Petitioning for my Jordanian Fiance'

[MzDaz396 1]

I am an American Citizen. I am female, age 53 and medically disabled. I met my fiance a year ago online. Due to my disabilities my social life is acheived online. I met my fiance online and I knew in an instant that I loved this man. He is from Jordan, never married. He is a wonderful man and in the course of our online relationship he proposed marriage to me. I was married once in 1980 and divorced in 1988. I have been single all this time and a bit apprehensive to pursue a relationship with anyone. However, I fell head over heels for my fiance and want to be his wife. I accepted his proposal of marriage and started a petition for a I-129F Visa with USCIS. I have also filed to have our application expedited due to upcoming medical procedures I need. I need to have someone close to me to help me during this time. My fiance wants to be with me when I go through these procedures. My disabilities are those which I need assistance with everyday things. I struggle now to do the things I do, but I have no choice. I have put off the surgeries I need because I have no one to help me. My fiance wants to come to America and start a new life with me.

Anyway...we are at the stage in the visa application where USCIS is requesting a letter of intent to marry. I am not sure how indepth this letter needs to be so I can instruct my fiance on what to write. I want to make sure USCIS receives all they need to prove our intent to marry.

Also...they are requesting proof of "Last Personal Meeting". As I have said, we have not yet met in person. We have corresponded by email, web cam, instant messenger, letters, telephone and video calls. We do this on a daily basis and have since the first day we met. A lot of people will probably wonder why we both want to be married without having a personal meeting. As I said it is impossible for me to go anywhere due to my medical disabilities. Flying in an airplane is not possible and there is no other way I can get to Jordan. I also have extreme anxiety and the thought of entering into a foreign country causes me to hyper-ventilate. I have never been out of the US. But, I love my fiance and want to be his wife. I want to do things right with him getting the proper visa so that we can live our lives in America. My fiance is a respectible man, hard worker, never been in trouble, never been married. I am so in love with him that I cannot imagine living the rest of my life without him.

This immigration process is very confusing for me. If anyone of you have been through this process and have any suggestions on how I can expedite the process and provide USCIS with the information they want so that my fiance can come to America to marry me I would appreciate any support or suggestions. I am so in love with my fiance and the thought of him not getting a visa would be an emotional disaster in my life. So if you can help me to better understand what to do to insure we are doing the right thing to obtain his visa....please reply to my. If you read this and you don't have any information for me, then I ask you for your prayers in that me and my fiance can be married and begin our new lives.....Thanks....Donna

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You cannot be approved if you have never met. How old is your fiance? Your case has a lot of red flags.

[PearlyLemons 13]

I'm concerned for you two because you haven't met and meeting and being together is required for your petition. As you cannot visit him in Jordan, could he perhaps come and visit you in the States?

Edited July 24, 2013 by Jeff&Emmy

[SA516 1]

All i can do is to pray for you...

[Possiblymaybe 371]

This is going to be a very difficult journey for you.

There is an example of the Letter of Intent to Marry on this website. It is just a simple statement that says that you will marry with 90 days of his arrival to the US. On the top of the page, go to 'Example Forms' to find it. It does not need to be notarized, but does need to contain original signatures so your fiance will need to mail you his.

Do a search on this website and you will find many cases where the I-129F petition is denied because of people not meeting in person due to the petitioner being disabled. There is a waiver that you can apply for, but it is seldomly granted. Along with the waiver, you will need to prove your inability to travel due to your disability and you need to show proof that you two have tried everything possible to meet each other. This would include him being denied (possibly several times) for a US or Canadian tourist visa. The expectation is that you meet in person. It does not have to be in America or the beneficiary's home country, but anywhere in the world. You would basically need to prove that it was not possible for you to meet anywhere in the world at any time.

As far as expeditiong the petition, at this stage in the game, expediting is probably pointless. Once they have received your response to their Request for Evidence, they will make a decision on the case. It would probably be difficult to prove that after living alone for so long with this disability that you now need someone by your side ASAP.

As someone else noted, there are a lot of red flags in your case. Not meeing in person, being in an online-only relationship for a short amount of time before engagement, instantly fell in love, needing him to be here ASAP, and his home country is considered a high fraud country. If your fiance is considerably younger than you are, then that would be another one.

Edited July 24, 2013 by jenafid

[Nurseling 34]

Hello there

Sorry to hear about your situation. I hope all your surgeries go well. I am a nurse so I know it can be difficult for people in your situation to go in and out of hospital. And understand that you need support from someone. While you definatley need support and help from someone you do have to take into account that a situation such as yours requires someone who is dedicated and totally committed. You and your fiance have not met in person and whiles things are great while chatting on the phone and skypeing the reality of living together can pose a challenge and to be honest it's not the kind of challenge for someone who has not even had the experiance of seeing what your day to day routine will require and how he would be able to help you, let alone if it is something he can do without feeling overwhelmed. Someone asked how old your fiancee is and i do believe thats a good question to ask. you say your 53. i would hope he is around the same age group. if not and he is significantly younger then you , i would be very catious about the whole situation. Pls consider all of this. I urge you to find a way to meet face to face before pursuing a k1 visa. As Harper Timsah said you do face a Red flag Regardless of your situation. If you cannot travel he will have to do the travelling to see you. I have yet to hear of a approval where both parties have not actually met face to face. If there are cases such as then they would be tough to gain an approval. you would have to prove that he is unable to come and see you due to certain circumstances and provide documents to back this up. They already know about why you cannot go see him but the question is why can't he come see you. I hope this works in your favour but if you do wish to continue on this k1 journey you and your fiance will need to meet. Good luck on your journey. For what it's worth I do sympathise with you and hope they make a exception in your case. I also hope your fiance is up to the job of being there for you and is able to take care of you. Good luck and god bless.

[MzDaz396 1]

Harpa....thanks for your response....my fiance is 39 years old. There are 2 conditions that would waive the personal meeting.....(1) Filing an Extreme Hardship Waiver and/or ...(2) Violation of Customs. My situation would fall under the 1st condition only.

Also what do you mean red flags? I know you must have been through the visa process....so what would make you see red flags? Please...thank you!...Donna

Jeff & Emmy....thanks for your response. What would he have to file to visit me here....or if you know where the information is that would explain the circumstances in simple language then maybe you can send me a link. We love each other....and I understand people who may think how can this be without meeting. I too wonder how people can fall in love at first sight....but I guess it happens. The only difference in us meeting in person and the relationship we have online would be sex, touch etc. I have known him for a year and we have been in constant contact since. I know him quite well, spoke to his friends...his family etc.

Thank you so much for your concern as well.....Donna

SA516....thank you as well for your prayers. I too have been praying and God knows my heart. Many times prayer is the only thing that works as God is not prejudice as some people might be when making a decision that would affect your life forever. Thanks so much!....Donna

[MzDaz396 1]

Jenafid....and Nursling....thank you both so much for your response. You all have given me lots to think about. This is a very discouraging process to say the least. I understand the need for the entire process. This does not affect my feelings and desires to become his wife....it only tells me I have a really big mountain to climb. I don't understand that at the onset of the application when they receive the initial paperwork and they know the situation...then why do they string you along giving you false hopes. If they know we have never met in person and they base their final decision on that one deterrent....then why do they keep you in limbo sending out requests for more information. Both he and I are good people and our background records will show that. All we want is the chance to live our lives together as man and wife. I have been so selective (and stubborn) in my years....and at age 53 I feel secure in my feelings for him. No one is promised forever....even the people who have met and then marry....there is no certainty that their marriage will last. I truly feel he loves me as well. I pray to God about all of this, it is all new to me....but God keeps giving me the strength to continue to pursue my happiness.

Also...I have lived alone with my disabilities for a very long time. However I am in need of future surgeries that I have had to put off simply because I cannot have them and function on my own for a very long time. So my medical needs are put on hold. That is not the only reason I have chosen to marry him....I love him, with all my heart. I have lived a lonely life by choice because I never met anyone I cared so much about since my past marriage over 25 years ago. I just pray that God knows and understands not just my heart and needs....but my fiance's as well. All I can do is put it in God's hands....which I have done. But I realize that I have to make an effort as well and do my part. Thank you so much for your suggestions, caring and kind wishes and prayers....I wish you all....Harpa, Jeff & Emmy, SA516, Jenafik and Nursling much happiness and I really and truly appreciate you taking the time to help me....God Bless!!....Donna

[Possiblymaybe 371]

I sympathize with your medical situation, and I wish you the best with your future surgeries.

Unfortunately, at the onset, they only log your petition as received and cash the check. Then it sits on a shelf for many months waiting for its turn until an officer starts the process of actually looking though the file. I think that most times that they find something is missing from the file, they will send the Request for Evidence and give the petitioner an opportunity to make the case complete before a decision is made to approve or deny. Since they are asking you now for the proof of meeting, this would be the time that you would file the hardship waiver. I personally don't know anything about this waiver. I'm not sure if it's a form to fill out, or just a letter that you write that you send in with your evidence. Hopefully someone will come along and provide more helpful advice.

[Penguin_ie 5,997]

**** Moving from Progress Reports to general K1 forum for more answers *****

[Nurseling 34]

Hello again Jenafid is right. They don't usually inform you from the onset it sometimes takes months before it gets a proper look at the information you provided. I will keep you in my prayers and hopefully you find a solution to the problem and get your approval. I will also say to you now they have asked for that letter of intent now is the time to get hold off as many doctors letters reports impeding surgery dates consultants etc to build your case for why you need his help. Working as a nurse has surely taught me that providing medical evidence gives a person a better chance of getting things done quicker. Yes you do have a high mountain to climb but nothing is impossible if your determined. And if they say no write to your congressman about your disability etc. you will need as many people as possible in your corner. God bless.

[MzDaz396 1]

Thanks again....so very much and all your prayers are appreciated. Will take your advice and run with it....I will climb that mountain...because his love for me is worth every effort I can make to bring us together....Donna

[Boiler 46,362]

Are you the same religion?

[Jawaree 718]

Sorry about your surgeries hope they R successful.

I suggest U reading the VAWA thread here thoroughly

God be with you

[MzDaz396 1]

Boiler....no...I am Christian and he is muslim. We have discussed the difference in our faith in great depth.