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RFE to Prove SINA Weibo is not an IMB..Please help!

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: China
Timeline

Dear all,

I met my fiancée through the famous Chinese social networking website called SINA Weibo. I received an RFE saying:

Circumstances of Meeting

You indicated that you met the beneficiary through a dating website online called Sina Weibo . However,
you did not provide any specific details about this website. Submit information regarding this website and
the circumstances under which you and beneficiary met to establish the relationship.

International Marriage Broker (IMB)

You stated that you met the beneficiary on-line. It is not known if you met the beneficiary through an
International Marriage Broker. An International Marriage Broker is considered a business that charges fees
for providing dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services, or social referrals between United States citizens
and foreign nationals. As such, please submit evidence that you did not meet the beneficiary through the
services of an International Marriage Broker or submit a copy of the signed written consent form that the
International Marriage Broker obtained from the beneficiary, authorizing the release of her
personal contact information to you, or documentations to establish that the website is not an international
marriage broker.

Here is what I have been doing to up to now:

1) USCIS said that we met at a "dating" website. However, I never indicated SINA Weibo is a dating website in my application. Then I wrote up the circumstances of how we first met online and took a screenshot of our initial conversation.

2) Both of us called SINA Weibo customer service. The reps told us that SINA Weibo is apparently not an IMB and has nothing to do with dating or matchmaking. However, one rep said that they do not have the authority to provide me with any written statement that I would have to message their official customer service account. I did that, no response. The other rep told us that we need to have our agency who's helping us with the case to contact SINA Weibo's legal department by fax (we hired an agency for filing the case). The agency refused to do so as they are not an attorney office.

3) I looked all over SINA Weibo's site for Terms of Service that might indicate that they're not an IMB and failed. However, I uploaded their Business Overview and Products & Services to VJ here. None of them are even related to dating/matchmaking.

4) Since SINA Weibo is a public listed company on NASDAQ in the U.S. (stock: WB). I went to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to download SINA Weibo's 2015 annual report which includes the company information. I uploaded it here to VJ also. In this file, they listed their Business Overview and Products & Services again. And they also listed their potential competitors such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Again, none of the content is related to dating/matchmaking.

I do not know these are sufficient evidence since I can't get a statement from the customer service...Valuable opinions would be much appreciated...

Sina Weibo Business Overview.pdf

Sina Weibo Products & Services.pdf

Sina Weibo SEC File Information on Company-20150428.pdf

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Costa Rica
Timeline

To meet the exemption for an international marriage broker the company needs to offer comparable rates and services to people regardless of nationality, gender, etc... If you can show that the company meets that via their terms of service agreement, I would think that would cover the exemption.

We had the same RFE with Okcupid. I don't have the website address for the specific letter, but if you search for Okcupid RFE K1 visa you should eventually find a discussion in which someone posted the letter they sent in. You can edit it for your purposes and send it it. That's what we did.

Engaged : 2011-06-16

1-129F sent to Lewisville,TX : 2015-06-03 Transferred to California Service Center on 2015-06-08

I-129F NOA1 : 2015-06-08 ( USCIS emailed us)

I-129F RFE : 2015-07-15 ( USCIS emailed us)

RFE Reply sent: 2015-07-23

I-129F NOA2 : 2015-08-04 (email)

l- 129F NOA2: 2015-08-10 ( hard copy) valid until Dec 3rd, 2015

NVC Received : 2015-08-24. ( we found out by calling)

NVC scanned from mail room: 2015-08-27 ( we found out by calling)

Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : 2015-08-28 ( we found out by calling)

NVC Left : 2015-08-31 we found out at https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx

Consulate Received :

September 2nd, 2015 Received by the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica ( tracked by DHL website)

September 9th,2015 Visa status says Ready at CEAC website, US embassy processed it and updated it.

Packet 3 Received by email: 2015-09-11

September 14th, 2015

VDRL blood test ( Clinica Orlich)

Lung x- Ray ( Clinica Biblica Dr Willy Sancho)

OIJ criminal record certificate with Authentification

Paid $265 (144.425 colones ) k visa fee at www.ustraveldocs.com/cr

September 16th,2015 Physical test with Dr Franz Cheves Sell and immunization record completed

Interview Date : September 22nd,2015

Interview Result : APPROVED

Sept 23rd,2015: Visa status says "Administrative Processing" at CEAC website

Sept 24th, 2015: Visa status says "Issued" at CEAC website

Sept 25th,2015: Visa received. The Postal Office called me and ask to bring my id and copy to get my passport and package

Sept 29th,2015: US entry

Oct 1st, 2015: MARRIAGE. :)

October 5th,2015 : United States Uniformed Services ID

October 26th, 2015: Social security card( with married name)

November 2nd,2015 AOS filed sent $1070 check

November 11th 2015 NOA1

November27th, 2015 RFE

November 30th,2015 Biometrics

Jan 11th, 2016 AP sent. Jan 24th,2016 app returned( officer made a mistake)

February 4th,2016 info pass, humanitarian reason Advance Parole in the local USCIS office requested and received the same day

June 9th, 2016 Green card approved, no interview June 16th, 2016 GREEN CARD RECEIVED

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: China
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To meet the exemption for an international marriage broker the company needs to offer comparable rates and services to people regardless of nationality, gender, etc... If you can show that the company meets that via their terms of service agreement, I would think that would cover the exemption.

We had the same RFE with Okcupid. I don't have the website address for the specific letter, but if you search for Okcupid RFE K1 visa you should eventually find a discussion in which someone posted the letter they sent in. You can edit it for your purposes and send it it. That's what we did.

sina weibo is basically chinese twitter, okcupid is actually a dating site.

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: China
Timeline

sina weibo is basically chinese twitter, okcupid is actually a dating site.

That's exactly right..So I can't use the exemption on a dating since Sina Weibo is just unrelated to dating..

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Filed: Other Country: China
Timeline

Dear all,

I met my fiancée through the famous Chinese social networking website called SINA Weibo. I received an RFE saying:

Circumstances of Meeting

You indicated that you met the beneficiary through a dating website online called Sina Weibo . However,

you did not provide any specific details about this website. Submit information regarding this website and

the circumstances under which you and beneficiary met to establish the relationship.

International Marriage Broker (IMB)

You stated that you met the beneficiary on-line. It is not known if you met the beneficiary through an

International Marriage Broker. An International Marriage Broker is considered a business that charges fees

for providing dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services, or social referrals between United States citizens

and foreign nationals. As such, please submit evidence that you did not meet the beneficiary through the

services of an International Marriage Broker or submit a copy of the signed written consent form that the

International Marriage Broker obtained from the beneficiary, authorizing the release of her

personal contact information to you, or documentations to establish that the website is not an international

marriage broker.

Here is what I have been doing to up to now:

1) USCIS said that we met at a "dating" website. However, I never indicated SINA Weibo is a dating website in my application. Then I wrote up the circumstances of how we first met online and took a screenshot of our initial conversation.

2) Both of us called SINA Weibo customer service. The reps told us that SINA Weibo is apparently not an IMB and has nothing to do with dating or matchmaking. However, one rep said that they do not have the authority to provide me with any written statement that I would have to message their official customer service account. I did that, no response. The other rep told us that we need to have our agency who's helping us with the case to contact SINA Weibo's legal department by fax (we hired an agency for filing the case). The agency refused to do so as they are not an attorney office.

3) I looked all over SINA Weibo's site for Terms of Service that might indicate that they're not an IMB and failed. However, I uploaded their Business Overview and Products & Services to VJ here. None of them are even related to dating/matchmaking.

4) Since SINA Weibo is a public listed company on NASDAQ in the U.S. (stock: WB). I went to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to download SINA Weibo's 2015 annual report which includes the company information. I uploaded it here to VJ also. In this file, they listed their Business Overview and Products & Services again. And they also listed their potential competitors such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Again, none of the content is related to dating/matchmaking.

I do not know these are sufficient evidence since I can't get a statement from the customer service...Valuable opinions would be much appreciated...

Here is what I would do.

Write a statement indicating that 'Weibo is a social networking and communication platform similar to Twitter or Facebook. It is a common network that people in China use as both Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China. It is a free of charge social networking site and does not provide dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services, or social referrals between United States citizens and foreign nationals.' and include the information that you have uploaded here as evidence.

I think you'll be good.

...and fill in your timeline.

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: China
Timeline

Here is what I would do.

Write a statement indicating that 'Weibo is a social networking and communication platform similar to Twitter or Facebook. It is a common network that people in China use as both Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China. It is a free of charge social networking site and does not provide dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services, or social referrals between United States citizens and foreign nationals.' and include the information that you have uploaded here as evidence.

I think you'll be good.

...and fill in your timeline.

Thank you so much for the very good suggestion! I will make sure to mention this in the response.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
Timeline

Let us know the outcome.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Costa Rica
Timeline

Awesome, congratulations!

Engaged : 2011-06-16

1-129F sent to Lewisville,TX : 2015-06-03 Transferred to California Service Center on 2015-06-08

I-129F NOA1 : 2015-06-08 ( USCIS emailed us)

I-129F RFE : 2015-07-15 ( USCIS emailed us)

RFE Reply sent: 2015-07-23

I-129F NOA2 : 2015-08-04 (email)

l- 129F NOA2: 2015-08-10 ( hard copy) valid until Dec 3rd, 2015

NVC Received : 2015-08-24. ( we found out by calling)

NVC scanned from mail room: 2015-08-27 ( we found out by calling)

Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : 2015-08-28 ( we found out by calling)

NVC Left : 2015-08-31 we found out at https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx

Consulate Received :

September 2nd, 2015 Received by the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica ( tracked by DHL website)

September 9th,2015 Visa status says Ready at CEAC website, US embassy processed it and updated it.

Packet 3 Received by email: 2015-09-11

September 14th, 2015

VDRL blood test ( Clinica Orlich)

Lung x- Ray ( Clinica Biblica Dr Willy Sancho)

OIJ criminal record certificate with Authentification

Paid $265 (144.425 colones ) k visa fee at www.ustraveldocs.com/cr

September 16th,2015 Physical test with Dr Franz Cheves Sell and immunization record completed

Interview Date : September 22nd,2015

Interview Result : APPROVED

Sept 23rd,2015: Visa status says "Administrative Processing" at CEAC website

Sept 24th, 2015: Visa status says "Issued" at CEAC website

Sept 25th,2015: Visa received. The Postal Office called me and ask to bring my id and copy to get my passport and package

Sept 29th,2015: US entry

Oct 1st, 2015: MARRIAGE. :)

October 5th,2015 : United States Uniformed Services ID

October 26th, 2015: Social security card( with married name)

November 2nd,2015 AOS filed sent $1070 check

November 11th 2015 NOA1

November27th, 2015 RFE

November 30th,2015 Biometrics

Jan 11th, 2016 AP sent. Jan 24th,2016 app returned( officer made a mistake)

February 4th,2016 info pass, humanitarian reason Advance Parole in the local USCIS office requested and received the same day

June 9th, 2016 Green card approved, no interview June 16th, 2016 GREEN CARD RECEIVED

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
Timeline

This is great news. Thanks for the update.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: China
Timeline

Awesome, congratulations!

Thank you for the help!! Really appreciate it.

This is great news. Thanks for the update.

Thank you!!

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Filed: Other Country: China
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My case just got approved today!! My NOA2 is on its way now! I'm so excited...Thank you all!

Very nice! time to get ready for the GUZ IV experience.

Also you might want to start researching and planning your calls to the NVC so you can track the progress of your approved petition as it makes it's way Guangzhou.

Good luck!

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