Proof of bonafide marriage

[aui2010 0]

Hi, just wanted to ask if the proof of bonafide marriage (pictures, chat logs, emails and the rest) absolutely must be taken to the interview or are there specific cases when they ask you to bring the proof.

I have been married for two and a half years and have a 15 month old son...isnt that proof enough or do i have to take all the numerous printouts and dig in to old photo albums?

[msd 3]

It is very much advised to bring any proof that you have. That's all I can say. You're not going to be treated special because you have been married for longer and have a child. Especially considering you are/or your spouse is from Pakistan.

Good luck whatever you do!

[missads 59]

Hi, just wanted to ask if the proof of bonafide marriage (pictures, chat logs, emails and the rest) absolutely must be taken to the interview or are there specific cases when they ask you to bring the proof.

I have been married for two and a half years and have a 15 month old son...isnt that proof enough or do i have to take all the numerous printouts and dig in to old photo albums?

Might as well take some proof, not a good idea to mess with them. Take a few wedding photos with your & her family (10 maybe? don't need a huge album), phone logs to show that you two are in touch, and a marriage certificate. Also, you should take your son's birth certificate to "prove" that you two are the parents. They are not going to take your word for it

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Hi, just wanted to ask if the proof of bonafide marriage (pictures, chat logs, emails and the rest) absolutely must be taken to the interview or are there specific cases when they ask you to bring the proof.

I have been married for two and a half years and have a 15 month old son...isnt that proof enough or do i have to take all the numerous printouts and dig in to old photo albums?

Your son to them proves nothing more than you had sex one night. Fraudulent relationships can last for decades so length of the marriage means nothing either. You are dealing with a spouse in a high fraud area and taking too little to the interview or having too little in your filing will almost guarantee denial and a lengthy appeal process. They are assuming your relationship if fake until you prove to them otherwise and based on the area you are from the standard of proof is rather high. We had about 8 inches of proof and more than that in the initial filing and still had issues.

[IndigoSkies 168]

-dp-

Edited August 26, 2010 by IndigoSkies

[IndigoSkies 168]

All these over achievers have spoiled the Embassies by taking in more and more of their craps. Now those of us who want to do things by the book, as in take with us only the required documents, are left to take with us more of our craps that we don't want to. I for one am appalled that people actually share with the government personal conversation between husband and wife. I read a bit of news that one couple took their picture with them to the interview. That's fine except until you are told the picture is of them having sex. This is disgusting.

According to all of these visa sages, you should take your pictures, chat logs, etc. And you really should as this is what expected out of you. I probably will also but not without feeling sick to my stomach. People are so eager to give up their privacy and freedom.

[LotofPatience 65]

Hi, just wanted to ask if the proof of bonafide marriage (pictures, chat logs, emails and the rest) absolutely must be taken to the interview or are there specific cases when they ask you to bring the proof.

I have been married for two and a half years and have a 15 month old son...isnt that proof enough or do i have to take all the numerous printouts and dig in to old photo albums?

aui2010, your child in the wedlock is one of the biggest proof of bonafide marriage and is a good secondary evidence. You have your marriage certificate as primary evidence as well.

Just in case, you can have your wedding album, pictures together etc. and produce only if they ask.

Good luck to the upcoming interview and update us!

Loto

[TBoneTX 44,792]

All these over achievers have spoiled the Embassies by taking in more and more of their craps.

The "overachievers" are bringing their "craps" precisely in order to increase their chances of being granted the visa. Are you saying that this approach is wrong? Are you saying that they have equal chances to procure the visa if they bring less "craps"? Are you blithely dismissing the advice in dozens of VJ threads, stated over & over & over -- that "it's better to bring too much and not need it than to bring too little and be issued a 221g or be refused the visa outright"?

Now those of us who want to do things by the book

Who besides you? Name three others... or two, or one. (Didn't think so.) Whose "book," smart guy? Cite the official chapter, page, & sentences -- in this thread, right now.

take with us only the required documents, are left to take with us more of our craps that we don't want to.

And what exactly is "required," smart guy? Cite the official chapter, page, & sentences -- in this thread, right now. In your all-knowing reply, be sure to cover every spoken & unspoken requirement at every embassy & consulate around the world.

According to all of these visa sages, you should take your pictures, chat logs, etc.

These visa "sages" may indeed have saved hundreds of subsequent visa applicants from 221g hell or outright refusal of the visa. How many applicants have you saved with your sage advice? Quote the exact number, right now.

Congratulations for what is probably the new champion of irresponsible posts on VJ, si man.

[Anh map 2,098]

Proof of a bona fide relationship is your biggest asset. The adjudicating officer is not interested in the juicy photos or emails. They do want to see how your relationship has developed to the present day. Having a child together does not speak to the strength of your relationship. Showing how you incorporate that child into your lives adds more to your proof.

The theory that I subscribe to is that the interviewing officer can only evaluate what is presented to them. If you do not submit a piece of information, how can they know? Better to carry some extra folders to the interview and leave with an approval than to try and guess what might be important and leave with an RFE and a delay.

Best of luck.

[msd 3]

All these over achievers have spoiled the Embassies by taking in more and more of their craps.

Nobody is spoiling anybody.

Nobody is forcing you to bring things that can easily be produced if you are in a REAL marriage.

I'm not happy either that they want proof for something that is so obvious to me, but YOU want something from THEM. YOU have NO rights to demand anything. If you're the petitioner, then what I said goes for your spouse of course.

If you're not happy with that, you can always go and live in Bangladesh.

Edited August 26, 2010 by msd

[IndigoSkies 168]

And what exactly is "required," smart guy? Cite the official chapter, page, & sentences -- in this thread, right now. In your all-knowing reply, be sure to cover every spoken & unspoken requirement at every embassy & consulate around the world.

No. You show me a pink unicorn first.

[flustered 14]

No. You show me a pink unicorn first.

Geesh..grow up people...yall are acting like 5 yr olds

[ajigglin 0]

All these over achievers have spoiled the Embassies by taking in more and more of their craps. Now those of us who want to do things by the book, as in take with us only the required documents, are left to take with us more of our craps that we don't want to. I for one am appalled that people actually share with the government personal conversation between husband and wife. I read a bit of news that one couple took their picture with them to the interview. That's fine except until you are told the picture is of them having sex. This is disgusting.

According to all of these visa sages, you should take your pictures, chat logs, etc. And you really should as this is what expected out of you. I probably will also but not without feeling sick to my stomach. People are so eager to give up their privacy and freedom.

trust me, we are not dragging all of these documents by choice. nothing has pissed me off more during this process than having to print my personal and private conversations with my husband. it's a SERIOUS violation of privacy. however, i'm dealing with a-holes that judge me and my husband because of where we are from due to the behavior of a few. i also know that we want to be together, so i just suck it up and allow my privacy to be violated. it's horrible, but some of us have no choice. that's why we need immigration reform.

[jjbandero 39]

I was advised that pictures and emails do tell a story, but the IOs generally rely more on more "objective" documents, from third parties e.g. your insurance company, bank, 401k manager. So I took some pictures and emails, but I didn't volunteer them at all, in the end, all I submitted as additional evidence was a copy of the bank letter showing we had a joint account and our car insurance.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The amount of stuff you have to bring depends on the consulate you are dealing with. If you are from Canada you probably need a photo and a vague tale of having brunch together to get a visa while in some consulates you could take dirty bed sheet with full DNA analysis of the stains and gps data from the whereabouts of both parties for years, along with 6 pounds of telephone and chat logs and still have them hit you with a no bonafide relationship. In my case the first time through they denied us because our relationship wasn't bonafide based on my husbands inability to tell details of my classified work. He knows my degree and the company and the field I work in but they insisted he tell them details of my projects as proof of the relationship. If you choose to go into a high fraud consulate with only a copy of your wedding license that is up to you. Your chances for getting a visa will decline greatly and your time apart will increase.