visting the US first, or, just applying for a visa

Ok, first time post, so please bear with me.

I have been with My partner online for about a year now, (yes another online relationship.....)  Anyway, between us, we do not have a lot of money,  and as we all know visa's are not cheap.

Now after going round and round with official and non-official website, which I have to say make me feel like I am reading not only a foreign language, but backwards  (am I the only one who would like it in plain english)

I do remember reading somewhere that a visit was not required if it would cause hardship, but no real details on what that means.

As you can probably tell, we are just starting out, and any information on what course of action to take, would be greatly appreciated.

ohh

just a quicky, does anyone know how to get a countersignature for a passport, when your doctor will not sign it, and you do not know any professionals, let alone if they have a current british passport.

Thanks for help

from one very confused and stressed

It wasn't clear what sort of visa you were after, but if it's a fiance visa, yes you will need to have met in person, in the flesh, and within a decent interval before applying. 

Telling them that it's a hardship to meet this requirement would be a foolish thing to do because it hurts your evidence of financial solvency.

You can try for a waiver of the fee, but that's best handled through an advisor...

for a counter signature you can try the bank... but only if you are known by the bank manager who can sign for you...or if you go to church your minister may be able to sign as well...  otherwise i have no clue...  hope that helps

Generally the requirement that you have met is only waived if you're entering into an arranged marriage.  Otherwise, there's no real "hardship"....they won't let the requirement slide simply because you can't afford a plane ticket.  (And really, would you want to pay for a fiance' visa to marry someone you've never met?  Call me a cynic, but I want to meet face to face before I shell out close to $500 for anything!    )

As for obtaining a countersignature, I read somewhere on here that some lawyers will do it (usually for a fee) for the provisional driving license.  Maybe they'll do the same for a passport application?