The unfiltered truth about Filipina dating, Filipino women, and marrying a woman from the Philippines (advice on culture, marriage, visa issues, agencies, etc.).
When I wrote my first review of Christian-Filipina.com it was a relatively new website. I liked it back then, but I think it has come a long way and gotten even better.
I’ve already stated that I like the spiritual approach of this website. But there’s another advantage I’m seeing–the owners (who are really nice people) are really just focused on that one website and they really give their full time and attention to it.
Some other sites are parts of huge dating website networks and operate websites targeting several countries (China, Russia, Brazil, etc.). That’s fine I guess, but I like the fact that Christian Filipina is more like a small family business. I think that improves the quality of service they can give to their website members. I think their new look is good, too.
RECOMMENDED: I recommend Christian Filipina for those who are serious about finding love in the Philippines.
I think Christian Filipina is the best of all the websites out there (and I’ve tried quite a few of them). One more tip: I’d encourage you to think about the Platinum (one-year) membership if you decide to join. That way you can really take your time when you are searching for the right girl. Just CLICK HERE to visit the website.
I’ve already discussed some of the issues with the Fiancee Visa vs Spousal Visa.
Now I’ll explain what is needed if you decide to marry in the Philippines. I’ll primarily be discussing the legal aspects. Please note that this post does not include the requirements to get married in the Catholic Church–the church has additional requirements.
What you (the foreigner) will need to marry in the Philippines:
In order to get a marriage license you’ll need:
1. Your birth certificate–be sure to bring it with you when you come.
2. Proof of eligibility to marry, which I’ll spend a little more time on.
US Embassy (Philippines)
For US citizens this second requirement comes in the form of an “Affidavit in lieu of a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage.”
Below (marked out) is the old way (what I did) and some tips:
There’s information at the US Embassy Manila website on how to go about this (there’s actually a lot of helpful information on that page).
You will need to bring:
*Divorce decree(s) or death certificate(s) required to verify civil status and capacity to marry (be sure to bring this with you when you come from the States). This obviously doesn’t apply to bachelors. * U.S. passport. * Documentation regarding paternal consent or advice, if applicable. *50 dollars (or peso equivalent of that amount)
You’ll be given the affidavit to fill out at the embassy.
More helpful Hints:
-Try to show up early if you are going to the embassy in Manila. Traffic is awful in Manila and you don’t want to wait until the last minute.
-Bring your own pen. Sounds obvious, but you’ll have to fill out and sign a few things while there.
Overall the process is fairly quick. I believe I was in and out of the embassy within an hour.
RECOMMENDED: I recommend Christian Filipina for those who are serious about finding love in the Philippines.
What she (the Filipina) will need to marry in the Philippines
She’ll need the same things:
1. A birth certificate
2. Proof of eligibility to marriage.
This second requirement for her comes in the form of a CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage). The local courthouse can order this for you, or (better yet) you can just order it online.
Getting Your Marriage License:
For civil (non-Catholic) weddings, the next step is to go to a local courthouse and file for the marriage license.
You’ll also have to attend a government-mandated marriage seminar (the courthouse will tell you where the closest one is). You’ll have to attend a morning and afternoon session if either one of you is under 25. Age 25 and up only have to attend the morning session.
You’ll have to wait about ten days from the day you file before you get the license (many use this time to attend the seminar). They’ll require proof that you attended the seminar before they release the license to you.
Once you have the license you can get a judge, mayor, or pastor to solemnize the marriage.
It’s fine to have a pastor do it, but make sure he is specifically licensed to do weddings. The laws in the Philippines are a little different in that pastors have to register and maintain a license to marry (this is different than in the States, where most ordained ministers automatically have the authority to sign marriage contracts).
Once your are married the official (judge, pastor, or mayor) should file the marriage contract with the local government (you may need to follow up with him and make sure he does it promptly). You can get the local version of the marriage certificate pretty quickly. This local certificate, however, doesn’t do you much good as far as her spousal visa goes.
You’ll need the official NSO Marriage Certificate to file for a spousal visa. It takes about three months before this certificate available. Just wait until about three months after the wedding and order your NSO Certificate Online.
You can start working on the spousal visa after you get your NSO certificate. As I’ve said before, I’d highly recommend you get professional spousal visa helpto make sure you do everything right.
The next step after meeting your future wife in the Philippines will be to make a decision regarding her visa. I’ll share a few basic things I’ve learned regarding bringing your wife or fiancee back to the United States (I’m not sure how it works with other Western countries).
Fiancee Visa vs Spousal Visa
The fastest way to get her back to the USA would be through a fiancee visa (get engaged in the Philippines then marry her in the USA). This process usually takes around six months for the visa to get approved. Once approved you have 90 days to get married after she arrives in the States.
The decreased waiting time is the primary advantage of the fiancee visa, and this is why many couples decide to go that route. If you want to be together in the USA as quickly as possible then it is probably the best way to go.
But there are some perks to using the spousal visa which I will describe:
Advantages of the Spousal Visa
The other route is the spousal visa (marrying in the Philippines). A spousal visa usually takes about nine to twelve months to get approved. This is slower, but there are a few advantages to it:
*You’ll probably find it less expensive to do a wedding in the Philippines and she would probably love to exchange vows in front of her family.
*Once her visa is approved she’s further along in the process as far as getting a green card goes (if she enters the country on a spousal visa she’ll have her green card within days of her arrival and her social security card within weeks).
RECOMMENDED: I recommend Christian Filipina for those who are serious about finding love in the Philippines.
*It is easier to verify the authenticity of your relationship–she can get her married name on her passport and you’ll give them an official government marriage certificate from the National Statistics Office (NSO).
*You can use a cosponsor/joint sponsor for the affidavit of support. The US Embassy is much more strict about co-sponsorship for fiancee visa. Here’s why: the affidavit of support filed for a fiancee visa (form I-134) does not really impose any legal obligation on the joint sponsor. The one for the spousal visa (form I-864), on the other hand, is considered a legally binding contract (the government can sue you and the join sponsor if you use welfare after arriving in the US).
These are just a few more things to consider.
Your wife will need to stay in the USA for about 3-4 years before she can apply for US citizenship.
I’d highly recommend you get the folks at Filipina Fiancee Visato help you with the visa process. There are fees involved, but this is one of the best investments you can make. I’ve had several interactions with this company and I haven’t been able to stump them with my questions (some of which have been quite complicated).
You can try do all the paperwork without assistance, but most of the guys I know decided to get professional help. The problem is that just one mistake on one line of a form can send it to the bottom of the pile and delay the process for months. I’ve had several friends warn me about precision with the paperwork.
Note Regarding Tourist Visas
I would strongly advise against trying to get a tourist visa, to shortcut the process. The US Embassy will smell this from a mile away and you may jeopardize your chance of bringing her to the United States.
RECOMMENDED: I recommend Christian Filipina for those who are serious about finding love in the Philippines. 
RECOMMENDED: REMITLY 
