Letter of Intent

[Tee and Megan 10]

So ya'll wouldn't recommend including a "Statement" of sorts detailing our relationship since we met?

Our main proof is receipts from our trips and my plane tickets (As well as phone call logs, facebook conversations and Skype) But many of the receipts are in Khmer. Would any of you guys recommend translating them into English before submitting them? Many are quite clearly grocery receipts, but the hotel receipts are Khmer.

Also, if we need to translate them, do we have to hire a translator or could my fiance or one of his family members just translate them and sign at the bottom of the page of translation to state it is correct?

[G&O7 9]

I used the same format as found on this website...I just tweaked it a little bit ...

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

So ya'll wouldn't recommend including a "Statement" of sorts detailing our relationship since we met?

Our main proof is receipts from our trips and my plane tickets (As well as phone call logs, facebook conversations and Skype) But many of the receipts are in Khmer. Would any of you guys recommend translating them into English before submitting them? Many are quite clearly grocery receipts, but the hotel receipts are Khmer.

Also, if we need to translate them, do we have to hire a translator or could my fiance or one of his family members just translate them and sign at the bottom of the page of translation to state it is correct?

There is a difference between proof of relation and proof of having met within the 2 years prior to filing the I-129F. The requirement for the I-129F is to prove you met in person in those 2 years. Your main proof should be your passport stamps, boarding passes, hotel receipts from your visits, ATM receipts, and bank/credit card statements that show use while in the other country at the time of your visits.

The other evidence such as chat/call logs, screen shots and emails are to prove relationship. Most likely the person processing your I-129F petition will not bother to read/look at that stuff, as it is not required for the I-129F petition approval. Adding the relationship evidence is for 'front-loading' so the consulate already has proof of your bona fide relationship on hand. Those would be added so that the CO that receives your case for interview has already seen and looked through them. Since they are not really required for the I-129F, then you probably do not need to translate them.

Any document that is required with the I-129F though, such as a foreign fiance(e)'s divorce decree or proof of meeting, would need to be translated to English. Anyone fluent in both languages can do the translations. They just need to add this certification to the translated document > http://www.visajourney.com/content/translations

[Tee and Megan 10]

Thank you all so much! I feel much better now. The Proof of Relationship is what I was the most worried about. Have you had experience copying facebook chats? it seems so difficult. It won't let me just print them.

Anyway, thank you all so, so much.

[TBoneTX 45,090]

So ya'll wouldn't recommend including a "Statement" of sorts detailing our relationship since we met?

Because Cambodia is a high-fraud country, you would do very well to include a "relationship timeline" as front-loaded evidence with your I-129F petition. USCIS will not care about this, but the embassy certainly will.

Vietnam is on a par with Cambodia in terms of challenge. Go to the Vietnam regional forum (well down the list on the main forums page) and read what they do as far as constructing and providing a relationship timeline. If searching the forum doesn't yield specific answers, you might post a new topic there, with title "How Best to Construct a Relationship Timeline?" I'm confident that the very experienced members in that forum will rapidly advise you and refer you to appropriate threads/resources.

Your goal is to convince a highly suspicious stranger -- the consul at the embassy -- that your relationship is bona fide and worthy of his granting the K-1 visa. The consuls' minds are largely made up ahead of the actual interview, on the basis of what they see in the approved I-129F petition forwarded to them by USCIS. Be smart by anticipating this later phase, and it can pay off positively for you.

Edited January 8, 2014 by TBoneTX

[Tee and Megan 10]

Thank you TBoneTX! Does that include "declaration of meeting?" Or will that be evident in our passport stamps? I read on another post we are supposed to provide a "declaration of meeting."

[TBoneTX 45,090]

If a declaration of meeting seems to be required at your embassy (see "Embassy Info" and "Reviews: Embassy" for insights), include one. Otherwise, your passport stamps should suffice.

For clarity, the "relationship timeline" of above is separate from the "letter of intent." Use the VJ template for the letter of intent. Include a separate "relationship timeline" for the benefit of the consul who will later conduct the interview. See the Vietnam forum!

Over and out till tomorrow night.

[baron555 934]

Thank you TBoneTX! Does that include "declaration of meeting?" Or will that be evident in our passport stamps? I read on another post we are supposed to provide a "declaration of meeting."

Your declaration of meeting is the two sentences you use to answer question 18 on the 129f form.