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Annulment/Divorce of US citizen married to Canadian citizen in Jamaica

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FindBalance

Junior Member
I live in Florida. I married a woman from Canada while she was on a US travel visa. Although we had applied for a "Fiance Visa" with US immigration, we got impatient and married before it was approved. The idea was to keep the marriage a secret until the fiance visa was approved and then perform another "legal" ceremony to satisfy the US government once the fiance visa was approved.

Before that happened, the marriage quickly eroded and we have decided not to stay together. Here are the facts:
She is a Canadian citizen
I am a US citizen
We married in May of 2005 in Jamaica
She went back to Canada appx one month later

Can we get an annulment since we were only married and together less than once month after the marriage or do we need to get legally divorced? For that matter, is the marriage even legal since the US government had not sanctioned it?

Thank you in advance for your help in solving a complicated question. :confused:
 


FindBalance

Junior Member
Please expand on your thoughts

I apologize in advance, but since I am new to this forum, I am unfamiliar with your base of knowledge. Are you an attorney? If so or if not, what is your reason for being so sure I need to file for divorce instead of seeking an annulment? If I'm going to pursue a course of action, I'd enjoy having a little more information.

Thank you kindly.
 

rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
I am not an attorney and don't need to be one to refer you to one. They can determine based on the facts you present what form if dissolution applies. The length of your marriage is not grounds, nor fraud because you both participated in the fraud and intended to marry and obtain a visa. The State of Florida recognizes valid marriages from other states and nations. An attorney could help you confirm if it was a valid marriage. Most likely you qualify for a simplified dissolution if you have no children and can agree on a property settlement. This is most likely quicker and less expensive than an annulment. Here is a link explaining FL annulment in some detail. http://www.ablelegalforms.com/annulment.html
 

FindBalance

Junior Member
I was trying to be careful...

I sincerely hope I did not offend you in asking whether you are an attorney. I simply wanted to know your level of expertise in this matter. Thank you very much for your advice.
 

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