Congress sabotages international marriage, romance for vets

[FreakinDJ]

Congress sabotages international marriage, romance for vets

While we weren't looking Congress along with some extreme feminist groups used the "backdoor" to strip you of your right to choose whom you wish to date and marry by implementing the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA). The new law severely limits a man's ability to date and marry foreign women. These "International marriages" have lower divorce rates than the 50 percent average for all US citizens.

The new law will affect veterans and others - 60,000 marriages occur each year between veterans and foreign women. The stated purpose of the new law was to protect foreign immigrant women from violence stemming from a few unfortunate cases of foreign immigrant women who were abused by their husbands. Everyone agrees protecting women from violence is important, but IMBRA is a senseless law creating an "iron curtain" that actually increases violence against women.

The provisions of the new law are draconian, requiring clients of International marriage agencies ("marriage brokers") to provide sensitive background information (personal and criminal) to marriage brokers before sending love letters to foreign women. Since when are Americans required to provide documents just for the purpose of writing a love letter?
http://www.times-news.com/opinion/local_story_171102856.html?keyword=secondarystory

[pnwmom]

1. This article doesn't give a single detail about the specifics of the

so-called "draconian" regulations.

And anyone who throws around terms like "extreme feminist groups" is suspicious in my book.

[FreakinDJ]

2. The provisions of the new law are draconian

The provisions of the new law are draconian, requiring clients of International marriage agencies ("marriage brokers") to provide sensitive background information (personal and criminal) to marriage brokers before sending love letters to foreign women. Since when are Americans required to provide documents just for the purpose of writing a love letter?

Imagine having to fill out a questioneer before you can even flirt with a good looking guy.

I would say that qualifies as draconian

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. It's an opinion piece

see the link in #3. If you don't have a record of domestic violence, or a habit of asking for Fiance visas, you won't have a problem.

Here's an article giving Cantwells actual speech

Proposed Law Would Regulate International Marriage Brokers
http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2004/Jul/15-596569.html

The primary goal of my legislation is to better inform women entering this country as a prospective spouse about the past history of the man she may be marrying and to better inform them of their rights as residents of the United States if they become victims of domestic violence.

The bill would, first, halt the current practice of allowing Americans to simultaneously seek visas for multiple fiancées by requiring that only one fiancée visa may be sought per applicant each year. Currently, multiple requests for fiancée visas can be simultaneously filed with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration, and the American requesting the visa will simply choose to marry the first woman who is approved.

Second, my bill would require that, before an international marriage broker may release the contact information of a foreign national client, the broker must first obtain her consent to the release of that information and provide her with information, in her own language, on the rights of victims of domestic violence in this country.

Third, the international marriage broker would be required to ask American clients to provide information on any previous arrest, conviction or court-ordered restriction relating to crimes of violence along with their previous marital history. This information would also be made available to the foreign national.

Finally, it would require a U.S. citizen seeking a foreign fiancée visa to undergo a criminal background check, a check that is already performed for the fiancées entering the country themselves. Information on convictions and civil orders would be relayed to the visa applicant by the consular official along with information on their legal rights should they find themselves in an abusive relationship.

[FreakinDJ]

6. Cantwell lied in that speach

and actually the law never could pass on its own merits. Its bigoted

It was trailored onto another bill, it never passed committee and was never argued on the floor

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. which part was a lie?

I read the provisions of the bill, and I don't see any problem with it.

now google "mail order bride abuse"

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,560,000 for mail order bride abuse
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=mail+order+bride+abuse

[pnwmom]

10. What is bigoted about the bill?

[pnwmom]

13. If this bill never passed out of the committee, why did you post it

as if it did?

[pnwmom]

9. Thanks. Sounds like a reasonable bill to me. I had to get a criminal

background check just to work with kids in my own public school -- where they had known me for five years. It's a reasonable precaution for these women, who often don't even meet the men until they come here. And who often will arrive without English skills or relatives to help them. They can read the report and decide whether they want to go through with the marriage.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. is this a reaction to mail order brides?

if so, it could be a good thing, in some cases. Seriously - if you have to order a bride from overseas because no one around will have you... this could protect a lot of women.

I have to look at it from a girls point of view because, well, I'm a girl.
If I had the money to run a background check on every guy I go out with I would.
There's some real creeps out there among the good guys. I could have saved myself a bit of heartache.

What's a little paperwork when true love is at stake?


Q #10: Does this law apply at all to couples who did NOT meet through an IMB?

Answer: Yes. This law does NOT APPLY ONLY TO IMBs. There are provisions in this law which apply to ALL petitioners and couples, regardless of how they met. They apply to ANY K Visa petititoner, even those who did NOT meet their fiancee or spouse through an IMB, but for instance just through friends or family.

Examples are: 1) The "Petition Provisions" of IMBRA. These say: the I-129F Petition must include documents and information about petitioner's past criminal convictions, including domestic violence convictions must be submitted under signed certification. New I-129F Petitions will likely be distributed by USCIS in the near future for this purpose. Section 832(a)(1).

2) Numerical limitation on number of approved K Visa petitions. This says: A Petitioner cannot be approved for a third K Visa petition unless Petitioner waits two years from date of filing of last approved petition or secures a DHS-approved waiver. Section 832(a)(2). Another part is: The placing of information about Petitiner's mltiple visa petitions in the new K Visa database and the required notices sent out to the lady beneficiary from that database. Section 832(a)(4).

3) Consular Interview requirements and Adjustment of Status Interview requirements. These say that the Consular Officer at Embassy Interview or Immigration Officer at Green Card Interview must review and answer questions about Petitioner's domestic violence and other criminal record with the lady beneficiary in her primary language. Section 833(b).

4) The Domestic Violence Phamplet/Brochure. Section 833(a). This must be distributed and explained to the lady beneficiary regardless of how the couple met, either through an IMB or outside of an IMB.

5) More intensive security checks and information sharing. Given that Petitioners will be asked for more information and documents with their I-129F Petition, DHS and State Department will likely intensify security and background checks on Petitioners and have more and better information-sharing.


As for timing of these government background checks, though there may be exceptions, they are not normally conducted as a general rule until the Petition is filed with USCIS, regardless if the couple met through an IMB or not. A copy of the I-129F Petition (with the gentleman's answers and any supporting documents) and the results of the government backround checks with domestic violence help information are shared with the lady beneficiary no later than at the Consular Interview. Thus, the lady beneficiary will be privy to more information and documents concerning her Petitioner than ever before, regardless of how the couple met.


Q #11: Does this law apply to BOTH men AND women United States Clients who seek a romance partner abroad, or ONLY to men United States Clients who seek romance with a woman foreign national?

Answer: The new law applies to ALL MEN AND WOMEN United States Clients who seek a foreign national client romance partner abroad, MAN OR WOMAN. The language of the law is carefully "gender-neutral".

The only reason that you might see articles and discussion so-often referring to MEN United States Clients and WOMEN Foreign National Clients is for easy reference, since the very vast majority of United States Clients in the international romance field are men seeking women romance partners.


http://usaimmigrationattorney.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=2

[FreakinDJ]

5. Its just internet dating - no one can "order" a bride

but yes it is gender biased because mostly men date foriegn women throught the internet and of those the majority are veterans

perhaps they were disappointed in the American girl who was unfaithful or divorced them when they were stationed overseas

[Viva_La_Revolution]

8. I know several men who have looked into it...

usually they want submissive 'traditional' wives.



Sexy Mail Order Brides
http://www.blossoms.com/?adid=googlePPCaw

Russian Mail Order Brides
http://anastasiaweb.com/startsearch.php?afid=3777&age_min=20&age_max=30&height_min=none&height_max=none&weight_min=&weight_max=&children=0&Sort=4&submit=Show+Matches

Find Beautiful Mail Order Brides Online
http://www.mailorderbrides.com/

Mail order bride warehouse
http://www.goodwife.com/

Geez - just Google "mail order brides"
Results 1 - 10 of about 10,800,000 for mail order brides
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=mail+order+brides

[pnwmom]

11. I'm curious about the claim that they have a lower divorce rate.

Do you have a link for that?

I remember the cases Cantwell was talking about, and they were horrendous.

[pnwmom]

12. Criminal background checks are required if you want to volunteer

in any situation with kids.

This situation involves adults, but adults who are in a vulnerable situation. They don't have other ways to learn more about their intended, and they won't have friends or relatives here if they get into trouble.

The results of the criminal check won't actually prevent a couple from getting married. It will just provide the foreign fiance(e) with more information than s/he would otherwise have had.

I did a little googling and learned that the bill has bipartisan support. The idea that it's a big feminist bill is laughable, with supporters like Brownback.

http://www.house.gov/list/press/wa02_larsen/pr_09062005_mailorder.html

"A 2003 study found that over 50 percent of legal assistance providers serving battered immigrant women had helped women who met their abusers through IMBs. These foreign fiancées often are unable to obtain reliable information about the criminal and marital histories of their prospective spouses, and are unaware of the legal rights and resources available to victims of domestic violence in the U.S.

"Rep. Wolf, Co-chair of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, commented: “This act takes essential steps toward protecting women and children around the world - many of whom are at risk of rape and even murder - from dangerous and violent men. I am pleased that this act directly targets exploitation and abuse of women and children as well as domestic violence.”

"Senator Brownback, who held a hearing in July 2004 about human trafficking and mail-order bride abuses, commented on the introduction of the bill: “The numerous accounts of abuse, neglect, slavery and even murder of mail-order brides demands more attention. Not only should we educate the public on these risks, but we should work to protect the most vulnerable. I am pleased to join this bipartisan effort aimed at informing and protecting women and children around the world.”

"Larsen and Cantwell became personally invested in the issue after Anastasia King and Susanna Blackwell, both mail-order brides living in Washington state, were murdered by their husbands."

SNIP

I remember the outcry when these murders occurred. I bet that most Washingtonians feel that Cantwell IS representing the majority's view on this issue.