If you love a sexy British accent or wish for a partner who could sweep you off your feet on the dance floor, dating men from other countries will be a dream come true. We’re here to share everything you need to know about mail-order husbands and where to find them.
Who Is a Mail-Order Husband?
A mail-order husband is a foreign man you meet online, have a long-term relationship with, and later marry. The term stems from the mail-order bride concept that started in the early days of American colonies when men sought out brides through newspaper ads and mail. In 2024, we have niche dating sites, social media, and other means to meet people from a different cultural background.
Although mail-order husbands are less common than mail-order wives, there’s no shortage of foreigners looking for good matches. Typically, they are men in their late 30s, 40s, or 50s. Some have never been married, but all have failed relationships in their past and are looking for a fresh start abroad.
Where to Find Potential Partners
If meeting through common acquaintances, work, or school is not an option, there are still plenty of avenues for you to explore. They range from free but time-consuming to highly effective but equally expensive. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Niche international dating sites, like Livebeam or Wingtalks
- Mainstream dating sites and apps with international dating tools
- Social media platforms (Facebook or Instagram)
- Local ethnic communities in your city
- International industry or cultural events
- International travel to your preferred dating destination
You’ll need to pick a country or at least a region to determine which approach will suit your goals best.
Why Look for a Husband Online?
It’s always a good idea to weigh the advantages and drawbacks of life-altering decisions, and it’s especially true when looking for a foreign bride or husband. Here are a few things to consider before making the choice.
- Your choice of partners expands exponentially, so you can find your soulmate instead of settling.
- Mingling different cultures within the household creates a rich environment for both partners and children.
- Your life is never boring, thanks to daily learning experiences and surprises as you learn to live together.
- Cultural differences in tiny daily details can drive a wedge between you and your partner.
- Language barriers hinder open communication and make it harder to get on the same page.
- Negative reactions from your friends and family can put extra stress on your relationship.
Mail-Order Groom Cost
You cannot buy a mail-order bride or groom. Neither are for sale.
What you can do is use international marriage agencies or online dating sites to meet foreign guys, develop long-term relationships, and eventually get married. Like any type of dating, it takes money, though it’s up to you and your partner to decide how you are going to split the expenses and who will shoulder the financial burden.
At the same time, we can estimate all the major spending categories to make your budgeting easier:
- Dating site fees are about $200/month. Most niche platforms rely on credits or points charged for every interaction. So, the more you chat, the more you pay. You may need to spend more money within the first couple of months until you find suitable partners, but after that, $200/month should be more than enough. Multiply it by the number of months, and you’ll get your online dating budget. It’s usually between $1,200 and $2,400 (6 to 12 months).
- International travel expenses start at $1,000/week. You can fly out to visit your future groom or have him visit you. The cost will depend on your destination, season, and stay duration. For example, visiting Mexico can be pretty cheap, but going to Japan or Sweden is pretty costly due to the long-haul flights.
- Immigration paperwork filing fees are around $2,400 in the US. This includes the cost of a petition for an alien fiance, a nonimmigrant visa application, and the adjustment of status paperwork. You’ll need to pay extra for a medical exam and vaccinations, as well as an immigration attorney’s help.
- Wedding expenses start at $200. If you want a traditional ceremony and reception, budget around $33,000 in 2024, but you can get a marriage license and a courthouse ceremony for around $200, witnesses included.
So, the total mail-order husband spending starts at around $5,000, but with careful planning, you won’t have to shell out the whole sum at one time. And if you split the costs, international marriages won’t seem so expensive.
Best Countries to Find a Groom
When you’re looking for a mail-order husband, research is the name of the game if you don’t have particular preferences. You don’t have to go country by country. Start with countries that have the best relationships. For example, according to a recent survey on love satisfaction, the happiest couples live in:
- Argentina or Chile. Latinos are known for their warm and welcoming disposition, and local men tend to be manly and hard-working, boldly taking on the roles of heads of households.
- Indonesia or China. Although very different, both countries have a high love satisfaction rate, which can signify strong and lasting relationships, though likely for different reasons since the cultures aren’t very much alike.
- Netherlands or Portugal. Unlike some European countries, both are pretty laid-back, fun-loving, and open-minded. Locals are comfortable with casual relationships, but they also value commitment once they settle down.
To be fair, other studies on love satisfaction and marital bliss share different results, naming Hungary, Malaysia, the US, and Italy among the top 5 most loved countries along with Portugal.
Tips for Finding a Mail-Order Husband
If you decide to take the online dating route of finding your future foreign husband, remember these tips:
- Choose a reliable international dating platform with a large enough dating pool and detailed profiles.
- Create an eye-catching dating profile, starting with at least five full-height and closeup shots.
- Explain your relationship priorities and weed out those who don’t match them early on.
- Reach out to potential partners first without waiting for them to notice or contact you.
- Learn the basic online safety rules to avoid scammers out to steal your money.
This is by no means a step-by-step dating guide, but acting on these tips will make your experience safer and more pleasant.
Legality
International marriage is legal in the US and in most countries across the world. As long as you’re unrelated, free from previous marriages, and are above the age of consent, you should be able to marry.
Getting mail-order husbands into the country is usually the biggest issue since you’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship (to avoid immigration fraud accusations) and your ability to financially support your partner. The process of getting mail-order grooms into the US or the EU states can take from several weeks to over a year.
Please note that some countries have strict regulations that could prevent marriages with foreign women or men. For example, the Philippines have an Anti Mail Order Spouse Act. And you’d have to be Muslim to get married in most Arab countries.
Why Women Look for Mail-Order Men
Much like with mail-order brides, the reasons for seeking men abroad differ. Still, based on what we’ve seen across special dating sites, these are the most common reasons why women go looking for international marriage:
- Some ladies want to broaden their choices beyond their typical social circle or the neighborhood.
- Other women are disappointed in local men and hope to have better experiences with guys from different cultural backgrounds.
- They love a specific foreign culture or country and consequently fall in love with local dating and relationship customs.
- Some consider international dating an experiment, a fun cultural exchange experience that later evolves into something more serious.
Personal motivations are usually even more complex and often combine several of the reasons above with a few extra twists.
Statistics
International dating and marriage is no longer a taboo or a rarity in the States. In fact, research shows that both are becoming increasingly popular:
- One in six newlywed couples in the US includes partners of different races or ethnicities, which amounts to around 11 million people in mixed-race marriages.
- International relationships and intermarriage are especially common among people with college and advanced degrees.
- White/Hispanic couples are the most common in the US; 22% include a Hispanic wife, and 20% include a Hispanic husband.
- Intermarriage is most popular among people between 30 and 50, though younger and older singles can enjoy international relationships.
- In 2023, the US issued 19,825 K-1 visas to foreigners, but there’s no info on how many of them were male and female.
So don’t let prejudice and stereotypes prevent you from finding love and happiness with a foreign husband.
Conclusion
Are you ready to embrace the adventure of international dating? Finding your mail-order husband online is the easiest and most logical first step. All you need is a couple of minutes to set up your dating profile to start exploring your options and get chatting. Decide on your dating destination and give it a try.