_Paul&Jesica_

Was it an Islamic marriage or was either of the parties under the age of 18 or married by an unlicensed official? Divorce can be granted for those of Islamic faith and the other situations become a voided marriage.
There isn't any other way, officially except to go down the annulment path.

Was it an Islamic marriage or was either of the parties under the age of 18 or married by an unlicensed official? Divorce can be granted for those of Islamic faith and the other situations become a voided marriage.
There isn't any other way, officially except to go down the annulment path.

Was it an Islamic marriage or was either of the parties under the age of 18 or married by an unlicensed official? Divorce can be granted for those of Islamic faith and the other situations become a voided marriage.
There isn't any other way, officially except to go down the annulment path.

Look, it's not fair (at least in your case) but immigrating from anywhere in the middle east right now is probably highly scrutinized. In fact, one congressman submitted a bill to suspend K-1 visas totally (from everywhere.)
So go the extra mile and create as much evidence of an actual relationship as possible. Even if this means using Facebook.
You can stand your ground or have your fiance here.

Tell your fiance not to stress over Magic Sarap You can't bring it in, but you can order it online from Amazon.com

We use xoom all the time. No problems

None of the POE's are that strict. If you made it this far to have a visa, then entering is not a problem as long as you follow the common sense rules and laws and extend curtesy to your IO. You only have to walk up hand your package to the IO and answer any questions they have. That's it. Sometimes it maybe busy and they need extra time vetting a immigrant and that is usually in another area and in a room. But that's rare.
Don't worry. This is not a big thing. Take a deep breath.

As you are a 10 yr permanent resident, divorce won't have any impact on you.

Your best path is to pursue a K-1 visa. His record of domestic violence might have an impact on the petition approval, but it might not. He needs to be totally up-front about it and provide all relevant documentation when he files the I-129f petition.
If the I-129f petition is approved, you can be assured that during the interview you will be asked detailed questions regarding his criminal history. You need to make sure that you know everything related to the case.
On a personal note, you should take into consideration his history of domestic violence before you decide to move forward in this relationship. I am not judging this person, and it could have been a one-time, never-will-happen-again, kind of situation, and people do make (and hopefully learn) from their mistakes. Realistically, you are placing yourself at higher risk in this relationship. Again, I am not judging, I am just advising you to be absolutely aware of every detail around this situation. He should be completely forthcoming and you should also review the paperwork he submits to USCIS as part of the petition.
Coming to the US on a K-1 is difficult enough, without having the past hanging over your head. You say you know your fiancé for a long time, but do you really know your fiancé? I thought I knew my ex-wife, whom I was married to for more than 10 years, but at the end, it turns out that she was nothing like she portrayed. Some people are very good at leading double-lives.... Just be sure you are well informed and you always trust your instincts.
Good luck!

Your best path is to pursue a K-1 visa. His record of domestic violence might have an impact on the petition approval, but it might not. He needs to be totally up-front about it and provide all relevant documentation when he files the I-129f petition.
If the I-129f petition is approved, you can be assured that during the interview you will be asked detailed questions regarding his criminal history. You need to make sure that you know everything related to the case.
On a personal note, you should take into consideration his history of domestic violence before you decide to move forward in this relationship. I am not judging this person, and it could have been a one-time, never-will-happen-again, kind of situation, and people do make (and hopefully learn) from their mistakes. Realistically, you are placing yourself at higher risk in this relationship. Again, I am not judging, I am just advising you to be absolutely aware of every detail around this situation. He should be completely forthcoming and you should also review the paperwork he submits to USCIS as part of the petition.
Coming to the US on a K-1 is difficult enough, without having the past hanging over your head. You say you know your fiancé for a long time, but do you really know your fiancé? I thought I knew my ex-wife, whom I was married to for more than 10 years, but at the end, it turns out that she was nothing like she portrayed. Some people are very good at leading double-lives.... Just be sure you are well informed and you always trust your instincts.
Good luck!

I have a few clarification questions that may help anyone else who stumbles upon this out.
1. Was he actually charged with anything criminal, or was the talk of domestic violence just in the scope of the divorce proceedings?
2. If we was charged, was he convicted and did his sentence include any sort of rehabilitation?
3. How long ago did this happen?
4. (And this is just for my own peace of mind...) how long have you known this man and how well do you know him? Not trying to be judgmental, just as a survivor and witness of domestic abuse, it's really not something you want to mess around with or be unprepared for. Especially when you are coming to a new country where you do not have a support system of family that you may have had at home in case anything happens. And also especially when firearms are easily accessible as it seems they might be according to your posts...

My suggestion is to contact your siblings that are also sending money, work things out between all of you as to how much in TOTAL you all want to contribute. After that hard line it with your family; NO means NO. Turn off messenger for a time if need be. Is it you or money your family values...
It is very possible you family is milking ALL of you.

OP just be sure you have the courts version of things...talking it over is fine but
your version of what you know is important if questioned which is likely due to
DV inference.....To not have the recorded version can lead to a denial of not been
bonafide, immigration thinks there should be no secrets

Labyrinth, you came back to this thread and answered every post calmly and politely. I honestly believe you when you say you tried talking to him calmly and even held his hand. I think you are a person of good character and it is nice to see you asking for help. Even if he never admits he is gay, this marriage is over and you have to move on. So find a job so you can support yourself and your son. You have no immigration problems, even if you divorce him. I truly wish you the best of luck moving forward!

Was it an Islamic marriage or was either of the parties under the age of 18 or married by an unlicensed official? Divorce can be granted for those of Islamic faith and the other situations become a voided marriage.
There isn't any other way, officially except to go down the annulment path.

Your friend can request a copy of the divorce decree from the county court clerk where the divorce was finalized. It is actually a public document and anyone can request it (within certain conditions).
Look up the county clerk's office or the county court's website to find out how to do this. Some counties even let you do this entirely by postal mail, though it takes longer.
Good luck!

Wiredog...
Yes, your fiancée needs to submit a CENOMAR. That's the short version of my answer.
Now...
When someone applies for a CENOMAR, if they have no marriages on record with the NSO, they will receive a CENOMAR. If they have any marriages on record with the NSO, they still apply for a CENOMAR, but they will receive "Form No. 5 - Advisory on Marriages." This is what has become known as a CEMAR. The term "CEMAR" is not an official term. It originated on the old Asawa forum.
Also, it should be noted that Muslims in the Philippines can get divorced in the Philippines. So, either your fiancée is Muslim, or she was divorced outside of the Philippines. If she was divorced outside of the Philippines, and a foreigner initiated the divorce, then your fiancée must have had a Filipino court recognize the foreign divorce. If your fiancée initiated the foreign divorce, then she must have completed an annulment in the Philippines.

Unless you know the laws in my country than I do. There is no Divorce Law in the Philippines- not yet as of this writing.
I stand by my statement, divorce can only be recognized if done by the non-Filipino spouse and was granted abroad. The Filipino spouse can file the implementation of the divorces in the Philippines and can be allowed to re-marry .
Maybe a road to it, but not yet signed into Law nor have amended the Family Code.
The House of Representatives approved on a third and final reading the proposed law, which would allow Filipinos to remarry after being granted a divorce abroad.
The bill, which seeks to amend the Family Code of the Philippines, proposes to recognize a divorce obtained by a foreign spouse in another country without the need to seek judicial recognition. A similar bill awaits Senate approval before President Benigno Aquino can sign it into law.
“The bill will only require the Filipino spouse to submit a duly authenticated copy of the decree of absolute divorce,” said Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, one of the authors of the bill.
Aside from recognizing the capacity of the Filipino spouse to remarry, the proposed statute also simplifies the process of recognition of a foreign judgment of divorce obtained by a foreign spouse.

Turn this around to see if this is a real relationship and of "she" is really interesting in you and not your money. Suggest that a tourist visa for someone from the PI is hard to obtain and you have always wanted to see China, then you get a tourist visa to China and you come to visit her there--and wait for the reaction.
A scammer will make up all kinds of excuses that she needs to visit you in the US rather that be happy that the two of you will finally meet. Plus it is far easier for you to get a tourist visa to China than for her to get a tourist visa to the US.
Dave

Not even close to a red flag.... not even pale pink

No. Any interim benefits, such as AP or an EAD, are automatically cancelled when the principal application - the I-485 - is denied. She cannot re-enter on AP, and she'll likely wind up back where she started if she attempts to do so.
You would need to file an I-130 and begin the spousal visa process; expect this to take around a year to complete.

I don't think that citizenship is a protected class under discrimination laws, so my thought is that yes, they can choose to not hire her.

Don't think that's what I said, I was passing on a personal comment just as you did. The company can plead ignorance, deny they ever said it etc etc.. its a losing proposition. Review the company on Glassdoor though and mention this little item.
The OP should do as they wish

Hmm, my understanding was different. But I don't think that an employer is doing anything illegal when refusing to hire someone on the basis they are not a US citizen as it isn't a protected class for discrimination:
Citizenship Requirements
Discrimination based on citizenship violates Title VII's prohibition against national origin discrimination under limited circumstances. While Title VII does not prohibit citizenship discrimination per se, citizenship discrimination does violate Title VII where it has the "purpose or effect" of discriminating on the basis of national origin.(53) For example, a citizenship requirement would be unlawful if it is a "pretext" for national origin discrimination, or if it is part of a wider scheme of national origin discrimination.(54)
An employer doesn't have to give you a reason as to why they did not hire you, other than saying they don't think you are a fit for the position. Employers that list specific reasons are exposing themselves to potential lawsuits.
But in this case, again, I don't think that the employer is required to hire anyone who is not a US citizen.

Better it happened now than later when she was already here in the US.
Don't give up on romance. You have more wisdom now and have a much better chance of finding someone who is right for you.
Good luck!