International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA)

IMBRA was signed into United States law on January 5, 2006 as part of the Violence Against Women Act.

• What is an International Marriage Broker (IMB)?

Some internet dating sites may be considered International Marriage Brokers. If the site charges a fee for providing dating, matrimonial, or matchmaking services between US citizens or permanent residents and foreign nationals by providing personal contact information or otherwise facilitating communication, it is considered an Internet Marriage Broker. The exceptions are companies whose primary business is within the USA.

• If we met on an IMB site, how does this affect petitioning for my Fiancée or Spouse?

When filing for a K1 Fiancée or K3 Spousal visa you are required to state on the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancée if you met your fiancé(e) or spouse through the services of an international marriage broker. If you check yes, you must provide contact information for that company.

There is no indication that checking yes will cause delay or denial of a visa.

• Do I need a Waiver?

Under the IMBRA regulations, when filing a Fiancée or Spousal visa petition, you must file a waiver letter with supporting documentation:

If you have filed one or more previous Fiancée or Spousal visas.

If you have any convictions, no matter how long ago or if your record was cleared, for the following:

Domestic violence, sexual offenses, child or elder abuse, murder, kidnapping, etc.

• Three or more drug or alcohol related offenses.

You must disclose these convictions no matter how long ago they happened or if your record was cleared. Failure to disclose is likely to cause rejection of your visa.

• Will my Fiancée or Spouse know about the Waiver?

The US government may disclose this information to your Fiancée or Spouse.

How will a Waiver affect my petition?

The fact that you may have criminal convictions or previously filed a K-1 or K3 visa petitions will not necessarily prevent you to from obtaining a fiancée or spousal visa for your loved one. While there are certainly no guarantees in these situations, most waivers go through.