IMBRA- "International Marriage Broker Act"

[Dan and Judy 614]

Hi everyone: I met my girlfriend on "Filipino kisses". I visited the Philippines in October and we got engaged. I have not filed the I-129f yet.

I believe it is line #19 that asks if I used an international marriage broker. When I research it on the internet it seems that "Filipino Kisses" meets

the definition of an International marriage broker as defined in the IMBRA law. It also says that a marriage broker is supposed to search "Sex offender public

registries" and collect information from me, and pass it on to the girl I want to contact before they give me the information to contact her.

I know Filipino kisses didnt do any of this stuff. I have not been convicted of any crimes mentioned on the 129F and I wouldnt show up in any Sex offender

registry. However I am worried that My petition could be denied since Filipino Kisses didnt follow their rule. The Wikipedia article on IMBRA says this is

a possiblility.

I would think if this was the case that I could find all kinds of yelling and screaming on the internet from people like me who have had a good faith relationship for 6 months or more and then find out about this IMBRA law.

I would like to hear from other people who have met on similar sites that dont follow IMBRAS guidelines.

I did see an old post on Visa Journey called "IMBRA RFE question 1" but it seems that is from 2006.

Assuming that Filipino Kisses meets the definition of International Marriage Broker. And they did not comply with IMBRA. Do I need to apply for some type of waiver? Will I be permently denied?

I would realy like to hear from someone who used Fillipina kisses and then applied for a visa.

Thanks

Dan

[payxibka 10,045]

IMBRA is a bump and not so much a roadblock

moving to IMBRA forum

[James & Julie 1]

You and your wife meet on yahoo ... it's that simple... you meet in a chat room and continued to talk, then you visited and got engaged ... Life is simple, don't complicate it !!!

[Used to be broken 147]

You and your wife meet on yahoo ... it's that simple... you meet in a chat room and continued to talk, then you visited and got engaged ... Life is simple, don't complicate it !!!

It is a pet peeve of mine where people recommend skating the line when there is a perfectly legal way to do what does not come even close to the line.

When you tell one lie it leads to another, and when you tell the truth its easier not to get tripped up. A small inconvenience but since more often than not folks who meet this way use chat room logs to prove the relationship.. it might not be the best idea. Or having your wife get tripped up at the interview on how you met, that could lead to a misrepresentation charge. Just find out what the proper procedure is and follow it.

[pookaphilus 12]

You and your wife meet on yahoo ... it's that simple... you meet in a chat room and continued to talk, then you visited and got engaged ... Life is simple, don't complicate it !!!

lol..I agree..my husband & I met through Cherryblossoms...not all dating sites are under IMBRA(unless if it's somehow like a Ukranian site or Russian site..)..and for sure, where you met her is not under IMBRA as well..hehehe...during my interview the CO asked me how we met..i told her we met through Cherryblossoms...I got approved..so no prob..make life simple.. :dance:

Edited November 20, 2010 by pookaphilus

[Dan and Judy 614]

lol..I agree..my husband & I met through Cherryblossoms...not all dating sites are under IMBRA(unless if it's somehow like a Ukranian site or Russian site..)..and for sure, where you met her is not under IMBRA as well..hehehe...during my interview the CO asked me how we met..i told her we met through Cherryblossoms...I got approved..so no prob..make life simple.. :dance:

Thanks, this is the type of answer I was hoping to get. I logged on to the cherryblossom website and it seems to be the same as Filipino Kisses. The Man pays a fee and then he can contact numerous girls. The girls dont pay anything. Could you tell me how Your husband answered on line #19. Did he say yes or no about meeting through a marriage broker? also congradulations on your marriage.

Dan

[Don and Venus 2]

Venus and I met on Cherry Blossoms. I checked "YES" on #19 and then put the address for Cherry Blossoms in the square. We've had no problem concerning how we met.

[SuperDuper! 230]

It is a pet peeve of mine where people recommend skating the line when there is a perfectly legal way to do what does not come even close to the line.

When you tell one lie it leads to another, and when you tell the truth its easier not to get tripped up. A small inconvenience but since more often than not folks who meet this way use chat room logs to prove the relationship.. it might not be the best idea. Or having your wife get tripped up at the interview on how you met, that could lead to a misrepresentation charge. Just find out what the proper procedure is and follow it.

It amazes me that YEAR AFTER YEAR that this issue comes up regarding if a given dating website is considered a "marriage broker" under IMBRA regulations. Some websites are, and some aren't. And this Question #19 makes so many men worry if they did something wrong by meeting their girl on a dating website. Most people meet their international bride on a website

Yet NO ONE, has ever come up with a straight answer about it.

Can't we just call a summit with our in house experts that seem to have the defining answers for everything else?

Gary, Jim, PushyB, Otto, Charles, etc... Let's put these brains together and see what we come up with...

[Mike&Cherry 45]

Hi everyone: I met my girlfriend on "Filipino kisses". I visited the Philippines in October and we got engaged. I have not filed the I-129f yet.

I believe it is line #19 that asks if I used an international marriage broker. When I research it on the internet it seems that "Filipino Kisses" meets

the definition of an International marriage broker as defined in the IMBRA law. It also says that a marriage broker is supposed to search "Sex offender public

registries" and collect information from me, and pass it on to the girl I want to contact before they give me the information to contact her.

I know Filipino kisses didnt do any of this stuff. I have not been convicted of any crimes mentioned on the 129F and I wouldnt show up in any Sex offender

registry. However I am worried that My petition could be denied since Filipino Kisses didnt follow their rule. The Wikipedia article on IMBRA says this is

a possiblility.

I would think if this was the case that I could find all kinds of yelling and screaming on the internet from people like me who have had a good faith relationship for 6 months or more and then find out about this IMBRA law.

I would like to hear from other people who have met on similar sites that dont follow IMBRAS guidelines.

I did see an old post on Visa Journey called "IMBRA RFE question 1" but it seems that is from 2006.

Assuming that Filipino Kisses meets the definition of International Marriage Broker. And they did not comply with IMBRA. Do I need to apply for some type of waiver? Will I be permently denied?

I would realy like to hear from someone who used Fillipina kisses and then applied for a visa.

Thanks

Dan

Filipino Kisses is a dating site. They are not an international marriage broker. the do not failitate anything. They just provide a place you can meet someone online. You do all of the work. I would definately answer with a NO.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Or just marry her in the PH and IMBRA doesn't apply!

[pookaphilus 12]

Thanks, this is the type of answer I was hoping to get. I logged on to the cherryblossom website and it seems to be the same as Filipino Kisses. The Man pays a fee and then he can contact numerous girls. The girls dont pay anything. Could you tell me how Your husband answered on line #19. Did he say yes or no about meeting through a marriage broker? also congradulations on your marriage.

Dan

hello..this is Matt....We selected "NO" for marriage broker, I actually contacted CherryBlossom to find out if they fell under IMBRA and get the appropriate info if they did. They informed me they did not fall under IMBRA since they do not specifically broker a marriage between the US citizen and the other party. Apparently a dating site is just for that, introducing people and what they choose to do is up to them, there is no one specifically brokering a marriage or accepting money to introduce a person to a future wife, it's much the same as any other dating site. IMBRA generally refers to what could be called "mail order bride" or in cases of Ukraine, people pay a site or someone and they are introduced to women specifically for marriage and those women had paid to be in the site as well specifically to marry a foreign husband. Just check "NO" and don't worry about it, we had no problems. Just make sure you are honest during the interview about how you met. Thanks and good luck.

[jandk 6]

Hi everyone: I met my girlfriend on "Filipino kisses". I visited the Philippines in October and we got engaged. I have not filed the I-129f yet.

I believe it is line #19 that asks if I used an international marriage broker. When I research it on the internet it seems that "Filipino Kisses" meets

the definition of an International marriage broker as defined in the IMBRA law. It also says that a marriage broker is supposed to search "Sex offender public

registries" and collect information from me, and pass it on to the girl I want to contact before they give me the information to contact her.

I know Filipino kisses didnt do any of this stuff. I have not been convicted of any crimes mentioned on the 129F and I wouldnt show up in any Sex offender

registry. However I am worried that My petition could be denied since Filipino Kisses didnt follow their rule. The Wikipedia article on IMBRA says this is

a possiblility.

I would think if this was the case that I could find all kinds of yelling and screaming on the internet from people like me who have had a good faith relationship for 6 months or more and then find out about this IMBRA law.

I would like to hear from other people who have met on similar sites that dont follow IMBRAS guidelines.

I did see an old post on Visa Journey called "IMBRA RFE question 1" but it seems that is from 2006.

Assuming that Filipino Kisses meets the definition of International Marriage Broker. And they did not comply with IMBRA. Do I need to apply for some type of waiver? Will I be permently denied?

I would realy like to hear from someone who used Fillipina kisses and then applied for a visa.

Thanks

Dan

find a different way in which you guys met.. yahoo is a good way of meeting... imbra was designed from jealous american women that were mad that american men were replacing them with beautiful pinays.. <True Story>

Edited November 22, 2010 by jandk

[Used to be broken 147]

find a different way in which you guys met.. yahoo is a good way of meeting... imbra was designed from jealous american women that were mad that american men were replacing them with beautiful pinays.. <True Story>

Quote from the I-129F form:

3. Compliance with the International MarriageBroker Regulation Act (IMBRA).

If you met your fiancé or spouse through the services of an international marriage broker, you must notify USCIS of that fact by answering Question 19 on this form. The term "international marriage broker" means a corporation, partnership, business, individual, or other legal entity, whether or not organized under any law of the United States, that charges fees for providing dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services, or social referrals between United States citizens or nationals or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States as lawful permanent residents and foreign national clients by providing personal contact information or otherwise facilitating communication between individuals. For additional IMBRA requirements, see items 4 and 9 of these instructions.

It seems the simple answer is the FEE's, if the site charges any type of fee its considered an IMBRA issue?

Edited November 23, 2010 by brokenfamily

[Dan and Judy 614]

Quote from the I-129F form:

3. Compliance with the International MarriageBroker Regulation Act (IMBRA).

If you met your fiancé or spouse through the services of an international marriage broker, you must notify USCIS of that fact by answering Question 19 on this form. The term "international marriage broker" means a corporation, partnership, business, individual, or other legal entity, whether or not organized under any law of the United States, that charges fees for providing dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services, or social referrals between United States citizens or nationals or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States as lawful permanent residents and foreign national clients by providing personal contact information or otherwise facilitating communication between individuals. For additional IMBRA requirements, see items 4 and 9 of these instructions.

It seems the simple answer is the FEE's, if the site charges any type of fee its considered an IMBRA issue?

Well Im the OP and Ive learned a lot in the mean time. What you quoted there is not the whole. there are exceptions which were made primarily so the big dating sites in the US could be exempt from the rules so they would not throw their money against the bill. The same reason Obama didnt try to make a law

letting americans buy prescriptions overseas, The pharmacy lobby would have shut down the whole health care bill. Not trying to start a political argument, just giving an example. There is more info on this site and Ive looked at the whole Imbra text and the GAO report, available on VJ.

The USCIS is required to ask the questions and keep track of the answers. they have not been instructed to turn anyone down for using an International Marriage broker that does not follow the rules. there were two posters from cherryblossoms here, one answered yes to #19 (did he use a broker) and one answered no. they both passed without any problem. CherryBlossoms is the same as Filipino kisses. The girls pay nothing and the guys pay something to contact the girls. That means they dont qualify for the exceptions which are allowed. BUT IT DOSNT MATTER, the law provides no penalty for the men using the service. I dont think any man has been turned down for meeting his girl through an international marriage broker.

when I came to question 19, I put no, then I said well maybe I better look up the definition, though I didnt want to believe it Filipino kisses met the "laws" definition of an Int Marriage Broker. I didnt want to believe it because I read this on Wikipedia

"Couples who meet through introduction agencies without complying with IMBRA will theoretically not be able to obtain a visa"

That scared the ####### out of me. Ive never edited wikipedia but I think that line needs to go.

the other source I found was this from "Heart of Asia" on line

Protect your Future.

Avoid Immigration Nightmares

HeartofAsiaOnline.com obeys US Immigration Laws. If you work with us, you too will be in compliance of these immigration laws. But if you use any other international dating site, whether you know it or not, you are breaking US immigration laws. If you are just fiddling around, and just looking for talk, then it won't matter. BUT, and this is the big BUT. If you are SERIOUS, and you find your marriage partner at an illegal website, then this will come to back to haunt you when you want to marry and get a visa to bring her home to the US.

We are the ONLY international online dating service that meets US immigration requirements. Protect your future fiancee, meet her the legal way, meet her here. We confirm to USCIS how and when each successful couple legally met and provide proof that their first meeting fully met ALL requirements of the IMBRA laws.

In 2006 US Congress passed HR3402, the International Marriage Brokers Regulation Act (IMBRA) requiring Americans who use an international dating site, to provide certain information, which must be provided to an foreign person whom the American wishes to "Say Hello" to. BEFORE they exchange personal information.

HearofAsiaOnline.com complies FULLY with this Law. This is especially important to you, because should you find someone you wish to marry, in order to obtain a Fiancee or Spousal Visa, you will be asked if the dating service you used complies to IMBRA. If your meeting did not meet the requirements of IMBRA, then approval of your Fiancee or Spousal visa will be in jeopardy.

If any of the big wigs on here could help me set that apart by changing the color or something that would be nice, I dont know how to do it. I dont want people to get confused and think I'm endorsing that garbage. It scared me so much I was almost ready to spend over $1000 for a sevice or a lawyer to help

me because I didnt know what to do about line# 19. Visa Journey has saved me.

acording to the GAO report they are not even prosecuting the International Marriage brokers who dont comply, because there are three goverment agencies involved

and they cant figure out who is supposed to do what. So all they are doing is asking the questions required by the law and keeping the statistics.

No where in the law does it say to deny applicants that have met on those sites. If you google it, the complaining about the law was in 2006 and 2007, after that it dropped off the radar screen, Why? because no one was being denyed just for meeting on those sites.

It would not be politically correct for USCIS to put out a statement telling you not to worry about it.

I think My original question here was "Is IMBRA a roadblock to me getting a visa for my fiance"

the first answer was " No it's just a bump", In fact there is no bump, it dosnt matter if you say yes or no, you wont get turned down just because you met through an international marriage broker that dosnt comply with the IMBRA rules. Does anybody know anybody that has been turned down for this???

Thanks

Dan

[My Lao Po 0]

In reality, whether you have perceived its impact or not, the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA), which went into effect in March 2006, affects ALL K visa petitioners and applicants. It [also] places a number of requirements on "marriage brokers" or web-based introduction services.

Most significantly for K visa petitioners, IMBRA has introduced restrictions on the number of K visa petitions which may be filed both within a two year timeframe and a lifetime. There are also provisions designed to protect K visa recipients from domestic violence by distributing educational pamphlets through the Department of Homeland Security and providing information about any criminal convictions or previous petitions of the US citizen petitioner. This law came about not beacuse of the jealousy of American women, but because of some real abuses out there over the years, which even led to the deaths of foreign national spouses.

Regardless, of the box you check or do not check, the larger issue is, that the USCIS, DOS, and the FBI, each conduct their aspects of the enhanced background check now performed on all American men who petition to immigrate a foreign spouse or fiancee to the U.S.

For those of us who do not have any of these following outlined issues in our past, the path is generally clear; however, for those who do, the issue may come into play. While USCIS and/or DOS do not disclose reasons for denial of petitions, I have always suspected that [some] of these denials are likely due to IMBRA related issues in the petitioner's past history.

The most significant provisions of the IMBRA include:

(1) New I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancee Visa Form: The new I-129F form requires petitioners who were convicted of a violent crime (includes domestic violence) or a crime relating to a controlled substance on three or more separate occasions to submit certified copies of all court and police records--regardless to how you met her. The new I-129F petition also requires petitioners who met their fiancee through an international marriage broker to write the name and the address of the international marriage broker on the petition.

(2) Restrictions on Visa Petitioners: A consular officer is prohibited from approving a visa petition before verifying that the visa petitioner has not (a) filed K visa petitions with regard to two or more aliens (b) filed a K visa petition within the last two years or © committed a violent crime. If a visa petitioner falls into one of these three categories a waiver must be granted by the Department of Homeland Security before a successful visa petition may be filed.

(3) Database Tracking Multiple Visa Petitioners: The Department of Homeland Security will create a database to track multiple K visa petitions. After a second visa petition is approved, the petitioner's name and information will be included in the database. In cases where subsequent visa petitions are applied for both the petitioner and the beneficiary will receive notice about the previously approved number of fiancee and/or spouse visas of the beneficiary.

(4) Domestic Violence Information: The Secretary of Homeland Security will develop an information pamphlet on legal rights and resources for immigrant victims of domestic violence. The pamphlet will be mailed to all K nonimmigrant visa applicants with the visa application information packet. The pamphlet will also be available on the websites of the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security as well as at the consular office.

(5) Criminal Convictions Disclosed During Consular Interview: During the Consular interview, the officer will provide the applicant with information regarding any protection orders or criminal convictions of the petitioner. The applicant will also be provided with an information pamphlet on the legal rights and resources for immigrant victims of domestic violence and an oral summary of the information included the pamphlet.

Edited February 15, 2011 by My Lao Po