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Q: Very stressed over the high costs of getting married to my Chinese girlfriend. Please help?
A Little Background
I am a United States Citizen. My girlfriend is Chinese. We met last year in the United States while taking a class together in University. At the time my girlfriend was on a F-1 student visa, which was set to expire soon after the time of her graduation in December. Instead of rushing into marriage just to keep her in the United States I decided it might be best to come back with her to China to work for a year as an English teacher then go down the marriage route.
Problems
Reading into the K-1 Visa requirements for the sponsor of the non-citizen, I noticed that the sponsor is required to show proof of income, or bank statements, showing that he/she makes over 150% of the United States poverty line. Over 150% of the United States poverty line for a household of two, My girlfriend and I, is about $25,000. Reasonable enough considering the number of Americans under the poverty line (why add another, right?), but in my situation this makes things very difficult. Back in the states right out of college, June 2014, I was easily able to secure employment making $35,000 annually, but as a FT in China I barely make $20,000 annually.
Concerning Questions
My Chinese girlfriend isn't rich, and in Chinese culture after the women starts living with the man, which we do, the man is expected to provide in these types of situations. The costs of applying for a K-1 Visa can be quite expensive when you add up the application costs and traveling expenses (interview). Factor in the costs of plane tickets, green card, and marriage after the Visa is approved, likely some 10 months later, it becomes extremely stressful!
My back account is already nil after blowing it on two plane tickets to the China, and passport and visa fees. My monthly expenses are $500 a month for student loans, and a car payment (yeah, I know). The most I can save per month on my salary after the expenses is only about $500 a month, oh more by the way than what I could save with my previous job in the United States, but that's another discussion.
When, and if, we both come back to the United States we will need to have set aside roughly three months of living expenses, which is about $5000. This will, hopefully, give us enough time to both find stable employment.
This sucks. What are some realistic options for my situation?
You're poor and you've known her for less than two years and you're thinking of getting married?
I would think again, very, very, very carefully.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" and all that.
morget:
Comparatively speaking to the rest of the world I wouldn't say I am poor. Can I afford it yes, but is it worth the costs? That's the question.
Is it only old rich lonely men that marry Chinese women? Is my case really that uncommon? There's thousands of Chinese women studying abroad in America I don't think I am the first to fall into this situation.
Don't show her this thread.
You can have a friend of family member co-sponsor your woman if you get married.
My advice is to stay in China for a while. See if she's willing to stay with you if you live in China. Figure this out FIRST before marrying her. Tell her you've decided not to go back to the U.S.
If she moves on, she's a passport chaser and doesn't care about you.
if she got in america on a student visa and returned as required, she can get a tourist visa to travel back to america, when she is back, get married, file for adjustment of status and she can stay while the tourist visa is changed over, she cant work legally but she could make cash under the table as a waitress or nanny to help you get settled, if the job market sucks, drive a truck with her as a passenger and save your money till you get settled, if she can put up with you for 24 hours a day in a truck and shower at truck stops you should keep her.
My general view on marriage:
You want to decide the next 60 years of your life based on only 1 year's knowledge/experience....
Would you make that sort of bet in any other situation??
Would you sign a contract to invest the rest of your life's income on something that you've only seen 'work' for just 1 year?
If she's literally gold, silver, or real estate, it might be worth it... anything else isn't a smart move.
In another post you are complaining about not being able to get a girlfriend. Are you talking nonsense in this thread or the other one, or are you just a troll?
morget:
haha. Do you realize this thread is half a year old. Maybe I changed my mind? Don't be an arrogant dumbass.
Get married in CHina, legalize documents/marriage at your Embassy and after that apply for a
K-3 Visa for Spouse of U.S. Citizen
When a U.S. citizen has married a foreign person, and wishes to bring the spouse to the U.S., a K-3 spouse visa can be applied for. The K-3 visa enables the foreign spouse to live and work in the U.S. while applying for the green card (either within the U.S. or at the U.S. consulate in the country where they were married).
- The U.S. citizen spouse must file a petition with USCIS. In this petition, the spouses must prove that they are legally married.
- Once the receipt notice for the petition (not the approval) is obtained, the U.S. citizen files a second petition with USCIS for the K-3 visa. Upon approval of this petition, the foreign spouse must submit a K-3 visa application to the U.S. consulate in his/her place of residence, or in the country where the marriage took place, if that country was not the United States.
- The foreign spouse can then enter the U.S., and apply for the green card, either within the U.S. through USCIS, or through the U.S. consulate in the foreign spouse’s country of residence
For minor children of a K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen, the K-4 visa is available.
You can present your own proof of income in China and can also ask parents to be listed as sponsors.
sorrel:
great answer, but this poster sort of 'outed' himself as not entirely reliable with a total change of story recently.
