MarieEyre:
Morning, Thanks a lot for your assistance. I would like to inquire - My fiancee and I have done our Introduction i.e payment of the Brideprice. We have pictures as proof. Is this sufficient enough for him to file a spousal visa or does he go with the fiancee visa. Can one be deemed married with just the payment of the brideprice without a traditional wedding ceremony. Thank you.

stevewale:


Dear VO,

In as much as I don't deliberately want to flog this issue endlessly nor derailing your thread, I'd like to attest to the post I quoted above. Just wanna stress further that in Yoruba culture, there is what we called INTRODUCTION. This is where the two families and some few friends meet and decide what type of marriage they would do and decide on the date and formally recognize the duos as fiancé/fiancée. Little gifts such as wine and fruits are taken along to the lady's family. Few pics can be taken too at the mini-event BUT THIS IS NEVER A TRADITIONAL WEDDING.

It's my guess that the Consulars do mis-interprete this INTRODUCTION to TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE. Pls you can visit any of the Yoruba cultural leaders/elders for more inquiry of this matter so as not to be denying people base on introduction ceremony. DOWRY/BRIDE PRICE IS NEVER PAID AT INTRODUCTION CEREMONY.

MarieEyre:
I totally agree with you. The same thing happens in the Igbo culture. I have done my Introduction but I don't know if to apply for the Fiancee or Spousal. I'm afraid that my visa may be rejected on either grounds since I'm unsure of what the U.S embassy classifies as a proper marriage ceremony

VisaOfficer:


It sounds to me like you are traditionally married.

I'm going to quote a response I posted a long time ago: This is an area where Nigerian law and U.S. law don't dovetail neatly. Traditional marriages in Nigeria do count as marriages and make people ineligible for K visas -- and if your fiance gives the bride price, that's a marriage under customary law. But because such marriages are often undocumented, the Nigerian spouse can't benefit from the IR1 or CR1 petition, because there's no piece of paper to submit to NVC. So people who have had traditional or customary marriages, but not a registry or religious marriage*, are stuck, unable to get either a fiance or a spouse visa.

The obvious solution is to go ahead and do the registry marriage in Nigeria, then apply for a spouse petition. The only reason that takes longer than a fiance petition is that you can file a fiance petition any time, but you can't file a spouse petition until after the marriage.

We do like to hear that people have met each other's parents... but if we know you've had an introduction ceremony, we'll be very curious about whether it was actually a traditional marriage, or just an introduction. Whatever the case, tell the truth, and you'll end up with the visa you qualify for.

(* Religious marriages are recognized for spouse petitions if there's a certificate from an established religious institution involved.)

VisaOfficer:


I've seen plenty of K visas issued to people who only had an introduction, but did not pay a bride price. (see my previous post, above)

Now, to be fair, I've also interviewed Yoruba applicants who swore that they only had an introduction but didn't pay the bride price -- BUT they also kept referring to the petitioner as "my husband" or "my wife" and the women's ID showed that they were now using the husband's surname. If the preponderance of evidence suggests that the couple is married, we're going to conclude that the couple is married. Please keep in mind that we can only issue a K visa if we believe the applicant is qualified for a K visa, and if we just don't believe it, we are not able to issue.

MarieEyre:
Okay VO, are you saying just mere photos and maybe video clips from the Introduction ceremony are sufficient enough for eligibilty for the spousal visa and not the fiancee visa. Sorry for my numerous questions but I want to be sure of which visa to apply for. Thank you.

bukolacole:
Please! please! and please ma! Attend to my questions ma, just now we were called from the Embassy that my stepmother should show up at the Embassy on any Friday except the last Friday of the month, I asked him of our police certificate and visa status, he said the police report is with them but can't comment on or visa status, please from your experience working with them, what could have caused her to show up again and hope this is not a signal of bad news ma? Urgent reply ma, Adepoju Family.

bahterry:
Thanks VO and all other contributors to this thread, though this topic has been vigorously pursued recently, i will like to point out some observations on the k1 visa denial due to engagement/traditional marriage. Pls bear with me its gonna be long....

... same sex fiancé/couple are ineligible for petition based on the pure traditional definition of marriage, (today with better understanding that 2 people of the same sex can still be in love genuinely), its now a thing of the past.
Thanking you for always reasoning and willing to accept our humble suggestions.

VisaOfficer:


We need to speak with your stepmother in person. I don't have more information for you at this time.

chukwumaebenmel:
Good afternoon VO.
You said you wont be available from tomorrow been Friday till next week does this mean that the document that pass through your table will be halted and unattended to. I.e .dna test result etc.

Thanks

bukolacole:
. Please for God's sake ma let me know our fate, so visas can be turned down even after the interview, am really sorry for my life, sad mode, because your comment says it all, you don't want to tell me there is a problem somewhere. Please talk to me from your experience ma, what could have happened ma?

MarieEyre:
Hello VO, Please what's the minimum and maximum duration for both the Fiancee and Spousal visas. Thank you.

mabor:
Good day ma. You are the best. Please ma my husband had a home visit few days ago. Are we getting close to the end. Lgs2013683024. Thanks for all you do ma.

VisaOfficer:


I'm not at liberty to discuss this in a public forum. We will be glad to speak with your stepmother in person.

VisaOfficer:
It's time for me to reiterate:
Please don't send me private messages -- I don't even read them.
If you need personal attention, please send an e-mail to LagosIV@state.gov.

bukolacole:
. Please can you give me your mail to drop for my stepmother so that she can mail you, or can you give me the mail address to the Embassy I learnt they take mails and responds well and timely and is there any means we can check our status by ourselves ma, next nine days is too much a time under this heavy pressure ma. Please help me ma, am very afraid of been denied ma.

justwise:

VisaOfficer:


I don't see an update in the case yet -- but generally a home visit is a big step closer to completion!

VisaOfficer:


And then this Visa Officer disappeared for a whole week... (sorry o)

No, there's no adverse consequence at all. You're free to stop your Diversity Visa application at any time, with no repercussions.

I think that if you choose to continue, the officer will be most interested in making sure that you really are married to each other NOW and that you did not omit any spouse and/or children who existed at the time of your original entry. But it's up to you. Whatever you choose, it won't affect any future visa applications.

Good luck to you!