Marrying an Immigrant: What to Remember

Being newly married should be a joyous time. For couples where one partner is an immigrant everyday life is more stressful than the life of an average pair of newlyweds. Getting married and staying that way goes way beyond communicating problems well and keeping things romantic and fun. Immigration is a very long and expensive process that can take years to complete. This article is written from personal experience. I have been married to my husband Sam, an immigrant from England for two and a half years. Before getting married we dated transatlantically for four years.

There are some things those in such couples need to remember. The stress of the immigration process effects both sides of a couple, especially in hard economic times. The prices to process immigration paper work constitute automobile or house payments for some people. Other potential problems can arise for couples in which one of the pair is an immigrant that can adversely affect them for years, if not the remainder of their lives.

Language is a very important barrier that must be taken into account. Even if someone is from a country where the primary language is English it will take a considerable amount of time to learn not only American English but also local lingo. The native born partner will be responsible for teaching or guiding their spouse.

A country 's culture and customs are also something that may be a challenge for an immigrant spouse. The best way to combat severe culture shock for a spouse or spouse-to-be is to arrange visits whenever possible. Visits, gifts, and letters using common everyday language of the local area can help if your intended speaks any English.

Realize that one spouse may have to support the other financially for several months or even years while the other gains the ability to be legally employed. Paperwork for all of this can take a long time and errors do happen so stay calm and review your application carefully. This can be a long and arduous process, patience is required. Having some savings if possible is a good idea during this time.

The pressures of marriage can be difficult for any couple. Things aren't perfect in any relationship,but if you both stay calm and realize a lot of outside problems are temporary you will succeed. Patience, understanding, and communication are absolutely vital during a transition such as this, it is difficult but things can be achieved.