Getting Married

[bruce_nyc]

Hi, Everyone. Long time no see. ;)

I am wondering if anyone has any recent information or knowledge about this topic. My boyfriend and I are planning to be married and live in the US. We need to find a country that: (1) has gay marriage equality now, and (2) is relatively easy for a Myanmar passport holder to visit.

We are looking at this list called, "Where Can We Marry" from Immigration Equality... http://immigrationequality.org/issues/c ... -we-marry/ (http://immigrationequality.org/issues/couples-and-families/where-can-we-marry/)

And from Freedom to Marry... http://www.freedomtomarry.org/landscape ... ernational (http://www.freedomtomarry.org/landscape/entry/c/international)

....and trying to compare these lists with the list of countries a Myanmar citizen can easily travel to without a visa... http://www.doyouneedvisa.com/passport/Myanmar

We're not seeing any countries on both lists.

We have been advised by our Immigration Attorney in New York that, although it's usually faster to apply for a Fiance Visa and get married in America... in our case it is quite the opposite. The application for a Fiance Visa will take about 5-6 months. However, because we happen to live in Bangkok, Thailand.... Bangkok is one of the very few cities in the world that has its own USCIS Office. That means, if we were able to get married anywhere that marriage is legal... We could simply walk in to the USCIS Office in Bangkok and apply for a Spousal Visa.... which would likely only take a few weeks ( instead of 5-6 months ). Also, the minute he would arrive in the US, he would be issued a contingent green card automatically --- without even the need for the initial interview at all --- saving more time.

Are there any countries that are relatively easy for a Myanmar passport holder to get a visa to visit ( or where a visa is not required )... where they already have marriage equality now...?

[Sooty]

Is this the same boyfriend that you were planning on marrying a year or so back and then happened to let on that in fact he would be entering a m├йnage a trios with your American boyfriend and you? Or have you recycled him and this is the 2013 model, bright, shiny and new?

[bruce_nyc]

No. Not the same guy. And I broke up with the American boyfriend quite a while ago too. Time marches on. We've come a long way. Living here in Thailand for so long now has changed everything. And as they say, "time will tell"..... Living here is like playing time in fast-forward. It doesn't take long to figure out what is real and what is fake.....what is good and what is better yet. :x We have a very good thing going now.

[adman5000]

Bruce- Is there a reason you have not posted more info about your experiences about living in Thailand? How long have you been living here, how did you meet bf#x, etc. I understand some prefer to keep their private lives private versus having it dissected on the board. But since some of us hope to eventually be able to do the same as you are, any info on your experiences would be an interesting read. Sorry if I missed it here or if it is on another board. Thanks.

[bobsaigon2]

IтАЩve been assisting with marriage and fianc├йe cases in Vietnam for 25+ years. You might want to call USCIS in Bangkok to double check what your attorney in New York told you.

Here in Vietnam, and I assume elsewhere, CIS changed the regs a few years ago, requiring all fianc├йe and spouse case applications to be sent to the US for adjudication. Either category would have a total processing time of 9-12 months, regardless of the fact that there is a CIS office in Bangkok. You could not тАЬsimply walk in to the USCIS Office in Bangkok and apply for a Spousal VisaтАЭ. Nothing related to USCIS is done тАЬsimplyтАЭ.

On arrival in the US, a stamp would be put in the alien spouseтАЩs passport indicating that s/he is a conditional permanent resident with the right to accept employment. A temporary Green Card, good for two years, would be mailed to the spouse within 2-3 months after arrival.

If itтАЩs a fianc├йe case, you would need to marry in the US within 90 days of your fianc├йeтАЩs arrival and then apply for a Green Card (waiting time 12-18 months).

At the moment, New Zealand is the only country around here that has marriage equality.

Note that maintaining Permanent Resident status means residing in the US on a permanent basis, though short trips abroad are acceptable.

[christianpfc]

Nice to hear from you again.

Have you thought this well through? How many boyfriends (even two at the same time) have you been through and how long did it last? Why do you think the new one will last longer?

[Pattayamale]

I have petitioned for my Thai boyfriend to receive a USA Fiance Visa. We began the process in June 2013. The process is not difficult. The waiting time for processing is just that, waiting.

I am going to write a post if we get final approval. We had our final interview at the US Embassy where they asked for 2 additional documents that were not on the checklist. We have sent those and believe we will be approved as they asked him to send his passport....but the holidays have slowed things down.

The information provided by bruce_ny is a bit different from our understanding and experience. But we did not use a lawyer. Just followed the directions and filled out the necessary forms