My photo book was sent back to me!

[trailmix 77]

What I found out was that everything you send to USCIS, NVC doesn't get it all in the second stage. I had sent copies of birth certificates, marriage license, etc, to the USCIS, and then at the NVC stage they wanted all that from me again! I'm like didn't you get all the stuff, they're like no, we only really get your application and its approval, all documents need to be resent. So I'm realllllly hoping you have the originals for the interview and stuff. That's when all the letters, emails, pics come in handy... ESPECIALLY pics.

You send USCIS photocopies, NVC wants to see originals - two different animals.

[Minya's wife 24]

I did not send any photos to USCIS. I am also not sending any photos to NVC. The only stage where photos would be necessary are at interview.

Absolutely yes about the interview, but no - when it comes to USCIS. It says in I-130 instructions to send photos as a proof

I believe the instructions say photos as one of the "additional" proofs...not the 'primary' documents required w/ the petition.

[FinnLove 0]

Well, I'll be one of the "no photos guinea pigs!" They (USCIS) sent mine back, so they can't possible ask me for photos again!

The I-130 instructions don't even mention photos or anything specific. It reflects, "Any other relevant documentation to establish that there's an ongoing marital union" as a bona fide of the marriage. Actually, I bet most of us send stuff to show we have a relationship prior to the marriage, since we send in the I-130 so soon after marrying our loving foreigner!!! The only stuff I had proving we had an "ongoing marital union" were the pics of our wedding and our vacation in Finland (of course, in the photo book!) and some emails after our wedding. We just got married in July!!!!! The other evidence showed we had a relationship, and proved we had met in 1988.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at USCIS!

[Malrothien 6]

Well, I'll be one of the "no photos guinea pigs!" They (USCIS) sent mine back, so they can't possible ask me for photos again!

The I-130 instructions don't even mention photos or anything specific. It reflects, "Any other relevant documentation to establish that there's an ongoing marital union" as a bona fide of the marriage. Actually, I bet most of us send stuff to show we have a relationship prior to the marriage, since we send in the I-130 so soon after marrying our loving foreigner!!! The only stuff I had proving we had an "ongoing marital union" were the pics of our wedding and our vacation in Finland (of course, in the photo book!) and some emails after our wedding. We just got married in July!!!!! The other evidence showed we had a relationship, and proved we had met in 1988.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at USCIS!

Yep, I agree with the photos thing with newly married couples. We've been married for 3.5 years now, lol.

[trailmix 77]

Well, I'll be one of the "no photos guinea pigs!" They (USCIS) sent mine back, so they can't possible ask me for photos again!

The I-130 instructions don't even mention photos or anything specific. It reflects, "Any other relevant documentation to establish that there's an ongoing marital union" as a bona fide of the marriage. Actually, I bet most of us send stuff to show we have a relationship prior to the marriage, since we send in the I-130 so soon after marrying our loving foreigner!!! The only stuff I had proving we had an "ongoing marital union" were the pics of our wedding and our vacation in Finland (of course, in the photo book!) and some emails after our wedding. We just got married in July!!!!! The other evidence showed we had a relationship, and proved we had met in 1988.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at USCIS!

Yep, I agree with the photos thing with newly married couples. We've been married for 3.5 years now, lol.

Actually photos and emails don't prove anything - it's just one of those faux proof things

They know that and we know that - but oh well.

[Malrothien 6]

Well, I'll be one of the "no photos guinea pigs!" They (USCIS) sent mine back, so they can't possible ask me for photos again!

The I-130 instructions don't even mention photos or anything specific. It reflects, "Any other relevant documentation to establish that there's an ongoing marital union" as a bona fide of the marriage. Actually, I bet most of us send stuff to show we have a relationship prior to the marriage, since we send in the I-130 so soon after marrying our loving foreigner!!! The only stuff I had proving we had an "ongoing marital union" were the pics of our wedding and our vacation in Finland (of course, in the photo book!) and some emails after our wedding. We just got married in July!!!!! The other evidence showed we had a relationship, and proved we had met in 1988.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at USCIS!

Yep, I agree with the photos thing with newly married couples. We've been married for 3.5 years now, lol.

Actually photos and emails don't prove anything - it's just one of those faux proof things

They know that and we know that - but oh well.

Yeah, you are right. Photos can be faked, etc. Kinda silly that they're even included.

[FinnLove 0]

The cover of my photo book was a photo of my husband and me from 1988 in Sydney, Australia, and the second one was of us on a beach in Sydney at the same time. The only fake thing they'd notice was my blonde hair in the pic! But the fact that we were 21 1/2 years younger, and that one can tell it's still us...someone at USCIS would have had a good laugh over it!

Oh well...

[FinnLove 0]

I could go on and on about this stupid photo book issue, but here's what I learned today. I called USCIS to see if I could send in pictures since they sent all mine back (I assumed I couldn't because it wouldn't get matched up with the rest of my I-130 package, but wanted to make sure!). I asked the first guy, and he sent me to an "officer." This 2nd guy told me that I more than likely will get an RFE and that I'll need to send in photos...again! And he has no clue why someone sent the book back to me. How nutty is this? So now I'm going to get my timeline pushed back because some dingaling sent my super thin fancy photo book back, but kept my thick binders full of #######. And I can't send in photos alone, so I have to wait for my RFE. Does every USCIS operator give different answers or what???

Hey, I tried!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

May I remind everyone that this topic is in an Immigration Forum and many of the comments here are more appropriate in the OFF TOPIC forum. Please keep the off-topic comments out of the thread as they make access to the useful information in this thread difficult.

To the OP - the 1-800 line is 'affectionately' known as the "Misinformation Line". It is manned by call center employees, not Immigration Officers, and yes you can call 5 different times and get 5 different people and 5 different answers - and all 5 could be wrong.

[trailmix 77]

May I remind everyone that this topic is in an Immigration Forum and many of the comments here are more appropriate in the OFF TOPIC forum. Please keep the off-topic comments out of the thread as they make access to the useful information in this thread difficult.

Did I miss something kathryn?

Anyway Finn, I can see you are getting a bit stressed about it now, which is completely understandable - you ask if different operators give different answers - absolutely they do.

Really if you think about, when you call any business, it is not unlikely that you can get two people on the line and one will be very informed and helpful and the other will be completely uninformed and unhelpful. USCIS is the same and in fact probably worse because they have so many people working for them.

Anyway, don't worry about it too much. RFE's are given a lot of hype here on VJ, but if you look at it realistically it is really simply a request for more information - nothing horrible about that. Will it hold up your file a bit (if you even get one) - yes probably, but not for long.

Also, while they may not have the photos - you did send in all that other information - much more than most people send.

[FinnLove 0]

Thanks Trail!