, there should be an embassy she can always enquire with in case she has any question or concern.
- VAWA. It’s Violence Against Women Act designed to punish abusers and protect immigrants from domestic violence.
The bottom line
So are mail order brides illegal? The answer is surely NO. You can use dating websites, meet foreign partners, and start international families legitimately. Just be wise, have common sense, study the subject, read reviews and comments, stick to the laws and regulations, and you’ll be fine and happily married.
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