FBI/Police clearance for PETITIONER?

[CuriousGuy 0]

I went to a Fil-Am gathering for thanksgiving. The host has been through the process as a petitioner more than once {I didn't ask}. He said that as of Feb '07 there was a NEW form of some sort for the Petitioner. He said we must get our OWN background check {FBI}, and have our fiance' sign-off acknowledging that she's read the form, and seen our criminal background{if any}.

Now, I am familar enough with IMBRA to know that our meeting on a website{e.g. Cherry Blossoms, Filipina Heart} does NOT fall under the IMBRA requirements. SO, is he confusing this with the procedure required of a Petitioner who HAS used an actual 'marriage broker' ?

Thanks for the input!

[rheanick 42]

My fiance filed last May'08. Never heard of this.

I went to a Fil-Am gathering for thanksgiving. The host has been through the process as a petitioner more than once {I didn't ask}. He said that as of Feb '07 there was a NEW form of some sort for the Petitioner. He said we must get our OWN background check {FBI}, and have our fiance' sign-off acknowledging that she's read the form, and seen our criminal background{if any}.

Now, I am familar enough with IMBRA to know that our meeting on a website{e.g. Cherry Blossoms, Filipina Heart} does NOT fall under the IMBRA requirements. SO, is he confusing this with the procedure required of a Petitioner who HAS used an actual 'marriage broker' ?

Thanks for the input!

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

I went to a Fil-Am gathering for thanksgiving. The host has been through the process as a petitioner more than once {I didn't ask}. He said that as of Feb '07 there was a NEW form of some sort for the Petitioner. He said we must get our OWN background check {FBI}, and have our fiance' sign-off acknowledging that she's read the form, and seen our criminal background{if any}.

Now, I am familar enough with IMBRA to know that our meeting on a website{e.g. Cherry Blossoms, Filipina Heart} does NOT fall under the IMBRA requirements. SO, is he confusing this with the procedure required of a Petitioner who HAS used an actual 'marriage broker' ?

Thanks for the input!

Cherry Blossoms, Filipina Heart, etc., are not completely except from IMBRA. You should disclose that information when asked,"How did you meet?". Also, if you avail yourself of any of their "premium services", the line may become less clear. As long as you can show it was a "chance meeting", that the service was not involved in any way, other that providing a forum, where such meeting could occur, there should be no problem.

As far as the petitioner, there is a background check conducted within the process of approving the petition. The depth of that background check does depend upon the information provided with the petition. Our friend just received his NOA#2, and there is no such requirement we are aware of. You are not confusing that with the I-134 Affidavit of Support, are you?

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

I went to a Fil-Am gathering for thanksgiving. The host has been through the process as a petitioner more than once {I didn't ask}. He said that as of Feb '07 there was a NEW form of some sort for the Petitioner. He said we must get our OWN background check {FBI}, and have our fiance' sign-off acknowledging that she's read the form, and seen our criminal background{if any}.

Now, I am familar enough with IMBRA to know that our meeting on a website{e.g. Cherry Blossoms, Filipina Heart} does NOT fall under the IMBRA requirements. SO, is he confusing this with the procedure required of a Petitioner who HAS used an actual 'marriage broker' ?

Thanks for the input!

NOTE: If your petition is approved, a copy of your petition, including the information you submit regarding your criminal convictions, will be provided to the Department of State for dissemination to the beneficiary of your petition pursuant to section 833(a)(5)(A)(ii) of IMBRA. In addition, pursuant to section 833(a)(5)(A)(iii) of IMBRA, any criminal background information pertaining to you that USCIS may discover independently in adjudicating this petition will also be provided to the Department of State for disclosure to the beneficiary of your petition. You should also note that under section 833© of IMBRA, the name and contact information of any person who was granted a protection or restraining order against you, or of any victim of a crime of violence perpetrated by the petitioner, will remain confidential but that the relationship of the petitioner of such person or victim (i.e., spouse, child, etc.) will be disclosed.

This may be what you are looking for.

[rheanick 42]

This is the one i'm referring to on my previous response.

He said that as of Feb '07 there was a NEW form of some sort for the Petitioner. He said we must get our OWN background check {FBI}, and have our fiance' sign-off acknowledging that she's read the form, and seen our criminal background{if any}.

I never heard of this and there is no need for you to get your own background check. As mentioned by sonomacountygal, its already part of the process.

BTW, Don't worry too much... You are giving yourself unnecessary stress...

[CuriousGuy 0]

Rheanick,

Thanks again for more of your assistance. You're right about one thing, I am anxious, perhaps overly so.

I didn't THINK this made sense, as I had not heard of it before {other than in relation to IMBRA}.

sononacountygal

I WILL, and intend to disclose our particular website as our place of meeting, including our first few e-mail exchanges on that site. However, I paid one immigration attorney for a consultation JUST over this concern about IMBRA. She assured me that such websites do not fall under the scope of IMBRA. That is in relation to those services that actually arrange{broker}for you to meet people, specifically, for which you pay them a fee, etc. etc. I also called a second immigration attorney who did not charge for the initial phone consultation. He echoed the very same opinion. The mere participation on a forum whereby like-minded folks could meet did not fall under the overt personal assistance that would be under the umbrella of IMBRA.

Time for me to grab the paper bag, and breathe...Breathe...BREATHE... :