Do I tell the truth or not?

[doc_cute 0]

I think I just didnt understand it when i filled it out, and i dont know if we paid, but it was a domestic site and not directed at foreigners......

why must they make it so complex

bobbie

i didnt understand your question completely

do u mean by your post tht u met your person thru a domestic site and u were the foreigner to tht site ??

No, he is in Germany, I am in FLorida. The site is just a normal dating site, and it is not directed at foreign people. I have no idea if I was a paid member at the time we met or not. But I know I paid some sites during tht time period, so I could have been, but if it is a site directed at the usa, then....well i am wondering if I have messed up my application now. I recommend people read on this VJ for a month before the application, this site has so many knowledgeable people. I think USCIS should invite ppl here to be part of a think tank to make their department better.

yes bobbie

i too dont know about that one ,

may be some one can give good suggestion about u filled tht one in application form

but yes this site is must before filling up any forms

even i did a very minor mistake in one of my forms but thankfully i got connectd to vj and the mistake was corrected

for all those who dont want to hire an attorney unnecessarily should be in the visa forum

[niceguy26 0]

What if in the websites terms and conditons (before you pay any monthly fee -also can have a free account) it lists the following:

4. THE SERVICE

The Service is an internet information service that facilitates contact between members who may or may not be seeking friendship or a relationship. It is not a marriage brokering service, mail order bride service nor a matchmaking service. The Company is under no obligation to broker any other member or members for you.

[JODO 2]

Honesty is always the best policy.

[merijan 0]

A few months ago I filled out a free profile at a international dating site. A number of people contacted me but I saw something very special in just one. We decided to meet not long ago and it went even better than I hoped.

Should things continue in this mode I wonder how the new law concerning IMBA could effect me. Other than getting her free email forwarded to me in the beginning we had all contact and meetings on our own.

Now I worry if I claim We met through this typical dating site (which deals with a large volume of international folks) without filling out some form we might have problems.

Maybe it is better to just say I was on vacation and we met on the street or via skpe or something?

Danno

* there is always a fly in the ointment.

My fiance and I met through an internet marriage site. It was not one that charged and we just met there and started corresponding and soon it took off. That was 2 1/2 years ago. He just got approved for his Visa to Usa. we told the truth . and it was no problem. Just be very honest always. Good luck.

[Nagishkaw 510]

You need to be honest. Whatever you do, don't lie because if you were found out being dishonest, it can lead to serious consequences. You have gotten a lot of good advise so far and everyone agrees that honesty IS the best policy.

[David-and-Mae 15]

In my opinion, I think as long as there's no membership fee involved or someone didn't pay for anything, it doesn't fall into IMB category... Since my fiancee had to pay $25 a month, we thought it's just right that we check "YES".

[CountryBoy 0]

Mylene and I met at a asianeuro.com a site exactly as you have described and my NOA-2 was issued on Mar. 29 with no imbra information filed

[JoeMama 0]

Just tell the truth. It's not a big deal. I met my fiancee through the internet. Following is the how I found out the term USCIS has defined as "International Marriage Broker". This should help for anyone in the future if they have questions regarding the same situation on their I-129F form.

What is the definition of "International Marriage Broker (IMB)"? Are there exceptions? Does this law apply to my favorite international correspondence website on the Internet?

Answer: IMB is defined very broadly in this law, as are all relevant terms in this law. (Bo Cooper, former INS General Counsel from several years ago, actually drafted this law; he sits on the board of directors of the feminist Tahirih Justice Center and intended to provide broad abuse protection to immigrant fiancées and brides.)

The definition of IMB, under Section 833(e)(4)(A), is any corporation, individual, or legal entity, whether or not existing under the laws of the U.S., who charges fees for providing dating, matrimonial, matchmaking or social referrals or is "otherwise faciliating communication between individuals."

There are, under Section 833(e)(4)(, TWO IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS, : 1) "The Non-Profit": a traditional matchmaking organization of a cultural or religious nature which offers its services on a non-profit basis under law, tyically a state-registered corporation, and 2) "The Non-Primary Business with Comparable Rates": a domestic dating service or other primary service whose principal business is NOT international dating and which charges comparable rates for comparable services to all individuals, men and women, domestic and foreign.

Your favorite international correspondence website on the Internet would in fact be subject to this law, IF the exceptions enumerated above do not apply.

Some U.S. clients and IMBs are asking if the IMB would "qualify" for an exception if they don't charge fees for the lady's personal contact. The safe answer would appear to be: only if the other qualifications of Exception No. 1 apply. An IMB's claim to an exception based in the statement that "We don't charge fees for lady's contact or any dating service", but coupled with an admission that the company generates revenue and profits, however small, from such things as advertising fees for related services such as flowers, candy and cards, Google "ad-words", or charitable donations from members, carries a risk that the "non-profit" exception does not genuinely apply.

Edited April 9, 2007 by altimixdj

[Turboguy 6]

At this point in time I think everyone is worrying about IMBRA unnecessarily. They are not paying much attention to that question. I have heard of no denials over it or even anyone being asked about it. I would not be surprised if in the future it will be a bigger issue. I think everyone is feeling their way through compliance right now and IMBRA had faced court challenges which unfortunately for the time being were decided a couple of weeks ago in favor of the government.

The following are some of the things that make it NOT an IMBRA qualified MOB site.

If the US citizen did not pay a fee

If the agency does 50%+ of their business connecting US residents with US residents.

If the agency is religious based.

Since the ruling challenging IMBRA by European Connectins was decided a few weeks ago I see a lot of the agencies searching for infomation about complying and how to obtain criminal background checks. I think any serious enforcement is a while off and the only way they can enforce it with an offshore business is to come down on us by refusing visas to those who met through an agency that did not comply. If that day ever really does come it is going to be a real fiasco for us.

The part that really stinks is the intent of the law is to protect uninformed female K-1 immigrants against domestic abuse which is good in theory. In practice there has only been one good study done on Domestic abuse among MOB's That was by the US government in 1999. They found that the rate of domestic abuse in these marriages were 1/7th the rate of marriages between american men and american women. So all this is to fix a problem that doesn't exist all because the few times it did happen they were high profile cases that caught the attention of the news media.

At this point it is better to be honest. No one is getting denied or questioned over it anyway. Perhaps in the future the government will succeed in turning us all into liars and cheats because we must. I hope not.

[Caladan 19]

One might argue that being the victim of abuse in a foreign country where you don't speak the language and are too scared to report it because someone is holding your green card over your head probably depresses the numbers somewhat, and one might further argue that it's more serious when a foreigner with no support network is abused as her (or his) options for escape are limited -- no friends and family or established career. And that the potential for being taken advantage of is a lot greater when the relationship is mostly over the Internet with a barely shared language. (Yes, yes, everyone has no secrets, which is why there are all the posts saying 'should I tell my fiancé about my past?' prompted by the worry that IMBRA will reveal it.)

Check out the 'effects of major changes' forum... seems to be a number of cases just there.

But the purpose of the law is to bring the marriage brokers into compliance and to inform the foreign fiancée that her American lover has a history of domestic violence or drinking... it doesn't mean that she's denied a visa, just that she knows what she's getting into.

[lucyrich 20]

What if in the websites terms and conditons (before you pay any monthly fee -also can have a free account) it lists the following:

4. THE SERVICE

The Service is an internet information service that facilitates contact between members who may or may not be seeking friendship or a relationship. It is not a marriage brokering service, mail order bride service nor a matchmaking service. The Company is under no obligation to broker any other member or members for you.

When you fill out a petition for the USCIS, you need to be concerned with whether the service falls under the legal definition of an IMB, not whether they call themselves a marriage brokering service in their own terms and conditions. That quoted text doesn't tell me anything one way or another about whether or not they'd be considered an international marriage broker under IMBRA. Basically, if they introduce people, and they don't fall under one of the exceptions listed in the IMBRA, then it's safest to consider them to be an international marriage broker for the purposes of your immigration paperwork.

[Yodrak 7]

Danno,

The issue of primary concern here is not how you met, the issue is whether or not there's something nasty in your background that your alien fiancee should know about to make a fully informed decision as to whether or not she should risk coming to the USA to marry and live with you.

IMBs are targeted by the law because some USCs who use IMBs do have something ugly in their background, more so than USCs who meet foreign partners by other means, and the bad actors tend to not let their foreign partner know about their bad habits.

So, got any skeletons in your closet? If not, having met through an IMB is of no consequence.

Yodrak

A few months ago I filled out a free profile at a international dating site. A number of people contacted me but I saw something very special in just one. We decided to meet not long ago and it went even better than I hoped.

Should things continue in this mode I wonder how the new law concerning IMBA could effect me. Other than getting her free email forwarded to me in the beginning we had all contact and meetings on our own.

Now I worry if I claim We met through this typical dating site (which deals with a large volume of international folks) without filling out some form we might have problems.

Maybe it is better to just say I was on vacation and we met on the street or via skpe or something?

Danno

Edited April 9, 2007 by Yodrak

[Turboguy 6]

But the purpose of the law is to bring the marriage brokers into compliance and to inform the foreign fiancée that her American lover has a history of domestic violence or drinking... it doesn't mean that she's denied a visa, just that she knows what she's getting into.

When it requires a criminal background check before you can even say hello seems to adverise everyone looking for a bride overseas as abusers and users to me.

Here's one of my other gripes. Under IMBRA the agency needs to do a criminal background check before you can even say hello to a lady. So if someone uses 3 or 4 or even 10 agencies to look for a wife then that is 3 or 4 or 10 agencies that have to do criminal background checks that you may have to pay $ 50 or more for. Then when it is all done USCIS does another.

I can think of a dozen ways to accomplish the same or more with less hastle, couldn't they even think of one?

[Mags 112]

Always tell the truth when dealing with USCIS.

[Danno 1,228]

Thanks for so many responses.

Let me be a little more specific.

I placed a free profile on bride ru and one of the ladies who responded has turned out to be the lady I expect to do a k-1 with.

Bride ru is a pay site to buy addresses but my profile was free and of course the ladies can contact the guys for free so while it cost me nothing, I am concerned because it clearly would be considered an marriage agency.

I don't think the law considers (or cares) whether or not I paid but, if it is a business in general.

I certainly don't want to lie, but if they might use this as a way to shoot my application down, I will give it consideration.

I will have to read more into this, I have not been to the IMB forum yet, I guess I better get busy

Turboguy believes no one is getting rejected over this, is anyone aware of any cases which might be of interest on this topic?