Full Version: How long did you know each other before filing?
How long did you guys know your fiances before filing the petition? Does the government place any sort of value on how long you've known one another?
personally ours was 4-5 years
I doubt the govt places a lot on that - as opposed to say someone who met 3 months ago - but probably they WILL compared to someone who met and got engaged / married much much faster. Will it affect the visa?
Unknown... hasn't affected anyone I know of on VJ who's applied. Don't forget there's a requirement to have met within the last 2 years also.
I doubt the govt places a lot on that - as opposed to say someone who met 3 months ago - but probably they WILL compared to someone who met and got engaged / married much much faster. Will it affect the visa?
Unknown... hasn't affected anyone I know of on VJ who's applied. Don't forget there's a requirement to have met within the last 2 years also.
We met May 2005 and got engaged January 2006. 8 months including engagement month.
5 months 
QUOTE(esjessi @ Jun 4 2006, 08:15 PM) 
How long did you guys know your fiances before filing the petition? Does the government place any sort of value on how long you've known one another?
My fiance' and I were together for a year when we decided to get married. Then it took us a few months to decide whether to do a K-1 or K-3. We came SO CLOSE to getting married in Italy this January; we had all the paperwork ready, but then I read how much longer the K-3 takes than the K-1 and we decided to do the K-1 (and anyway, I prefer to get married here with my family). So, by the time I filed the petition on his behalf, we were together for a year and a half.
I don't know whether knowing each other for a while vs. a short time has any influence on whether you get the visa or not. Maybe only knowing each other for a little bit would make the interview more difficult/cause the interviewer to ask more questions and scrutinize more, but if you can prove intent to marry and that you have an on-going relationship, not knowing each other for a long time won't automatically mean rejection. So don't worry. Just work on collecting as much evidence of your relationship as you can.
Good luck!
We've known each other let's see 2 1/2 years before filling the petition, around oct 2003, started being together in nov 2004, decided to get married a long time ago but the proposal was in march 2006 
Good luck for you
Good luck for you
I met my fiance the end of October but probably didn't get more serious until mid December. Met him for the first time March 4 and spent two weeks. I think we knew even before that we were meant to be together. Got together again in May for two weeks and it definitely affirmed we wanted to get married. So about 5 months. Sometimes I think they two people are at the right place and time in there lives that it doesn't always take that long to know they were meant to be together (and this coming from someone who swore she would never date anyone off the internet and would never agree to marriage for at least a year into a relationship! lol Guess I was proved wrong!)
Hmm, we met September 01, filed for the K-1 in January 05, so that would be about 3.5 years.
Don't worry about the length of time that you have known her - it makes no difference to the USCIS as long as you can provide adequate proof of relationship/sponsorship etc. Also realize that some of us knew our fiancees long before meeting them - I didn't meet her till a month before I filed the petition but that's not a question ever asked - they do want to knwo if you met her in 2 years. I had met her 1 month before I filed - but I had known her much much longer but they never asked about that. Good Luck
hopefully I can get my USC at the end of June that would make it our 5th month in our relationship. Wow it's been that long. Haven't apply for my K-1 yet. Still waiting on my USC stuff.
Good Luck!!
Good Luck!!
Met on Diablo (computer game for those that aren't into that stuff and don't know) in 1997, first met face to face in 2002, and filed K1 in 2004...so..wow its been a while since we've "known" each other.
1 year and 3 months before filling the petition. I dont think its important the length of time that you have known your fiance. I think its more important the kind of proof of ongoing relationship you have. Good luck in your process.
OLY AND DIDIER
OLY AND DIDIER
We knew each other for 4 years and were together for over 3 when we filed.
We have known each other since November 2004. Got engaged in January 2006. Filed for I-129F in February 2006 and now only 47 days until the wedding......
Oct 2004, engaged Dec 2005.
Hi ....My husband and I knew each other for more than 3 years before we did this process, I do not think they give much thought to how long a couple have been together as long as you meet the requirements of the law.
Janice
Janice
From people who post on VJ who describe their experiences, it seems they do not put any weight on how long you have known each other, only that you meet all the regulations.
Of course this is only a small sample of the actual amount of petitions that go through the service centers. I would guess it depends a little on who adjucates your case.
Of course this is only a small sample of the actual amount of petitions that go through the service centers. I would guess it depends a little on who adjucates your case.
I think usually the applicant is just questioned a bit more thoroughly when "red flags" appear. If you have lots of them, and are applying through a high fraud embassy, be prepared to prove the bonafides of your relationship.
Here's a quote from an atty (miss you Ellis!), written for other attys, who specializes in one of the most difficult posts, HCMC.
http://www.ilw.com/articles/2006,0323-ellis.shtm
The Service centers don't care about such things much, but the State Dept sometimes does.
Here's a quote from an atty (miss you Ellis!), written for other attys, who specializes in one of the most difficult posts, HCMC.
QUOTE
On the petitioner’s side, here is a brief and, by no means, complete list of reasons I have seen used to justify the return of family-based IV petitions and K petitions to DHS.
1. A very brief courtship followed by a plunge into matrimony;
2. A marriage ceremony arranged only a short time after petitioner arrives in the beneficiary’s country and they meet for the first time;
3. No common language;
4. Petitioner resides with family members of the beneficiary in the US;
5. Petitioner is employed by or has a business relationship with a relative of beneficiary;
6. Petitioner submits phone records that show he uses a residential phone number that is listed in the name of another person.
7. US divorce followed very quickly by an engagement to foreign beneficiary is often a red flag for consular officers.
8. There is little or no documentary evidence of the relationship prior to the actual engagement.
9. Long gaps of time between the petitioner & beneficiary being together in person.
10. Failure to disclose previous marriages;
11. Failure to disclose previous petitions filed on behalf of other beneficiaries.
I’ve only addressed the petitioner’s side of the relationship. There are other red flags that can afflict the beneficiary.
1. A very brief courtship followed by a plunge into matrimony;
2. A marriage ceremony arranged only a short time after petitioner arrives in the beneficiary’s country and they meet for the first time;
3. No common language;
4. Petitioner resides with family members of the beneficiary in the US;
5. Petitioner is employed by or has a business relationship with a relative of beneficiary;
6. Petitioner submits phone records that show he uses a residential phone number that is listed in the name of another person.
7. US divorce followed very quickly by an engagement to foreign beneficiary is often a red flag for consular officers.
8. There is little or no documentary evidence of the relationship prior to the actual engagement.
9. Long gaps of time between the petitioner & beneficiary being together in person.
10. Failure to disclose previous marriages;
11. Failure to disclose previous petitions filed on behalf of other beneficiaries.
I’ve only addressed the petitioner’s side of the relationship. There are other red flags that can afflict the beneficiary.
http://www.ilw.com/articles/2006,0323-ellis.shtm
The Service centers don't care about such things much, but the State Dept sometimes does.
7 consecutive months... 2 months 'off' in between.
July 16th 2004. Filed February 2006. But we began gathering paperwork and finalizing things in about October of 05. so it really goes
Met July 16th 04
Started "dating" December ?? 04
Began gathering paperwork October 05
Filed February 06
So we haven't known each other forEVER but not like 2-3 weeks either. And it hasn't slowed us yet. Hope that helps.
Met July 16th 04
Started "dating" December ?? 04
Began gathering paperwork October 05
Filed February 06
So we haven't known each other forEVER but not like 2-3 weeks either. And it hasn't slowed us yet. Hope that helps.
Do you ever really know anyone?
We met online the end of January 2004, and were engaged May 23 of the same year, after two visits in person. We filed June 1, so basically we knew each other 4 months before filing.
3 years.. we filed because he had to leave for the states and we realized we just cant live without each other.. 
3 years 
A little over 4 years. We started the original paperwork 2 months after we got married
We knew each other for 2 years and 3 months before I filed for the K-1.
a little over 2 years
It will be 5 years by the time we file
met - Sept 2001
filed - April - 2006
filed - April - 2006
met online aprilish 2002.. met end of february 2004.. decided to file marchish... actually filed in may... it all worked out
One year and three months
3 months
21 months
A little over two years. 
Peter Miami
Peter Miami
From meeting online to submitting our I-129F 3 years 2 months.
From meeting in person to filing our I-129F 1 year 2 months.
We met online May 2001, Met in person June 2003, Got engaged June 2004, Filed I-129F July 2004.
Mark
From meeting in person to filing our I-129F 1 year 2 months.
We met online May 2001, Met in person June 2003, Got engaged June 2004, Filed I-129F July 2004.
Mark
We filed within 6 months after two meetings face to face and we got visa in hand within 4.5 months - so I don't think that the length of "courtship" plays a decisive role in the process...on a personal note, as Agent Smith pointed out..."Do you ever really know anyone?"...take it for what it is...
4 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS
almost 2 years
2 yrs
2 years and one month... because my annulment process took so long...
. We waited for the release of the annulment decree. As soon as we got it, we filed! Jo
Joel and I knew each other 22 months before filing.
post boosting
post boosting
We knew each other since Feb 05, casual friends until it got to where we could not stand going very long without talking. Now we are in agony because we are apart.
I wished we had started this process sooner, now baby on the way in 7 months...
I wished we had started this process sooner, now baby on the way in 7 months...
Dean and I knew each other for about 15 months when I filed the I-129F and we've been together for 3 years today!!! In those 15 months we had 5 visits...one lasting 3 months and the others were just normal one to two week visits.
5 months after the wedding
9 years. We dating since 5 yrs ago
A little over 6 years.
We have known each other since 2003 and we have not offically filed yet.
We had been dating for about 2 years before we filed.
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