| One of the basic requirements of filing a Fiancé | | | | proof to show that your petition for a Fiancé Visa |
| Visa (K-1) on behalf of your fiancé is that you | | | | is a valid one. |
| both have met in person within the past two years. | | | | As a petitioner on behalf of your fiancé, you must |
| One of the misnomers of the term "Mail Order Bride" | | | | provide documentary evidence of having met your |
| is that you can't just order your bride from a catalog | | | | wife in person within the past two years. The best |
| and have her delivered to your doorstep in America. | | | | evidence of the two of you having met is having |
| The Fiancé Visa (K-1) was originally designed for | | | | photographs of the two of you together. |
| those people who, for cultural reasons, had their | | | | When you are taking your world wind tour of Russia, |
| marriage pre-arranged by their families. For example, | | | | make sure you take plenty of photographs of the |
| people from Indian Hindu culture frequently have their | | | | women that are special to you. When you are on |
| marriages pre-arranged by their families. | | | | each leg of your trip, have lots of pictures taken of |
| One fiancé may be a US citizen of Indian decent | | | | the two of you together. |
| and the other fiancé may be a citizen of India. | | | | I know this may sound a little obvious, but make the |
| Their families arrange the marriage and the US citizen | | | | photographs of you together look like you like each |
| must petition the US government to bring his | | | | other. You know, the 'lovey-dovey' type pictures |
| fiancé to America for marriage. | | | | with your arms around each other. |
| The US Department of Immigration and Naturalization | | | | I have seen pictures where the couple is standing |
| (INS) adopted the Fiancé Visa provisions to allow | | | | together in front of Red Square with six inches |
| for this circumstance, but they put the proviso in | | | | distance between them. That could be a picture of |
| that the two fiancés had to meet in person | | | | you with your tour guide. |
| before the US citizen could petition the INS to issue a | | | | Make the pictures cheek to cheek, with your arms |
| Fiancé Visa. | | | | around each other, and look like you are having a |
| The exception to this rule is that the two of you are | | | | good time. |
| not required to meet if it violates your cultural beliefs. | | | | Take Lots Of Lovey Dovey Pictures: |
| Of course, you have the burden of proof to show | | | | If you are traveling from city to city and you have a |
| that not meeting your intended prior to marriage is a | | | | number of women that you are courting, have these |
| cultural belief of yours. | | | | kinds of pictures taken with each woman. This |
| The INS Is Suspicious Of "Green Card Marriages": | | | | comment is made to be eminently practical. |
| It's much easier just to go and meet her. Besides, | | | | If you have not made up your mind who you are |
| you want to meet the person you are going to | | | | going to ask to marry while you are taking your tour |
| spend the rest of your life with before you marry | | | | and you may not until you are at the end of your |
| her anyway, wouldn't you? | | | | tour are you going to retrace your steps to go have |
| Consequently, one of the main requirements for the | | | | pictures taken with the woman you finally decide to |
| processing of the Fiancé Visa application is proof | | | | bring to America? |
| that the couple to be married has met within the | | | | In other words, if you finish your tour in Kiev and the |
| past two years. | | | | woman you want to marry is the one you met in St. |
| The INS is very cautious about 'Green Card | | | | Petersburg, are you going back to St. Petersburg to |
| Marriages,' where the sole purpose of the marriage is | | | | have your lovey-dovey pictures taken? |
| to get a so-called Green Card (indicating lawful | | | | It probably makes sense to take these kinds of |
| immigrant status) to the person immigrating to | | | | pictures while you are there with her. |
| America. | | | | You don't have to have 'lovey-dovey' pictures taken |
| The term 'Green Card' comes from the predominant | | | | with all two hundred women at the Social, but if you |
| color of the US Permanent Residency card. | | | | have one or two women in each city that you really |
| Many INS personnel and US embassy personnel are | | | | like, it makes sense to have lots of pictures taken |
| naturally suspicious of Russian women marrying | | | | with each of them. |
| American men. Many of them believe that the main | | | | Also, it makes sense to have some pictures taken in |
| reason that the Russian women are marrying | | | | front of monuments or other famous locations to |
| Americans is to 'get to America.' | | | | show that you were together in her country. You |
| You Have The Burden Of Proof: | | | | may have to show proof of when the pictures were |
| Regardless of your feelings about their attitudes | | | | taken, so keep processing receipts or, better yet, |
| toward your motivations, you have the burden of | | | | take pictures with the date imprinted on the photo. |