Hello banjo1958,
Disclaimer: Answers and comments provided on Google Answers are
general information, and are not intended to substitute informed
professional or legal professional advice.
The U.S. Embassy in China provides detailed information about getting
married in China.
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INFORMATION ABOUT GETTING MARRIED IN CHINA
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“American citizens contemplating marriage in China, either to a
Chinese citizen or to another foreigner, should review the following
general information on Chinese Government procedures. Marriages in
China are registered according to the laws of China, regardless of the
nationality of those being married.”
(..)
“Upon receipt of an application to register a marriage, the civil
affairs office will ascertain that both parties are of minimum
marriageability age (generally 22 for men and 20 for women, although a
higher minimum may be established by the local civil affairs office)
and that both parties are single and otherwise free to marry. Persons
who have been married previously will be asked to submit original or
certified copies of final divorce or annulment decrees, or of death
certificates if widowed. The American partner to a marriage in China
will generally be asked to submit the following:”
- a current passport
- a Chinese residence permit
- a health certificate from the local hospital designated by the civil
affairs office
- a "certification of marriageability" which can be prepared at the
Embassy on the basis of an affidavit in which the American citizen
swears or affirms before a Consul that he or she is currently legally
eligible to marry (persons who have previously been married need to
show a certified divorce decree, annulment decree, or death
certificate both to the Embassy when preparing this certificate and to
local authorities. Since proof of termination of all previous
marriages will again be required when you file an immigrant visa
petition on your spouse's behalf, we recommend that you do not
surrender the certified copies of death certificates or divorce or
annulment decrees to the civil affairs office. You should take a good
photocopy with you when you go to register the marriage. Generally, if
you present the certified copy with the copy for their review, the
Chinese authorities will accept the copy. This is also true for your
spouse if he or she has previously been married.)
- three photos of the marrying couple, taken together
- a registration fee (the amount is not specified)
“The Chinese partner to the marriage will be asked to submit the
following.”
- a certificate of marriageability (obtainable from the office which
has physical control of his or her file)
- a certificate of birth
- household registration book
- health certificate (obtainable from a regional level local hospital)
- a letter from the parents of the local partner giving permission for
their child to marry a foreigner (this letter should include the index
fingerprint of both parents below their signature and date).
“All English-language documents must be translated into Chinese.
Translation of documents usually takes about a month, but can be
completed within 10 days at double the original cost. Translations
should be obtained from and certified by one of the Municipal Public
Notary offices.”
In Beijing, the address is:
China Translation and Publication Corp.
No. 4, Tai Ping Qiao Da Jie (South of Bai Ta Si) West District,
Beijing
Tel.:6616-8353
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/us-citizen/mrginfo.html#basic
REGISTERING TO MARRY
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“The marriage registration process may take anywhere from several days
to several months to complete, depending upon how quickly the required
documents are obtained.”
(..)
“It is recommended that the couple dress up (coat and tie for the
male). From past experience, it appears that whenever a couple
appeared in jeans and tennis shoes the registration process took over
a month whereas couples who dressed formally and displayed a "correct
attitude" were usually registered within a few days.”
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/us-citizen/mrginfo.html#reg
OBTAINING AN IMMIGRANT VISA FOR YOUR SPOUSE
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According to U.S. law, your new spouse may not automatically return
with you to the United States. He or she must apply for an immigrant
visa.
“After the marriage, the U.S. citizen spouse may file an immigrant
visa petition on behalf of his or her non-U.S. citizen spouse. U.S.
citizens who reside in China may file immigrant visa petitions on
behalf of immediate relatives at the Embassy in Beijing or at one of
the Consulate Generals.”
(..)
“Those U.S. citizen spouses who do not reside in China should file the
petition in the United States at the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service office which has jurisdiction over his or her
normal place of residence. The approved visa petition will be
forwarded to the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou for processing.
The Consulate General will then send instructions to your spouse
explaining how to proceed. These instructions will include forms to
fill out and return. One of those forms, the biographic data sheet
should be completed and returned promptly because the visa petition
cannot be processed until that form has been received. The instruction
packet from the Consulate General will also include a list of
documents which must be obtained.”
“Your spouse will need to provide the following:
- a notarial certificate of birth
- a certificate of (no) criminal record for every place he or she has
lived for six months or longer after age 16
- a notarial certificate of marriage
(The above three documents can be obtained at the local Chinese
notarial office)
- a current passport
- evidence that the applicant will not become a public charge (the
petitioner or some other financial sponsor may complete an affidavit
of support, Form I-134, guaranteeing that he or she will support the
applicant; the affidavit must be substantiated by documentary proof of
income and assets).”
Please read the complete document for obtaining the Visa at the
following link:
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/us-citizen/mrginfo.html#visa
The U.S. Embassy in China:
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/us-citizen/mrginfo.html
You may read more about the documentation that is required for
foreigners planning to get married in China at the China Adviser
Website at the following URL:
http://www.chinaadviser.com/marriage.html
International Adoption:
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The United States Department of State provides detailed information
about adoption in China. They state that the information relating to
the legal requirements is provided for general information only and
may not be totally accurate in a particular case. Questions involving
interpretation of specific foreign laws should be addressed to foreign
legal counsel.
US Embassy in China
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/us-citizen/adopt_acs.html
ADOPTION ISSUES IN CHINA
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/us-citizen/adoption.html
Should you need legal assistance, here is a list of U.S. Law Firms in
China:
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/us-citizen/lwyrlist.html
Search Criteria:
Getting married in China
Adoption in China
The U.S. Embassy in China
I hope the above information helps you in your plans to get married in
China.
Best Regards,
Bobbie7-ga |
