foureyesimmigra
Registered Users (C)
(I am posting this for a "friend" who wishes to remain anonymous)
I was originally from Taiwan. I have been living in the USA after getting my greencard 7 years ago.
In 2002, during a two-week visit back to Taiwan, I attended my old high school reunion. My high school girlfriend was also
there. We dated during high school years, but went our separate ways after that. We have not met or contacted each
other for almost 20 years.
After the 6-hour reunion party, she and I and two more friends went to a 24-hour coffeeshop to chat. We left around 2AM
and I wasn't able to get a taxi back to my hotel. She offered to let me crash at her place. Withtout thinking, I went home
with her. She lived in an apartment by herself. She said her kids lived with her monther in the south and that she "no longer
had a husband" To make a long story short, we ended up rekindling our friendship in the most intimate way. During the
two weeks I was there, we spent almost every minute together.
I was completely unaware that she was still legally married. (i.e. no formal divorce) Let's face it, I was probably too foolish.
Two nights before I was to leave Taiwan, we were sleeping in my hotel room at the Westin. Sometime after midnight,
someone slammed and opened the door and I heard several people in the room It turned out to be her estranged, but still
legally married husband and the police! Apparently adultery is still very much illlegal in Taiwan. The police can enter any
home or hotel room without a warrant, if the husband/wife suspects the spouse is sleeping with someone else. A uniformed
police officers started to take pictures of us while were were still basically undressed on the bed. Two other plain-clothes
officers(one male and one female) ripped off the sheets so they could get picture of us in that state.
She and I were both arrested and take to the local police precint. Booked, charged, and released on bail the next afternoon.
During the next few monthsI was charged and later convicted adultery, with a 1-year sentence suspended sentence. Also,
I was court-ordered to pay "restitution" to the husband in the amount of 3 million Taiwan dollars, roughly $100,000 US
dollars.
She got one month in jail and had to sign a divorce in which she lost custody to her 3 children. In addition, her assets(two
houses she inherited from her grandparents 20 years ago, prior to the marriage) were given to the unemployeed husband as
alimony and restitution.
At least this was Taiwan... adultery was a serious crime, but the maximum sentence is 1 year at most. Had we been in
Saudi Arabia, we would most have certainly faced the death penalty.
Will this affect my N-400 naturalization application, which I plan to submit in the next few weeks? Or should I speak with an
immigration attorney beforehand? The more important question. She and I now plan to get married. I wish to bring her to
the US. Is this even possible now due to her official police record showing this conviction?
I was originally from Taiwan. I have been living in the USA after getting my greencard 7 years ago.
In 2002, during a two-week visit back to Taiwan, I attended my old high school reunion. My high school girlfriend was also
there. We dated during high school years, but went our separate ways after that. We have not met or contacted each
other for almost 20 years.
After the 6-hour reunion party, she and I and two more friends went to a 24-hour coffeeshop to chat. We left around 2AM
and I wasn't able to get a taxi back to my hotel. She offered to let me crash at her place. Withtout thinking, I went home
with her. She lived in an apartment by herself. She said her kids lived with her monther in the south and that she "no longer
had a husband" To make a long story short, we ended up rekindling our friendship in the most intimate way. During the
two weeks I was there, we spent almost every minute together.
I was completely unaware that she was still legally married. (i.e. no formal divorce) Let's face it, I was probably too foolish.
Two nights before I was to leave Taiwan, we were sleeping in my hotel room at the Westin. Sometime after midnight,
someone slammed and opened the door and I heard several people in the room It turned out to be her estranged, but still
legally married husband and the police! Apparently adultery is still very much illlegal in Taiwan. The police can enter any
home or hotel room without a warrant, if the husband/wife suspects the spouse is sleeping with someone else. A uniformed
police officers started to take pictures of us while were were still basically undressed on the bed. Two other plain-clothes
officers(one male and one female) ripped off the sheets so they could get picture of us in that state.
She and I were both arrested and take to the local police precint. Booked, charged, and released on bail the next afternoon.
During the next few monthsI was charged and later convicted adultery, with a 1-year sentence suspended sentence. Also,
I was court-ordered to pay "restitution" to the husband in the amount of 3 million Taiwan dollars, roughly $100,000 US
dollars.
She got one month in jail and had to sign a divorce in which she lost custody to her 3 children. In addition, her assets(two
houses she inherited from her grandparents 20 years ago, prior to the marriage) were given to the unemployeed husband as
alimony and restitution.
At least this was Taiwan... adultery was a serious crime, but the maximum sentence is 1 year at most. Had we been in
Saudi Arabia, we would most have certainly faced the death penalty.
Will this affect my N-400 naturalization application, which I plan to submit in the next few weeks? Or should I speak with an
immigration attorney beforehand? The more important question. She and I now plan to get married. I wish to bring her to
the US. Is this even possible now due to her official police record showing this conviction?
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