Practical Travel Safety Issues - Help with "meeting" fiance for first time. Dos and donts?

Ok I have to say I am very confuse on what to do in my situation. Some people say lie, others say not to. All I know if I want things to work out!

So the short story is I am a 30 year old american man. I am engaged to a 27year old filipino woman. Yes she is real and not a scam artist. I got a lawyer to see about getting her to America and he said he would file the Fiance Visa, but first we have to meet in person since we have not done so yet.

Hes said we should meet using a tourist visa somewhere like Canada since it will be easier for her to go there instead of meeting in the usa because of laws that make it a hassle.

My question(s) are:

1. When she goes for her tourist visa apointment does she tell them we are a couple or does she lie?

2. Is there anyway for her just to be honest and say we are a couple so we don't have to lie?

3. Any other suggestions on how to meet her?

My lawyer said she should just tell the Embassy shes "visting canada". I told him online people say if when we do the fiance visa they found out she was actually with her fiance that they could deny her the fiance visa. He says we don't have to worry about it though as long as she says shes visiting canada.

Would it be easier if I just met her in the Phillipines? If so do I lie to the american embassy about our relationship?Or do you not need a tourist visa to go to the phillpines?

I just want to make sure I do ths right and as honest as possible. I do not want to screw myself over so I cannot be with her. Thanks for any help!

I am not sure there is an effective way to persuade officials that this relationship has progressed to a real engagement, given that you have never met. I think lying about it would be a bad idea, in any event.

Rereading - why shouldn't your fiancee want to visit Canada? That seems as good an idea as any, and she should be able to think of reasons apart from you. I don't see any reason for her to say she is meeting her fiance, when you have never met in person yet.

If you decide that is what you want to do. From what I understand the fiancee visa is not easy in terms of allowing the fiancee to come here.

Let me rephrase that.

My understanding is that the fiancee visa does not guarantee the person will be allowed in. marrying her somewhere else is no guarantee but my limited understanding is that she would likely be let in but have to submit to some rigorous interviews later. So neither is perfect.

If you get caught in a lie, you may be creating more problems for yourself for no good reason. And many people do get caught, some even get saved before getting even more deeply into a mess best avoided.

A visa for a spouse works out far more reliably than when going for a visa for a fiancé/fiancée, especially if the fiancé/fiancée has no in-person meeting history with the claimed spouse-to-be. Either way, expect there to be inquiry about the history of the relationship and the ability and willingness of being able to provide material support for the claimed significant other. Even when the relationships are considered real and accepted as such by the government, not all US citizens are able to get US visas for even the spouses of US citizens where the relationship is obviously very real and long-lasting.

I am not sure there is an effective way to persuade officials that this relationship has progressed to a real engagement, given that you have never met. I think lying about it would be a bad idea, in any event.


Well yeah everyone has told me that governments are weird about people being "together" if they haven't met. Which I think isn't their buisness to some degree. My frient met a man in japan and they were engaged before she visited him. Love doesn't have a set of rules really. Yeah we would prefer to be honest about it. If anything we could always say we are boyfriend/girlfriend, which wouldn't be lying really. At least they wouldn't freak out as much as if we said we were engaged.

I should point I am disabled. My lawyer said we have three options in this case:

1. Meet in Canada, simply because its cheaper.

2. I could to to the Phillipines which would be an easier option but more costly.

3. Get a letter from my doctor stating my health is to extreme and I can't fly. By doing this we wouldn't have to visit first and he can apply for the fiance visa. Of course the problem with this is I have to show we truly love each other through chat messages, emails....etc. Which isn't a problem since in the months we've been together we have 6000+ messages between each other. Also thats not counting the video logs we have, letters we sent...etc.

My understanding is that the fiancee visa does not guarantee the person will be allowed in. marrying her somewhere else is no guarantee but my limited understanding is that she would likely be let in but have to submit to some rigorous interviews later. So neither is perfect.
Yeah my lawyer said no matter what we do she will have to do alot of things like phsyicals, interviews, provide various information...etc. And in my case I need a cosponser which I is my dad.

He said from his 40+ years doing immigration, the only time anyone was denied the fiance visa is if they were scam artits or in some cases if they lied to much. He said other then that hes never had a case not work out as long as the people were real, honest and worked hard and getting evidence together.

I was a bit concerned since I am disabled that they may not let her come on a fiance visa but he said he had a disabled man (much worse then me) marry a partially disabled woman from the phillipines no problem. It took about 3 years between the trip, costs, paperwork and all that. The biggest problem is most people that do it on their own get denied because the paperwork needs to be perfect. If you forget to check a box or mispell an answer they can deny you. If anything he says the Phillipines is known for being picky on purpose. And even so they ususally give you time to fix the mistake.

He told me its like getting SSI here in the USA. They make it difficult to weed out any scammers. If someone truly is in love and is a real couple, they will fight for how ever long it takes just to be together.

I think you should just go the Philippines and meet her if that's an option. I am skeptical that she could easily get a tourist visa to Canada. Young women from the Philippines normally don't just visit Canada by themselves for the heck of it. Canadian immigration will suspect that something very odd is going on.

Also, if you go to the Philippines you will get to see her in her home environment and learn more about her and get a better idea of how sincere she is. If the whole point of the Canada rendezvous is to save a few bucks then I think meeting in Canada is a bad idea. Besides, you could spend a lot less on a hotel in the Philippines (or stay with her) compared to paying for a hotel in Canada.

You don't need to contact the American embassy or lie to the American embassy if you want to meet her in the Philippines, nor do you need a visa. You simply buy a plane ticket and get on the plane. And if you end up not liking this girl in person in the Philippines then you can just pick out another wife while you are there.

I'm going to add a few more comments here, as Asian chicks and subterfuge are issues close my heart.

I think the OP's posts suggest an excessive and unnecessary focus on lying to the government here. Like her lying to Canadian immigration, or him lying to the U.S. embassy, or getting his doctor to (falsely?) say that he can't fly.

The absolute worst thing that could happen to him and his fiancee is to get caught in a lie. That could permanently doom their chances for her US visa. It wouldn't surprise me if the the US had a way of finding out about her being denied entry into Canada, if that were to occur.

Him flying to the Philippines is by far the best option. It may cost a bit more money, but once he buys the ticket and gets on the plane he would be guaranteed to see her. If he buys her a ticket to Canada, she could flake out and never get on the plane. He would then be out $1,000+ for her ticket and the $500+ he spent to fly to Vancouver and fruitlessly wait for his no-show runaway bride at the airport.

If he sends her cash to buy her own ticket to Canada, she could use it for something else and then request more money, which is a common scam. Much better for him to spend $1500 - $2000 of his own money for his own ticket to the Philippines, and then he's in complete control of everything.

If she's never traveled before and is a typical family-oriented Asian girl, she would probably be terrified to get a on a plane to Canada by herself anyway.

The only reason not to fly to the Philippines is if he's in a wheelchair and is concerned about accessibility issues, though I suspect even those could be worked out.

How can you know if you want to marry someone if you haven't even met?

I would strongly advise against this. Mail order brides are in it for the green card, not for love.

I hope folks can confine their remarks to the travel questions involved and not the many other questions raised by the OP's plight

thanks

squeakr

co mod TS/S

I would echo what a few others said: your best bet might be to go see her in her home area, for several reasons:

Cut her stress (she gets to just look forward to your visit, without having to worry about travel on her own, visas, one or both of you getting denied etc). And your own too.

You get to meet her family/friends/culture - surely this would only be good for you in the future, get to know more about where she is from, in a personal way, not just general. Also (and I think this is important for your future visa-application) you can then PROVE that you went to visit to get to know her folks a bit. Take lots of pictures, her and you and with others there too.


And don't lie, really, if either of you get caught in a lie with US immigration that could effectively stop you from living together in the US for a very long time, not worth it.

And maybe go read up on one of the immigration boards on the fiance visa, I haven't followed in a few years now, but it used to be that some consulates were really quick about it (like 1 year total), where others took 3, and some had faster options for married couples. But start planning, there will be no quick fix, so you might as well take your time to get the ground work right in the mean time.

Good luck!

DanishFlyer

I will agree with the comments about "do not lie" about the situation. If it does get caught, then there's a 99.9% chance that the CBP will never allow her into the country. Being from the Philippines raises a red flag already. I know it is difficult and expensive, but in order to properly get her into the US, you must go to the Philippines yourself, possibly multiple times. Besides the mountains of paperwork and medical exams, there is an in-person interview required at the US Embassy so that they can determine whether to grant the visa. I doubt this is something that a lawyer can do from a distance.

Also if you try to sneak her in the country on a tourist visa or other means, and if she is caught, then she would be at risk of being permanently deported, married or not.

I had a very good friend go through this process to bring a Filipino woman back to be married. He did the right thing, made multiple trips there, met her family, worked through all the paperwork, and finally got the visa. Then he went out there one more time and flew with her into the US so that they could go through CBP together. They got married this past February.

It can have a happy ending, but you must do it the right way and be patient!

How can you know if you want to marry someone if you haven't even met?

I would strongly advise against this. Mail order brides are in it for the green card, not for love.

I hope folks can confine their remarks to the travel questions involved and not the many other questions raised by the OP's plight

thanks

squeakr

co mod TS/S

It is a fascinating thread. However it's hard to read the OP's story and not think the same thing Loren did. No one wants to see someone get taken advantage of or or be hurt emotionally and financially.

I personally do not like the fact that OP's lawyer is recommending they lie instead of finding a logical, legitimate and above board way for the two people to be together and for the fiance to travel here.

I agree with those that suggest you go there first. If a situation isn't right it is much easier to leave than it is to make someone who is in your home go.

No one wants to see someone get taken advantage of or or be hurt emotionally and financially.

There's a actually a whole website dedicated to advising and warning people about Philippines dating scams called www.dragonladies.org. It also has immigration advice, cross-cultural dating tips, etc.

Always better to go to the source, vs. here...

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1315.html

and

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_2994.html

In general, the foreign-citizen fiancé(e) and U.S. citizen sponsor must have met in person within the past two years. USCIS may grant an exception to this requirement, based on extreme hardship for the U.S. citizen sponsor to personally meet the foreign-citizen fiancé(e), ...

Your fiance must be able to show she (or you) can support her; and she could be found ineligible for a visa for a variety of reasons including: drug trafficking; overstaying a previous visa; and submitting fraudulent documents.

IME, Canada is not going to give her a visitor's visa.

http://insidemybackpack.blogspot.com/2012/01/visa-free-entry-for-philippine-passport.html is your friend. Find a country you can both travel to without a visa, and get on with it.

Good luck.

Just to confirm: Is your immigration lawyer someone you've hired and paid money to? Based in the US? Because the fact that you've hired a lawyer and are now second-guessing his advice (or not trusting him enough to answer these questions) suggests you've made a bad decision when you hired your attorney.

Ok I have to say I am very confuse on what to do in my situation. Some people say lie, others say not to. All I know if I want things to work out!

So the short story is I am a 30 year old american man. I am engaged to a 27year old filipino woman. Yes she is real and not a scam artist. I got a lawyer to see about getting her to America and he said he would file the Fiance Visa, but first we have to meet in person since we have not done so yet.

Hes said we should meet using a tourist visa somewhere like Canada since it will be easier for her to go there instead of meeting in the usa because of laws that make it a hassle.

My question(s) are:

1. When she goes for her tourist visa apointment does she tell them we are a couple or does she lie?

2. Is there anyway for her just to be honest and say we are a couple so we don't have to lie?

3. Any other suggestions on how to meet her?

My lawyer said she should just tell the Embassy shes "visting canada". I told him online people say if when we do the fiance visa they found out she was actually with her fiance that they could deny her the fiance visa. He says we don't have to worry about it though as long as she says shes visiting canada.

Would it be easier if I just met her in the Phillipines? If so do I lie to the american embassy about our relationship?Or do you not need a tourist visa to go to the phillpines?

I just want to make sure I do ths right and as honest as possible. I do not want to screw myself over so I cannot be with her. Thanks for any help!I met my now-wife in China 18 years ago, and she came over on a K-visa (fiancee) that I got her. I'm also a lawyer (though not an immigration lawyer). I started to provide a detailed answer, but I'm not comfortable doing so because, (1) you're not my client, and (2) you already have a lawyer.

Your lawyer should answer these questions, not strangers on an internet website.

Another vote for "go to the Philipines" for all the reasons already stated. Honestly, I can't imagine choosing any other option. Isn't meeting your wife for the first time worth an extra $500 dollars? (or whatever amount)

This is someone you are going to spend the rest of your life with--every day. Go meet her where she lives. It's the least you can (should) do. I'm sure her family would like to meet you too. I'm sure she would love to show you her country, her culture, who she is and where she is from. You have the rest of your lives to pay off that credit card bill. ;)

Good luck.

Another vote for "go to the Philipines" for all the reasons already stated. Honestly, I can't imagine choosing any other option. Isn't meeting your wife for the first time worth an extra $500 dollars? (or whatever amount)

This is someone you are going to spend the rest of your life with--every day. Go meet her where she lives. It's the least you can (should) do. I'm sure her family would like to meet you too. I'm sure she would love to show you her country, her culture, who she is and where she is from. You have the rest of your lives to pay off that credit card bill. ;)

Good luck.

OP indicated that he was disabled. Let's assume he has trouble walking or can't walk. What do you suggest he do when he needs the lav on a long haul? Perhaps if his spouse were traveling with him? Oh yeah, he's trying to get a spouse.

He needs to find a central or north American country where she can travel visa free. Costa Rica or the Turks and Caicos would be lovely places to hold an engagement party.

It's going to be extremely expensive for him and next to impossible to find a way to fly her to Costa Rica or the Turks and Caicos without her flight stopping in the USA, for which she would need a visa that she currently can't get.

My advise is just to meet in Canada. Say you are visiting. End of story. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill like everyone here is doing.

You could also just meet first online, via webcam, or via cellphone. That would render your initial question moot.

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I'd ask that you read my post a little for carefully. What I said is that young women from the Philippines don't normally visit Canada by themselves for the heck of it. There's a difference. If she had a job that brought her to Canada, or if she was wealthy and perhaps visiting as a tourist with her family, she might have a chance to get a visa, as she would be able to present a convincing story about why she was visiting.

Otherwise, it is difficult for impoverished young people from less developed Asian countries to get tourist visas for Western countries, because there is a strong suspicion that they are not genuine tourists and that they are really entering the country to stay or to work. With young Asian woman, immigration would also wonder who was paying for her trip and whether she was being trafficked. Her traveling alone would be considered unusual and suspicious.

That's why she can't get a visa to the U.S. and probably not Canada. It's a sad reality, it doesn't make me or the other posters sexist.

We have a friend who married a woman from the Phillipines, they have been married 5 years now and seem very happy- he did everything above board and visited her there, I think twice and got a fiancee visa. As others have said, by visiting her in her home, he got to meet her family and friends.Even if he is disabled, IMHO, it would be worth it to take a friend or relative along on the trip if he needs help traveling.

I agree with those that say its worth the extra money and hassle to take the trip yourself.

It gives you the chance to decide if the chemistry is there in person and if you're really compatible. I'm not suggesting that she is anything but aboveboard, but in a relationship conducted solely long-distance, there is so much you can't see that would normally be taken into account when making relationship decisions "in-person".

This also gives her the chance to learn the same about you...without already having committed to leaving her home country for the long haul.

Yes, its more expensive ... but not as expensive as it will be if you don't realize til after the fact that its not going to work.

I agree with those that say its worth the extra money and hassle to take the trip yourself.

It gives you the chance to decide if the chemistry is there in person and if you're really compatible. I'm not suggesting that she is anything but aboveboard, but in a relationship conducted solely long-distance, there is so much you can't see that would normally be taken into account when making relationship decisions "in-person".

This also gives her the chance to learn the same about you...without already having committed to leaving her home country for the long haul.

Yes, its more expensive ... but not as expensive as it will be if you don't realize til after the fact that its not going to work.


+1

OP, you need to go meet this woman in the Philippines.

> do I lie ...

Are you nuts? Making false statements to a federal official is a crime; 18 USC Title 1001.
People go to prison for this nonsense. Martha Stewart, Blagojevich, Barry Bonds ...

www.tinyurl.com/lying2feds

Additionally; you'll seriously crimp any future life choices that require govt certification
or licensure.

If you cannot tell the truth. Say absolutely nothing.

To the OP, you are making a terrible mistake. At least go out the PI and meet a girl or three before even thinking about the mail order bride routine. Getting her here is a breeze compared to what happens afterwards - a crappy two years together, then the day her green card arrives, she's out the door.

Remember, in the P.I., if you fall in love, you fall in love alone.

Would it be easier if I just met her in the Phillipines? If so do I lie to the american embassy about our relationship?Or do you not need a tourist visa to go to the phillpines?

I just came across this thread via FT's TalkMail e-mail.

1. Learn how to spell the name of the country your potential wife-to-be originates from - it's Philippines.

2. I write as a Brit, married to a Filipina for 20 years. Filipinas can be the most beautiful, wonderful, loving, caring ladies in the world (both as a wife and as a mother) - Mrs PtF certainly is! Marrying her (after two divorces) has been the best decision I ever made.

3. I endorse, in the strongest possible terms, the advice of those posters who say you should go to visit her in her country as a first step. It's a good opportunity to also meet her immediate family (parents, brothers, sisters, children!) and determine whether her leaving her country to settle with you in the USA will go smoothly or not. It's too late after you're married for her to tell you that she wants to return to the Philippines.

4. Good luck - and if things don't work out when you meet each other, there's plenty more there to choose from! ;)

xfreakazoidx does not provide enough information for us to question his lawyer's advice. If his fiancee has sufficient resources by herself to get a tourist visa to Canada, that's not a bad place to satisfy the U.S. requirement to meet in person first. Why not get married in Canada? The U.S. consulate there will be much more accessible. This option needs more research: at least, she should bring with her all the documentation needed to apply for an immigrant visa in the Philippines--police clearances, health, etc.)

The meet-one-time requirement will not be waived by the consulate in the Philippines. It implements laws against "mail-order brides." The Philippines has such a law. Consular officers in Manila have heard every story a hundred times. They will not be sympathetic.

But if xfreakazoidx is able to travel to Canada to meet her, why is he unable to travel to the Philippines? He can find a hotel near the airport, for example in Makati, to accommodate his disability, whatever it is.

For sure he should go to the Philippines. My brother lived there for a while and I visited him there (and indeed he met his wife there, although she's actually Indian rather than Filipina -- they co-hosted a radio show over there!)

Makati, in particular, is pretty 'Western' and should be able to accommodate whatever issues the OP has. Just don't expect the rest of the country (or even the rest of Metro Manila) to be like Makati! (We often had issues persuading cab drivers that yes, we really wanted to go up to Caloocan, and we weren't staying in Makati... oh, and of course they invariably said that their meters were broken :) )

And there's always the idea of whisking her off to Boracay -- although he should definitely confirm that whatever means of transportation he uses will be able to accommodate him -- we had to step out of boats into shallow water when we went. But that was eighteen years ago, and I get the impression it has commercialized a LOT since I was there.

+1 for going to PH.

I married a Filipina a few years back, though the circumstances are a bit different. I would strongly suggest that "simple" is the best approach here and that is go meet her in PH. It's unlikely she can get a visa to visit Canada unless she has strong family ties (e.g. she has her own kids in PH) and/or her own business or "high paying" job to bring her back to PH. US passport holders need no Visa to visit PH (for up to 3 weeks).

When you do meet in person make sure you take lots of pictures both for yourselves and for the K-visa. If she has family in PH and you can see them, take a few pictures (US Immigration loves those on the K-visa app).

Be very careful of the (US side) immigration lawyer you use. The first one I paid was a scam artist who got $2500 from me (never recovered) before I figured him out. The second attorney was legit and did great. If an attorney is suggesting you lie, get another attorney. The best ones will give you the options with a recommendation. I'm happy to give you my attorney's contact info (he's in Menlo Park, CA) if you want.

Best of luck to you both!

As this is FT Im surprised noone has advised the obvious!

Not only go to PH, but do it with miles flying C or better F.

Then the travel as disabled shouldnt be a (big?)problem.

If no other means of getting miles like CC spend etc, try US airways Grand slam promotion hopefully coming back (Aug/Sept). Get enough miles to invite a friend if needed for your personal help.

Great prices at hotels in Makati, and they can do airport pick up. One to try is Intercontinental. Get a private car suitable for your disability during the stay.

It will all be a great investment and experience.

Or get a fellow FTer to fly with you^

I hope the OP is still following this....

Go to the Philippines if your disability will allow it. There is a lot of poverty there but the country is absolutely beautiful! Find a lovely beach somewhere and get to know your fiance and her family. The food, the culture....all fun.

I also have a lawyer's # in YVR that can help you.
(They specialize in helping immigrants come to Canada, mainly under family class. I have also helped one of my friends, a PH immigrant, come here in 2007 because I had met him over there, willing to accept a job here, and his family is coming here in 2 weeks!)

My lawyer said she should just tell the Embassy shes "visting canada". I told him online people say if when we do the fiance visa they found out she was actually with her fiance that they could deny her the fiance visa. He says we don't have to worry about it though as long as she says shes visiting canada.

If your lawyer has suggested that either one of you lies/bends the truth to any immigration authority anywhere in the world you need to IMMEDIATELY fire your lawyer and find a better one.

Immigration authorities the world over are excellent at ferreting out lies and inconsistencies. They're also generally looking for every possible reason to DENY visas rather than approve them.

I also suspect that between friendly nations there's plenty of data sharing. I wouldn't be surprised if a US immigration authority knew about a past visa denial by Canada. Lying and getting denied a Canadian visa could harm one's future chances for a US visa.

I would have to agree with most of the posters here -- visit her in the Philippines. If she hasn't traveled much, she *WILL* get a hard time getting a visa -- U.S., Canadian, or otherwise. You really have a hard time applying for a visa in the Philippines. You'll need a ton of documentary requirements, and even with all these requirements, there's still a chance she can get denied.

There's really a perception problem when it comes to Filipinos (and I speak as a Filipino). I remember applying for Schengen and UK visas for my honeymoon (pre-frequent flyer days) -- in addition to the standard documentary requirements (hotel bookings, airfare) I had to jump through hoops and show detailed itineraries, a copy of my marriage license (seriously - ...), bank statements and transactions, my stock portfolio (again, ...), and I even had to get a manager's check for the UK visa fee. Once that was all done, I still needed to have an interview with embassy personnel.

In contrast, when I moved to Singapore for work, I applied for a few visas (Schengen, Korean, Australian, renewal of U.S.) and had no problems. Document requirements were also there, but there was no hostile interview tone. I guess the perception is different once you're already a Filipino abroad.

@marlborobell - yup, it's now VERY commercialized. There's even a frickin' Ferris wheel and a mini-mall. *smh*

I hope OP comes back and fills us in. He has lots of other threads going on the internet. Maybe not always wise using same nick on all possible web sites from forums, dating, religious, game, photo sites etc etc...

I hope OP comes back and fills us in. He has lots of other threads going on the internet. Maybe not always wise using same nick on all possible web sites from forums, dating, religious, game, photo sites etc etc...

Especially when someone discloses it...

and not other boards...

thanks

squeakr

co Mod TS/S

Ok I have to say I am very confuse on what to do in my situation. Some people say lie, others say not to. All I know if I want things to work out!

So the short story is I am a 30 year old american man. I am engaged to a 27year old filipino woman. Yes she is real and not a scam artist. I got a lawyer to see about getting her to America and he said he would file the Fiance Visa, but first we have to meet in person since we have not done so yet.

Hes said we should meet using a tourist visa somewhere like Canada since it will be easier for her to go there instead of meeting in the usa because of laws that make it a hassle.

My question(s) are:

1. When she goes for her tourist visa apointment does she tell them we are a couple or does she lie?

2. Is there anyway for her just to be honest and say we are a couple so we don't have to lie?

3. Any other suggestions on how to meet her?

My lawyer said she should just tell the Embassy shes "visting canada". I told him online people say if when we do the fiance visa they found out she was actually with her fiance that they could deny her the fiance visa. He says we don't have to worry about it though as long as she says shes visiting canada.

Would it be easier if I just met her in the Phillipines? If so do I lie to the american embassy about our relationship?Or do you not need a tourist visa to go to the phillpines?

I just want to make sure I do ths right and as honest as possible. I do not want to screw myself over so I cannot be with her. Thanks for any help!

If you have never met this woman in person how do you know she isn't a "scam artist"? Many "real" people are in fact scam artist.

1. Why would her relationship with you come up in a Canadian visa interview? There is an obvious answer to the question I just posed. It should be equally obvious that one should not lie to an official that has the power to deny a visa or entry. Why? Because being caught in a lie puts into question all other things presented, even if true.

2. Yes. Just Say It. [sorta, kinda ripped off from Nike, a little bit]

3. As has been recommended by a lot. Go to the Philippines to meet her. If you need specific advice on traveling with a disability I will be more than happy to get into some of the details with you. Accessibility in the Philippines concerns should be the least of your worries in this circumstance.

If the OP is still listening he should forget his Canadian meeting idea for all the reasons previously mentioned and use the Canadian visa application money on his airfare. Meeting in person is required FOR A REASON! Yes, there are way too many scammers here and even more girls that are just using foreign men to help them support their parasitic families. This means that, when they get to the USA and find someone with more money, they are gone.

OP should move to the Philippines and start a beautiful relationship with his fiancee or her replacement.

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I'd ask that you read my post a little for carefully. What I said is that young women from the Philippines don't normally visit Canada by themselves for the heck of it. There's a difference. If she had a job that brought her to Canada, or if she was wealthy and perhaps visiting as a tourist with her family, she might have a chance to get a visa, as she would be able to present a convincing story about why she was visiting.

Otherwise, it is difficult for impoverished young people from less developed Asian countries to get tourist visas for Western countries, because there is a strong suspicion that they are not genuine tourists and that they are really entering the country to stay or to work. With young Asian woman, immigration would also wonder who was paying for her trip and whether she was being trafficked. Her traveling alone would be considered unusual and suspicious.

That's why she can't get a visa to the U.S. and probably not Canada. It's a sad reality, it doesn't make me or the other posters sexist.

I would second that. My wife is Chinese by birth but a US citizen. She has tried to get members of her family tourist visas, it was basically a no go. Her parents and sister are both financially well of, but still had no luck.

Meeting anyone just online and then bringing them here for marriage, without meeting them first, is usually a recipe for disaster.

Not even from just the scam point of view, but just in actual compatibility. When/if you do file for the Fiance visa, always make sure you do it from the US, and not from abroad.

Marriage to foreigners is a real business in the Philippines. My brother married a Filipina while in the service, and it lasted about 5 years. Nice girl, but all of her sisters and cousins were all very focused on getting out the the Philippines.

If your disability allowed for travel, I'd certainly go and stay for a month or two at a minimum, and get to know her. I see a lot of American guys who can't get a girl to give them the time of day here, who go abroad, and get attention for the first time. They throw reason out the window, and end up getting hurt badly.

I would second that. My wife is Chinese by birth but a US citizen. She has tried to get members of her family tourist visas, it was basically a no go. Her parents and sister are both financially well of, but still had no luck.

Things might be looking up. My wife is likewise China-born and naturalized--and her sister AND NEPHEW just got tourist visas a couple of weeks ago. I figured the sister had a reasonable shot but I'm surprised at the nephew.

Meeting anyone just online and then bringing them here for marriage, without meeting them first, is usually a recipe for disaster.

Not even from just the scam point of view, but just in actual compatibility. When/if you do file for the Fiance visa, always make sure you do it from the US, and not from abroad.

Marriage to foreigners is a real business in the Philippines. My brother married a Filipina while in the service, and it lasted about 5 years. Nice girl, but all of her sisters and cousins were all very focused on getting out the the Philippines.

If your disability allowed for travel, I'd certainly go and stay for a month or two at a minimum, and get to know her. I see a lot of American guys who can't get a girl to give them the time of day here, who go abroad, and get attention for the first time. They throw reason out the window, and end up getting hurt badly.

Seconded. When they're in it for the green card things usually turn out badly.

You really can't know if someone's right for you until you meet them in person. I was in a long distance relationship with someone in MSP (I'm in EWR). We met online, and talked or texted for hours every day for over a month. We both thought we were perfect for each other, and could spend the rest of our lives together.
Then I fly to MSP to visit her. I sense that something wasn't right, that maybe we weren't a perfect match. I feel that our relationship deteriorated in the month after I returned home from MSP. I visit her again the following month, and she seemed like a completely different person than she was before my first visit. On my last day in MSP before my flight home, she breaks up with me.
This was all in the span of 3 months, and it left me with memories of an awesome place I never would have otherwise visited, a few new friends, a broken heart, frequent flier miles, and most importantly, experience that long distance relationships probably won't work for me.