So what if....

[atu14 0]

So, I met my fiancée through a profit making online matrimonial site and am applying for K-1 visa. How does meeting someone through Matrimonial site makes a K-1 case different. Is it delayed due to extensive background check or is it denied?

As a back ground, I am the USC with no previous legal cases or petitions for any type of visa and I have met my fiancée three times before petitioning for the visa.

[pushbrk 12,761]

So, I met my fiancée through a profit making online matrimonial site and am applying for K-1 visa. How does meeting someone through Matrimonial site makes a K-1 case different. Is it delayed due to extensive background check or is it denied?

As a back ground, I am the USC with no previous legal cases or petitions for any type of visa and I have met my fiancée three times before petitioning for the visa.

It actually makes no difference at all but the applicable question on the petition is whether you met through an international marriage broker. Most "dating" websites are not marriage brokers. If you'll indicate the site, we can tell you whether to answer yes or no on the IMB question.

[atu14 0]

It actually makes no difference at all but the applicable question on the petition is whether you met through an international marriage broker. Most "dating" websites are not marriage brokers. If you'll indicate the site, we can tell you whether to answer yes or no on the IMB question.

It is called Jeevansaathi.com (An Indian online matrimonial site. The website is extensively used in India as well as abroad.

http://www.jeevansathi.com/

I was never a member of this site but my fiancée was. I saw her pic there and she happened to be a family friend. So, we took it off from there at personal level and talked online for 3 months until we met over the summer.

Edited December 2, 2010 by atu14

[atu14 0]

It is called Jeevansaathi.com (An Indian online matrimonial site. The website is extensively used in India as well as abroad.

http://www.jeevansathi.com/

I was never a member of this site but my fiancée was. I saw her pic there and she happened to be a family friend. So, we took it off from there at personal level and talked online for 3 months until we met over the summer.

Just to add to that- The matrimonial site ( http://www.jeevansathi.com/ ) is actually run by an online classified company (http://www.infoedge.in/) who has multiple other things running.

This is what it says on its website- 2. The website - JeevanSathi.Com - is intended only to serve as a preliminary medium of contact and information for its users / members / visitors who have a bona fide intention to enter into a matrimonial alliance. Jeevansathi.com does not purport to be a marriage or business bureau or a dating /contact website and does not, in any manner whatsoever, monitor the first or subsequent contacts, introductions and/or interactions which may take place amongst / in between the user(s) / member(s) due to any information specified in the website.

Edited December 2, 2010 by atu14

[pushbrk 12,761]

Just to add to that- The matrimonial site ( http://www.jeevansathi.com/ ) is actually run by an online classified company (http://www.infoedge.in/) who has multiple other things running.

This is what it says on its website- 2. The website - JeevanSathi.Com - is intended only to serve as a preliminary medium of contact and information for its users / members / visitors who have a bona fide intention to enter into a matrimonial alliance. Jeevansathi.com does not purport to be a marriage or business bureau or a dating /contact website and does not, in any manner whatsoever, monitor the first or subsequent contacts, introductions and/or interactions which may take place amongst / in between the user(s) / member(s) due to any information specified in the website.

So just answer the IMB question no and get on with your life.

[atu14 0]

So just answer the IMB question no and get on with your life.

So, what exactly is an International Marriage Broker?

Isn't that I still met her on the matrimonial site? At the embassy level, won't my fiancée has to explain how we met?

[pushbrk 12,761]

So, what exactly is an International Marriage Broker?

Isn't that I still met her on the matrimonial site? At the embassy level, won't my fiancée has to explain how we met?

The site you used is not an IMB. If asked how you met, she tells the truth. You're worrying about a non-issue.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

So, what exactly is an International Marriage Broker?

Isn't that I still met her on the matrimonial site? At the embassy level, won't my fiancée has to explain how we met?

The definition is in the text of IMBRA Act:

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.

The gist of this is that they have to charge a fee, not qualify as a traditional cultural or religious non-profit, and exist primarily to introduce Americans to foreigners. Most online dating and introduction sites don't qualify as IMB's under the law because of the last exception.

Your fiancee will almost certainly be asked how you met. She should answer honestly. A large number of K1's meet through online dating sites. It's not a problem. In some countries, it's far less suspicious than being introduced by a family member.

The requirement that you disclose whether you met through an IMB is not because they consider it to be suspicious, or because they think it says anything about your relationship. It's because the IMBRA Act imposes certain requirements on IMB's to collect information about the criminal history of Americans who use their site, and to provide this information to the foreigner before they initiate contact between them. The Act also requires USCIS to collect this information, and to forward it to the beneficiary through Department of State. The disclosure on the I-129F allows USCIS to determine if the IMB has complied with the law.

There's no reason you have to hide the fact that you met through a dating website, and there's no reason you would have to state that the site was an IMB if it doesn't meet the legal definition of an IMB.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

So, I met my fiancée through a profit making online matrimonial site and am applying for K-1 visa. How does meeting someone through Matrimonial site makes a K-1 case different. Is it delayed due to extensive background check or is it denied?

As a back ground, I am the USC with no previous legal cases or petitions for any type of visa and I have met my fiancée three times before petitioning for the visa.

No difference. Good luck.

[atu14 0]

Thanks...that makes so much of difference. Yes, the website is open to anyone regardless of citizenship or country of residence and it charges everyone a comparable price to be a member. And in my case, I was not the member, only my fiancée was a paid member.

Sounds good! So, isnt the average time is like 6-8 months from NOA1?