meeting requirement

[Ladylethal 12]

I'd think the first step would be trying to get a tourist visa, if he had one before and has strong ties to his country he might get it. If he gets it problem is solved. He can visit, they can meet, gets lots of proof they met, pictures, etc, make sure they indeed want to be together, strenghten their ties, and start out the K1 process.

So yeah, OP, you can research to know what's on your way to being together, but I'd say go for the tourist visa first.

[JanaknJanet 1]

he had a tourist visa, but it expired. so he needs a new one. is this too hard to get, even if he can proove all kinds of ties of work and school and bank accounts and such there?

If he had a tourist visa previously, that increases the odds that he may be able to get another one, provided that he never overstayed when he was in the US, because it shows that he came here and went home again.

I'd say the chances are better that he could get another tourist visa than you getting a waiver for the K1 meeting requirement. Since the meeting requirment for the K1 does not require you to go there (he can come here to meet the requirement) it is almost impossible to get a waiver.

Definaetly took the words right out of my head.... or rather beat me to the typing of what you just said..

I agree.. given the fact that he has previously been granted a tourist visa... his odds should increased.

However. now just reading that the Visa was never used.. just may simply lessen the odds slightly. I would not worry that it is a reason to be declined.

He should be assertive. file just as he did before. Show his proof of ties to his home. Proof of Mortgage. or rental agreement, family ties etc etc. He should show proof of his ability to support hisself while on a visit.. and basically show proof of returning. I am sure he is aware of all this since he has applied for tourist visa previously.

Best of luck to what you decide to do.

[maggieNomar 0]

LOL thank you both. we will do that then, and cry and cry when he goes back. *sigh*

That solution would most likely be your best bet.

And, you are NOT alone in the crying and crying when he goes back part..... almost every single VJ member knows exactly what you are talking about. It's all part of wanting to marry someone from another country, other than the U.S.

Good luck to you.

Yep, I cried all the way from Casablanca to NY, and when I went to meet him it wasn't for the purpose of becoming engaged!!! Then from NY to Seattle I started plotting to come back and see him again, and I felt better.

[Phedre LeCroix 0]

thank you all. Yes, it was used, several times. he got it as a child, had it for 10 years, and it expired not so long ago. I also got some excellent information via pm regarding student status. He is currently at university, looking to test out of his undergraduate stuff (don't understand all of the details as their schools system is different, but sounds like community college, and testing out for his transfer degree). He works full time, has a bank account, just got approved for a credit card. He doesn't own his house. We have also been looking at the studying option here for him, as I live in an area with a number of universities with echange programs and such. We are going to try and see if he can get a letter inviting him for a tour of the univeristy- just a tour, so that he doesn't have to apply for a student visa, but will provide him with a reason to be here in the states that doesn't involve ME

once he has the tourist visa, then we can satisfy the requirement of meeting in person, as well as have an opportunity to spend time together in person.

I do appreciate people needing to know some personal information- I think because of being a nurse myself, I am extra sensitive to health information and have a automatic reluctance to speak in detail about it off the cuff. LOL I also appreciate the child bearing analogy- having been thru childbirth in a teaching hospital, I can say for sure you do get used to having everyone and their brother's hand where the sun don't shine

I think all in all we are in good shape- he stands a very good chance of getting the tourist visa from what everyone has said, the best that can be expected considering where he lives. So far our relationship is extremely well documented- we talk daily on the phone and computer, and I have logs of all our conversations (started saving them initially out of sappyness, and when I was ending up with so many saved, I decided to just have MSN do it automatically LOLOL) I have the phone records and all that stuff. Financially I am fine, own my own home, and will not have any problems with the sponsorship bit when it gets to that point. The big problem for us just has been my health issues- so as long as we get the tourist visa then we should be good to go. I know it will be a difficult and uphill battle, but not an insurmountable one. thanks again for the assistance. I am sure as time progresses I will have more questions, and i look forward to continuing to read all the information here.

Edited January 7, 2007 by Phedre LeCroix

[poppscc 0]

I'm sorry, but you ARE going to marry someone that you have not yet met. This is clearly a larger issue - how on earth can you know that this is the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with when you have never met him? Never held his hand, looked into his eyes...??

This is the kind of stuff that makes me crazy. There's all kinds of couples out there just dying to finally be together for good... who are in love, who have MET, who have travelled in all kinds of conditions, just to be together for a few days at a time... and we have to wait and wait and wait while USCIS and the rest have to sift through petitions of "couples" who have never met.

But, like I said, that's clearly a larger issue.

In some cultures, that is tradition, and marriages work out fine... a lot better than american marriages; That being said, it's a culture issue, and AFAIK, mexico does not have that type of culture or tradition. That's the only legit reason I can see where someone were to waive the meeting in person. Originally, I wanted to opt for that solution as well, since I had not seen my fiance in 6 years; I sucked it up and went to vietnam... well worth the trip to reunite with a loved one.

[Phedre LeCroix 0]

that wasn't the issue- it was that I thought from reading the main visa website that if we planned at some point to get married, we HAD to use the finace visa...not the tourist one. And I cannot travel there at this time, nor in the near future due to significant medical issues that prevent me from traveling 20 minutes, let alone 16 hours the issue was clarified for me, that he CAN try for the tourist visa. so that is what we are going to do, and take it from there.