Imagine a relationship where the cards are heavily stacked in your favor. Your new wife is caring, performs 'chores' without complaint and doesn't quite know how to thank you enough for marrying her. Welcome to the world of foreign brides. But is getting hitched to a foreign bride safe, affordable and realistic or is it utter madness? Here's everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask....

What is a foreign bride?

A foreign bride (or mail-order bride) is typically a woman from a developing country who seeks a better life in a developed country household. Picture Kazakhstan meets the United States. The foreign bride may be looking for love or she may be looking to move closer to her cousins in Indianapolis. These ladies often hail from South-East Asia (particularly the Philippines), Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Russia) and Latin America. We'd be remiss not to inform you that many of these women are also the unfortunate victims of human trafficking.

A bourgeoning industry of internet-based foreign brides agencies has developed in the past decade. Foreign brides will contact agencies in their home countries to post their profiles along with a picture. You know - "My name is Radmila, and in my home country...". As the future groom, you are in the driver's seat. (ed. - Uhh..."Vroom, vroom" if that's the car you want to drive.)

The agencies help clients pursue relationships based on pen-pal exchanges, meeting the prospective spouse in person, and then eventually petitioning to have her cross international borders. It's "love" by clicks, trips and a bit of cash, too. Of course, there are similarities in some respects to arranged marriages, online dating or speed dating, except a foreign bride participating with an agency likely doesn't speak English (or speaks like Borat) and the prospective groom will need to have immigration lawyers involved.

However, if the prospect of choosing your wife's hair color from a drop down menu appeals, or makes you curious, read on.

Costs of a Foreign Bride and Procedures

The costs of marrying a foreign bride vary. However, the prospective groom will pay for contacts and tours, but is generally not required to pay a finder's fee for his wife. Marriage broker agencies will charge between $500 for contact addresses and website membership, up to $1,500 that includes a tour of a foreign country to meet prospective brides at a hotel or resort. Of course, there are legal fees involved, generally in the range of $3,000 to $5,000 to assist with securing the proper K-1 Visa.

The K-1 Visa

If you thought you were an unlikely candidate to deal directly with the Department of Homeland Security, think again if you're looking to marry a foreign bride. You've got to petition exclusively with the department's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to get your fiancée into the States. Not only must she meet the same requirements as any other U.S. immigrant, but she'll be required to have a number of vaccinations in preparation, if she hasn't already had them. For more info, visit: travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_2994.html

Isn't Marrying a Foreign Bride Sketchy?

GroomGroove.com believes that finding a bride from a foreign country, either over the Internet or through a zoo tour of Prague, qualifies as sketchy. We understand that plenty of grooms and brides meet on the Internet through services like Match.com. In that case, though, there is a certain courtship involved and the people that you will date likely speak your language and are in or near the same city. Finding a foreign bride online seems eerily close to shopping for running shoes, except that groom hopefuls are shopping for the perfect bride from Bratislava or Bangkok to become an instant other half. So much of the process seems to be about the exotic, distant, and superficial qualities an eager foreign woman might have to offer you.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services states that "...marriages arranged through these services would appear to have a lower divorce rate than the nation as a whole, fully 80 percent of these marriages having lasted over the years for which reports are available." The USCIS also reports that "... mail-order bride and e-mail correspondence services result in 4,000 to 6,000 marriages between U.S. men and foreign brides each year." While this is heartening news, GroomGroove.com wonders how many of these marriages persist out of obligation rather than because the marriage is a loving, successful one.

The commoditization of human beings is not something to take lightly. Countries like the Philippines have outlawed women foreign bride agencies for this reason. (To skirt the regulations, western men have begun to advertise themselves in the Philippines.) The legitimacy of her affection and potential ulterior motives for marriage are important considerations. Richard N. from Nashville, told GroomGroove.com in an interview that he was divorced after three years of marriage. Once his wife gained her green card status so that she could live and work in the U.S., she and her 3 sons from India left Richard taking half of his savings and property. (ed. - Buyer beware!) The prospective groom can avoid some of these issues by signing a prenuptial agreement with their new spouse.

Red Flags for Internet-based Marriage Brokers

As you now know, the process is largely facilitated by internet-based marriage broker agencies; some of which can be relied upon confidently. If you're seriously considering finding your bride online, be sure the marriage broker agency is trustworthy. Red flags that indicate that the agency is not legitimate include:

• ...evidence of pornography on their site (a no-brainer)
• poorly maintained site; and
• legal age of brides is questionable

[Page 1 of 1]