IMBRA Law - International Marriage Broker Regulation Act 2005
United States IMBRA Law
The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 (IMBRA) is a controversial United States federal statute that requires background checks of all US Citizens/Legal Residents who are petitioning for a US Fiancee or US Spouse Visa and puts limits on serial visa applications, two (2) applications per a two (2) year period. Additionally, the law requires background checks of US Citizens/Legal Residents wanting to receive personal contact information from Foreign Nationals for communication purposes.
IMBRA defines an International Marriage Broker (IBM)" as any US based or Non-US based corporation, partnership, business, individual, or other legal entity,
whether or not organized under any law of the United States, that charges fees for providing dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services, or social referrals between United States Citizens/Legal Residents and Foreign Nationals by providing personal contact information or otherwise facilitating communication between the US Citizen/Legal Resident and the Foreign National.


Pacific Island Tours is in compliance with the above guidelines and will continue to do so. This ensures that any US Citizen/Legal Resident that comes to the Philippines to meet Filipino Women will not have any problems later when trying to apply for a US Fiancee or US Spouse Visa.
As a US Citizen/Legal Resident, you must know US IMBRA Law requirements and how it pertains to you when using our services. US Embassies are asking for this information when applying for a US Fiancee and Marriage Visa and if you met your Fiancee or Spouse through an International Marriage Broker, then you must let US Immigration know of that fact by answering 'Yes' to question 19 on the visa application (Form I-129F). We can assist you with all this as we offer full complete visa processing assistance at very low prices. (see our "Visa Services" page)
In compliance with the Violence Against Women and the Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 H.R. 3402, which contains the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 (IMBRA), the following is a precondition before you can receive specific services provided by Pacific Island Tours. This law applies only to Members who live in the USA or USA Citizen who plan to meet and marry a Foreign National Member and apply for a K-1 or K-3 (CR-1) visa to bring the Foreign National Member to the USA. While Pacific Island Tours considers itself a social networking site and does not consider itself an International Marriage Broker, it may be considered as such by the language found in IMBRA.
All Members subject to IMBRA that use our services agree to the provisions of IMBRA. Any attempt to circumvent the information notification and release provisions of IMBRA, is a violation of the Act. Each Member of our site agrees to assume full responsibility personally and to indemnify and hold harmless Pacific Island Tours from any criminal or civil liability associated with such acts or attempts.
Members who reside in the United States or who are United States citizens, that become interested in obtaining the personal contact information or in arranging in-person meetings with Foreign National Members through us are prohibited from having any direct communication with those Foreign National Members until full compliance with the IMBRA information notification and release provisions have been fulfilled.
For our purpose, the term Foreign National Member refers to men or women who list their profiles on our website, reside outside the United States, and are not United States citizens. Pacific Island Tours will not assist with or in any other way facilitate arrangements pertaining to the exchange of personal contact information unless IMBRA rules and regulations have been satisfied whether by us or by an independent reporting agency.
Pacific Island Tours or an Independent Reporting Agency can provide all the services necessary to comply with the background information notification and release requirements of the IMBRA, which, in compliance with the law, are prerequisites to facilitating the exchange of personal contact information and/or in-person meetings with Foreign National Members who use our Services. If a member wishes to provide that information to Pacific Island Tours, the member will automatically become a Certified Member and Pacific Island Tours will retain the information and release it to the appropriate agency as requested. Members can allow Pacific Island Tours or an Independent Reporting Agency to:
• Forward a completed Client Information Form to the Foreign National Member, translate the background information contained and forward it to the Foreign National Member.
• Secure the Foreign National Member's signed release, only if, after reviewing the Client Information Form, the Foreign National Member agrees to meet with the Member and/or authorizes the disclosure of their personal contact information to the Member.
• Facilitate the exchange of personal contact information and/or provide travel services in compliance with IMBRA regulations, so, should the Member and Foreign National Member decide to apply for a USA K-1 visa or pursue any country's immigration options in the future, the potential obstacles to the process are mitigated to the greatest extent possible.
Pacific Island Tours recommends that Members subject to the IMBRA submit background information if they are serious about finding a woman to marry. Pacific Island Tours assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regards to the acquisition of any visa, immigration status, or other desired immigration objective, that may or may not be affected by a Member's or Foreign National Member's participation in our Services. Pacific Island Tours has no liability whatsoever and shall be held harmless by all Members against any liability with regard to any and all immigration matters that may or may not be affected by their use of the Services provided.
US Immigration on IMBRA
When you to go to the US government's website regarding K-1 and K-3 (CR-1) visas, it has the following statement about IMBRA:
"Detailed information about the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) of 2005 petition requirements are shown in the new Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancee(e) instructions."
You can download the Form I-129F and the Instructions for Form I-129 from their Web site. The instructions in Sections 6 and 9 contain information IMBRA.
The form asks: "Did you meet your Fiancee through an International Marriage Broker?" The definition of an International Marriage Broker is detailed in their instruction form. Pacific Island Tours requires that anyone using our service complies with IMBRA. This also applies to anyone who wants the personal contact information of a Foreign National Member. It is important to note that at no time does Pacific Island Tours provide personal contact information to either party. Romance Tour introductions only take place in public areas. Pacific Island Tours leaves it up to each party to decide if they would like to exchange personal contact information.
The following are questions that would subject members to IMBRA.
Are you a US Citizen?
Do you reside in the USA?
Did you meet your Fiancee / Spouse through an International Marriage Broker?
If yes, what is the name and address of the International Marriage Broker?
Are you married?
Are you divorced? If divorced, how many times?
Do you have minor Children? If yes, how many.
Have you ever previously sponsored a Foreign National Member for a K-1 or K-3 (CR-1) Visa?
Have you applied for a K-1 or K-3 (CR-1) Visa within the last two years?
Have you been convicted of a crime, a violent crime, domestic violence or a sex crime?
In what states have you resided since the age of 18?
Was the person you are applying the visa provided the above information and provided with information on her/his rights and protection from domestic violence?
Whether you meet anyone in from this website, on another site or through other means and apply for a K-1 or K-3 (CR-1) Visa to sponsor a Foreign National, you may be asked to provide the information listed above.
Also, a positive response does not necessarily prevent you from obtaining a K-1 or K-3 (CR-1) Visa since there are provisions of waiver. Pacific Island Tours does not provide Personal Contact Information for any member and each member is reminded that this site prohibits posting or publishing you Personal Contact Information.
In summary, US IMBRA Law requires that a US Citizen/Legal Resident discloses all past criminal history, visa petition history, marital and divorce history, ages of children under age 18, and residence history since the age of 18 to the Foreign National before making personal contact with the Foreign National. Failure to demonstrate that your Fiancee or Spouse received this information and made fully aware of your background prior to first personal contact may lead to refusal of any visa and any further visa applications.
Full Text of the Violence Against Women and the Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 H.R. 3402 including the US IMBRA Law can be found here: International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005.


The definition of the law exempts non-profit religious or cultural matchmaking services, and dating services that do not match US Citizens/Legal Residents with Foreign Nationals as their principal business and that charge comparable rates and offer comparable services to all clients, regardless of gender or country of citizenship.
US IMBRA LAW was put in place to try to protect Foreign Nationals from being victims of abuse by US Citizens/Legal Residents who are registered sex offenders and/or have criminal records.
Critics of the US IMBRA Law contend that its purpose to protect foreign woman depends on the honesty of the US client when revealing criminal history to the IBM and that there is really no background check performed by the IBM other checking the sex offender database and receiving a signed statement of no criminal history. Critics state that a US client who has a history may simply lie and fail to report it to
IMBRA LAW further states that any IMB agency or dating service which primarily facilitates international contact between US Citizens/Legal Residents and Foreign Nationals for profit must perform the following before any contact is made:
A. To conduct a background check of the US Citizen/Legal Resident in the State and National Sex Offenders Database. (NSOPR.gov)
B. To ask the US Citizen/Legal Resident a list of mandated questions about their marital and criminal background. Background information is to be signed and certified by the US Citizen/Legal Resident that attests to the following personal information:
the IMB. Also critics state that there has never been a single documented case or conviction of a US Citizen/Legal Resident abusing a Foreign National before marriage who has used an International Marriage Broker or Matchmaking Service.
In order to comply with US IMBRA Law, all men from the United States will be required to complete a questionnaire similar to the one below before being introduced or given personal contact information with any Filipino Women. This questionnaire will need to signed, dated and returned to us.
Note: If you answer “Yes” to any of the questions, you will need to provide detailed information and any applicable supporting documents.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION UNDER INTERNATIONAL MARRIAGE BROKER REGULATION ACT 2005
Full Name: ______________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________
City: _____________________ State: ___________ Zip Code: ______________
Home Phone: ____________________________________________________
Cell Phone: ______________________________________________________
Email: _____________________________ Date of Birth: __________________
(I) IS THERE: Any temporary or permanent civil protection order or restraining order issued against you?
Yes:_______ No:___________
(II) IS THERE: Any Federal, State, or local arrest or conviction toward you for homicide, murder, manslaughter, assault, battery, domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, sexual exploitation, incest, child abuse or neglect, torture, trafficking, peonage, holding hostage, involuntary servitude, slave trade, kidnapping, abduction, unlawful criminal restraint, false imprisonment, or stalking?
Yes:_______ NO:___________
(III) IS THERE: Any Federal, State, or local arrest or conviction toward you for:
(i) solely, principally, or incidentally engaging in prostitution; and/or
(ii) a direct or indirect attempt to procure prostitutes or persons for the purpose of prostitution; and/or
(iii) receiving, in whole or in part, of the proceeds of prostitution?
Yes:_______ No:___________
(IV) IS THERE: Any Federal, State, or local arrest or conviction toward you for offenses related to controlled substances or alcohol?
Yes:_______ No:___________
(V) Provide marital history, including whether you are currently married, have previously been married and how many times, how those previous marriages were terminated and the date of termination, and whether you have previously sponsored a Foreign National to whom you were engaged or married. (provide details)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
(VI) The ages of any of your children who are under the age of 18. _______________________________
(VII) All States and Countries in which you have resided since 18 years of age.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
SIGNATURE AND DATE
I ____________________________________, CERTIFY AND ATTEST, under penalty of perjury and false statement, that my above marital and criminal background information is true and complete. I give permission to release this information to all interested Foreign Nationals. I have provided additional supporting documentation to all questions answered with ‘Yes’ above. I hereby WAIVE ANY PRIVACY RIGHTS FROM THE RELEASE OF THIS INFORMATION. I ALSO HEREBY RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS AND FOREVER DISCHARGE PACIFIC ISLAND TOURS AND ANY OF ITS ASSOCIATED ENTITIES FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITIES arising from my release of this information and of its use.
Signature: ___________________________________________
Date: ___________________
Disclaimer: Pacific Island Tours is not a law firm nor does it claim to be. Owners and Staff are not Attorneys. We specialize in performing Romance Tours and Visa processing for the US Fiancee and US Spouse Visa. We do not give legal advice. Any advice from us should be considered an opinion and not legal advice. If you need legal advice, we encourage you to seek the advice of a registered Attorney.
C. To request the US Citizen/Legal Resident to provide court records, police reports, etc for any conviction or arrest, specified in the mandated questions listed above.
D. To translate items B and C above into the primary language spoken by the Foreign National that the US Citizen/Legal Resident wants to communicate with and present it to the Foreign National.
E. To present to the Foreign National a pamphlet about 'Domestic Violence and Abuse' translated into the individuals primary language. Example shown at http://www.abanet.org/publiced/domviol.pdf
F. To ask the Foreign National to sign a statement, also in the individual's primary language, stating consent to allow the US Citizen/Legal Resident to make contact.
| 1. |
Any temporary or permanent civil protection order or restraining order issued against the US Citizen/Legal Resident. |
| 2. |
Any Federal, State, or local arrest or conviction of the US Citizen/Legal Resident for homicide, murder, man-slaughter, assault, battery, domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, sexual exploitation, incest, child abuse or neglect, torture, trafficking, peonage, holding hostage, involuntary servitude, slave trade, kidnapping, abduction, unlawful criminal restraint, false imprisonment, or stalking. |
| 3. |
Any Federal, State, or local arrest or conviction of the US Citizen/Legal Resident for solely, principally, or incidentally engaging in prostitution; a direct or indirect attempt to procure prostitutes or persons for the purpose of prostitution; or receiving, in whole or in part, of the proceeds of prostitution. |
| 4. |
Any Federal, State, or local arrest or conviction of the US Citizen/Legal Resident for offenses related to controlled substances or alcohol. |
| 5. |
Marital history of the US Citizen/Legal Resident, including whether the US Citizen/Legal Resident is currently married, whether the US Citizen/Legal Resident has previously been married and how many times, how previous marriages were terminated and the date of termination, and whether the US Citizen/Legal Resident has previously sponsored a Foreign National to whom the US Citizen/Legal Resident was engaged or married. |
| 6. |
The ages of any of the US Citizen/Legal Resident’s children who are under the age of 18. |
| 7. |
All States and Countries in which the US Citizen/Legal Resident has resided since 18 years of age. |
United States IMBRA Law Definition
United States IMBRA Law Guidelines
United States IMBRA Law Compliance
United States IMBRA Law Questionnaire
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