What is IMBRA

[Amar & Bindu 3]

I just want to know what is IMBRA and I have no idea about this.

[Bec_Dipu 103]

I just want to know what is IMBRA and I have no idea about this.

The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 (Subtitle D of Title VIII (Sec.831-834) of United States Public Law 109-162),[1], or IMBRA, is a United States federal statute that requires background checks for all marriage visa sponsors and limits serial visa applications. The impetus for its introduction was two high-profile cases (including the Susanna Blackwell case in 1995 and the Anastasia King case in 2000) in which foreign women had been abused and eventually murdered by men who had used a K-1 fiancee visa issued by the US State Department to bring them to the United States. In the King case, the husband had physically abused a previous foreign bride before murdering Anastasia.[2] It was intended to stop abuse of "mail order brides" by prospective husbands with criminal histories.

I typed IMBRA into google...no problems finding information.

[marklovetina 52]

International Marriage

Broker Regulation Act of 2005

This Act, referred to as "IMBRA", was past in 2005 and signed into law on January 5, 2006. The IMBRA Act targets US citizens with criminal histories. There are also much tighter regulations under a separate set of laws for foreign fiancees and spouses with criminal convictions.

Immigration regulations under IMBRA prohibit the issuance of a K1 fiance visa without an approved waiver in two sets of circumstances.

1. A U.S. citizen petitioner with a criminal conviction for a specified crime, and

2. A U.S. petitioner who has previously filed K1 visa petitions or had a K1 visa petition approved within the previous two years.

Criminal Conviction

IMBRA covers various crimes committed by the US citizen that involve violence as well as crimes relating to a controlled substance (drugs) or alcohol.

Filing Limitations

If you have filed two or more K1 visa petitions at any time in the past, or previously had a K1 visa petition approved within two years prior to the filing of the current petition, a waiver must be obtained before your K1 petition can be approved.

By regulation, this provision does not apply to a K3 spousal visa petition.

Edited September 30, 2011 by marklovetina