Must I visit??

[Still_Blessed 0]

I am wondering if it is mandatory that I meet my fiance first before petitioning him to come to the states?I just got a promotion at work and cannot leave my job just yet..also, how long do we have to be in a relationship before petitioning?We have been talking/chatting for almost a year..but have only been serious for about a month:/

Thanks for any and all input:)

[canadian_wife 1,791]

Lagos is an exceptionally difficult consulate. That aside, according to the I129F instrutions you MUST have physically met within the last 2 years. If you have not met, then you cannot petition.

Good luck

[LORIEandPHIL 123]

I am wondering if it is mandatory that I meet my fiance first before petitioning him to come to the states?I just got a promotion at work and cannot leave my job just yet..also, how long do we have to be in a relationship before petitioning?We have been talking/chatting for almost a year..but have only been serious for about a month:/

Thanks for any and all input:)

You do have to meet within two years. Would you really want to marry someone you have never met?

[Mithmeoi 29]

I am wondering if it is mandatory that I meet my fiance first before petitioning him to come to the states?I just got a promotion at work and cannot leave my job just yet..also, how long do we have to be in a relationship before petitioning?We have been talking/chatting for almost a year..but have only been serious for about a month:/

Thanks for any and all input:)

You must have met physically in the last two years in order to petition.

Save up your vacation time, go visit him or vice versa, and spend a couple weeks together. As someone already mentioned, that is a tough consulate so you will need good evidence.

[Sapphire Moon 25]

I am wondering if it is mandatory that I meet my fiance first before petitioning him to come to the states?I just got a promotion at work and cannot leave my job just yet..also, how long do we have to be in a relationship before petitioning?We have been talking/chatting for almost a year..but have only been serious for about a month:/

Thanks for any and all input:)

Yes it is mandatory to meet your fiance before you petition for him, that is the requirement of the I-129F petition.

The length of time you are in a relationship doesn't matter when you petition... but you two should meet in person before filing.

Good luck on your journey

You must have met physically in the last two years in order to petition.

Save up your vacation time, go visit him or vice versa, and spend a couple weeks together. As someone already mentioned, that is a tough consulate so you will need good evidence.

[F&Z 8]

Ohhhh I didn't realize this...are there any exceptions to having to meet?

[Penguin_ie 5,984]

Technically, you can ask for a waiver, but you must prove there is no way at all that you an meet (absolute religiously forbidden, even with a chaperone; US petitioner cannot leave the USA for medical reasons, foreign beneficiary has tried several times to get a tourist visa and failed). Not being able to meet right now is not a reason- wait a year or two till you have vacation time, then go.

Additionally, as mentioned above, you will be going through the most difficult US embassy to get an approval in (NIgeria). So to get a good chance of approval, you need to spend significant time together, preferably several visit of several weeks. Do you have any red flags, such as age or religious difference, or educational differences?

[F&Z 8]

How much of an age difference would be a "red flag?"

[baron555 934]

I am wondering if it is mandatory that I meet my fiance first before petitioning him to come to the states?I just got a promotion at work and cannot leave my job just yet..also, how long do we have to be in a relationship before petitioning?We have been talking/chatting for almost a year..but have only been serious for about a month:/

Thanks for any and all input:)

Yes you must have met in person within two years prior to the filing.

[Still_Blessed 0]

Yes,thats what I thought,within 2 years and no red flags..I do plan on gong to see him hopefully this summer if I can get away.(from work,that is)lol

[Still_Blessed 0]

Another questio please,is it better to do a fiance visa or get married and do a spousal visa,any ideas..which is easier and quicker? Thanks

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

As others have mentioned you could try for a wavier of meeting with about a 5% chance the wavier would work, and if denied your fees are gone ( and you have wasted your time ) Lagos is a whole different level of proof needed, to have a good chance of approval by the time of the interview it is best if you have spent at least a month together ( face to face) If you have red flags ( age difference , race differece, religious difference ) it will be hardedr to convince Lagos that he isn't using you to escape Nigeria. Some believe that CR1''s ( marriage) visas are approved the first time more often but a lot relies on the completeness of the petition package.

[Penguin_ie 5,984]

How much of an age difference would be a "red flag?"

It depends on the country and which person is older. For example, in some countries like the Philippines, it is culturally normal for the man to be significantly older than the wife, so getting a couple of an age difference approved there is not that difficult. But in middle eastern countries, it would be rare to have a female who is much older than her husband, especially if she is past childbearing age and he is not- so that would be seen as a red flag.

[Cathi 5,609]

The question is, why would you want to marry someone you have never met?

[F&Z 8]

Well, I have never "met" my fiancee in person, but I feel like we have "met" enough through our words and pictures to know that we are both in love and want to be with each other for the rest of our lives.