K1 Visa - Sample Letter From Religious Authorities

[farazs1]

Hi,

I have applied for K1 visa for my fiance.
Since I have not met my fiance in person, I need to prove why.
The reason is religious. I cannot find any sample letter to write up from a religious authority attesting to this.
How does following body of the letter reads?

"My name - case number and A#
My address

United States Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Their Address

Date


Dear Sir or Madam:

I, ---, am such and such religious authority from so and so place and do hereby attest that it is against our customs and social practices for two engaged people to meet before their wedding.


Yours truly,


Religious Authority
His Address
"

I feel this is too simple but I don't know what else I can add. This is the truth.
Thank you,

[rayb]

In order for forum members to recommend your potential for a waiver approval, you should provide more information. What is the religious organization and in what county are you being processed?

If you know of other K1 visa applicants of the same church who sought and received religious waivers from the meeting in person requirement, there is some reason to expect the same waiver approval in your case. Otherwise, you will need more than a simple letter to convince USCIS and your Embassy of the legitimacy of your waiver request. Successful waiver requests can sometimes be identified when searching legal precedents using keywords related to your church and K1 visa.

--Ray B

Hi,

I have applied for K1 visa for my fiance.
Since I have not met my fiance in person, I need to prove why.
The reason is religious. I cannot find any sample letter to write up from a religious authority attesting to this.
How does following body of the letter reads?

"My name - case number and A#
My address

United States Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Their Address

Date


Dear Sir or Madam:

I, ---, am such and such religious authority from so and so place and do hereby attest that it is against our customs and social practices for two engaged people to meet before their wedding.


Yours truly,


Religious Authority
His Address
"

I feel this is too simple but I don't know what else I can add. This is the truth.
Thank you,

[farazs1]

You are right. I should have provided more information.

I am applying for my fiance from India. We are both Muslims and cultural influence on Islam has kept me and my fiance from meeting because strictly speaking, Islam has no such conditions (i.e. engaged people can meet in presence of guardians or such).

Our religious leader (imam) has agreed to provide us with a statement explaining this situation so I am just trying to see how to put together a letter for this.

[rayb]

Farazs,

It's worth attempting a waiver request. The worst that can happen is the waiver request could be denied based on a high number of fiancee petitions by Muslims who have evidence of meeting in person.

Normally, when a waiver request is submitted to overcome the "meeting in person" requirement, the initial USCIS stance is that the petitioner is trying to avoid the expense of travelling to meet his beneficiary. I've found it very difficult to get medical waivers for guys who are in wheelchairs, paralyzed from waist down, or with other doctor-certified conditions for which air travel could be a risk to surivival.

I'm sure that some religious adherents can provide compelling evidence of their beliefs forbidding meeting before marriage, but I've never heard of this for Muslims. But the fiancee petitions I have done for Muslims were for those in Afghanistan and Switzerland. In those cases, they actually had marriage ceremonies, albeit unregistered, so could make a good case for being considered unmarried and eligible for fiancee visas.

In answer to your question, however, you need to draft a succinct document, titling "Request for Waiver from Meeting in Person Requirement," identifying yourself and the fiancee, and citing known legal precedents for INS and USCIS previously approving such waivers (sometimes on appeal). You should also include religious law references that can be verified, which explain this Muslim requirement. Include also a persuasive document from your Iman, which should describe his credentials along with his argument for Islamic religious law forbidding contact of fiancees before marriage.

--Ray B

You are right. I should have provided more information.

I am applying for my fiance from India. We are both Muslims and cultural influence on Islam has kept me and my fiance from meeting because strictly speaking, Islam has no such conditions (i.e. engaged people can meet in presence of guardians or such).

Our religious leader (imam) has agreed to provide us with a statement explaining this situation so I am just trying to see how to put together a letter for this.

[farazs1]

Thank you Rayb for the detailed answer. I fear the same thing that this is not exactly a religious reason and where I am from (India), it is not uncommon for engaged folks to meet under supervision and such.
I will do what you have suggested and hope for the best.
Thanks again!

[alifarooq35]

meeting requirement. plz share your experience.

Hello Dear Asalam o alaikum. congratulation for getting K1 Fiance visa. could you share your experience and sample letter and reference of imam and any other document regarding muslim marriage without meeting with fiancee before marriage as per Muslim religious practice

Hi,

I have applied for K1 visa for my fiance.
Since I have not met my fiance in person, I need to prove why.
The reason is religious. I cannot find any sample letter to write up from a religious authority attesting to this.
How does following body of the letter reads?

"My name - case number and A#
My address

United States Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Their Address

Date


Dear Sir or Madam:

I, ---, am such and such religious authority from so and so place and do hereby attest that it is against our customs and social practices for two engaged people to meet before their wedding.


Yours truly,


Religious Authority
His Address
"

I feel this is too simple but I don't know what else I can add. This is the truth.
Thank you,