How to waive meeting in person for k1 visa (merged)

[doberg 0]

My girlfriend is in the philippines and I live here in the US. I want plan to marry her, however due to my studies I am unable to go visit her. I was wondering how I can have her come here? I heard for a fiance visa, I would need to go see her first. With me not able to go to her as an option, how can I get her to legally be able to come to me?

[doberg 0]

I am planning on marrying my girlfriend from the philippines, however i am unable to go meet her in person due to being in college and working two jobs, as well as having some mental health issues that make traveling to her very difficult. Does anyone know how to waive the part about meeting in person on the k1 visa?

[nobbie 105]

You cant.

How do you know you want to marry this person if you've never met them.

[aleful 1,905]

hi

ditto, no way to waive it. you cannot file the k1 until you have met in person at least once before you start the process

[doberg 0]

Okay thanks

so what other options are there for us to meet?

[SennaBrigante 92]

She visits you, you and her meet in a different country

[Girl from Celebes 588]

She can apply for a tourist visa to see you and knowing each other before decided to get engaged and married.

[nobbie 105]

If you can't go there then she must come to you.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The waviers for meeting are where you both have long term religious beliefs that prevent any meeting before marriage, you are bed ridden and unable to travel at all and she can't come either or you are in jail and she can't get a visitors visa. School, work, having kids, fear of flying are not good enough reasons.

[Dave&Roza 748]

You could get married by proxy and apply for a spousal visa. I would expect a very long and hard road with the USCIS if you try that as it looks too much like you are doing her a favor by getting married and then applying for a GC for her. Best is to save up the money and visit her. If you cannot afford a plane ticket to visit, IMHO you cannot afford to support a new wife and need to wait until you are out of school and making sufficient money to afford the entire process. Have you examined the fees involved to file the I-129f?

The petition is $340. Plus there is the cost of sending documents back and forth and if you use a courier like FedEx that is $100 a pop.

The medical in the PI: I do not know the exact cost but it can be $160+ depending on shots needed.

The visa application fee: typically $160

The AOS fee once married: $1070.

The ROC fee after 2 years as a LPR: $590

All totaled in just USCIS fees: $2160 plus medical and postage.

Do not forget that she will need a ticket to come to the US. So we are pushing over $3000 easy. Plus the PI is very hard to get to accept a co-sponsor for the I-864 for the K-1 visa, so you need an income of about $20,000 just to get the visa approved. I would sit back and think this thru and find a way to visit her now or wait until you have the resources to go to the PI and visit her. You could try to and have her get a tourist visa to the US, but who will pay for that and the airline ticket? Plus it is very difficult for a young, single PI female to get a tourist visa unless they have a very good job and string ties to the PI. At least that is only a $165 gamble--you pay the visa processing fee and if she is denied you do not get a refund.

You are still young and have your whole life in front of you. If you have not met her, how do you know she is the right person for you? People change when on-line verses in person. People change from in-person to sharing a house or apartment. And some people change from being engaged to actually being married. Not sure why that is, but it does happen. IHMO marriage is a life long commitment and not to be taken lightly. You should not rush in with the idea that if it does not work out I will just get a divorce. The person you are marrying comes from a culture where divorce is severely frowned upon and carries a large stigma like it used to here in the US.

Good luck,

Dave

[belinda63 2,981]

Marriage by proxy won't work and will only complicate things. The will be married but not in the eyes of immigration. For a marriage by proxy to be recognized for US immigration purposes the marriage must have been consummated. They can't do that if they haven't met. Meaning they will be legally married, so they can't do the K-1, but not married for immigration purposes, so they can't do the CR-1.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Marriage by proxy is NOT valid for immigration purposes unless the people meet in person afterward.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The marriage by proxy needs to be consummated BEFORE filing the I130 ( It must be valid at the time of filing in the eyes of immigration )

[KayDeeCee 4,891]

You had to have met in person within the 2 years prior to filing an I-129F petition to start the process for a K-1 fiance(e) visa. You could meet in another country such as Mexico or Canada, if you need to travel somewhere closer to where you live. It does not matter where you meet, just that you do.

She could try and get a tourist visa to visit you, but that is unlikely to be approved.

[doberg 0]

what exactly is a proxy marriage? Is there any links or guidelines on it?