I-129F Question: International Marriage Broker???

[ArabLoveMorocco 1]

Dear fellow K-1ers

I met my love on a dating website by the name Muslima.com. There is a question on the I-129 that asks if you met your fiance through an "International Marriage Broker". What in the world is an IMB? I tried to contact Muslima.com, but so far no reply from them. I do not know how to answer that question. Should I just go ahead and answer "yes" if I am not sure?

Thanks!

[prettyunique 1]

I indicated no when asked if met through an IMB. In the box that is provided to tell about your meeting in the last two years. I put that we met on a dating site. Actually,we met on the same site as you two did.;.) Congratulation on your journey,

IMB charges a fee to help you find a mate.

[M&S forever 4]

Dear fellow K-1ers

I met my love on a dating website by the name Muslima.com. There is a question on the I-129 that asks if you met your fiance through an "International Marriage Broker". What in the world is an IMB? I tried to contact Muslima.com, but so far no reply from them. I do not know how to answer that question. Should I just go ahead and answer "yes" if I am not sure?

Thanks!

Hello,

We are I-129F filler too and we were meet on dating website too, so we wrote''YES''.Because it is not bad, now many people met online and have even stronger relationship then who did not online. Write always truth and everything will be smooth, because if they will found any fraud then No Visa.

Good luck

[thelastpetitioner 218]

dating websites are not marriage websites.myyearbook,myspace,and facebook could get considered dating websites,but they dont charge you a fee in order to find you a partner therefor they are not considered internation marriage broker.

OP if you paid an amount of money to become a member of that website,it is an IMB,if not,it is not

[Maxx121 14]

Definition of an International Marriage Broker. “International marriage broker” is defined as an entity (whether or not U.S.-based) that charges fees for providing matchmaking services or social referrals between U.S. citizens/permanent residents and foreign nationals. The definition also exempts nonprofit religious or cultural matchmaking services, and dating services that do not match U.S. citizens/residents with aliens as their principal business and that charge comparable rates and offer comparable services to all clients, regardless of gender or country of citizenship.

As long as the website does not specifically match US citizens with mates of other countries then you are fine. Like if a US citizen can meet another US citizen or a filipino can meet a filipina then it would not be considered an international marriage broker, even if you pay a fee.

[Channah&Aaron 51]

; An International Marriage Broker is a website that is speficly for people who want to get married with a foreign person. This is a website you have to pay for in order to receive some information about ladies/guys they think or you think you have a match with. All these people have a goal; to fall in love and get married. This is beyond just a normal dating website. This is about picking somebody out, hopefully falling in love and hopefully getting married with a foreign lady/guy. The website, like I said, will help you with all your "expentations" whom you are looking for.

This is, what I thought a IMB would be. Not just a website you have to pay for dating, and to looking at profiles and think "Oooeww, I like him/her, I'll ask if she/he's interested in a chat and go from there.." Uh no.... MARRIAGE BROKER is a specific dating bureau that is for people who are looking for a marriage only!!!

; the name "MARRIAGE BROKER" says enough... otherwise it would say something about DATING..

Me and my fiance met thru a free dating website plentyoffish/myspace, and we definately put NO on our 129f asking if we met thru a marriage broker.. So my advice.. put NO on it!

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Definition of an International Marriage Broker. “International marriage broker” is defined as an entity (whether or not U.S.-based) that charges fees for providing matchmaking services or social referrals between U.S. citizens/permanent residents and foreign nationals. The definition also exempts nonprofit religious or cultural matchmaking services, and dating services that do not match U.S. citizens/residents with aliens as their principal business and that charge comparable rates and offer comparable services to all clients, regardless of gender or country of citizenship.

This is correct, and is a literal quote of the law.

As long as the website does not specifically match US citizens with mates of other countries then you are fine. Like if a US citizen can meet another US citizen or a filipino can meet a filipina then it would not be considered an international marriage broker, even if you pay a fee.

I'll go a little further. The site may specialize in hooking people up with men or women from a specific country, culture, or religion. For example, it may specialize in hooking people up with Filipinas or Muslimahs, as long as it doesn't specialize in hooking up Americans with these people. For example, a site may specialize in introducing men to women from China. As long as it offers equals services to men from the US, Australia, New Zealand, UK, etc., and charges them the same fees, then it's NOT an IMB as defined in the IMBRA.

[ArabLoveMorocco 1]

Wow...Thank you all for the great advice!!!! You all rock!

As for the dating website that I used (Muslima.com)

-It is a branch of Cupid.com

-It not does cater to Americans..it is for all to use. A British can meet a French, and a Egyptian can meed a Kuwaiti.

-It is not specifically desided for marriage...dating, penpals are ok (although the ultimate hope is Marriage)

-It is free to join. Sending "kisses" are free, but YOU HAVE TO PAY TO BE ABLE TO WRITE E-MAILS.

But again, "Yahoo.com" and "Match.com" operate in exacty the same way. YOU HAVE TO PAY Yahoo.com TO BE ABLE TO SEND E-MAILS.

Does this make Yahoo.com an "IMB", just because you have to pay to be able to send e-mails to the persons you are interested in?

So does this make the website that I used an IBM?

Thank you all very much.

Edited December 24, 2010 by ArabLoveMorocco

[pushbrk 12,137]

This is correct, and is a literal quote of the law.

I'll go a little further. The site may specialize in hooking people up with men or women from a specific country, culture, or religion. For example, it may specialize in hooking people up with Filipinas or Muslimahs, as long as it doesn't specialize in hooking up Americans with these people. For example, a site may specialize in introducing men to women from China. As long as it offers equals services to men from the US, Australia, New Zealand, UK, etc., and charges them the same fees, then it's NOT an IMB as defined in the IMBRA.

While the above is absolutely accurate, it may also be helpful to know that since IMBRA was instituted, I've seen no evidence whatsoever that cases are processed any differently based on how you answer that yes/no question. IMBRA is a stupid law, that USCIS and Consulates involve themselves with as little as humanly possible. In short, it's limited to informing visa applicants of criminal records if those questions are answered yes. They do NOTHING with regard to the IMB question.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Wow...Thank you all for the great advice!!!! You all rock!

As for the dating website that I used (Muslima.com)

-It is a branch of Cupid.com

-It not does cater to Americans..it is for all to use. A British can meet a French, and a Egyptian can meed a Kuwaiti.

-It is not specifically desided for marriage...dating, penpals are ok (although the ultimate hope is Marriage)

-It is free to join. Sending "kisses" are free, but YOU HAVE TO PAY TO BE ABLE TO WRITE E-MAILS.

But again, "Yahoo.com" and "Match.com" operate in exacty the same way. YOU HAVE TO PAY Yahoo.com TO BE ABLE TO SEND E-MAILS.

Does this make Yahoo.com an "IMB", just because you have to pay to be able to send e-mails to the persons you are interested in?

So does this make the website that I used an IBM?

Thank you all very much.

None of the Cupid sites are IMB's, and it has nothing to do with whether or not they charge you. It has to do with whether they charge the same fees to an American as they would charge to someone from another country. Read Maxx121's quote of the law.

[brahimi 2]

On 12/24/2010 at 4:15 PM, JimVaPhuong said:

None of the Cupid sites are IMB's, and it has nothing to do with whether or not they charge you. It has to do with whether they charge the same fees to an American as they would charge to someone from another country. Read Maxx121's quote of the law.

Sorry to resurrect this question...But why Muslima, while they claim that they're not an IMB (on their ToS), they have an IMBRA pamphlet on their website!

Edited February 5, 2017 by brahimi

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

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