March 2015 K-1 Filers

[Randy&Jhona 3]

RFE is not the worst thing in the world. The good news is that someone has looked at your file. It takes a few days to get the letter inthe mail and that's the annoying part because you are in mystery what is wrong until you get it. On ours, it was for the dating site issue and I sat for 4-5 days wondering what was wrong and knew that everything else on the the application and documentation was right and OK. In yours, it interesting because you didnt meet on a dating site.

From what I have seen, the RFE will delay the process about a month - between waiging for the letter, a quick response for the petitioner and then their approval. Not a big deal in our case because we were looking at POE in late September/Early October and if things went normal it would have been late May/Early June. My fiancee's documents will arrive Monday by DHL and I can send the packet on Monday and it will be at CSC Tuesday. If all gooes well, we are still looking at a possible Mid/late June POE

Hi Greg & Melanie thank you also for the uplifting words. just a little disappointed on getting an RFE despite doing the packet together, when we traveled to Philippines last Feb-March for a month vacation...We are praying now for a minor RFE.

All the best on your RFE and speedy process after

[Rike&Brandon 0]

I received a RFE in the mail today asking for elaboration that the online dating website is not an International Marriage Broker. We met using okCupid. A bit frustrated that a well-known website would raise this flag and delay the process.

[TravandLhen 23]

I received a RFE in the mail today asking for elaboration that the online dating website is not an International Marriage Broker. We met using okCupid. A bit frustrated that a well-known website would raise this flag and delay the process.

Hmmm, we met as well on okcupid so the chances of us getting an RFE is pretty high now. Please let me know what you did so I will be able to do the same.

[TabeaK 517]

Sheesh, the RFEs are inflationary right now...or some adjudicators in CSC have not read the IMBRA manual...

Good luck guys!

[Sabrina&Chuck 32]

I hope everyone of you guys enjoyed the Sunday outside in the warmth of the sun *_*

I'm hoping that everyone of us will get noa2 soon

[gtessier 17]

I received a RFE in the mail today asking for elaboration that the online dating website is not an International Marriage Broker. We met using okCupid. A bit frustrated that a well-known website would raise this flag and delay the process.

Welcome to the club!!

I was lucky enough to have used Cherry Blossoms and they are small enough to provide personal service and assistence to help resolve the issue. I got an affidavit signed by the owner of CB stating it is NOT a marriage broker.

I wrote my own statement of facts and Melanie also wrote hers and it will be here by DHL tomorrow.

[Gary&Judy 1]

gtessier

Sorry for my late reply, I have been focusing my time with Judy and work this week. I really like your solution to the RFE. I applaud you. I think I should have done something similar with mine. I mailed my response 4/13. It was received 4/16. All I can do is wait to see if I provided enough information to satisfy the RFE.

[gtessier 17]

Sheesh, the RFEs are inflationary right now...or some adjudicators in CSC have not read the IMBRA manual...

Good luck guys!

More like inflammatory...

Actually they DID read the manual. The probelm is that the definition of "marriage broker" is so loosely defined that a rookie adjudicator can interpret it as they wish.

The real problem is that some people like their job too much and take things too seriously.

[r&a12 7]

Been 39 days since our NOA1 notice date. omg how lazy our adjudicator! Who among here also in csc and until now is waiting for NOA2.?

[Fractalina 8]

just wondering, aside from waiting for about two weeks - one month after NOA2 and then calling the NVC, are they gonna give us notification of the case number (MNL) through email or text or update it on the USCIS website? please let me know if anybody has an information. Thank you.

[Fractalina 8]

I received a RFE in the mail today asking for elaboration that the online dating website is not an International Marriage Broker. We met using okCupid. A bit frustrated that a well-known website would raise this flag and delay the process.

I actually met my fiancee on okcupid as well but did not mention it, I only stated that we met through an online dating website. I thought I would get an RFE so I emailed okcupid and they answered within 24 hours to my email, and they did state that they did not arrange anything between us, also they were nice enough to pull out our chat record to show that the chat was initiated by ourselves. Just use the contact for the press, it's on okcupid "contact us" page. (Turns out we got our NOA2 so I did not have to use their email)

I don't know what's the difference here as some of you might have the same case with me (mentioning meeting through online dating website) but you got an RFE, maybe it's a different adjudicator that's working our cases. I'm lucky that my fiancee is here in US on tourist visa, and she's gonna be here until the case is transferred to her embassy, hopefully not very long.

[TravandLhen 23]

I actually met my fiancee on okcupid as well but did not mention it, I only stated that we met through an online dating website. I thought I would get an RFE so I emailed okcupid and they answered within 24 hours to my email, and they did state that they did not arrange anything between us, also they were nice enough to pull out our chat record to show that the chat was initiated by ourselves. Just use the contact for the press, it's on okcupid "contact us" page. (Turns out we got our NOA2 so I did not have to use their email)

I don't know what's the difference here as some of you might have the same case with me (mentioning meeting through online dating website) but you got an RFE, maybe it's a different adjudicator that's working our cases. I'm lucky that my fiancee is here in US on tourist visa, and she's gonna be here until the case is transferred to her embassy, hopefully not very long.

This is what Someone sent to me when I contacted Okcupid.

Hi,

We can't send anything official, but I can say definitively that we are not an international marriage broker, simply a website where anyone can contact anyone else for any reason, including friendship and relationships. Memberships are free.

You may also want to re-enable your account and make a copy of the initial messages you sent each other, which will prove that you exchanged contact info freely and it was not arranged through us.

Thanks,

Alice

Director of Customer Support, OkCupid.com

Unfortunately this was back in 2013 when we met and I deleted my account and all the messages then. So did my fiancé. I did talk to Alice and she said if I give her a day she can pull a single message from the database, but she can't pull multiple ones at once.

Edited April 19, 2015 by TravandLhen

[Fractalina 8]

This is what Someone sent to me when I contacted Okcupid.

Hi,

We can't send anything official, but I can say definitively that we are not an international marriage broker, simply a website where anyone can contact anyone else for any reason, including friendship and relationships. Memberships are free.

You may also want to re-enable your account and make a copy of the initial messages you sent each other, which will prove that you exchanged contact info freely and it was not arranged through us.

Thanks,

Alice

Director of Customer Support, OkCupid.com

Unfortunately this was back in 2013 when we met and I deleted my account and all the messages then. So did my fiancé. I did talk to Alice and she said if I give her a day she can pull a single message from the database, but she can't pull multiple ones at once.

my fiancee did delete her profile but i still got mine, which i simply has never bothered to log in anymore, don't even remember the password, but okcupid pulled all of our convos and sent it to us in one file. You might be lucky, who knows you'll get an NOA2 instead. Good luck!

[Rike&Brandon 0]

Here's the letter I am sending back for the RFE. I have no idea why they ask for this RFE to clarify that the online site is not a marriage broker, since question 35 on the I-129 form is a yes/no checkbox that asks, "Did you meet your fiance or spouse through the services of an international marriage broker." What is the point of having question #35?

Here's what we are sending in:

To whom it may concern,

I have been asked to elaborate and provide information regarding the online dating agency that we used to meet each other. XXXXXXXX and I first began correspondence using the online dating website OkCupid.com. The website is designed to facilitate making relationships and is free to anyone that creates an account regardless of nationality.

I have attached a print out of the Terms of Service from OkCupid for your reference (and highlighted the pertinent line on page 2 stating that the site is free).

My research found that section 4 (B) (ii) of IMBRA exempts dating companies whose principal business is not to provide dating services between US citizens and foreign nationals so long as it charges comparable rates and offers comparable services to all individuals regardless of gender or country of citizenship. Consequently OkCupid is exempt as it falls within this exemption.

[TravandLhen 23]

Here's the letter I am sending back for the RFE. I have no idea why they ask for this RFE to clarify that the online site is not a marriage broker, since question 35 on the I-129 form is a yes/no checkbox that asks, "Did you meet your fiance or spouse through the services of an international marriage broker." What is the point of having question #35?

Here's what we are sending in:

To whom it may concern,

I have been asked to elaborate and provide information regarding the online dating agency that we used to meet each other. XXXXXXXX and I first began correspondence using the online dating website OkCupid.com. The website is designed to facilitate making relationships and is free to anyone that creates an account regardless of nationality.

I have attached a print out of the Terms of Service from OkCupid for your reference (and highlighted the pertinent line on page 2 stating that the site is free).

My research found that section 4 (B) (ii) of IMBRA exempts dating companies whose principal business is not to provide dating services between US citizens and foreign nationals so long as it charges comparable rates and offers comparable services to all individuals regardless of gender or country of citizenship. Consequently OkCupid is exempt as it falls within this exemption.

Looks good, thanks for showing us this. Now I have an idea as well if I get the RFE for OkCupid. Thanks again and I wish you a speedy NOA2.