Help

[Que Saudade 284]

My fiancee is freaking out because we met online. Not through a marriage broker, just a site where you could post a profile. I told her that's not a big deal, as I supposed many people meet online these days. Anyway, anyone have any input on how I should respond to this?

THANKS

P.S. Personally, I wish marriage brokerage would cease and desist. Tell her NOT to worry. Statistics show that 17% of marriages in US between 2007-2010 met online. There are new stats out that are higher than that. There are other stats out that claim couples meeting online stand a better chance of success than couples meeting in a bar. Go figure.

Anyhow, tell her not too worry.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Question 18 is entirely and only about the requirement that you've met within the past two years. Read the instructions on the form:

18. Has your fiancé(e) met and seen you within the two-year period immediately receding the filing of this petition?

[ ]Yes [ ]No

Describe the circumstances under which you met. If you have not personally met each other, explain how the relationship was established. If you met your fiancé(e) or spouse though an international marriage broker, please explain those circumstances in Question 19 below. Explain also in detail any reasons you may have for requesting that the requirement that you and your fiancé(e) must have met should not apply to you.

"If you have not personally met each other, explain how the relationship was established.

They only want to know how your relationship began if you have NOT personally met each other.

"If you met your fiancé(e) or spouse though an international marriage broker, please explain those circumstances in Question 19 below."

Question 19 is for explanations about meeting through a marriage broker. They don't want you explaining that here.

"Explain also in detail any reasons you may have for requesting that the requirement that you and your fiancé(e) must have met should not apply to you."

Again, they only care if you've met within the past two years. If you didn't, and you're asking for a waiver, then they want a detailed explanation why you think you should get a waiver.

You have to submit evidence to support question 18. The explanation they want should describe the evidence you've submitted. If you submit evidence of a trip then describe that trip. When did you arrive? When did you first see your fiancee? Where did you stay? What did you do? When did you return? The more self-explanatory your evidence is, the less detailed your explanation needs to be unless you're frontloading for a difficult consulate.

Again, they are not asking how your relationship started. They are asking you to describe the meeting that satisfies the two year requirement.

[Mogambi 96]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about these questions. My take on it is this,

1) they want to see proof that you have physical met in person, yes. AND they want to know the circumstances of that meeting. I.E. you travelled to the country, stayed two weeks, met often, saw her family, etc.

2) they ALSO want to know the circumstances of how you met, not in person, but if your initial meeting was NOT in person, then you need to explain how you met. Don't worry about meeting online, that is very very common these days.

What many of us do/did, and it seems to me the best option, is that under that question on form I-129F you write 'Please See Attached' and you write a letter, maybe one page in length, that explains the timeline of your relationship. Start with how you met, in person or online, just tell them. Then say you kept in contact, emails, calls, etc, until which time you explain the circumstances of how you finally met in public. That answers both questions in one letter. How you 'met' and how you 'met in person'.

[WaitingStill 24]

Well, being that we've met three times, I started my letter with the beginning of my first trip: I flew from LAX to Kiev via Paris etc.. She met me at the airport. We taxi'd to the certain hotel. We spent that evening together, and the next two days and evenings. I included my boarding pass, hotel bill, dated photos of us at the hotel, and a copy of my entire passport that shows three entries/exits into/out of the country. I also included boarding passes for the second trip. The third trip occurred after I filed my petition so I left it out.

So I guess we'll see what happens. I want to thank all of you...this question about explaining how we originally met only if we never met in person makes sense. It's just that when you read the instructions it seems it can be interpreted two ways. But I have focused on the fact of our face to face meetings.

thanks again!!!!!

[WaitingStill 24]

Question 18 is entirely and only about the requirement that you've met within the past two years. Read the instructions on the form:

18. Has your fiancé(e) met and seen you within the two-year period immediately receding the filing of this petition?

[ ]Yes [ ]No

Describe the circumstances under which you met. If you have not personally met each other, explain how the relationship was established. If you met your fiancé(e) or spouse though an international marriage broker, please explain those circumstances in Question 19 below. Explain also in detail any reasons you may have for requesting that the requirement that you and your fiancé(e) must have met should not apply to you.

"If you have not personally met each other, explain how the relationship was established.

They only want to know how your relationship began if you have NOT personally met each other.

"If you met your fiancé(e) or spouse though an international marriage broker, please explain those circumstances in Question 19 below."

Question 19 is for explanations about meeting through a marriage broker. They don't want you explaining that here.

"Explain also in detail any reasons you may have for requesting that the requirement that you and your fiancé(e) must have met should not apply to you."

Again, they only care if you've met within the past two years. If you didn't, and you're asking for a waiver, then they want a detailed explanation why you think you should get a waiver.

You have to submit evidence to support question 18. The explanation they want should describe the evidence you've submitted. If you submit evidence of a trip then describe that trip. When did you arrive? When did you first see your fiancee? Where did you stay? What did you do? When did you return? The more self-explanatory your evidence is, the less detailed your explanation needs to be unless you're frontloading for a difficult consulate.

Again, they are not asking how your relationship started. They are asking you to describe the meeting that satisfies the two year requirement.

Thank you. This explains it all. I just found the instructions a little susceptible to different meanings. Too much thinking....