Marry on first visit

[AnJ Co 1,676]

27 minutes ago, Meg&Andrew said:

No one is speaking ill about Ghana, we all know that's not the situation for everyone.  But OP needs to be made aware of the reasons that getting married on a visa the first visit can be a huge red flag. Not only to people at the embassy, but to us VJ'rs who have seen and heard of many stories about scammers and denials based on these facts.  

Exactly

If the OP is aware of the risks - as well as the benefits GREAT   There is some REALLY good advice in this thread and I believe she is listening to these words of advice.  

If she hasn't yet discovered there is a BIG dangerous world out there and there are some - yep some - that will take advantage of you in a heartbeat.  Here's a good article written by a former consul officer that has seen a lot in his time.  He has a unique perspective of the situations many have never dreamed could happen.

 

https://cis.org/Report/Hello-I-Love-You-Wont-You-Tell-Me-Your-Name-Inside-Green-Card-Marriage-Phenomenon

 

I wish the best of luck to the OP - may this be everything you dream of.  In the words of Ronald Reagan........  Trust, but verify

[FluffyBalls 52]

Only somewhat related...

 

If the fiancee were from China rather than Ghana, would it be any easier? 

[JFH 12,189]

OP, here's one sure way to know if he's in this for love and his feelings are genuine...

 

Tell him you have some wonderful news. You are going to move to Ghana to live with him permanently. If he is delighted by this and can't wait to set up home with you and live with you there, that's a good sign. If he disappears, there's your answer. Please keep your eyes wide open in this process. 

 

[dwheels76 5,459]

10 hours ago, mrsbeckham2017 said:

So about how many visits should I  make?...sorry I'm new to all of this

It's not about how many visits as it is about longer stays. The 1 to 2  week stays and such is what makes getting married first visit a red flag.
I married 1st visit, 6 months after meeting. I stayed 3 weeks. I came back filed and 5 months later after approval at USCIS i moved to Nigerian until husband had his Visa in had. So I overcame the red flag by staying long time, living as a married couple.

Ghana is nt that easy when it comes to K1's not impossible but you need to read reviews and follow the country portal.

[Crazy Cat 39,194]

7 minutes ago, FluffyBalls said:

Only somewhat related...

 

If the fiancee were from China rather than Ghana, would it be any easier? 

If a country's  B-visa refusal rate equates to the difficulty of embassies and fraud rates in that country, then the answer is "probably easier"

B-Visa Refusal Rates FY 2016

Ghana- 65.7%

China- 12.35%

[Boiler 43,402]

52 minutes ago, missileman said:

If a country's  B-visa refusal rate equates to the difficulty of embassies and fraud rates in that country, then the answer is "probably easier"

B-Visa Refusal Rates FY 2016

Ghana- 65.7%

China- 12.35%

Good indicator, probably better the larger the Country is. VWP Countries are a bit skewed however and should not be included.

[OlayemiLoray 172]

As everyone has said, don't marry on your first visit...Get acquainted a little more...My husband and I met online December 2014, we talked for a year and 3 months before we finally met face to face March 2016 in Nigeria...Our intentions were to get married my first visit, but decided to hold off because we didn't want to be scrutinize doing so and plus we wanted to make sure his family and close friends were in attendance...However, we spent that little short time I was there really getting acquainted, but still wasn't enough but worth it..We married on my second visit (October 2016) and it was so worth the wait..I just recently got back from Lagos last month..The more facetime/visits you get in, the better for you...We are both dealing with high fraud countries, so of course it is expected for us to do a lot more than what or is required..Just follow the advice and read up on the Ghana Portal so you know what is expected and you'll be fine...Not every process is the same..Some are dealing with low fraud countries and that's why the easy approvals..Wishing you well on your journey...

[Becci391 339]

3 hours ago, JFH said:

OP, here's one sure way to know if he's in this for love and his feelings are genuine...

 

Tell him you have some wonderful news. You are going to move to Ghana to live with him permanently. If he is delighted by this and can't wait to set up home with you and live with you there, that's a good sign. If he disappears, there's your answer. Please keep your eyes wide open in this process. 

 

OP, another sign for you that he might be a scammer is if he is going to ask you why the both of you cannot live in the US.

[geowrian 22,335]

3 hours ago, FluffyBalls said:

If the fiancee were from China rather than Ghana, would it be any easier? 

Easier than Ghana? Yes. Ghana and Nigeria are basically in a class of their own in terms of difficult embassies.

 

3 hours ago, missileman said:

If a country's  B-visa refusal rate equates to the difficulty of embassies and fraud rates in that country, then the answer is "probably easier"

B-Visa Refusal Rates FY 2016

Ghana- 65.7%

China- 12.35%

True...it's a decent indicator if you had to go in completely blind. It's not always true, though (i.e. Philippines has a high tourist visa refusal rate, but you don't see USEM rejecting a lot of K-1 or CR-1/IR-1 applications for bona fide relationship/marriage reasons). Or VWP countries (or Canada which has a 48% refusal rate but is generally considered low fraud).

Edited September 5, 2017 by geowrian

[NYCruiser 423]

14 hours ago, mrsbeckham2017 said:

Thanks to everyone..appreciate your help 

Bad idea as everyone has said on here. Even in this day and age, today, I met a 50 year old man,from Ghana, who has a wife and kids back in a country in Africa. On a B2 here, now just expired and is overstaying and trying to get work. He got the Visitor Visa because he has 'strong ties' back in his country. So the chances of your friend getting a B2 is almost nil. Best go visit him/her in Ghana or a third country. You say you are new to this. What about safety for you? Do you feel safe in Ghana? Have you visited there before? Any African country? 

Usually 'visitors' in almost all parts of Africa are considered fair game for conmen, etc etc from the moment you arrive at the airport. Unfortunate, but, trying to be realistic.

[Soup Dragon 104]

OP, can I politely ask who brought up the subject of marriage and how long into the relationship was it?

[Ontarkie 13,904]

~~All posts that did not apply to this specific Country have been removed along with those that quoted said posts.. Do not post your experience unless it applies to this Country. Posting information that is irrelevant to the OP is harmful to the OP.~~

 

~~Hijacked post also removed. Please stick to your own thread to ask your questions.~~

 

Edited September 5, 2017 by Ontarkie

[Abies 1,713]

On Monday, September 04, 2017 at 0:51 PM, mrsbeckham2017 said:

My fiance and I been talking on the internet for a year and want to get married in January.  This will be first time meeting him in person and going to Ghana? Should we wait to marry or can I file fiance visa?..we really love each other 

Very bad idea especially in a high fraud country like Ghana. CR-1 is best for you guys & 3 or more visits will be fine. Ghana is not an easy embassy. Goodluck

[meemee1 34]

On 9/4/2017 at 8:24 AM, mrsbeckham2017 said:

So we already paid for the marriage license ..i know it was foolish before researching no other plans yet are paid......so do we take a loss or can we get married but I come back more times and visit and wait to file until we have enough visits?

Don't worry the marriage license is only 400 Ghana cedis when I got married last year October 1st. So it's less than a $100 dollars. I would really recommend following some of the advice. We were denied K1 and now are awaiting CR1 in Ghana. I have made 4 trips :one for 1 month,  two weeks and for one for 2 months  and one for three months. We got married on my third trip so some of my family could  attend. So take your time plan your visit well make sure you get to know him well and enjoy your trip. Remember to take pictures and have fun. Also keep your boarding passes hotel receipts, dinner receipts for additional evidence. best wishes

[Gorkhali 213]

OP

 

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