help on documentation

[solawise 0]

Pls I need the help of good pple here. My wife is filing 4 me IR-1/CR1 spouse visa. The problem is, I had a prior spouse whom I married with traditional marriage rites. We've bn seperated 4 over 4 yrs now and I've bn married to my current wife since Jan ds year and we are goin thru filing process but In d forms there is questions on prior spouse and d date marriage ended. I don't have a divorce paper cos the marriage wasn't a civil wedn and never registered. I wouldn't hv filled the information but I applied for a non-immigrant visa 2010 and I filled my ex-spouses name in as my wife then so obviously that's on their record. I hope this won't complicate this as I can't provide any legal document. I need advise pls. Tanks pple

[dwheels76 5,463]

Pls I need the help of good pple here. My wife is filing 4 me IR-1/CR1 spouse visa. The problem is, I had a prior spouse whom I married with traditional marriage rites. We've bn seperated 4 over 4 yrs now and I've bn married to my current wife since Jan ds year and we are goin thru filing process but In d forms there is questions on prior spouse and d date marriage ended. I don't have a divorce paper cos the marriage wasn't a civil wedn and never registered. I wouldn't hv filled the information but I applied for a non-immigrant visa 2010 and I filled my ex-spouses name in as my wife then so obviously that's on their record. I hope this won't complicate this as I can't provide any legal document. I need advise pls. Tanks pple

Then you will have to divorce her. Because you are now on record as being married. I could name quite a few people where they put married and weren't and their petitions were denied.

Even though it wasn't civil you know in 9ja traditional even means more.

It's quite a mess because in a way it makes current marriage voided.

[onye uwaoma 131]

2010, you separated before you apply for non-immigrant visa and still claimed her as your wife (first wife). 2014, nothing changed, still separated, she remains your wife. 2014, married another woman (second wife), nothing changes, she is now your (senior wife) and the second woman now your (junior wife).

In Nigeria, men sometimes marry more than one wife (not civil marriage) but in America, it is against the law to marry more than one wife. It is called 'bigamy'. Google the word bigamy and see how it relate to your case.

Don't you ever try to cover anything up otherwise, you will be shooting yourself on the foot, but don't expect that you still have a qualifying marriage for the benefit that you sought. First, consider your initial petition to be already revoked for possible bigamy. Secondly, understand that under the U.S law "you and your second wife" have a voided marriage as a result of you being married to someone else at the same time you married your second wife. So, the second marriage is annulled. That means there was no marriage between you and you second "wife" upon which you could seek immigrant visa.

My advice: stay in your real marriage and try to work things out with her if possible. After you tried and you both found that divorce is inevitable, then, follow the proper procedure for it and wait until you divorce is final before you dabble into another marriage. If you and the second woman still love each other, then you can proceed with marriage.

Lastly, don't wait until USCIS revoke your petition. Take appropriate action to annul the marriage yourself and start doing things the right way henceforth. You don't want to be accused of marriage fraud. do you?

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

You are by the customs of your country considered married to your first wife. How many Nigerians have traditional weddings and never bother with court or church ones. Did you get back all the wine and stuffs from the bride price ? You know you haven't bothered really ending the marriage. Just because someone comes along that seems like a good chance at a green card doesn't mean you can pretend your past didn't exist. Right now if your second woman will create so much trouble if you file. When it gets time to looking at your file and they find the prior wife your can be sure they will call for AP and poke about and unearth this mess. This mess will get you banned for life from woman number two or however many else you find to marry in your green card chase.

[solawise 0]

Thanks for your response and ur help. I know what bigamy means and I will say I'm not guilty of it in anyway. My ex-wife and I seperated Nov 2010, I applied for NIV July 2010 so it wasn't after our seperation. She's proceeded to marry another person while I've moved on with my life too. Pls I'll like to know what will be the normal procedure to divorce someone who U didn't marry in a legal marriage or should I say an undocumented marriage like traditional wedding. Pls I'll need U to shed more light on it so I can do the needful.Pls anybody else who knows hw I can go about it can shed more light. Thanks once again for ur response

[onye uwaoma 131]

Be wise Solawise!A word is enough for the wise....... When you applied for non-immigrant visa in 2010 you agreed you were married. That very marriage has not been terminated by any legal means. The America you planned to live in will not just ignore that fact and simply give you the greenlight. By the way, any attempt to say you have never been married in the immigration forms will guarantee you a life ban from entering the U.S. Why not think about correcting this mess now before it escalates. You're attempting a dangerous adventure in desperation. This will drain you and your American woman to the last core.....you may not consider my opinion as I am no legal adviser anyway, but please try to save yourself this danger that's looming... You already made mess of your case and all you need now is to be patient and see how this will be better resolved. If you go ahead in desperation, sorry go be your name oooo... Wise up!

[onye uwaoma 131]

Stop saying somebody you did not marry in legal way please. That is not acceptable or better still an insult to the Nigerian marriage tradition. I never seen many nigerian marriage that goes beyond the traditional ceremony or church wedding. These are highly reputable marriage in nigeria and the U.S. Officials that you will be telling the story knows this fact more than you think. If you have a traditional engagement and attempt a k-1 visa, you'll be denied visa simply because you had a traditional engagement, which is more popular form of marriage across all facets of nigeria. Don't quote me, just google this info and you'll know what I am talking about. You're in nigeria and the easiest thing to do is to go to customary/magistrate court first thing to inquire about how to handle your case. By the way I suggested you google the word bigamy and see how it relate to your situation and you say na grammer I dey speak shebi? Let's hope I was wrong but I am trying to be as honest as I can to give you a few helpful suggestion. If you think you will continue with the filing, make sure you have a highly experience immigration attorney who is conversant with Lagos to review your case and give you legal advice. I know that for countries that allows poligamy, USCIS will allow only a couple i.e one wife and the husband only to immigrate to the U.S. and the others are left behind. But that is a different story. You'll likely be suspected for trying to commit marriage fraud which will complicate your journey. Field investigation will prove your first marriage. Oh well, did you say that you would have willfully withold the information if you had not given it out in 2010? I hope you were just kidding. Being truthful can only delay you in most cases but will make your visa journey honorable and possible always. There are waivers that you can benefit from if the need be but willful misrepresentation of material facts carry undesirable consequences. Wishing you the best of luck and hope you find the help you need.

[solawise 0]

Thanks to everyone that replied, most especially Nwaoma, I appreciate the fact that u were less judgemental in your last post. I wasn't undermining the nigerian customary marriage tradition, I must admit I'm a bit bitter cos the 1st marriage didn't end well, she's moved on and why should I be stuck. But I agree it should be my cross and if the nice pple here see things differently its understandable. What I was saying in essence is we got seperated since 2010, infact she got married to another man a year after that. I just remarried early this year after all I went thru in that short marriage almost affected my mentality on marriage. I would spare U all the details. My newly wedded wife has bn here to visit me over 4 times in a space of 2 years and its not just a case of just jumping at another ship. I'll try and talk to a lawyer here or better still if I can get a good attorney over there who understands the nigerian terrain very well. Thanks once again to you all for ur advise

[onye uwaoma 131]

@ algerinou can you listen to yourself? OP got married traditionally and you're undermining the nigerian tradition by saying he wasn't married! Why would you hold a whole nation with contempt? This is annoying. By the way, the OP does not need a soothesayer like you if he mean business. Truth is what we all need howbeit is bitter. Nobody is making prediction as far as I know. We are all refering to the fact on ground which is that OP correctly stated he was married in 2010 but that marriage has not been set aside when he married the second one. This situation can be remedied if he trade with caution and not jump into the petitioning without an experience lawyer who knows Lagos in detail. Immigration is usually a serious affairs and you don't want to be joking around. You just wanted to be nice to the OP by commenting recklessly and when the chips are dawn, you'll be nowhere to be found. Na wa for you ooo!

[algerinou 2]

me just was want to say that there is people make him scared thats it let him step by step to understand god will help him to be with his wife i dont mean nothing bad about u sir

[onye uwaoma 131]

@ Solawise, it is of no help to go into details of your failed marriage as that doesn't matter. What matter is that you have a divorce decree at hand when you file. This will require an experience immigration attorny who is used to Lagos embassy. I once had a chat with Mac Ellis and he is one awesome attorney among others that you may want to consult. You're being truthful, stay that way and be patient. Just be wise continue to do your research. Sorry you got yourself into this mess.

[onye uwaoma 131]

@ algerinou oh I see what you mean. Its not about me but your comment was misleading. OP is in a difficult situation and it will be unfair to deceive him further by telling him he's good to go.

[algerinou 2]

ok god will help evryone who have problem and i hope everyone who wait to see and live with his wife that god will help him

[Sulaimon & Brandy 20]

I recently witnessed a friend who has a husband in Nigeria. They were denied because he didn't show proof he had divorced his wife, whom he married traditionally. Please don't waste your time or your currents wife's time and energy. Get the proof you divorced her. I wish you well. Good luck

[algerinou 2]

so in nigeria the people who is married tradtional can get devorce ? but he say without paper was married so how he can devorce?