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Canadaian marrying a chinese woman

dynamo45

Newbie
Mar 5, 2010
3
0
Hi guys and gals...

I am from Canada, Calgary to be exact, and this summer plan on getting married to my GF in China.
We have already spent a few weeks together there last summer. What I need help with, is the whole process...
so if there are any Canadian guys that have "been there, done that" so to speak, I could use your input.
Divorced a very long time ago, I recently recieved a copy of my decree absolute from the court house in Alberta
where the divorce was granted. How do I get the "single certificate" required? Do I go to the Chinese consulate in Calgary here, or do I go to one in China?
Any help would be appreciated very much :D
 

toby

Champion Member
Sep 29, 2009
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I sent you a private email. Good luck!!!
 

khrusher

Newbie
Mar 4, 2012
6
1
toby said:
I sent you a private email. Good luck!!!
Hi Toby, I'm trying to figure out the quickest way to get a single certificate. Can you help me with this information?

Thanks
 

toby

Champion Member
Sep 29, 2009
1,671
105
Category........
Visa Office......
Hong Kong
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
November 2009
Med's Done....
October 2009 and 15 April 2011
Interview........
4 April 2011
Passport Req..
4 April 2011
VISA ISSUED...
7 July 2011
LANDED..........
15 July 2011
khrusher said:
Hi Toby, I'm trying to figure out the quickest way to get a single certificate. Can you help me with this information?

Thanks
I went to the consulate or embassy that served the area where I lived, and showed them my Divorce Decree. They then issued the "certificate of eligibility to marry".

It is important to go to the right consulate. I first got a certificate from the Canadian embassy bin Costa Rica, but that was not acceptable, and I had to go back to Beijing to get another one.

One word of advice; when you get the certificate, check it carefully. The first one Beijing issued had the wrong date, and I did not notice this until I arrived at the marriage bureau in Wuhan (a expensive plane flight from Beijing). Had to return to Beijing to get a new certificate. The embassy was apologetic, but could not reimburse me for the unnecessary plane flight.

I assume you know you must get married in the administrative centre that serves your girlfriend's home town, right? My wife lived in Badong, so we had to marry in Wuhan, the nearest admin centre.
 

khrusher

Newbie
Mar 4, 2012
6
1
Toby & Abelkhw, Thank you so much for the useful information. I had my girlfriend called the canadian embassy in Shanghai and they told her that we can have it the same day we visit the embassy. I was worried that this would be a long and difficult process but you guys gave me some valuable information.
 

toby

Champion Member
Sep 29, 2009
1,671
105
Category........
Visa Office......
Hong Kong
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
November 2009
Med's Done....
October 2009 and 15 April 2011
Interview........
4 April 2011
Passport Req..
4 April 2011
VISA ISSUED...
7 July 2011
LANDED..........
15 July 2011
lserre said:
Hi Toby,
do you know if this sngle certificate is available in ontario?
Sorry for the delay. I have not been visiting this forum regularly.

I believe that you must get the Certificate of Eligibility to Marry (aka the Single Certificate) from the Canadian embassy/consulate that serves the area where your Chinese spouse's hukou is (usually his/her home town).

My wife's hukou is in Badong, her home town. The Embassy in Beijing is the one that serves Badong, so there is where I had to get the Certificate.

It is a quick procedure. Takes about 30 minutes.
 

lserre

Newbie
Jul 2, 2012
4
1
thank you ever so much, too bad it could not be done in Ontario. It would save a lot of travelling!
 

toby

Champion Member
Sep 29, 2009
1,671
105
Category........
Visa Office......
Hong Kong
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
November 2009
Med's Done....
October 2009 and 15 April 2011
Interview........
4 April 2011
Passport Req..
4 April 2011
VISA ISSUED...
7 July 2011
LANDED..........
15 July 2011
lserre said:
thank you ever so much, too bad it could not be done in Ontario. It would save a lot of travelling!
I know. China seems to assume that people never move away from their home towns, because all essential documents (passports etc) must be obtained from the admin centre serving that home town. Very inconvenient for the Chinese.