Are Mail Order Spouses Legal? Find Out Once and For All

For thousands of Western men, the concept of foreign brides is perfectly familiar because they have successfully gone through the process of meeting fully legal mail order brides to marry foreign women.

At the same time, there is a significant part of men and women who find the notion of a mail order wife and such marriages to be a controversial subject, especially from a legal standpoint. So, are mail order spouses legal, and if so, how can you find a legit mail order bride as a foreigner? Find out all about mail order bride legal aspects from our complete guide.

Are Mail Order Brides Illegal? Uncovering the Truth

There are many questions people ask about mail order brides, from “What kind of women become mail brides?” to “How much does a mail order bride cost?” However, one of the most important questions is “Are mail order brides legal?” and “Why do some people believe they are illegal?”. To answer the latter question, the reasons why there are some mail order spouse illegal connotations can include:

• Prejudices and stereotypes about young women deciding to marry foreign men
• Lack of information about international dating and international marriage
• Negative portrayal of mail order brides and men who marry them in the media
• Associations with domestic violence, human trafficking, and other common issues
• Limited information about laws and regulations that protect women who marry foreigners

Naturally, this is not true at all, as it is perfectly legal to have a serious relationship or enter marriage with a foreign citizen in the US, Canada, UK, and other countries. Here is why you shouldn’t worry about the safety and legalities of cross-border marriages:

• Marriages between local and foreign citizens are heavily regulated in nearly every country on the planet, and there are laws protecting foreign spouses from domestic abuse and trafficking.
• International dating platforms and marriage brokers operate legally and are registered by local regulatory bodies, so they only provide legal matchmaking services.
• In many countries, international marriage agencies and people who use them need to undergo background checks, which lowers the possibility of fraud.

Mail Order Bride Regulations You Should Know About

The number of foreign mail order brides marrying Western men increases by the year, which is why the mail order bride industry has been in dire need of regulatory bodies managing and protecting the rights of foreign spouses for some time now. A little later in this article, we will talk about mail order brides legal aspects and rules in a particular country, but first, let’s look at the organizations dealing with international brides in different countries around the world:

• United States. In America, the status of mail order brides entering the country to marry local men is regulated mainly by the U.S. Department of State, which oversees immigration law and policies, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which handles the approval of petitions for foreign spouses, and Immigration and Custom Enforcement, which investigates the cases of human trafficking and bride visa fraud.
• Canada. Canadian regulatory bodies managing mail order marriages include Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which deals with the sponsorship of foreign husbands and wives, Canadian Border Services Agency, which is tasked with enforcing immigration laws, and The Marriage Fraud Provisions, which aims to prevent marriage-related scams committed by someone from a foreign country.
• United Kingdom. In the UK, the legal status of mail order brides is regulated by UK Visas and Immigration, which deals with K1 (fiancée) visa applications from the future foreign wife or husband of a UK citizen, The Home Office, which handles immigration and border security, and The UK Human Trafficking Centre, which prevents various types of exploitation of overseas brides.

Are Mail Order Brides Legal in Western Countries?

Western, English-speaking countries are usually the ones where men are likely to choose foreign brides over local women, so it makes perfect sense that these countries are also the ones with the most developed legislation and requirements concerning mail order marriages:

• The United States fully recognizes mail order marriages and has several essential regulations managing them, including IMBRA, or International Marriage Broker Regulation Act, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and VAWA, or the Violence Against Women Act.
• Canada considers mail order unions legal and regulates those marriage procedures with the help of IRPA, or Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Official Marriage Fraud Provisions, and a set of programs referred to as Protection for Foreign Spouses.
• The United Kingdom recognizes mail order marriages but requires compliance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and domestic violence protection laws.
• Australia has several specific laws and regulations for international marriages, including the Migration Act 1958, Family Law Act 1975, Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986, as well as several anti-trafficking laws.

In Which Countries Are Mail Order Brides Illegal?

In most Asian countries, as well as Eastern Europe and Latin America, it is perfectly legal for foreigners to marry local citizens. However, there are three countries with anti-mail order marriage laws in place. Luckily, it doesn’t mean you cannot marry a bride from one of those countries — the laws prohibit or limit official matchmaking services and marriage agencies, while regular marriages between local ladies and foreign men are allowed:

• The Philippines, while considered to be the best country for mail order brides by some, has the Anti-Mail Order Bride Law of 1990 and Anti-Mail Order Spouse Act of 2016 — although, as we’ve already stated, they only extend to official marriage brokers and agencies.
• Turkmenistan operates under the 2011 Marriage Law, which requires a foreigner to get government approval to marry a local lady and pay $50,000 to the government, although that can be easily avoided by getting married elsewhere.
• Belarus has the 1999 Presidential Decree No. 3 on Preventing Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration that prohibits businesses and agencies from organizing marriages between foreign and Belarus citizens, but it doesn’t concern individuals who found each other on their own.

Popular Types of Romance Scam and How to Avoid It

The general rule of thumb is that when you are using trusted top mail order bride sites, you don’t have to worry about the legal side of the relationships you build there because those sites adhere to all relevant laws. However, staying up to date with romance scams on regular dating sites will help you recognize it and avoid falling for it:

• Fake profiles are a common issue on dating sites. Make sure the profile of a woman you are interested in contains a lot of personal information, and perform a reverse Google search to check if the photos are stolen.
• The woman seems to be completely in love with you even though you’re just a man — this is often a ploy to get you to fall in love and make you more likely to send her money or valuable gifts.
• Speaking of sending money, this is something most reputable dating sites won’t even allow you to do. The sensible thing to do is to never send money to someone you have never met in person.
• When your online dating relationship seems to be going well but the woman always finds excuses not to meet you in person, this can be a sign of either scam or that she’s not serious about marrying you.

Final Thoughts: Why Mail Order Marriages Are Completely Legal

Mail order brides and international marriages have existed longer than you can imagine. Right now, finding someone special is easier than ever thanks to online dating platforms. At the same time, the legality of those marriages is a perfectly legitimate concern to have. The good news is that with the many different laws and regulations governing the mail order bride industry, as well as verification and anti-fraud protection implemented by trusted mail order bride services, legit mail order brides are not difficult to find at all, and we hope that your journey through international dating sites to find your soulmate will be a smooth and exciting one.