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The Vietnam News

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Marriages in Vietnam requires can be overwhelming

Canadians wanting to marry in Vietnam should take extra care with their application; they should make sure to follow all the specific requirements.

TORONTO - Vietnam offers many exotic splendors for the visitors of the Southeast Asian country. However, for a Canadian citizen wanting to be married in Vietnam to a Vietnamese citizen, the application for a marriage in Vietnam is very bureaucratic and demanding. Moreover, because of the new status of the couple of married, the options on how to immigrate to Canada become limited.

The procedure for a Canadian citizen to be married in Vietnam requires more documents than marriages in most countries. According to Karen Rodriguez, a specialist in marriages abroad for Immigroup Immigration Services, the documents that Vietnamese authorities require can seem redundant. For example, they ask that one present a marriage search from all the provinces one has lived in after the age of 18 along with an affidavit of single status. "These two say the same thing", says Rodriguez, "they both state that you are single, but one, for some reason, is not enough." In addition, one must also present a certificate of non-impediment of marriage, which says that there are no factors that would prohibit one from being married. Furthermore, one must also have medical exams that show that one is free of any sexual transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS (if you wish to see all required documents visit http://www.immigroup.com/marriageabroad/). There are many more documents to submit, and Karen Rodriguez advises to pay close attention to the small details that government authorities ask for.

Before traveling to Vietnam, all documents must be authenticated and notarized by Foreign Affairs Canada, translated into Vietnamese and legalized by the Embassy of Vietnam. This process may take up to a month and can cost around $300 for all the government services. Vietnamese authorities require that all documents be valid for at least 6 months before expiration. Furthermore, the certificate of non-impediment of marriage must be filed no earlier than 3 months prior to the scheduled wedding date. It would be advisable, Rodriguez says, "Just prepare yourself well in advance to avoid additional urgency costs."

If one should choose for their spouse to immigrate to Canada there are a few options to achieve this. The easiest route to take is to file a sponsorship application in which one spouse sponsors the other spouse and assumes responsibility for their well being in Canada to immigrate to Canada. If this avenue isn't available, filing an application to come to Canada as a skilled worker is another option.

Because of the many caveats in an application to be married in Vietnam, it is recommendable to receive assistance from firms, like Rodriguez's Immigroup, that will ensure that all applications are submitted correctly. There are many restrictions on many documents that, if one is not careful, could become overwhelming for an applicant.

Immigroup Immigration Services is a private immigration firm that helps clients with many immigration processes. To learn more about Immigroup, visit www.immigroup.com

Press release Newswire - February 14, 2007.