married with foreign

i have a  malaysian muslim friend in malyisa , and she is willing for marriage , i am going for study in malysia for 2 years , marriage is possible ? and after my visa nationality is possible ? and she will also help full for me to go after or durrinng study in europe ? thanking an anticipation friends

Most of the information on this thread is incorrect. Especially the bit about getting Malaysian Citizenship if someone marries a Malaysian. That is absolutely not correct. There is the possibility of getting Permanent Residence and that is about all. It is at the discretion of the Malaysian Government and if you read about the case that is going to High Court this week about a boy who is being denied Citizenship despite having a Malaysian father, you may understand the complexity of immigration in this country.

Due to too many marriages of convenience, the Government have brought in very strict rules. This includes not being able to register a marriage for 6 months after it takes place and only then being able to start to apply for a Long Term Social Visit Pass. You would need to remain on your Student Visa and have it swapped for a LTSVP. Some nationalities also are not allowed to work in Malaysia for 1 year after they receive their LTSVP.  Other nationalities have to wait only 6 months to be able to get a stamp that allows them to work in Malaysia (that is why another Malaysian apart from the spouse has to financially vouch for the LTSVP application and have suitable financial status rather than just be a name on a piece of paper). Obviously not being able to work will prove very difficult. Its part of the deterrent.

One other matter is that for people who arrive in Malaysia just to register their marriage and apply for the LTSVP and then leave the country will find that they have broken the rules and the application will have to be made again.  This is because the person has to remain physically in the country for 6 months after the LTSVP has been received. If they do not it will not be renewed, bearing in mind the first LTSVP is only for 6 months, the second and subsequent ones for 1 year (current practice).

sean007 wrote:

The reality is, if u r goin to get married in Malaysia, ur future foreign husband will facing a bit problem to get a citizenship. In other words, local wife + foreign husband = problem/difficult & local husband + foreign wife = easy citizenship..hope it might help u

Hi, I'm reading the posts here.  I am an American, and my future husband is temporaily residing in Malaysia as an official Refugee status from Iraq.  He is Muslim background, and I am not.  We would like to get married in Malaysia to expedite his coming to the USA, which we realize could take months, but are needing the Marriage License to move forward for authentication of the relationship.  Can we get married in Malaysia without going through the Muslim proceedure?  He is a Christian Arab, one of the reasons why he left Iraq, Fall of 2015.   His passport is Iraq, mine is USA.

Thank you!

Hi as a refugee he has no legal status in malaysia so I think that means you cant get married in malaysia (surprising I know but i assist regugee children and they have no legal rights to anything)

You might find a friendly Imaam who will bend the rules though but that would be a Muslim wedding not a civil one. Assuming he is listed as a muslim your post is confusing on that point. If a christian on paper I teally think you cant get married here as refugee status is basically no status. You need a lawyer with refugee experience.

Also USA immi will prob assume this is a marriage of convenience unless you have extensive proof of a real relationship eg having had a real (not online) romance for a year. Otherwise most countries reject a visa on marriage basis. I know the usa is very fussy. Especially now with muslims (or suspected ones. Saying one is a christian would be suspected as a way in for a terrorist - you have to to realise tensions are high!)

And this is all based on fact of life now you must realise that! Even if he can prove he is a refugee and christian younwill have to provide a lit of evidence to get him into the usa. Does he have birth certs etc? Refugees often dont

RedBuffalo wrote:

He is Muslim background
He is a Christian Arab

I see a potential problem If he's renounced Islam.
He might not be accepted as Christian without a pile of paperwork and a long legal procedure, something that could prove impossible for a non citizen.
If he's registered as a Christian in Malaysia, there is no problem on that issue.

Foreigners getting married in Malaysia is far less of a problem, but some places don't want to do it.
You are likely to be asked for certificates of no impediment (Or whatever your home country has instead), proving you are legally entitled to marry under your home country's law.

Yes Fred**

Also the rascism of immigration is amazing. Friends and I have had many issues. An american catholiic friend couldnt get his Pinoy Catholic wife into usa. They asked for proof of marriage. He held up his kids and marriage cert. They said he could have faked it all (!) Go prove it! Like he would borrow kids and fake a birth cert.

A briitish friend married a high society Thai Muslim. She had a high end job and earned a lot more than he did. What did the british embassy say to a 2 week tourist visa? **
I had same with an asian wife. Visa refused as they said no proof of a relationship. Apart from me living with her for two years taking her on holidays etc pictures of us together at friends weddings together etc hol pictures of us hugging and tonnes of proof including me meeting parents then a full wedding video of a 2000 people reception with me greeting guests with her. *

British and American immi work on three principles

"Towel head" = terrorist (including iran and iraq)

Asian gal = prostitute

Both assumed until proven otherwise. Even then rejected sometimes.

And overall

Keep 'em out!

It is sad that love cant conquer all! And I wish redbuffalo luck as she will need a lot

Nemodot wrote:

Hi as a refugee he has no legal status in malaysia so I think that means you cant get married in malaysia (surprising I know but i assist regugee children and they have no legal rights to anything)

You might find a friendly Imaam who will bend the rules though but that would be a Muslim wedding not a civil one. Assuming he is listed as a muslim your post is confusing on that point. If a christian on paper I teally think you cant get married here as refugee status is basically no status. You need a lawyer with refugee experience.

Also USA immi will prob assume this is a marriage of convenience unless you have extensive proof of a real relationship eg having had a real (not online) romance for a year. Otherwise most countries reject a visa on marriage basis. I know the usa is very fussy. Especially now with muslims (or suspected ones. Saying one is a christian would be suspected as a way in for a terrorist - you have to to realise tensions are high!)

And this is all based on fact of life now you must realise that! Even if he can prove he is a refugee and christian younwill have to provide a lit of evidence to get him into the usa. Does he have birth certs etc? Refugees often dont

Hi, thank you so kindly for your reply!  So sorry for any confusion.  I understand because it gets confusing to me, also!  LOL!  Yes, He is Muslim on paperwork, has all valid identification and came to Malaysia ona tourist visa that expired.  He was approved through the UNHCR in KL on Dec 1 and now hold valid UNHCR ID Card.  It is highly provable he was a practicing Christian in Iraq on paper because of the Priest he knew and family was deeply involved with the Chruch, with pictures and all that since 2012.  We did meet online through a ministry, but have been talking on the phone, emailing, texting and instant messaging everday  since Oct. 

I have been in contact with my US Congressman in my district here and they are helping me with all the process of paperwork, and it seems that the Marriage License is the most solid way to show to Immigration office here and US Embassy in KL the authenticity of the relationship, with all evidence of phone records, etc.

Our concern was the actual marriage ceremony and being forced to marry under Islam, which we both are not connected to.  Though his paperwork says Muslim, his parents actually married in Iraq not under that rule decades ago.  We are in discussion with Iraq Embasy now, because from what I understand, the Iraq Embassy has more jurisdiciton over his Marriage Ceremony than Malaysia Regis Dept. for Marriages.

So, I guess my question is:  if he is certified as NOW a UNHCR Refugee, I guess it does not matter how the cremony is performed?  We were told we can get married in a Church in Malaysia and this is suffieient for our situation.

Once gagin, thank you so much!

@RedBuffalo: My advice would be to keep things as simple as possible. Your fiance's refugee status and questions over his religious status are likely to throw wrenches into any plans to get married here in Malaysia. If you have all the documentation to prove a bona fide relationship, then suggest you sponsor his immigration to the US under a fiance visa. Once in the US, you will be free to marry without having to worry too much about religious considerations.

If you want to insist on a marriage in Malaysia, then be prepared for a lot of grief and headaches, primarily due to questions about his religious status. Although Muslim men are permitted to marry Christian or Jewish women in many other Muslim countries, Malaysia only allows Muslim men to marry Muslim women. Further, if his documents state that he is Muslim yet you want to prove that he is Christian, you may run into the issue of apostasy (Muslim converting to a different religion) -- which is a big no-no in just about every Muslim country.

Hello To Everyone who were reading my posts here and replying!  Thank you all for your "Awakening" words.  Yes, he is a Refugee and this is the first problem to the MY Govt, because he does not have a Visa card, at this paritcular moment.  So, we cannot get married without it.  I also found out that he can register a certificate with the MY Govt (if this is needed that we get married there), that he is a Chrisitian.  This will annul his tie to the Muslim way.  Though Iraq prints "Muslim" on passports, he has never worshipped Islam, and his parents "in Iraq."  Many many Christians there are also in the same criteria.  It is unlawful according to Internaitonal World Law to force anyone to be in a certain religion without thier own consent.  The United Nations, which he is now connected to through the UNHCR, fully supports International Law.  We are HOPEFUL and Our Hope is in Abba Father, and We Trust Him completely in what He is doing with Us and For Us.

Thank you again!