Proof of Meeting Requirement

Many Couples ask if having an engagement party is required also?

The answer is No!
Both the US Sponsor and Beneficiary are required to physically meet in person and must have proof to back up their claim? Your proof will need to be such things as

• Couple pictures,
• The sponsors US Passport stamps,
• Other helpful proof can be trip itineraries,
• Boarding pass stubs,
• Hotel receipts,
• Food or grocery receipts,
• ATM withdraw receipts,
• Money exchange receipts,
• Gift receipts,
• Transportation receipts,

Basically, any type of receipt that you think would be helpful to show that you, the sponsor where in you’re beneficiaries Country?

K-1 Proof of Meeting

Does the USCIS requirement have some kind of hardship waiver for my US Sponsor who is unable to fly to my Country to meet me in person?

This is also a commonly asked question we get each year. People oftentimes mistake the USCIS “Hardship Waiver” for a type of waiver that exempts the US Sponsor from having to follow the meeting in-person requirement.

A “Hardship Waiver” that USCIS refers to is referring to the financial hardship that can give certain types of sponsors and beneficiaries a break or waive certain fees.

An I-601 hardship waiver, also known as an “extreme hardship waiver” is a useful tool to remove certain immigration obstacles that block an undocumented alien from obtaining a visa, green card, or even being able to visit the country in a lawful manner.

Many Couples who would like to file for the K1 Fiance visa, think that a Hardship Waiver is a type of waiver that the sponsor could file together with an I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance?

K-1 Proof of Meeting

Examples of what Couples are thinking:

• My US Fiance can’t visit me because he is wheelchair-bound.
• My US Fiance has severe back pain, and flying for so long would be unbearable for him.
• My US fiance has a fear of flying and requires medications to calm him down.
• My US fiancé has a pig valve, and doctors warn against flying.
• My US fiancé is a paraplegic and needs me to care for him. The flying thing is too much for him.

None of the above reasons was a viable excuse to USCIS, and no waiver type could be filed, regardless of how many medical reports and specialist reports a sponsor can provide, that can help bypass the in-person meeting in person proof.

We have assisted US sponsors, each of whom suffered from all of the above-mentioned reasons, as they all managed to get on a jet plane and make the very long flight, and though it was a hardship.

And for some, the expenses of their trip were considerably higher due to the need for special equipment; they all made if and they all were able to file an I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance.

Do we need to have an engagement party and ring?

Though USCIS, the US Embassy Interviewers and perhaps even CFO would find the relationship more believable, it is not required to have an engagement party or even a ring.

Does it help though?

Yes, it helps big time! Especially if there is a large age difference between the Couple? It helps a lot, too, if the beneficiary’s parents are a part of the engagement party and have pictures of them as well.

Many of the government agencies throughout the years have seen numerous Couples want to get married but had large age differences, and families were not a part of their decision to marry.

So if you’re in doubt, we advise the Couple to do what they can to have an engagement party, show a ring, have letters and pictures from the parents and other family members, because the more you can get, the more believable the relationship is for those who can make or break you?

One more piece of advice

If the couple has a large age difference, we advise the US sponsor to visit more than one trip to visit his fiancée and her family.

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