jQuery validation engine using the “ajax[selector]” - jquery-validation-engine

Question

I have the following (multistep form) HTML:
<form id="myform">
<fieldset id="first_step">
<input type="text" name="register" placeholder="Αρ. Μητρώου" id="register" class="validate[required,custom[integer]]" />
<input type="text" name="email" placeholder="Πόλη" id="city" class="validate[required,ajax[email]]" />
<input type="button" name="next" class="next action-button" value="Επόμενο" id="next1" />
</fieldset>
<fieldset id="second_step">
....
....
....
</fieldset>
</form>
The instantiation js code plus logic (myform.js)
$(document).ready(function(){
var first_step = $("#first_step");
var second_step = $("#second_step");
$("#myform").validationEngine('attach', {
promptPosition : "centerRight",
scroll: false
});
$("#next1").on('click', function (e) {
e.preventDefault();
var valid = $("#myform").validationEngine('validate');
if (valid == true) {
second_step.show();
} else {
$("#ithemiscustomerform").validationEngine();
}
});
});
The rules “validationEngine-el.js”
(function($){
$.fn.validationEngineLanguage = function(){
};
$.validationEngineLanguage = {
newLang: function(){
$.validationEngineLanguage.allRules = {
"required": { // Add your regex rules here, you can take telephone as an example
"regex": "none",
"alertText": "* Υποχρεωτικό πεδίο",
"alertTextCheckboxMultiple": "* Παρακαλώ επιλέξτε",
"alertTextCheckboxe": "* Υποχρεωτικό πεδίο",
"alertTextDateRange": "* Και τα δύο πεδία ημ/νίας είναι υποχρεωτικά"
},
// --- CUSTOM RULES -- Those are specific to the demos, they can be removed or changed to your likings
"email": {
"url": "http://localhost/userformServer/validator.cfc?method=valEmail",
// you may want to pass extra data on the ajax call
//"extraData": "name=eric",
"alertText": "* Μη έγκυρο email",
"alertTextLoad": "* Παρακαλώ περιμένετε...",
"alertTextOk": "* Το eimail είναι διαθέσιμο"
},
"integer": {
"regex": /^[\-\+]?\d+$/,
"alertText": "* Μη έγκυρος ακέραιος"
}
};
}
};
$.validationEngineLanguage.newLang();
})(jQuery);
The problem
Remote validation works great for the “email” field “on blur” –while user completing the form. But when I click the “next1” button to move on the next fieldset (“second_step”) even if the email field is valid (remotely valid) the form doesn’t move to the next fieldset (see “myform.js” onclick). Specifically when I call “$("#myform").validationEngine('validate');” inside the click event it returns false. I think this occurs due the asynchronous nature of validation. Is there any workaround for this?