Getting married

theguzman · 13-04-2020 11:08pm #1

Me and my girlfriend have decided to get married, we have been looking at getting a Civil Marriage here and we will have a private ceremony. It seems to be an incredibly bureaucratic process involving a three month wait.

Looking at it now I am thinking of maybe just the two of us flying to Las Vegas instead (Post covid) and getting married there. My GF is from Brazil so we could also get married in Sao Paulo but we both intend to reside in Ireland for the time being dependent on the economy afterwards. Our marriage being important for her visa also, it is a genuine relationship which can be proven if required.

What is the simple way to go about this, we both decided we will get married in a simple way and instead spend the money on an amazing honeymoon and saving up for the future etc.

Getting married abroad looks easier for me, what about Divorce if things didn't work out in say 10 years time? Must you get divorced in the country of origin for marriage?

It is a big step but we are both very excited and it is something I've thought long and hard and am ready but want to do it in as cost effective manner as possible. I know its a long way until things reopen and get back to normal but it is something we are both going to start planning for now.

tedpan · 13-04-2020 11:14pm

theguzman wrote:

Getting married abroad looks easier for me, what about Divorce if things didn't work out in say 10 years time? Must you get divorced in the country of origin for marriage?

If I was thinking this sort of stuff before the wedding, I wouldn't be getting married..

Emma_C1980 · 13-04-2020 11:16pm

Hi, I think if you want it to be legal here you need to do the appointment with the HSE at least 3 months before the date you get married. It sounds like you'll need it to be legal due to her Visa. Not sure about divorce though I'm afraid.

Caranica · 13-04-2020 11:20pm

If she needs to apply for a Visa for long stay here I would seriously advise that you marry in Ireland. You will be interviewed by the registrar in order to prove that it's a genuine marriage. That will stand you in good stead when it comes to permission to remain as the spouse of an Irish/EU citizen. Getting married in a neutral country may raise red flags in the future.

If you both live in Ireland you must divorce here, regardless of country of origin. One of my friends got divorced in their home country, both husband and wife were from that country and they had married there. Both live in Ireland. My friend went to meet the registrar when getting remarried and was told to reschedule the wedding, they had to divorce in Ireland. Wedding was delayed seriously as they hadn't been separated long enough to divorce in Ireland at that time.

jlm29 · 13-04-2020 11:46pm

To be honest, the way things are at the moment around the globe, it will probably be more than 3 months before you could go abroad to marry anyhow, so you may as well just give your notice to marry in Ireland now. If things open up before that, you can just head off and marry elsewhere. It’s not a long beurocratic process either, it’s one appointment that takes half an hour.

You could look at Scotland either, I don’t think you’d have to wait as long, back in the day, lots of English couples used elope in Scotland!

pwurple · 14-04-2020 8:47am

Flying to las vegas and getting married there, is far more expensive than having a civil ceremony here, if your aim is to save for a honeymoon and life together.

Is the Visa the issue here? Does it expire before 3 months?

theguzman · 14-04-2020 1:55pm

pwurple wrote: »

Flying to las vegas and getting married there, is far more expensive than having a civil ceremony here, if your aim is to save for a honeymoon and life together.

Is the Visa the issue here? Does it expire before 3 months?

Yes, it would have expired this month but she got a 2 month extension due to covid19, her plan was to en-roll in a 3rd level course but we think marriage would be better now due to the uncertainty. If she left Ireland now she may not be able to return for a year or more, this would force me to have to go over there which neither of us want.

Caranica · 14-04-2020 2:42pm

How long have you been together? Is a de facto partnership visa an option?

Salary Negotiator · 14-04-2020 2:44pm

Things must have moved quite quickly with this woman.

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2058049738/1/#post112389257

theguzman · 14-04-2020 2:48pm

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

Things must have moved quite quickly with this woman.

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2058049738/1/#post112389257

Neither of those two haha, actually me and this girl had been apart for awhile after 7-8 months dating last year and reunited again this year.

Caranica · 14-04-2020 3:52pm

theguzman wrote: »

Neither of those two haha, actually me and this girl had been apart for awhile after 7-8 months dating last year and reunited again this year.

So not eligible for a de facto visa and I suspect you might have an issue with the registrar believing you are marrying for anything other than a visa. It sounds like you're going to have a problem once her current visa expires.

Running off to another country and getting married will not give her an automatic right to live here and there are lengthy delays with spousal reunification visas. I suggest you contact an immigration solicitor for advice.

amdublin · 14-04-2020 4:07pm

I second the immigration lawyer advice

theguzman · 14-04-2020 4:10pm

amdublin wrote: »

I second the immigration lawyer advice

Thanks for the advice, but all solicitors are just crooks, I know a person who spent over €10,000 on an immigration lawyer and still is in limbo and I have no intention of wasting that sort of money especially on parasitic lowlifes solicitors who are all corrupt.

Caranica · 14-04-2020 4:14pm

You can't play the immigration system, which it appears is what you're trying to do given that you were dating other people three months ago. If there is any hope of your gf staying in Ireland, you need a solicitor. Getting married is not an option, chances are you won't be approved here and she won't be allowed back into Ireland if you can even go abroad.

Neyite · 14-04-2020 4:15pm

Eloping to a country that has less stringent rules might be an option but you need to ensure that a) your marriage abroad is legally recognised in Ireland and b) that it may not necessarily resolve or ease any visa requirements your partner must meet. Just because they are your spouse will not mean that the permission to live or work in Ireland will change. You'll probably still need to go through the process with the relevant authorities.
You might find that you'd face increased scrutiny from immigration authorities if you go to a place where little or no paperwork is required.

So you'd still probably need to discuss it with someone from the HSE registration office and /or make an appointment. Currently they are only processing applications by sending you an email with a form which you return. but all weddings of any shape or size are on hold until May 5th at least due to the government lockdown order.

Faith · 14-04-2020 5:18pm

theguzman wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, but all solicitors are just crooks, I know a person who spent over €10,000 on an immigration lawyer and still is in limbo and I have no intention of wasting that sort of money especially on parasitic lowlifes solicitors who are all corrupt.

Mod note: I was going to move this thread to the Legal Discussion forum, but I think this post makes your stance very clear. You appear to understand your legal options within Ireland, and we can’t offer any further advice that may be considered helping someone break the law by looking for loopholes to immigration rules.

Thread closed.

Getting married

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