Does my fiance need to revisit ?

[J@L 0]

It's true that it can be beneficial to have the USC present at the interview. What is better evidence? With that said, it isn't mandatory for Manila anyway. Your fiance spent a long time with you and returned to the US less than a year ago. The requirement to file a petition and be approved for a visa is to have met at least once WITHIN the last two years so I don't know what your lawyer is talking about there. In our case, my last visit was almost exactly a year before the interview. It's no matter. I did attend my fiancee's interview, and I believe that made things smoother as we weren't asked for any evidence. However, we came prepared with everything we could think of to prove our love is real so I seriously doubt my fiancee would have had any trouble without me there. There isn't going to be any problems as long as the relationship is real, you have the evidence to show for it, and the last face to face meeting was within the last two years.

Very well said .Thanks a lot.I just love you guys.

[Andy and Pui 16]

I have never heard of any country where it is mandatory for the petitioner to be at the interview, can you name at least one? I know of a few countries where the petitioner isn't allowed in at all, Egypt and Morocco being 2 of them.The interview is for the beneficiary, not the petitioner. Many petitioners go to the interview, many do not.

To the OP, if you have sufficient evidence of an ongoing, bona fide relationship, I wouldn't worry if he can't be there.

Ok manditory may be the wrong word but maybe I should have said recommended. The two I am thinking of off the top of my head are Ecuador and Dominican Republic. I'm sure TBoneTX can give you his thoughts on the USC attending the interview in Ecuador.

[Zachris 5]

I too was wondering about the "mandatory" presence at the interview. It has been my understanding that the petitioner is not allowed to attend the interview -- or at least not be in the room when the interview happens. You could be there for moral support, but nothing else. I have heard that in our case, I might not even be allowed inside the embassy.

That said, the OP brings up another potentially important issued. The one about the revisit. In many cases visiting, once the petition is filed, becomes less frequent so that the couple may start to save for their life together (as described by the OP). The problem here is the time the time between the last visit and the interview. The rules say we MUST have seen each other within the last two years. But, if the CSC starts to take one year (or more) to approve the petition, the two years since last visit issue may start to become an issue.

I wonder if the State Department officials at the embassy, those who make the final visa decision, know about the CSC delay and are willing to take that into account?

Being that this is the US government we're talking about, I suspect not.

Wouldn't that just be perfect -- get the visa denied because the USCIS approval process took too long.

[vintoncadiz 0]

Hello everyone,

I have my MNL case number already.My petition papers for K1 visa has already been sent to the US embassy too.

I am so worried about on thing.We have an immigration lawyer, and she told us that my fiance needs to revisit me

and be with me at my interview to get a better chance of being approved.me and my fiance have talked about this already

and we both agreed that he don't revisit anymore since we're saving money for our new house.Our lawyer told us that

we won't be getting a refund just in case I get disapproved as my fiance told her at the start that he had plans of coming back.

Is she right about it?By the way, my fiance arrived August 3,2011 and left May 3, 2012 (he stayed here for 9 months)

I would appreciate it very much your thought on this.You all have a nice day.Thanks so much.

mij and alu

i don't think so i have friends done their's without the fiance there's no need because even you fiance there with you he wont be allow to be with you on your interview and yeah your Lawyer is right she wont return your payment that's really the service here like most all agency anyways you will be fine.

good luck

[Tahoma 2,292]

I too was wondering about the "mandatory" presence at the interview. It has been my understanding that the petitioner is not allowed to attend the interview -- or at least not be in the room when the interview happens. You could be there for moral support, but nothing else. I have heard that in our case, I might not even be allowed inside the embassy.

That said, the OP brings up another potentially important issued. The one about the revisit. In many cases visiting, once the petition is filed, becomes less frequent so that the couple may start to save for their life together (as described by the OP). The problem here is the time the time between the last visit and the interview. The rules say we MUST have seen each other within the last two years. But, if the CSC starts to take one year (or more) to approve the petition, the two years since last visit issue may start to become an issue.

I wonder if the State Department officials at the embassy, those who make the final visa decision, know about the CSC delay and are willing to take that into account?

Being that this is the US government we're talking about, I suspect not.

Wouldn't that just be perfect -- get the visa denied because the USCIS approval process took too long.

^^^ Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!!!

The OP's fiancée is interviewing in Manila. The U.S. Embassy Manila allows petitioners to attend their beneficiary's interview for both fiancé(e) visas and spousal visas.

And no, the rules don't say "you must have seen each other within the last two years."

The rules say "you must have seen each other within the last two years from the date the petition was filed."

i don't think so i have friends done their's without the fiance there's no need because even you fiance there with you he wont be allow to be with you on your interview and yeah your Lawyer is right she wont return your payment that's really the service here like most all agency anyways you will be fine.

^^^ Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!!!

Please stop spreading misinformation.

[Zachris 5]

^^^ Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!!!

The OP's fiancée is interviewing in Manila. The U.S. Embassy Manila allows petitioners to attend their beneficiary's interview for both fiancé(e) visas and spousal visas.

And no, the rules don't say "you must have seen each other within the last two years."

The rules say "you must have seen each other within the last two years from the date the petition was filed."

^^^ Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!!!

Please stop spreading misinformation.

Hmm. Well, not every embassy welcomes petitioners at the interview. I know for a fact that some forbid it. So, this statement was not so much Wrong Wrong Wrong as incomplete.

As for time together, again the application process is not super clear on this, although I suspect that your reading is probably correct. Nonetheless, it is the embassy official's reading that counts. That is the reality here. There are plenty of examples of US government officials who have not read, or understood, US laws and regulations. If you question this, then I doubt you have had very many dealing with US government bureaucracy.

So, again, not so much Wrong Wrong Wrong as Concerned Concerned Concerned.

[Tahoma 2,292]

Hmm. Well, not every embassy welcomes petitioners at the interview. I know for a fact that some forbid it. So, this statement was not so much Wrong Wrong Wrong as incomplete.

As for time together, again the application process is not super clear on this, although I suspect that your reading is probably correct. Nonetheless, it is the embassy official's reading that counts. That is the reality here. There are plenty of examples of US government officials who have not read, or understood, US laws and regulations. If you question this, then I doubt you have had very many dealing with US government bureaucracy.

So, again, not so much Wrong Wrong Wrong as Concerned Concerned Concerned.

Wrong again! J@L identified the Embassy in question in his opening post. The same information is on his timeline and in his profile. Your "incomplete" answer was wrong, not only for J@L, but for many others too. Wrong is wrong!

Wrong yet again! The I-129F rules are clear about meeting in person. The VJ Guides are also clear about it. Why don't you link me to a case where a "government official" got the two-year meeting requirement wrong.

[Michel and Kim 4]

Ditch your lawyer and save a lot of money.

You have an abundance of evidence that you two were together with the 9 month visit.

I've seen multiple people from the Philippines on this forum, most of them being approved without such advice.

Hello everyone,

I have my MNL case number already.My petition papers for K1 visa has already been sent to the US embassy too.

I am so worried about on thing.We have an immigration lawyer, and she told us that my fiance needs to revisit me

and be with me at my interview to get a better chance of being approved.me and my fiance have talked about this already

and we both agreed that he don't revisit anymore since we're saving money for our new house.Our lawyer told us that

we won't be getting a refund just in case I get disapproved as my fiance told her at the start that he had plans of coming back.

Is she right about it?By the way, my fiance arrived August 3,2011 and left May 3, 2012 (he stayed here for 9 months)

I would appreciate it very much your thought on this.You all have a nice day.Thanks so much.

mij and alu

[TnJ 131]

i don't think so i have friends done their's without the fiance there's no need because even you fiance there with you he wont be allow to be with you on your interview and yeah your Lawyer is right she wont return your payment that's really the service here like most all agency anyways you will be fine.

good luck

Completely false for Manila. Refer to my and other posts in this thread. Things get more specific in dealing with the consulates. Some might not allow the petitioner, like China, as one poster mentioned. I was by my fiancee through every step and window at the interview. I already mentioned this though. Again, Manila, Philippines allows the petitioner to attend, and it DOES matter because the action of being there speaks louder than any passport stamp, phone bill, IM log, etc. It isn't mandatory, and it is not going to hurt the interview as the only requirement for the interview is for the beneficiary to prove he/she is in a real relationship. The rest is up to the couple and consulate restrictions in how this task is accomplished.

Hmm. Well, not every embassy welcomes petitioners at the interview. I know for a fact that some forbid it. So, this statement was not so much Wrong Wrong Wrong as incomplete.

As for time together, again the application process is not super clear on this, although I suspect that your reading is probably correct. Nonetheless, it is the embassy official's reading that counts. That is the reality here. There are plenty of examples of US government officials who have not read, or understood, US laws and regulations. If you question this, then I doubt you have had very many dealing with US government bureaucracy.

So, again, not so much Wrong Wrong Wrong as Concerned Concerned Concerned.

The requirement to meet within 2 years is referring to meeting before the date the I-129F is received by USCIS. The adjudicator determines if this requirement is met before approving and forwarding the petition to the CO.