How much does a mail order bride cost?

The answer is like answering how much it costs to buy a car. It depends a lot on what you are willing and able to spend.

First, it is a good decision to have a professional marriage broker handle the communications. Even between two people who speak the same language, oftentimes English, the differences in customs can lead to misunderstandings and destroy a potential relationship. So, if you are serious about a mail order bride, part of the cost is going to be a translator to help you bridge both the cultural and communication gap. If your translator has previously lived in the your country, she/he will be much better because there will be an understanding of both cultures. Cost is usually 4-8 dollars per letter. When visiting a country, a translator costs approximately $8-15 per hour. Spending money for a translator is money well spent.

Second, in the United States, Immigration laws require at least one face-to-face meeting for mail order brides to get a K-1 Fiancee VISA, so you will need to travel to her country. Air fare fluctuates and depends on several factors, $1000 or more for a round trip is not uncommon.

Cost of accommodations while in her country also vary, so you should ask your translator about what is available. It is possible that the translator will assist you in finding affordable accommodations for your budget.

You will also need spending money. There is no guarantee that credit cards will be accepted, so you should take cash or Traveler's Checks. (Make sure there is a place to cash them.) Taking $200 per day should be more than enough.

Third, once you have found your mail order bride, you will need to file a K-1 Fiancee VISA application with Homeland Security/Immigration and Naturalization Service. The cost to file is approximately $450.00, but there are a number of documents which you may need your translator to translate and that will be an extra cost. It cost one man $250.00 for this service.

Once immigration approves your K-1 status, your fiancee may need to travel for her interview with the American Consulate and to get a physical from the designated consulates medical doctor. Plan on that costing another $1,000 for travel, related and actual cost.

In addition, if you trust your translator follow her advice. There will be times that she will tell you to pay something or do something that your instinct may say not to, but you will just need to trust the translator. One example is when the fiancee wanted the man to pay for her text messaging him. It seemed to be the beginning of "the scam," but the translator explained that text messaging was costing the fiancee 20 cents per message and it was unreasonable to expect her to pay $20 per month in text messages when she only earned $250.00 per month from her salary.

Finally, there are elective costs. One situation was when the woman's teeth were in poor condition. A cost that I had, but you may not, was my wife's teeth. They were in terrible condition, so I elected to pay the cost of the dentist before she left the country. The cost was $1,500, but in the United States it would have cost $10.000.