Marriage Broker Question

[Mike Bowman 8]

Thanks baron555! I keep trying to tell my girl that its normal for men to go through an agency. To be honest when I decided I wanted a Russian or Ukraine girl I had no clue where to begin looking. I tried yahoo chat but its all computer generated messages just like it was 10 years ago so I found AnastasiaDate about 11 years ago and just looked around. Its on the pricey side so I didn't take it serious until last year when I can afford to use it. Of course there are any other ways now that I'm hearing about being cheaper but I went with what I knew. But that question #19 sticks in me and my girls head and we're hoping it doesn't hinder trying for a Visa...as for the marriages it will be USA first then Ukraine later on. Getting the Visa is more important at the moment.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Thanks baron555! I keep trying to tell my girl that its normal for men to go through an agency. To be honest when I decided I wanted a Russian or Ukraine girl I had no clue where to begin looking. I tried yahoo chat but its all computer generated messages just like it was 10 years ago so I found AnastasiaDate about 11 years ago and just looked around. Its on the pricey side so I didn't take it serious until last year when I can afford to use it. Of course there are any other ways now that I'm hearing about being cheaper but I went with what I knew. But that question #19 sticks in me and my girls head and we're hoping it doesn't hinder trying for a Visa...as for the marriages it will be USA first then Ukraine later on. Getting the Visa is more important at the moment.

This is simply not an issue in Kiev. Just be honest and present evidence of your relationship.

[Mike Bowman 8]

Awesome! Thanks Gary and Alla!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Awesome! Thanks Gary and Alla!

You can read the consulate reviews here for Kiev and see that it is never mentioned. A very large number of the interviews in Kiev are "no questions asked" and given that the majority of the introductions of fiancees/fiances is through some sort of online site, if it was an issue it would be reported here frequently. It simply is not.

Our interview amounted to being called to the window and told "you are approved, here are your original documents back...go to the Fedex window to arrange delivery of your visa"

[Mike Bowman 8]

If its "no questions asked" what questions do they ask in the interview? This is the first I'm hearing about introductions done over a online website. Is this only a Kiev thing? I hope so. That sounds pretty good to me.

[Kineo 93]

So my girl calls me up about 3am NY time and is completely worried about us having met through a marriage broker...ie. Anastasia.com. She is reading stories on Ukraine and Russian forums where most girls are getting denied Visas due to being found on one of these sites. If anyone knows anything about these sites, your chances of finding a good, honest, quality girl is very slim. It is full of scammers, fake profiles, and girls who chat to make money for a living. Obviously the USCIS knows this. My girl said she would even sign a prenup to prove shes not in it for any money. Her and I are in love and I'll be making my 3rd trip to Ukraine in a few weeks. I wasn't worried about it but shes getting me worried now because it specifically ask on line #19 Please provide any information if you met through a marriage broker. I don't think this would be signaled out for nothing. She wants to not mention it but our Skype conversations are flooded with talking about it and I told her a sure fire way to get denied is to lie....just say we meet through a marriage broker, provide all the correct paperwork and keep our fingers crossed. She afraid we will get rejected on that basis alone and recommends getting married in Ukraine first. I told her by the time we can plan a wedding and I get back over to Ukraine, after this upcoming trip in a few weeks, it will prolong any sort of Visa because we will still have to wait 6-9 months. I'm suggesting we do the K1 Visa and see what happens. By the time of her interview I will have seen her 4 times over a week each time....I need some help in this from people who have met their girl through a marriage broker. I think only a few countries do this widespread...Ukraine and Russia being two of them. I need something to tell her to calm her down. Shes reading a percentage of 50% rejection rate on girls from marriage brokers....that's not good in my eyes. I told her that many factors can cause someone to get rejected such as income requirements, incorrect paperwork, not enough proof of relationship, maybe even ages of the the couple (ie, girl is 18 and man is 60+) I know the marriage brokers have a bad rep because girls only chat to make money and never have any intention of finding a foreign man. Its a billion dollar industry in Ukraine. So I need some recommendations before I submit this K1 next week...thanks

I see you are getting a lot of good advice here.

The first thing I think you should both do is relax a little. :-) This is a jounrney of a lifetime, enjoy it!

To my knowledge the fact you folks went through a marriage broker has NO effect on approval either positive or negative. If you meet the visa requirements you are good to go. Will USCIS be look really closely at petitions that have a marriage broker involved? I would expect so. So FWIW I would pay attention to all the detials and be prepared to document the relationship well. (which sounds like you are prepared to do.) Personally Yulia and I chose the K-1 route. It sounds like it would be a good choice for you due to the timing. But either route is viable.

Best of luck and life

- K

[Sveta & Ron 23]

welcome Mike as for sveta and I we met on www.russianlovematch.com and had no problems per-say to get her visa only thing was she forgot to take her legal birth record to interview and this caused a 2 month delay with that said mid dec she was in houston and 10 days later we married and jan sent papers for green card travel doc and work docs, as for wedding she come texas we got married and plan return ukraine in may for a wedding/party for her family

[Lena and Igor 5]

Not a concern from the CO in Kiev during Lena's 10 minute interview. Anastasiadate is NOT a marriage broker. It is a dating site. Good luck.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

If its "no questions asked" what questions do they ask in the interview? This is the first I'm hearing about introductions done over a online website. Is this only a Kiev thing? I hope so. That sounds pretty good to me.

That WAS the interview...no questions asked. We turned in our documents, waited 40 minutes of so, were called to the interview window and told the visa was approved. NO QUESTIONS. Be SURE you provide all the documents needed. In Kiev you can go to the interview and I walked right up to the window with Alla. (you can go but they do not talk to you, it is HER interview so stand there like a potted plant)

I did not meet Alla via a website, but we are a minority for sure. Kiev is not a dofficult consulate for family based visas. It is VERY difficult for visitor visas and often the Ukrainian rumor mill mixes the two. Your fiancee is a Ukrainian woman so you cannot tell her what to do, but you can show her that what she hears is wrong.

Edited February 18, 2013 by Gary and Alla

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

If you understand IMBRA, it was enacted to protect the American Porn industry from the newly freed Eastern European women that American Porn-ettes could not begin to compete with.

Some agencies were actually agents for Porn starletts that were displacing the hairy (some say "natural" I say "wookie") American porn actresses out on the street. Men were getting engaged, getting K-1 visas for girl after girl and pushing Americans women out of porn and runway modeling until the fashion modeling industry became dominated by eastern European women.

Unless they think you are trafficking babes for porn, it really is not an issue.

[Mike Bowman 8]

Lena and Igor Im really confused now...you are saying AnastasiaDate is NOT a marriage broker then I would exclude #19. BUt...Im seeing this on their website:

The first priority of AnastasiaDate is and will always be the protection and wellbeing of its members. As an American-owned company, AnastasiaDate is subject to and fully compliant with the International Marriage Brokers Regulation Act (IMBRA), a US federal law which regulates U.S. based International Marriage Brokers (IMBs).

IMBRA’s primary focus is the regulation of IMBs and their assistance with introductions, relationships, marriages and particularly the exchange of information between American citizens and foreign nationals.

The Federal statute forbids direct dissemination or facilitation by an IMB of personal information using any of its services based on speech or other forms of communication. This includes AnastasiaDate’s E-mail service, Live Chat or other service where the assistance of a translator is used. IMBRA also requires background checks on all members traveling to Russia & CIS with AnastasiaDate.

In order to safeguard the AnastasiaDate community and help abide by IMBRA, AnastasiaDate requests that all members using her services refrain from the exchange of personal contact details when communicating with ladies other than directly.

This looks like they comply with the IMBRA....if they aren't a marriage broker, which they never say THEY ARE a marriage broker...only an internet dating site. So I'm baffled and want to be correct on my I-129F. I don't think it would matter if I left the information in box #19.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Lena and Igor Im really confused now...you are saying AnastasiaDate is NOT a marriage broker then I would exclude #19. BUt...Im seeing this on their website:

The first priority of AnastasiaDate is and will always be the protection and wellbeing of its members. As an American-owned company, AnastasiaDate is subject to and fully compliant with the International Marriage Brokers Regulation Act (IMBRA), a US federal law which regulates U.S. based International Marriage Brokers (IMBs).

IMBRA’s primary focus is the regulation of IMBs and their assistance with introductions, relationships, marriages and particularly the exchange of information between American citizens and foreign nationals.

The Federal statute forbids direct dissemination or facilitation by an IMB of personal information using any of its services based on speech or other forms of communication. This includes AnastasiaDate’s E-mail service, Live Chat or other service where the assistance of a translator is used. IMBRA also requires background checks on all members traveling to Russia & CIS with AnastasiaDate.

In order to safeguard the AnastasiaDate community and help abide by IMBRA, AnastasiaDate requests that all members using her services refrain from the exchange of personal contact details when communicating with ladies other than directly.

This looks like they comply with the IMBRA....if they aren't a marriage broker, which they never say THEY ARE a marriage broker...only an internet dating site. So I'm baffled and want to be correct on my I-129F. I don't think it would matter if I left the information in box #19.

Anastasia Date is NOT an IMBRA marriage broker by the definition of the law. They are being conservative since interpretations can change and better safe that sorry. If you are concerned about it then list them in question 19.

THERE IS NO PENALTY for listing an agency that is, in fact, NOT a marriage broker. It will also have -0- affect on your petition or visa. If you are nervous about it, then just list them and be done with it. If your fiancee is asked how you were introduced just say "Online through Anastasia Date" I promise there will be no problem for telling the truth.

You are worrying about a non-issue here.

[Alfia & John 10]

I agree, at best, the issue of IMBRA is confusing. I met Olga on Elena's Models, here is what their site says about the imbra issue

"Notice: US Federal IMBRA Law prohibits the exchange of personal contact information until a time after which a female foreign correspondent has acknowledged seeing your Marital/Criminal background information. Your Marital/Criminal background information is on file at the specific office that supports the women's correspondence. You may request that a foreign correspondent (women) view and sign this information. Once this information has been acknowledged and placed on file the exchange of phone numbers, emails, addresses and rendezvous information is permitted but not mandatory and the foreign correspondent is not obliged to do so."

I found this under the section of the site that deals with tours so it is still confusing. I believe that agencies that act as tour guides and directly arrange introductions certainly fall under IMBRA. I am not so sure of the traditional dating agencies such as Elena's Models.

Nevertheless, I am going to answer yes to the question if I met my fiancee via a marriage broker and I will explain how we met in my discussion.

[Ron-Tanya 23]

StephAnn2012 So you're saying that I can leave question #19 blank? If they ask how we met I will say through AnastasiaDate....will they think I'm lying because I'm not understanding the difference between Marriage Broker and what you call a normal dating site. The last thing i need for USCIS to think I'm lying. I've been trying to find info on the web if AnastasiaDate is an IMBRA but can't find anything. I need some clarification please. Thanks

Mike, I just got my lady here in Nov and we had a heck of a time at the Embassy in Warsaw. The consular kept asking over and over which broker we met thru. It was so bad that I was asked or rather told to leave and go into another room. He kept Tanya there for at least 20 min asking in different ways the same question over and over. Which broker and how many men she had met thru the broker. Well to make this shorter we did use a visa firm out of Ca to do our I-129 and they had marked that we used a broker. Which was an incorrect answer. We used russian bride.ru which is a FREE DATING SITE, not a broker.

We did get the visa and was told that marking yes to that question was wrong on our part in not knowing the difference between a broker and a dating site. So if you didn't pay anyone for a marriage only to read or answer letters you used a dating site. CLEAR I hope?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Mike, I just got my lady here in Nov and we had a heck of a time at the Embassy in Warsaw. The consular kept asking over and over which broker we met thru. It was so bad that I was asked or rather told to leave and go into another room. He kept Tanya there for at least 20 min asking in different ways the same question over and over. Which broker and how many men she had met thru the broker. Well to make this shorter we did use a visa firm out of Ca to do our I-129 and they had marked that we used a broker. Which was an incorrect answer. We used russian bride.ru which is a FREE DATING SITE, not a broker.

We did get the visa and was told that marking yes to that question was wrong on our part in not knowing the difference between a broker and a dating site. So if you didn't pay anyone for a marriage only to read or answer letters you used a dating site. CLEAR I hope?

Warsaw/Belarus is not Kiev/Ukraine, nor is it Moscow/Russia, it is not even the same for Warsaw/Poland. All consulates are different and consulates that handle multiple countries have different standards for different countries. Warsaw handled Ukrainian visas until 2005 and the procedure and degree of difficulty is much less in Kiev than it was in Warsaw.

The OP should read the consulate reviews for the Kiev, Ukraine consulate for K-1 visas. As you know, the large majority of American men marrying FSU women have met through a "marriage agency" as they are often called (FSU folks being much more direct than Americans, what do you expect?) It is as common as white on rice, yet shows up almost never as a topic in an interview in Kiev.