Marriage is supposed to be an unforgettable occasion, but for all of the right reasons. Those who have never fallen in love with someone from outside of the country of their birth will never understand the characteristic struggle of tying the knot with a foreign national; and should count themselves lucky for that. Immigration laws and regulations are there for a reason, they protect our communities from an influx of foreigners, help prevent crimes like human trafficking and working illegally, and helps to maintain close records of who comes and goes within our country. Though as effective as these regulations are for ensuring these functions, they make things particularly difficult when it comes to the bureaucracy of tying the knot with a foreigner who has not been naturalised. But to what can we owe these challenges, what are the factors in place which make it so difficult to marry the person you love if they hail from somewhere else?
Mismanagement by Immigration Officials
Anyone who has stepped foot into a home affairs office can attest to how poorly each and every one of them are run, now imagine going through that if you are a foreigner and things can get quite a bit more difficult. Mismanagement in immigration offices makes the whole process of marrying a foreigner an unpleasant and stressful experience from the get-go
Lack of Adequate Communication between Officials and Departments
Carrying on with the tune of mismanagement, there seems to be a terrible lapse in communication between officials and departments, all of which seem to take different approaches when processing weddings between citizens and foreigners. The situation is so severe, that from an outsider’s perspective it can be difficult to tell if processes change as regularly as they seem to, or if even the immigration officials have no clue as to which approach to take. Point is that there seems to be little, no or broken communication between departments which almost purposely make the affair a difficult, frustrating and expensive one.
Information is Difficult to Find
What documents do you need, do you need police clearance, bank statements, a medical history? Good luck finding out. Scour the net, go to immigration offices or contact as many officials as you like; nearly all of the information you need will either be incomplete or impossible to find; possibly the most frustrating part of the whole ordeal.
Bureaucrats are Genuinely Distrustful
Have you ever been looked at and spoken to as if you are a human trafficker? No, well walk a foreign national into an official’s office and there is a fairly good chance that you’ll get to experience it. Immigration officials seem, by and large, to be genuinely distrustful, and as such seem to make the process as difficult as possible; all the while scowling at you and your beloved like the two of you have a master-slave relationship; if nothing else it is infuriating.
Contact PM Immigration to Find Out More
The good news is that you won’t have to go through this complicated process alone, assistance with marrying a foreign national is only a phone-call or a click away. Contact one of our representatives from PM Immigration today. We are a collection of foreign national law specialists that understand the legal procedure needed to make your process smoother. Call us now or visit our website today to find out more about our services.