How many times did you meet with your fiancé before submitting I-129F?

[Brad and Vika 129]

I assume more is better but did somebody meet just once, sent the petition and was approved with no problems? Thanks!

Oops! Never answered the original question. Although we met here in the US, I visited Vika three or four times before the interview, bt I don't remember where we were in the cycle at each visit.

[ZorValachan 0]

1 meeting for 14 days. That made it for the petition and visa approval.

I can't recall of the top of my head how Jonathan&Katya's interview went, but my SO was put through the grinder, and Baron555's was in AP for a time after the interview, until he sent in more evidence. So maybe they drill the once met more than others (my idle specualtion based off nothing). But in any case I suggest preparing for 'middle' questions when the interview comes. We prepared for the super hard and super easy (in English), but forgot the in-between. And as they did not let my SO take the interview in Russian, she got flustered trying to translate our common interests. He ignored her saying them in Russian.

As others said, it is the totality of the evidence. My SO and I have some age gap, but no children, no ex-s. We both have similar educational backgrounds. A couple pounds of email and snail mail evidence and phone records (all ignored). So if there is a possible 'red flag' in once place, make sure the other places of bona fides are solid.

So is it possible, yes. 3 here made it through very recently (last 2 months), but just be prepared for a little more intense interview.

I have known couples who have known each other for years, get together and break up. marriages of 10 years go sour and others who I would have sworn wouldn't make it 2 weeks last 25 years. Once, before the internet, romance could be carried out from letters sent by ship. So I do not buy the 'have to live with each other X amount of time for the relationship to work'. It is just relationship ARE work and many do not want to put forth an effort. Love does not conquer all. Everything else; work, dedication, commitment, compromise that's the ####### you have to do for it to work. Love's just the gooey good jelly filled center.

How many times I can count the guys who dumped their gfs because they lived on the other side of town (too far to go to for the evening). While I know things are and will be difficult for cross-cultural relationships, at least we both know we got a hell-ton of difficulties past us without abandoning ship.

And do make sure your SO sticks up for you, or corrects them if they say something not true. That is one thing I am glad we went over. They tried to tell her I was divorced. She set them straight, and I think that was the seal.

just my $1.25

Edited January 26, 2010 by ZorValachan

[clueless_in_usa 8]

I have read so many "they did not let her do the interview in Russian" statements that I have to chime in. My, now wife, made it clear that we communicated mainly in Russian, because her knowledge of English left much to be desired, so she had her interview in Russian ...

... but she told me that the CO spoke Russian so bad that it was difficult to understand her even in Russian.

All questions were about me, and no problems with a large age difference. They never asked if I met her parents. They did keep all the evidence we provided (except for originals) and did not ask for anything more. The evidence was organized in sections, so my wife gave all the packet for the CO to browse at will. No emails or chats. Just a phone bill showing how often I called her.

It may have helped that I was there (in Moscow) just after the interview was scheduled. And I included a two-page letter explaining the evidence and the way we communicated (no story about how we met or other toucy-feely BS).

That was it! She passed the interview with flying colors.

[LvivLovers 39]

I had been working at a new job for only 6 months when I told my boss I needed 2 weeks vacation to go to Ukraine to meet a girl. We both knew we wanted to be together right from the start.

I was only back to work for about 3 days when I told my boss I needed to take another 3 weeks vacation to go back to Ukraine and get married to that girl. Luckily, he was very cool about it and said, "I won't stand in the way of love!"

So I don't know if that counts as 1 or 2 times since 2nd time I went back to seal the deal. Her interview was very easy...they didn't ask her any questions at all if I recall. IMBRA was also not an issue at all. She did have a big mound of evidence with her though, since we communicated a LOT through emails and skype while waiting for her K3 visa.

[Nasturtium 500]

I agree with mox-- build your case well, and make it make sense. Documentation is key. Logic is key. If something seems illogical or a red flag, out it yourself and build a case for it. I outed every single one of our red flags and explained them in the initial petition.

I don't know how the general sentiment of the RUB forumites goes, but in MENA we generally feel that by the time you arrive at the interview stage, the CO has more or less made up their mind based on the evidence submitted-- so it is up to you to either uphold their POV or somehow change that, which can be either a positive or negative process depending on how they have judged you to be in the first place. I know my husband was asked only one question at his interview: "why did your wife get a divorce?" To which he replied: "none of your business. That's her private business, not yours," (and I nearly died when he told me he said that). He said the woman looked at him and told him he was approved and would recieve his visa in about a week. He said she also had my mountain of evidence with her, and that she didn't ask him for a single thing-- including his required police records or anything like that. We kept it all, just in case... but since he has since gotten his 10 year card, it seems they really just don't care.