Are Mail Order Brides Legal?
Every Western man who is interested in international mail order bride services wonders whether mail order spouses illegal, which is pretty understandable. Well, mail order bride legality depends on different factors such as country or region, the way you marry and bring your wife to your country, as well as a mail order bride service you use. So if you want to find a foreign bride legally, consider these 5 best mail bride services.
Best Asian Mail Order Bride & Dating Sites In 2024
Are mail order brides illegal?
- Mail order spouses and mail order bride services are legal in most countries.
- In 2019, more than 34K people received a K-1 visa, most of whom were mail order brides.
- IMBRA and VAWA are international documents that prove mail order bride legality.
Mail order bride industry is popular all over the world, yet it doesn’t mean that mail order marriages are legal everywhere. For example, in the Philippines, marriage agencies are banned, meaning mail order bride sites and services there are illegal. At the same time, in such countries as Thailand, China, Vietnam, as well as pretty much all the Latin American, European, and North American countries, foreign mail order brides are totally legal. After all, nobody can prohibit you from marrying someone you love even though she or he is a foreigner.
Are mail order spouse illegal in the United States 🇺🇸?
In the United States, you can marry anyone regardless of nationality or gender. The only thing that matters there is the age of the person you want to marry (they should be over 18) and their consent to marry you. So marrying foreign women is not a problem at all in the U.S. However, you might have some issues with getting a K-1 visa for your fiancée, but it’s not going to be a big deal.
Are mail order brides legal in Great Britain 🇬🇧?
Luckily for you, Great Britain is also a country where marrying foreign brides is totally legal. So if you met someone special on one of the popular online dating sites, do not hesitate and pop the question. As a rule, international marriage broker regulation in the UK is rather flexible and allows you to marry a foreign mail order bride. However, getting a visa to the UK might be a little problematic and expensive, especially for the residents of some developing countries. But all in all, mail order bride agencies and foreign brides are legal in Great Britain.
Are mail order spouses illegal in Canada 🇨🇦?
If you are a Canadian who found a foreign bride on one of the mail order brides websites, you can breathe a sigh of relief because mail order bride regulations in this country allow Canadians to marry foreign women. But keep in mind that you will have to cover the visa and travel expenses for your future wife, which might end up being pretty costly. All in all, Canadians do not have any problems with mail order marriages.
Are mail order spouse illegal in Australia 🇦🇺?
Australia might be a little challenging when it comes to getting a visa, but luckily, mail order marriages there are not prohibited. As long as your partner is of age and consents to marry you, such a marriage is totally legal in Australia. Even though getting an Australian fiancé visa might be rather expensive, mail order bride services there are legal.
How to find mail order spouses legally?
Speaking about mail order bride legality, the most important point here is the service you use. You see, the mail order bride industry is not 100% scam-free, which is why it is so important to find the right platform. So let’s talk about finding a reliable online dating website that will help you find a foreign bride safely and legally.
- Find a legit mail order bride service. The most important thing here is to choose a trustful online dating site with real accounts and a great selection of women in the region you are interested in. So before registering on any website, read both professional and real users’ reviews to figure out whether the platform you will use is worth it. You can also use one of the mail order bride services we mentioned above.
- Avoid free online dating sites. There’s no such thing as free mail order bride websites, so if you see a free service, run because it’s most likely a scam. Pretty much all the legit mail order brides sites are premium platforms.
- Do not register on poorly-designed mail order bride websites. In most cases, poorly-designed platforms are scam sites with fake accounts, so you want to avoid those at all costs.
- Avoid countries where mail order spouses are illegal. In the Philippines, Belarus, and Turkmenistan, international dating sites and mail order brides services are illegal, so you have to be super careful with the women from these countries not to get in trouble.
As you can see, if you know some basic rules, finding a mail order spouse legally is not that difficult at all. So if you are dreaming of a hot foreign bride, make sure to remember these simple rules.
Countries where mail order spouses are illegal
As we have already mentioned above, there are some countries where mail order brides are outlaw, so let’s talk about them in more detail.
The Philippines 🇵🇭
The Philippines is perhaps the most well-known country where international marriage broker regulation is extremely strict. According to the Republic Act No.6955, mail order bride sites are prohibited there. At the same time, it does not stop Western men from marrying Filipino women. You see, you still can communicate with these ladies, and they can still get a visa and come to your country to get married there, so everyone who really wants to marry Filipina mail order brides can do it without breaking the law.
Belarus 🇧🇾
Another country where mail order brides are illegal is Belarus. As a matter of fact, it’s a huge surprise for many Western men. The good news is that the Belarusian law that prohibits international marriages works only in Belarus. In other words, you can bring your Belarusian bride to your country and marry her there without violating any laws. However note that getting a visa to the U.S., Canada, Australia, or the U.K. is extremely difficult for Belarus citizens now.
Turkmenistan 🇹🇲
Turkmenistan is also not the best country for finding a mail order bride. In fact, in 2005, the president of Turkmenistan issued a law that obliged foreigners who wanted to marry local women to pay $50,000 to the state. Even though nowadays this law is canceled, foreigners still hesitate to marry Turkmen women. However, if you really want a Turkmen wife, you can use the same scheme that people use for getting Filipino and Belarus wives.
Laws that protect a mail order bride abroad
As we have already mentioned above, international marriages are regulated by two main documents—the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA). But what exactly do these acts do? Let’s talk about them in more detail.
The Violence Against Women Act is aimed to protect both you and your partner from domestic violence. It helps you seek justice in case you become a domestic violence victim even if you are abroad and don’t have any documents. Even though the document features women in its name, it’s not gender-specific and applies to male domestic violence victims too.
The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act is a document that requires background checks for the people who are going to get married. It helps figure out whether your partner has a clear criminal history and their previous marital status. In addition to that, IMBRA outlines the rights and freedoms of a foreigner who marries an American resident.
Conclusion
As you can see, marrying foreign women is a big deal. You need to find a reliable dating service, go through background checks, and do a lot of paperwork. Plus, it can be rather costly since you are expected to cover all the visa documents and travel expenses for your bride. However, it’s all worth it if you get to marry the woman of your dreams. So why not try it? Register on a dating site and meet the love of your life!