G
gpl71
Guest
What is the name of your state?
Arizona
Hello All,
I need some help and advice on how to handle the following with the USCIS:
In the summer of 1999, I started writing this Chinese lady in Guangzhou,
China for whom I obtained her contact information through one of those
Internet online dating companies. The online dating website doesn’t exist
any longer.
We had corresponded for 6 months prior to me flying to Guangzhou, China to
visit her for the first time in March 2000.
During the March 2000 visit, I met the Chinese lady and her family. The
family consisted of her mother, her father, her brother and his
girlfriend. The brother’s girlfriend spoke good English and did most of
the translations between the family and myself.
After a couple of days staying in a spare room at her parent’s house, her
father came to me with some papers to sign. He said that these papers
must be signed because I was a foreign national staying in their house and
I must be registered locally. The papers were in Chinese and I requested
to him that the papers be translated to English. We argued over my
request and he said there was no time for translation and the papers must
be signed promptly. I thought this was peculiar but shrugged it off as
cultural. The family appeared to be sincere and happy about me staying
with them.
I went ahead anyway and signed the papers. The whole family was happy
after that which I thought was very odd, but again shrugged it off.
The following day they told me that I was married to their daughter and
these were papers to confirm the marriage. I was very angry about this
and I told them that it was too fast and I wasn’t ready to get married to
their daughter.
I was told it was already too late to do anything about it and a marriage
certificate had been issued. I couldn’t believe I was forced into a
Chinese marriage prior to only meeting this lady for a couple of days.
I was able to leave Guangzhou, China on my own free will and return to the
US. Upon my departure from Guangzhou, however, I was met with hostility
from her father that I must return to Guangzhou because the marriage is
recognized internationally and the only way for a divorce was to file
papers in China. I told them I needed time to think about things and I
would be back with my decision.
After a couple of months went by, I decided to go back to Guangzhou, China
in June 2000 and try to talk to them about a divorce.
Upon arrival to Guangzhou, China, my passport was taken away from me by
her father and I was forced to sign papers that were all in Chinese
writing again. Her father told me if I signed the papers and completed an
I-130 Petition for Alien Relative application for filing (they knew of
this application very well) that I would get my passport back and I would
be allowed to leave China.
By this time I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was becoming a
victim of marriage fraud and there wasn’t anything I could do about the
situation since my personal security was at risk.
I was kept at her parent’s house and not allowed to go out by myself. I
had to always be accompanied by a family member or friend. I tried to
convince the family and friends to take me to the US Consulate in
Guangzhou but each time was told it was too far to travel too.
I finally convinced them to let me stay at a hotel (which was of their
choice) but their daughter had to stay with me all the time. I was hoping
I would meet another foreigner who I could talk to and tell them what was
happening and to get help.
At this point I was becoming scared so I agreed to sign the papers. Her
father then returned my passport and the family once again was happy. I
was allowed to leave the country and return to the US.
After returning to the US, I decided to forget everything that happened in
China and get on with my life. I vowed I would never to go back to China.
In the middle of 2001, I took a job in Bangkok, Thailand. After
relocating to Bangkok I started to think about what I could do to clear my
name on the events that happened in China the previous year.
While living in Bangkok, Thailand I met a wonderful lady who was
introduced to me by our office secretary. We started dating and
eventually moved in together. I know her really well since we lived
together for nearly 2 years.
During the summer of 2002, a good friend of mine met an attorney with the
US Embassy in Beijing, China who gave him his business card. That
business card was sent to me and my friend advised me to email him and
explain what had happened in China. I sent the email in December 2002.
The response I received was to my amazement. I was told that this sort of
stuff happens periodically to US citizens who travel to China. I was
also told to write a letter to the USCIS back in the US requesting the
withdrawal of the I-130 application.
I moved back from Bangkok, Thailand to Arizona in April 2003 because of
the war in Iraq, the SARS scare and job instability. I was preparing to
file a I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance(e) application for the lady I was
living with in Bangkok, Thailand.
Prior to mailing the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance(e) application, I
mailed a withdrawal letter of request to both the USCIS and National Visa
Center in August 2003 for the I-130 application that was filed in 2000.
The request for withdrawal of the I-130 application was approved by both
agencies and I received letters stating the withdrawal and no further
action was being taken on this application.
I filed the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance(e) in October 2003 and
received a RFE (Request For Evidence) on May 5, 2004.
The RFE shows the marriage to the Chinese lady and I must submit a divorce
decree showing the marriage terminated. I do not have any paperwork or
copies of the marriage certificate.
I would like to file a no-fault divorce here in the USA but cannot prove
the marriage because I don’t have a marriage certificate to show.
Please help.
Thanks,
Greg
Arizona
Hello All,
I need some help and advice on how to handle the following with the USCIS:
In the summer of 1999, I started writing this Chinese lady in Guangzhou,
China for whom I obtained her contact information through one of those
Internet online dating companies. The online dating website doesn’t exist
any longer.
We had corresponded for 6 months prior to me flying to Guangzhou, China to
visit her for the first time in March 2000.
During the March 2000 visit, I met the Chinese lady and her family. The
family consisted of her mother, her father, her brother and his
girlfriend. The brother’s girlfriend spoke good English and did most of
the translations between the family and myself.
After a couple of days staying in a spare room at her parent’s house, her
father came to me with some papers to sign. He said that these papers
must be signed because I was a foreign national staying in their house and
I must be registered locally. The papers were in Chinese and I requested
to him that the papers be translated to English. We argued over my
request and he said there was no time for translation and the papers must
be signed promptly. I thought this was peculiar but shrugged it off as
cultural. The family appeared to be sincere and happy about me staying
with them.
I went ahead anyway and signed the papers. The whole family was happy
after that which I thought was very odd, but again shrugged it off.
The following day they told me that I was married to their daughter and
these were papers to confirm the marriage. I was very angry about this
and I told them that it was too fast and I wasn’t ready to get married to
their daughter.
I was told it was already too late to do anything about it and a marriage
certificate had been issued. I couldn’t believe I was forced into a
Chinese marriage prior to only meeting this lady for a couple of days.
I was able to leave Guangzhou, China on my own free will and return to the
US. Upon my departure from Guangzhou, however, I was met with hostility
from her father that I must return to Guangzhou because the marriage is
recognized internationally and the only way for a divorce was to file
papers in China. I told them I needed time to think about things and I
would be back with my decision.
After a couple of months went by, I decided to go back to Guangzhou, China
in June 2000 and try to talk to them about a divorce.
Upon arrival to Guangzhou, China, my passport was taken away from me by
her father and I was forced to sign papers that were all in Chinese
writing again. Her father told me if I signed the papers and completed an
I-130 Petition for Alien Relative application for filing (they knew of
this application very well) that I would get my passport back and I would
be allowed to leave China.
By this time I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was becoming a
victim of marriage fraud and there wasn’t anything I could do about the
situation since my personal security was at risk.
I was kept at her parent’s house and not allowed to go out by myself. I
had to always be accompanied by a family member or friend. I tried to
convince the family and friends to take me to the US Consulate in
Guangzhou but each time was told it was too far to travel too.
I finally convinced them to let me stay at a hotel (which was of their
choice) but their daughter had to stay with me all the time. I was hoping
I would meet another foreigner who I could talk to and tell them what was
happening and to get help.
At this point I was becoming scared so I agreed to sign the papers. Her
father then returned my passport and the family once again was happy. I
was allowed to leave the country and return to the US.
After returning to the US, I decided to forget everything that happened in
China and get on with my life. I vowed I would never to go back to China.
In the middle of 2001, I took a job in Bangkok, Thailand. After
relocating to Bangkok I started to think about what I could do to clear my
name on the events that happened in China the previous year.
While living in Bangkok, Thailand I met a wonderful lady who was
introduced to me by our office secretary. We started dating and
eventually moved in together. I know her really well since we lived
together for nearly 2 years.
During the summer of 2002, a good friend of mine met an attorney with the
US Embassy in Beijing, China who gave him his business card. That
business card was sent to me and my friend advised me to email him and
explain what had happened in China. I sent the email in December 2002.
The response I received was to my amazement. I was told that this sort of
stuff happens periodically to US citizens who travel to China. I was
also told to write a letter to the USCIS back in the US requesting the
withdrawal of the I-130 application.
I moved back from Bangkok, Thailand to Arizona in April 2003 because of
the war in Iraq, the SARS scare and job instability. I was preparing to
file a I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance(e) application for the lady I was
living with in Bangkok, Thailand.
Prior to mailing the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance(e) application, I
mailed a withdrawal letter of request to both the USCIS and National Visa
Center in August 2003 for the I-130 application that was filed in 2000.
The request for withdrawal of the I-130 application was approved by both
agencies and I received letters stating the withdrawal and no further
action was being taken on this application.
I filed the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance(e) in October 2003 and
received a RFE (Request For Evidence) on May 5, 2004.
The RFE shows the marriage to the Chinese lady and I must submit a divorce
decree showing the marriage terminated. I do not have any paperwork or
copies of the marriage certificate.
I would like to file a no-fault divorce here in the USA but cannot prove
the marriage because I don’t have a marriage certificate to show.
Please help.
Thanks,
Greg