I want to marry a woman from the Philippines and bring her to the US on a fiancee visa for marriage. Advice?

I have met a woman from the Philippines on the internet. We've video chatted daily for quite a while now, exchanged email, photos and talked on the phone, -- we know a lot about each other. I am 66, retired, divorced with grown children. She is 53, also divorced with grown children. She holds a Masters in Public Administration and worked for 33 years as a government social worker. She will soon graduate with an RN degree -- her lifelong dream. Quite an intelligent woman. We want to marry, so I plan to travel to the Philippines for her Commencement, meet her family and friends, and give her a ring. After returning to the US, I'll file the necessary paperwork to bring her here on a fiancee visa for our wedding. She wants to work here in the medical field. We realize that love may be a gift, but marriage requires work and we are both up to the task. We would like any and all advice, pitfalls that we may encounter in the immigration process, or just comments or encouragement. Thank you.

Public Comments

1. well, 1st of all congratulations! everything sounds ok, although i might have to ask you to look into the circumstances regarding her "divorce." You see, there is no divorce law in the philippines. The closest to it would be a legal separation/annulment granted by the courts. If she is a Catholic and she got married in church, it's a very rare thing to be granted a divorce (in this country)by the Church, which has to come all the way from the Vatican. If you mean that she has been legally separated from her husband, there is no problem with a civil wedding, but a Church wedding may not be possible.
2. Check with the US Embassy in Manila to determine whether it would be more efficient to marry your fiancee in the Philippines and apply for a K-3 visa, or remain engaged and apply for a K-1 visa. Either method is acceptable.