Meeting only once before filing the i-129f (merged)

[Cl&Ha 3]

Me (27M) and my fiancé (22F)  met on reddit April 2020 and were  on a long distance relationship talking / video calling daily  . due to covid delays, she was  able to visit last month for 2 weeks which we spent entirely together and in which we got engaged in the presence of her mother and my family . my question is , is it risky to file the i-129f after only meeting once even if we can prove that we talked daily for more than a year online and that it is a serious relationship since both our families are involved... we are not meeting again until between October/Christmas again cuz covid hit hard financially ... any help would be much appreciated 

[Suze1 366]

33 minutes ago, Cl&Ha said:

is it risky to file the i-129f

Fiance visas are always risky. smile

Time spent physically together is a very strong factor in the minds of Immigration Officers and USCIS.

More quality time spent physically together always helps (as I suspect you already understand).

 

Curious - Why only two weeks? Work/School-constraints on her part?

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Suze1

[Cl&Ha 3]

5 minutes ago, Suze1 said:

Fiance visas are always risky. smile

Time spent physically together is a very strong factor in the minds of Immigration Officers and USCIS.

More quality time spent physically together always helps (as I suspect you already understand).

 

Curious - Why only two weeks? Work/School-constraints on her part?

 

Because we both have jobs and we can only take so much time off , as I mentioned financial hardships thanks to covid...

[Suze1 366]

Considering waiting till after the second meeting to file, or plan on filing before the second get-together?

And how long do you expect to be together during the second visit?

You mentioned risk, so asking from a risk-management perspective.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Suze1

[Mike E 11,739]

39 minutes ago, Cl&Ha said:

Me (27M) and my fiancé (22F)  met on reddit April 2020 and were  on a long distance relationship talking / video calling daily  . due to covid delays, she was  able to visit last month for 2 weeks which we spent entirely together and in which we got engaged in the presence of her mother and my family . my question is , is it risky to file the i-129f after only meeting once even if we can prove that we talked daily for more than a year online and that it is a serious relationship since both our families are involved... we are not meeting again until between October/Christmas again cuz covid hit hard financially ... any help would be much appreciated 

One meeting in the last two years is fine for an I-129F.  The sooner you file the better because the process takes a long time and if you are forced to refile for whatever reason you don’t want that one meeting to age out.  
 

For the actual  K-1 visa, one meeting is high risk. The very first question my wife’s CO asked her was “when was the last time you saw your fiancé”.  
 

Her answer: “Two hours ago. He is eating outside. Want to ask him to come in?”

 

And the CO had in front of him a massive file showing over a dozen meetings before the I-129F was filed and 3 after filing.  
 

Visa was approved during the interview. We had it in hand in 3 weeks, and flew home a day later.  

Edited June 28, 2021 by Mike E

[Suze1 366]

@Mike E smile

How much time had you spent physically together at that point? Just curious.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Suze1

[Cl&Ha 3]

3 minutes ago, Suze1 said:

Considering waiting till after the second meeting to file, or plan on filing before the second get-together?

And how long do you expect to be together during the second visit?

The plan is to file right now... that's why I'm asking...  and the second visit would either be a month or she stays until the interview 

[Suze1 366]

You MUST meet at least once within last 2 years. That does NOT MEAN that meeting once is all that is required.

People have met many more times and for longer than two weeks and been denied.  It depends on the specific circumstances.

 

If you want to increase your chances of a positive response, and are risk-averse, after the second meeting sounds much stronger to me. Just one person's  view.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Suze1

[Mike E 11,739]

16 minutes ago, Suze1 said:

@Mike E smile

How much time had you spent physically together at that point? Just curious.

Hi @Suze1 

 

By the day of the interview,  we’d been together 3 years and spent  about 4 months together with meetings ranging from 4 days to 3 weeks.  
 

The point is that CO at my wife’s interview didn’t care that the file showed we had met in October.  It was December 26 and he wanted to know if we’d met since then.  Frequency of meeting is important.  To that CO recency of meeting was  more important.  

Edited June 28, 2021 by Mike E

[Suze1 366]

From a risk-management perspective (emotionally,  physically, financially), filing after the second meeting would win my vote.

And you would not have filed and so at the border, you are just going to see a friend/boyfriend, not going to see your FIANCE!

It will only be that much harder to reassure IO's at the POE that you are not a "stay and adjust" risk, I would think.

Just one person's  view...I have others. smile

[Cl&Ha 3]

17 minutes ago, Mike E said:

One meeting in the last two years is fine for an I-129F.  The sooner you file the better because the process takes a long time and if you are forced to refile for whatever reason you don’t want that one meeting to age out.  
 

For the actual  K-1 visa, one meeting is high risk. The very first question my wife’s CO asked her was “when was the last time you saw your fiancé”.  
 

Her answer: “Two hours ago. He is eating outside. Want to ask him to come in?”

 

And the CO had in front of him a massive file showing over a dozen meetings before the I-129F was filed and 3 after filing.  
 

Visa was approved during the interview. We had it in hand in 3 weeks, and flew home a day later.  

So you're saying it's okay to file the i129f with only meeting once? That wouldn't get us denied from the first stage?? Because we sure are meeting again before the interview 

[Suze1 366]

@Mike E

Sweet!
Yeah, THAT I can see approving, hands down!

Nice!

[Suze1 366]

9 minutes ago, Cl&Ha said:

so you're saying it's okay to file

You can always file, my friend. They will always (almost always) take your money.

Getting approved is another matter.

Roll in hard and put'em  away wet, is the risk-management perspectives way.

After the second meeting...and rest easier at night.

But, of course - Your Life, Your Call.

At 22 and 27...uh, YEAH! Just one person's  perspective.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Suze1

[Mike E 11,739]

14 minutes ago, Cl&Ha said:

So you're saying it's okay to file the i129f with only meeting once? That wouldn't get us denied from the first stage?? Because we sure are meeting again before the interview 

You are getting two different opinions here.  Mine is not based on my case where we met multiple times in the previous two years. It is based on reading  VJ posts on other threads.  
 

I think you should file as soon as possible and plan to meet every 2-3 months for the duration of this process.  
 

See also 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Mike E

[Suze1 366]

24 minutes ago, Mike E said:

I think you should file as soon as possible and plan to meet every 2-3 months for the duration of this process.

I get filing immediately, given the lengthy process.

I get there will be plenty of time to meet, theoretically, while the process rolls on.

BUT, he says time off work and finances at least had been (and still might be..my suspicion) limiting constraints.

Though he also says she can stay till the interview...

Which says to me she might give up her job...and will have negligible ties to her home country at POE, and would have a US FIANCE  at that point too. As we  know, that raises her perceived risk of even getting in the country on that second visit.

So, while I understand the motivation of filing now and meeting often, I infer that is not gonna happen.

Risk management wins again!!! lol

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Suze1