THX1138

Yay! Today was our day! I resubmitted the RFE on February 20, 2013 even though the request came in November. Wasn't going to worry about it during the holidays. Now we can move on with our lives!

California Service Center (30 applicants, 27 approved 90%)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

LEXRJ................02/29/12........03/03/12.......03/30/12........08/14/12....(Card Received 08/20)

BLUEROSE001..........03/01/12........03/05/12.......04/02/12........08/02/12....(Card Received 08/10)

MISSYOUHUN...........03/01/12........03/05/12.......04/13/12........08/20/12....(Card Received 08/24)

NIK+HEATHER..........03/01/12........03/08/12.......04/06/12........--/--/--....(RFE Received 09/04, responded 11/20)(Interview is scheduled)

IAHMJPINOY...........03/01/12........03/12/12.......04/09/12........07/30/12....(Card Received 08/08)

RHIANNERCAKES........03/02/12........03/05/12.......04/03/12........08/27/12....(Card Received 08/31)

SARAHANDANIS.........03/03/12........03/05/12.......04/02/12........09/14/12....(RFE Received 08/11, responded 08/24)(Card Received 09/20)

SAIF9171.............03/03/12........--/--/12.......04/10/12........08/22/12....(Never received NOA)

JBG805...............03/05/12........03/06/12.......04/06/12........10/16/12....(Card received 10/20)

FONFANSCOTT..........03/07/12........03/12/12.......04/05/12........12/11/12....(RFE Received 10/12, responded 12/3)

ANONEEMOOSE..........02/15/12........03/12/12.......04/05/12........--/--/--....

JSVP2008.............03/08/12........03/12/12.......04/23/12........08/24/12....(Card received 09/01)

OSIN.................03/09/12........03/12/12.......04/02/12........08/06/12....(Card received 08/10)

MOONLIGHT7...........03/13/12........03/15/12.......05/14/12........08/29/12....(Card received 09/04)

AMIN&ANI.............03/14/12........03/22/12.......04/21/12........10/18/12....(RFE received 09/28)(Card Received 10/24)

FABULOUS02...........03/16/12........03/21/12.......05/16/12........10/12/12....

CDAGIRLMI............03/16/12........03/19/12.......05/08/12........--/--/--....

CHIEFS341............03/16/12........03/19/12.......04/18/12........08/31/12....(Early Bio 04/05)

SUPREMECOMPLEX.......03/16/12........03/19/12.......04/19/12........08/27/12....(Card received 08/31)

KBANKS...............03/16/12........03/19/12.......05/09/12........09/05/12....(Early Bio 04/18)(Card received 09/10)

CALLOFDUTY...........03/19/12........--/--/12.......04/25/12........09/24/12....(Card received 09/28)

M&ME.................03/20/12........03/22/12.......05/02/12........10/12/12....(Card received 10/19)

LARRY C..............03/22/12........03/26/12.......05/24/12........09/25/12....

KEVIN-N-MERLAINE.....03/23/12........03/26/12.......04/27/12........09/12/12....(Early Bio 4/18) (Card received 09/17)

TINYPYRAMIDS.........03/23/12........03/26/12.......05/07/12........10/10/12....(Card received 10/15)

MARKIEBOY............03/23/12........03/26/12.......05/02/12........10/23/12....(Received RFE 10/12)(Card received 11/01)

AK+TK................03/23/12........03/31/12.......05/02/12........11/07/12....(RFE received 09/28,responded 10/31)

ANDRELLE.............03/24/12........03/26/12.......05/23/12........09/26/12....(Card received 10/01)

UNIQUE...............03/24/12........03/26/12.......04/24/12........09/10/12....(Early Bio 04/13)(Card received 09/15)

RITZZ................03/29/12........--/--/12.......05/11/12........10/10/12....(No NOA yet)(Card received 10/15)

Vermont Service Center (34 applicants, 30 approved 88%)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

SACHINKY.............02/27/12........03/01/12.......03/26/12........12/07/12....(Card received 12/13)

OSEN74...............02/28/12........03/01/12.......04/27/12........12/05/12....(Card received 12/10)

SANISH...............02/28/12........03/02/12.......04/02/12........12/03/12....(Early Bio 03/15)

SDHIMAN..............??/??/12........03/02/12.......04/03/12........11/14/12....

HAPPY2012............03/01/12........03/06/12.......04/??/12........12/07/12....

DAVE AND MELANIE.....03/06/12........03/09/12.......03/30/12........12/14/12....(Card received 12/20)

JACK999..............03/XX/12........03/XX/12.......04/XX/12........01/07/13....

JULIAVA..............03/08/12........03/12/12.......04/27/12........11/23/12....(Card received 12/06)

ACLOSIPIC............03/08/12........03/12/12.......04/19/12........11/30/12....(Early Bio 04/06)

LUCKYNIZ.............03/09/12........03/13/12.......04/27/12........12/06/12....

MATTRICA.............03/09/12........03/17/12.......--/--/12........11/28/12....

SPOOM................03/12/12........03/14/12.......04/19/12........12/04/12....(Early Bio 04/09) (Approved w/o interview)

SKV..................03/13/12........03/16/12.......04/26/12........--/--/--....

JO & DANNY...........03/14/12........03/19/12.......05/02/12........11/30/12....(Early Bio 04/11)(Card received 12/10)

LILRASKLS............03/16/12........03/20/12.......04/18/12........12/10/12....(Card received 12/16)

CAMHAE...............03/16/12........03/21/12.......XX/XX/XX........05/22/12....(Sent from Japan/military)

KIRTHIRAJ............03/16/12........03/22/12.......05/07/12........11/30/12....(Card received 12/5)

BOTKILLA.............03/16/12........03/23/12.......04/06/12........12/12/12....

SWEET ANGEL..........03/19/12........03/24/12.......04/19/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 4/11/2012)(Need to redo Bio 05/09)(RFE received 11/30 for fingerprint)

KNJ..................03/19/12........03/22/12.......04/23/12........--/--/--....(RFE 11/21)

THX1138..............03/20/12........03/22/12.......05/30/12........03/04/13....(RFE 11/26)

GBOREE...............03/21/12........XX/XX/XX.......04/18/12........11/21/12....(Never received NOA and got I-551 stamp)(Card received 11/27)

LEO&FARAH............03/21/12........--/--/12.......04/23/12........--/--/--....(RFE received 11/29)

MLIFETIME............03/21/12........--/--/--.......05/04/12........11/21/12....(Never received NOA)

BUNZARELLI...........03/21/12........03/22/12.......04/19/12........11/19/12....

ANIUTA...............??/??/12........03/23/12.......??/??/12........11/16/12....

JLP9576..............03/22/12........--/--/12.......04/30/12........11/26/12....

SUNFLOWERSISS........03/22/12........03/23/12.......04/24/12........11/28/12....(Card received 12/03)

ANTIPODEANPHIL.......03/23/12........--/--/12.......05/07/12........11/26/12....(Never received NOA and got I-551 stamp @infopass on the same day as Bio)

THARNSUR.............03/23/12........03/27/12.......05/07/12........12/17/12....

CALA BEL.............03/26/12........03/28/12.......04/26/12........11/30/12....(Card received 12/10)

ROBBY999.............03/27/12........03/29/12.......05/07/12........12/04/12....(Card received 12/10)

GHANOU...............03/28/12........03/30/12.......??/??/12........11/19/12....(Card received 11/23)

ATHILA...............03/xx/12........03/30/12.......05/04/12........12/12/12....(Card received 12/15)

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Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application

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Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment

Approved = The Date your case was approved

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Updating our biometric appointment.

California Service Center (24 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

BLUEROSE001..........03/01/12........03/05/12.......04/02/12........--/--/--....

MISSYOUHUN...........03/01/12........03/05/12.......04/13/12........--/--/--....

NIK+HEATHER..........03/01/12........03/08/12.......04/06/12........--/--/--....

SARAHANDANIS.........03/03/12........03/05/12.......04/02/12........--/--/--....

JBG805...............03/05/12........03/06/12.......04/06/12........--/--/--....

ANONEEMOOSE..........02/15/12........03/12/12.......04/05/12........--/--/--....

JSVP2008.............03/08/12........03/12/12.......04/23/12........--/--/--....

MOONLIGHT7...........03/13/12........03/15/12.......05/14/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 4/27)

AMIN&ANI.............03/14/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

FABULOUS02...........03/16/12........03/21/12.......05/16/12........--/--/--....

CDAGIRLMI............03/16/12........03/19/12.......05/08/12........--/--/--....

CHIEFS341............03/16/12........03/19/12.......04/18/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 04/05)

SUPREMECOMPLEX.......03/16/12........03/19/12.......04/19/12........--/--/--....

M&ME.................03/20/12........03/22/12.......05/02/12........--/--/--....

LARRY C..............03/22/12........03/26/12.......05/24/12........--/--/--....

KEVIN-N-MERLAINE.....03/23/12........03/26/12.......04/27/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 4/18)

TINYPYRAMIDS.........03/23/12........03/26/12.......05/07/12........--/--/--....

MARKIEBOY............03/23/12........03/26/12.......05/02/12........--/--/--....

ANDRELLE.............03/24/12........03/26/12.......05/23/12........--/--/--....

UNIQUE...............03/24/12........03/26/12.......04/24/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 04/13)

OLIVER-CHRIS.........03/28/12........04/02/12.......04/30/12........--/--/--....

RITZZ................03/29/12........--/--/12.......05/11/12........--/--/--....(No NOA yet)

GINA2010.............03/30/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

SCOTT AND MHAY.......03/30/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....(Sent from Italy)

Vermont Service Center (19 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

SACHINKY.............02/27/12........03/01/12.......03/26/12........--/--/--....

OSEN74...............02/28/12........03/01/12.......04/27/12........--/--/--....

SANISH...............02/28/12........03/02/12.......04/02/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 03/15)

DAVE AND MELANIE.....03/06/12........03/09/12.......03/30/12........--/--/--....

JULIAVA..............03/08/12........03/12/12.......04/27/12........--/--/--....

ACLOSIPIC............03/08/12........03/12/12.......04/19/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 04/06)

SPOOM................03/12/12........03/14/12.......04/19/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 04/09)

SKV..................03/13/12........03/16/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

LILRASKLS............03/16/12........03/20/12.......04/18/12........--/--/--....

CAMHAE...............03/16/12........03/21/12.......XX/XX/XX........--/--/--....(Sent from Japan)

KIRTHIRAJ............03/16/12........03/22/12.......05/07/12........--/--/--....

SWEET ANGEL..........03/19/12........03/24/12.......04/19/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 4/11/2012)(Need to redo Bio 05/09)

THX1138..............03/20/12........03/22/12.......05/30/12........--/--/--....

LEO&FARAH............03/21/12........--/--/12.......04/23/12........--/--/--....

BUNZARELLI...........03/21/12........03/22/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

JLP9576..............03/22/12........--/--/12.......04/30/12........--/--/--....

THARNSUR.............03/23/12........03/27/12.......05/07/12........--/--/--....

CALA BEL.............03/26/12........03/28/12.......04/26/12........--/--/--....

SHANH................03/30/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

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NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter

Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment

Approved = The Date your case was approved

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adding THX1138 to VSC list

Our receipt date is 03/22/2012.... Two days before the deadline...That was close (and reckless)!

California Service Center (17 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

BLUEROSE001..........03/01/12........03/05/12.......04/02/12........--/--/--....

MISSYOUHUN...........03/01/12........03/05/12.......04/13/12........--/--/--....

NIK+HEATHER..........03/01/12........03/08/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

SARAHANDANIS.........03/03/12........03/05/12.......04/02/12........--/--/--....

JBG805...............03/05/12........03/06/12.......04/06/12........--/--/--....

JSVP2008.............03/08/12........03/12/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

MOONLIGHT7...........03/13/12........03/15/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

AMIN&ANI.............03/14/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

FABULOUS02...........03/16/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

CDAGIRLMI............03/16/12........03/19/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

CHIEFS341............03/16/12........03/19/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

SCOTT AND MHAY.......03/16/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

SUPREMECOMPLEX.......03/16/12........03/19/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

M&ME.................03/20/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

KEVIN-N-MERLAINE.....03/23/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

ANDRELLE.............03/24/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

UNIQUE...............03/24/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

Vermont Service Center (14 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

SACHINKY.............02/27/12........03/01/12.......03/26/12........--/--/--....

OSEN74...............02/28/12........03/01/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

SANISH...............02/28/12........03/02/12.......04/02/12........--/--/--....(Early Bio 03/15)

DAVE AND MELANIE.....03/06/12........03/09/12.......03/30/12........--/--/--....

JULIAVA..............03/08/12........03/12/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

SPOOM................03/12/12........03/14/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

LILRASKLS............03/16/12........03/20/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

CAMHAE...............03/16/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

KIRTHIRAJ............03/16/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

SWEETANGEL...........03/19/12........03/24/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

THX1138..............03/20/12........03/??/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

LEO&FARAH............03/21/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

BUNZARELLI...........03/21/12........03/22/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

THARNSUR.............03/23/12........--/--/12.......--/--/12........--/--/--....

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Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application

NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter

Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment

Approved = The Date your case was approved

* Please Capitalize your VJ Name when adding it to the list.

* When you're on this list, please come back to update your information accordingly.

* If you cannot add your information yourself, please ask another VJ member to help you do so.

I have that part on my NOA. I think it's just to remind people not to ONLY send the I-751. Please tell me the date marked on your NOA so that I can add it to the list

Almost time to file the I-751 Petition to Remove the Conditions on Residence. Two years have come and gone quickly! Have to get thinking about this stuff again... Jenny is doing great here. Thank you all for past positive comments!

Thanks for your input! I will relay it to my wife...

Thank you!

I have a question for those of you who have had a loved one come through the JFK POE. Can I meet my wife before she goes before the immigration officer or be present at the time she sees the immigration officer? I'm interested in the mechanics of it.

Last time I was at JFK I was a boy. I don't remember anything so... I visualize driving to NYC to JFK... parking in some parking lot... then I head to arrivals... find her flight number and gate number... This is where I draw a blank.

Since this is an international flight I'm sure I just can't go to the gate itself and finder her stepping off the plane... go to baggage claim and drive home... too easy

Do I seek some employee or official to some "secret area" for spouses or fiances?

Thank you for sharing your past experiences!

My sweety will be here March 24th! Wooohoooo!

The CFO website says do not remove IDS from packet. Photocopy as is. If you remove it, the whole package has to be returned to embassy. Hope this helps!

Thank you for the reassurance! So stressful this CFO business. I guesss its only stressful due to a self imposed timeline. Need her to land JFK on the 23rd US date and time. Asked her to depart PI whatever date facilitates this. She's done so much hard work to make this visa come to fruition. I really appreciate her hard work and attention to detail.

Right now she'll be leaving 0100am with her dad to Manila for the CFO at the Good Shepherd Convent location...

I'll be posting a new topic soon about the JFK POE process (Is it possible to be present where she is during the immigration officer questions/interview.)

Wow, this board is good therapy...

Good shrinkage...

Sorry folks, disregard... she says: Honey it's okey.it says here do not open the visa packet or yellow envelope.you may only open the plastic pouch to retrieve your passport.

I'm getting confused...

Just crossing my fingers, whistling...

This is totally freaking me out... Want to explode! Today my wife got her visa delivered by Air21. I went over with my wife all the precautions about not opening certain things...

Naturally, you have to open the Air21 packaging to get to the passport which you need to affix the CFO sticker and present at the airport....

I am assuming now that the IDS is attached to the brown envelope BUT wrapped in clear plastic which is not to opened (Is this true?).

Now my wife tells me the post master opened the outer Air21 envelope and claim the passport was inside the clear plastic wrapper (So he opned it) along with the IDS attached to the brown envelope because they needed to retrieve the passport (makes sense I guess?).

I don't think the embassy would set such a silly trap /Catch-22? Puting the passport with visa inside a pakage you are not supposed to open?

Your thoughts please! Going to have a stroke!

My wife passed the interview! She said it was 3 hours and twenty minutes start to finish. I almost puked from the anxiety and wait. Kept calling and calling.. Of course the phone was off cause it was with security...

Thank you for all your help!!! But... She was told to wait 10 days for her visa.. Is that something they tell everyone? Cause I read examples of people getting it in 2 days... Will she know it's coming by telephone call? Will she be given a tracking number? I'm so happy! Thank God!

Next I'll be asking how to open the package!

Thank you all again!

My wife passed the interview! She said it was 3 hours and twenty minutes start to finish. I almost puked from the anxiety and wait. Kept calling and calling.. Of course the phone was off cause it was with security...

Thank you for all your help!!! But... She was told to wait 10 days for her visa.. Is that something they tell everyone? Cause I read examples of people getting it in 2 days... Will she know it's coming by telephone call? Will she be given a tracking number? I'm so happy! Thank God!

Next I'll be asking how to open the package!

Thank you all again!

Naturally, at the NVC stage an I-864 was submitted and accepted before the visa interview. Now, the embassy it appears wants an I-864 at the interview in Manila.

Am I supposed to prepare and send a new I-864 to my spouse? (I have also changed address and job. The NVC acknowledge my change of address.)

OR

Send a copy of the original I-864 I prepared months and months ago?

I intend to send the 2009 W2 and 1040 also... (The original I-864 was for the 2008 tax period.)

One more thing. Am I supposed to send a notarized letter of employment and wages? The Manila embassy instructions talk about sending the I-864 and then throws in this part about employment letter...

If any of you have interviewed I deeply appreciate your input...

If you are the petitioner what is the safest venue to send overnight documents to PI? Specifically four hours north of Manila in Pangasinan.... DHL? Federal Express? USPS?

Thank you! I appreciate yor help!

Just a quick update for closure's sake... Jenny did pass her medical on the 25th and are now facing our last biggest obstacle for now which is the interview...

Its been a long hard road... But worth every moment!

Thank you for your comments

I wish Jenny the best of luck at St. Luke's! I hope she wouldn't go through what I went through (sputum test).

I hear you! She was complaining of a slight cough... Also she was able to dig up a prior XRAY from 2007...

She just texted... "Intended Port of Entry?" Told her JFK, Queens, New York, USA...

"Contact no. area code + phone number?" XXX-XXX-XXXX Thank God for Yahoo instant messenger?

She couldn't have known some of these details...

Right now she is texting me questions she is not sure about... "When are you able to depart to U.S.?" Told her March 2010...

"Prior country of residence?" I told her put Philippines cause that is where she is coming from...

Also told her to ask them questions... they are there to help... I hope...

It's 0430 Manila time and she's across the clinic. She couldn't sleep from all the anxiety... she wants sleep more than anything else after a long bus trip 4 hours away from Pangasinan right to her uncle's house... then insomnia probably due to the stress and anxiety...

Told her I think it is way to early to be there but I guess she was just to wound up...

She printed and read the pinned St Luke's exam guide... I hope it helps her... I hope she finds someone to chat and pass the time with her... Her cousin (also named Jenny) will accompany her but don't know for how long given the nature of the place/situation.

Well, we could use all your prayers/Force/positive feelings you folks can provide...

Free Bird!

Congratulations! All the hard work and effort to be together is going to pay off... Following your journey online has been helpful to many by asking questions that answered questions we had or made us think about issues.

My situation is a little different since she's flying March 23rd thus lower rate and just from Hong Kong to NYC and that's it... No Phoenix leg... Don't know if they (Cathay) flies anywhere near there though...

Sounds like your way may be the only way since she has no debit/credit card of her own...

I'm trying to get my wife to fly alone cause me meeting her in Manila to fly out together sounds romantic and reassuring but it is also a $1600 or more waste of money.

Told her we could get some brand new furniture or clothes for her with that money.

Told her it shouldn't be that bad... Get in metal flying tube from Manila to Hong Kong and repeat one more time to NYC... In a plane full of Filipino bretheren...

Meet in NYC and fly together to Baltimore...

How about this.... I'm thinking of sending her $900 and having her go online to Cathay Pacific and buy her one way ticket for $845 from Manila to NYC where we meet and fly together to Baltimore...

The only benefits I see is that she is buing the ticket with her own debit/credit card and only has to show her ID at the airport.

Would such a scenario work for you?

Be patient and get all police clearances. Yes I know from my own wife that cousin so an so and so and so's friend filled their DS230 or I-130 without mentioning they worked abroad and by altering the timelines in the applications... Save yourself some heartache and fear later down he road... My wife and I waited for months to get her Taiwanese and Korean clearances (Turned out it was just a month wait but wife assumed it was going o be mailed back, not picked up at the embassy which it was.). I'm sure lots of people apply without being truthful and get away with it. There is always a visa interview where what comes out orally might not match documentation or the timeline given does not match visa stamps in his/her passport.

But remember that the DS230 states:

I just want to save you some problems.. Good luck! May the FORCE be with you! Free bird!

Thank you my friend! You have put my heart at ease! Thanks for extending your experience. It makes this forum a real value to our niche community!

My quick answer is that the law is regarding the operators of such businesses, not the consumer. They don't want the "end user" but the facilitator. The government of the Philippines doesn't mind its citizens marrying foreigners but not in an automated fashion that could be exploitative to the ladies in particular... Just my two cents....

Live long and prosper...

Hello,

I'm new here to the forums (memberwise) but have been reading them for a while. I'm an American (of course) and my soon-to-be fiancée is from the Philippines. I know that the issue of IMBRA and what constitutes a marriage broker have been beaten to death, but still, I still feel uneasy, and was hoping for solid evidence to ease these qualms. I have done a lot of reading of material from this site and others about this. And, of course, I raise this question because my (soon-to-be) fiancée and I met on FilipinaHeart (though never talked there - started on Yahoo IM, Facebook, Email, and Skype).

Here is the email response that I have recieved from FilipinaHeart:

Please be advised that section 4 ( B) (ii) of IMBRA exempts dating companies

whose principal business is not to provide dating services between US

citizens and foreign nationals so long as it charges comparable rates and

offers comparable services to all individuals regardless of gender or

country of citizenship. Consequently our company is exempt as it falls

within this exemption (as do many other large dating companies).

Here is the primary contention in the IMBRA law concerning the definition of marriage broker:

(4) INTERNATIONAL MARRIAGE BROKER.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ''international marriage

broker'' means a corporation, partnership, business, individual,

or other legal entity, whether or not organized

under any law of the United States, that charges fees

for providing dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services,

or social referrals between United States citizens or

nationals or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States

as permanent residents and foreign national clients by

providing personal contact information or otherwise facilitating

communication between individuals.

( B) EXCEPTIONS.—Such term does not include—

(i) a traditional matchmaking organization of a

cultural or religious nature that operates on a nonprofit

basis and otherwise operates in compliance with the

laws of the countries in which it operates, including

the laws of the United States; or

(ii) an entity that provides dating services if its

principal business is not to provide international dating

services between United States citizens or United

States residents and foreign nationals and it charges

comparable rates and offers comparable services to

all individuals it serves regardless of the individual's

gender or country of citizenship.

As you can see, FilipinaHeart (as well as any service including Yahoo or Match.com) would surely meet this definition. EXCEPT, for Section 4 B) ii) - FilipinaHeart is a service that specifically says in the About Us page that it is for those of Western Backgrounds and Filipinos to meet (not U.S. Citizens and a foreign national specifically). Further, Cupid Media specializes in many types of dating - worldwide dating, in fact, based on sexual preferences, niches, and more. It is not American focused. Heck, it's not even an American company, and many clients on FilipinaHearts are in Britain, throughout Europe, and in Australia, as well as in the Philippines itself. Additionally, FilipinaHeart gives the same three membership options at the same approximate cost (dollars equaling php) to all members - regardless of location or gender (I proved this by creating an account with a membership with female gender from the Philippines - then closed it down after my test was over). We may well conclude that FilipinaHearts is exempt. It is a very large company, not quite like Match.com, but still significant. Perhaps that is its advantage; it has the money to lobby (or at least copy the lobbyists) who petitioned the government for that exception (Yahoo and Match.com included).

So why all the fear (with me and others)? Because so many people continue to claim that it is an IMB, even though many other people clearly state they meet in FilipinaHearts on Part B, Question 18 (not 19) of their I-129F. It rarely seems to matter, even in the consular interview in the Philippines. Still, the fear is always there because the adjudicators literally control the fate of any two lives that seek to join.

So, my questions are thus:

A). Is it smart to include in Part B, Question 18, while describing the details of how we met, the initial meeting in FiliipinaHearts? (And no, I will not check the Yes box of Question 19 because that makes little logical sense based on my research and goes against how I truly feel the law to read).

B) . Has anyone in this forum actually done this and still been approved for the K-1 Visa after the consular interview? I am dying to hear some answers to this question.

C). If I were to check Yes to Part B, Question 19, that would invalidate the whole relationship because it would not be a proper introduction due to the requirement that the IMB do a background check and send the provided information to beneficiary so that s/he can agree to an initial contact. This would really screw anyone over. How could such a situation be remedied, if it were to be so unfortunate enough as to occur? K-3 visa? A re-establishment of the bona fide relationship from the point of actually personally meeting, and from there, refilling the K-1 petition?

D). Is it commonly told by the beneficiary to the Philippines consular that the couple met online through FilipinaHearts or a similar site? Are they given much grief? Is it looked over?

E). Should I call the USCIS and ask them personally if FilipinaHeart is an IMB. I seen a response on another site that said out of a survey of 200 people who did this for Cherry Blossoms, only 2 reported that the USCIS official said that Cherry Blossoms was indeed an IMB.

For me personally, I plan to include all the details of the relationship in Part B, Question 18, and include something like this: "We initially met each other online, on a site called FilipinaHeart (which is not classified as an IMB due to Section 4 B) ii) in the IMBRA law)... We began our relationship through Yahoo Instant Messenger, Facebook, Email, and soon, Skype... etc." I don't see any reason to hide this fact; others don't seem to be. They will find out sooner or later anyway. Moreover, it is not an IMB as I understand the exemption. She will mention we met online, and if pressed, FilipinaHeart at the interview. I don't anticipate this honesty being reciprocated with a denial.

Thanks a lot guys, please let me know if my thinking is correct. I hope this is a very comprehensive analysis and inquiry of the situation, and I hope it helps many people out through its discussion =)

I considered myself pretty knowledgeable and effecient moving forward at top speed through the CR1 process. Even got through the AOS and IV Bill stage at the NVC without a hitch. Until the police certificate ordeal (by ordeal I mean 2 ton bulbous mass of pulsating tripe) which cost me 9 weeks of head in the sand timeout. Everything is good now that we have the police certificates.

Fellow brothers and sisters, I need reorientation and affirmation.

Yes or No : After the IV Bill is "Paid" and the AOS is "Paid" you are on your own. You go to the State department webpage with the DS230 instructions and need for supporting documents. NOTHING is going to be mailed to my spouse correct? This websites infers in the "Guide" that something will be sent... Outdated?

Yes or No: My wife is to mail to the NVC the IV Bill Cover Page with the barcode and

DS230 with Part I signed and a copy

Marriage certificate and a copy

Birth Certificate and a copy

Biographic page of her passport

2 passport style photographs per State department standards

NBI clearance and a copy

Police certificates (Korean and Taiwanese already come translated in English) and copies of each

Those of you that have done the CR1 process, your input is desired...

My wife is literally very close to mailing these documents...

Also... Will all these documents be present at the time of her interview? The NVC will mail back for the interview right?

I humbly thank you and am eternally grateful!

Excelsior!!!