The K-1 and CR-1 visas are the most commonly used by expats in the Philippines to bring their partners to the US. I was a fraud prevention officer for the US gov. I've reviewed 10,000 applications in my career. Besides the basic stuff like people trying to lie about their income or applications that just seemed like the guy was high when he did it, the biggest mistake I saw guys (and yes most I-129F petitioners are men) doing was not presenting their evidence properly.

When it comes to presenting your evidence it's too simple to just say quality over quantity. It's not like you can just slap in 2 'high quality' photos and expect your I-129F to be approved. You also shouldn't expect to pile on 1,000 crappy pictures of the same weekend and achieve a positive result either.

The key is selecting your evidence carefully and ensuring that it tells a cogent story. Your evidence should show a clear narrative: how you met, how your relationship developed, and how you’ve made a sincere effort to integrate each other into your lives. For example, include your chat history from when you first started talking (especially if you met online), document your first meeting, and add photos with her family and friends. The pictures should demonstrate a progression in your relationship, not just one event.

Keep in mind that ISOs typically only have 5-10 minutes to review each application. Before submitting, thumb through your evidence and ask yourself if it tells a clear, compelling story of your relationship.

Some final notes:

• K-1 visas are scrutinized more intensely than CR-1 visas.
• Every embassy does things a little differently, for example, the USE in Manila won't accept co-sponsors for k-1 visas
• Even having an arrest for domestic violence automatically spits your application into secondary review ie hospice