Online Weddings for Australian Filipina couples

This is the Down Under Visa Online Weddings information page.

Are we marriage brokers? No, not at all. Not marriage brokers. Not marriage celebrants. Definitely not matchmakers! Definitely not!

We are Registered Migration Agents

Our job, profession and vocation? We help Australian Filipina couples get together in Australia, and this requires a lot of hard work in preparing successful Partner Visa applications from Philippines to Australia.

We are registered by the Migration Agents Registration Authority (a statutory authority under the management of the Department of Home Affairs, eg “Immigration”) to provide advice to these couples legally, and to manage their visa applications as their representative. Down Under Visa are well-known and respected by those many umpteen thousand Australian Filipina couples out there, many of whom are our present clients or were clients in the past.

Travel Bans and Online Weddings

What happens when travel bans and distances stop couples from getting together and marrying, and this is making it impossible for them to move forward with their Partner Visa applications?

Fortunately Online Weddings have become a reality, thanks to the farsightedness of the Government of Utah in the US!

Spouses of Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents may apply for exemptions to the current travel bans which would otherwise prevent them from entering Australia.
Online weddings are legal in the US State of Utah.
Utah are happy to marry non-US Citizens and non-US residents! So neither the bride nor groom needs to live in the US!
Australia, under the Marriage Act (Cth) 1961, recognises weddings that were legally solemnised in the US, just as it does marriages which take place in the Philippines or most other countries.
And yes, I did confirm this with an Australian Family Law specialist lawyer. Letter of advice available on request.

So whilst this is fairly new, there is no legal reason at all why an Australian Filipina couple can’t marry online via the Utah State County Clerk’s office. And there is no reason why this marriage will not be recognised by the Australian Government and the Department of Home Affairs in particular.

Further reading: https://www.downundervisa.com.au/2021/01/want-to-marry-your-filipino-but-cant-visit-her-or-get-her-to-visit-you/

Australian Filipina couples married online in Utah

An Australian Filipina couple, legally married, may apply for an Australian Partner Visa based on that marriage, and may apply for a Travel Ban Exemption.

What does an online wedding look like?

With thanks to some very kind clients of ours.

Online Filipino Wedding Ohio Happy Clients

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Answer: No as I said it’s pretty simple. This isn’t a “marriage service” or a “wedding agent”. This is the Utah Government issuing a marriage license, and performing a registry-office-style wedding, much the same as if you went to a Registry Office in Australia. And it’s remarkably cheap!

My enquiries with the Utah Government tell me that they don’t accept go-betweens anyway. They deal with the couple directly, and that’s it. That’s how the Law there works.

Answer: Probably not. Neither is a wedding in a Registry Office. The issue though is that if you can get together maybe 6 months sooner, isn’t it worth it? Think that one over! You can always have a big family wedding later on.

Answer: Couldn’t tell you if Utah would marry a couple who haven’t met in person before, however (a) you would be a little bit imprudent (in my view) if you did. And (b) you would never qualify for a partner visa anyway, which would defeat the purpose.

Answer: Same sex marriages are legal in Utah, so we imagine this is OK.

Answer: No sorry. Utah State Law doesn’t allow for in-between coordinators. However it’s surprisingly uncomplicated and straight forward.

Answer: Yes, most definitely. Please click HERE and we can assess your case. It will take you five minutes and cost you nothing.

Answer: 18 or older.

Answer: Yes, you need two witnesses. 18 or older. And no, they also don’t need to be in the same place as the bride or the groom.

Answer: Cannot marry now. That’s called bigamy, and it’s a crime in most places in the world.

Answer: 7 - 10 days.

Answer: 30 days. So you must marry within that time (after obtaining the license, that is).

Answer: It’s emailed, and you will receive it within a day or so.

Answer: Current, $70.00 for the license and $35.00 for the ceremony. This is all in US Dollars.

Answer: No, we cannot guarantee any outcome whatsoever. We can only do our best, but visa decisions...by Law...rest with the Department of Home Affairs (Immigration).

Where do we go from here?

Direct to the US Government Offices in Utah County, Provo, Utah, USA!

Marriage License

http://www.utahcounty.gov/dept/clerkaud/Marriage.html

Wedding Ceremony

http://www.utahcounty.gov/dept/clerkaud/MarrCeremony.html

Start with the first webpage, and then the second.

Again, you will find it surprisingly easy to organise. And we look forward to helping you and your sweetheart to be able to get a Partner Visa to Australia so you can start the rest of your lives!

Need a Partner Visa?

Want to know if you qualify for a Partner Visa?

Questions?

Disclaimer: Neither Down Under Visa or any of it’s staff are marriage coordinators or advisers on marriages and weddings, whether in Australia, Philippines or in Utah USA. We have no business arrangements with the Utah Government, nor do we receive any commissions or gratuities. This is purely an information page to allow site visitors to make their own decisions as to whether they wish to take this path.

Down Under Visa also give no guarantees that visa applications based on marriages performed online in Utah (or Australia or Philippines or anywhere else) will result in granted visas. The decision to grant an Australian visa rests by law with the representatives of the Minister and not with us. We guarantee only to do the best job we can to prepare and manage your visa application.

Online Weddings for Australian Filipina couples

This is the Down Under Visa Online Weddings information page.

We are Registered Migration Agents

Travel Bans and Online Weddings

Australian Filipina couples married online in Utah

What does an online wedding look like?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Do I need a “service” or “coordinator” to organise the license and wedding?

Q: It it going to be incredibly romantic?

Q. Do you need to meet in person first?

Q. Same Sex Marriages?

Q. Can Down Under Visa do the preliminary paperwork for us?

Q. Can Down Under Visa help us with a Partner Visa to Australia?

Q. How old do you have to be?

Q. Do we need witnesses?

Q. Do we both need to be legally free to marry? What if one of us is only separated?

Q. How long does it take to obtain a marriage license?

Q. How long is the license valid for?

Q. How is the marriage certificate issues?

Q. What are the costs?

Q. Can you guarantee that this will lead to an Australian visa?

Where do we go from here?