RFE'd

[KnightAndMagpie 7]

I got RFE'd for an initial evidence request on my I-129F guys. It is asking me for more info regarding the circumstnces under which my financee and I met to establish our relationship. I'm assuming this is asking me how we both met for the first time? I had put on my documentation that my fiancee and I had met over the internet, but apparently that wasn't enough. Given that, I'm thinking the good ol' boys and girls at USCIS are leery of me possibly having met my fiancee through a mail-away-bride or internet dating site. I in fact met her through World of Warcraft and to that end I've made some copies of some credit card statements outlining the months through which I met her up til my termination of playing WoW - and I have explained in my letter that this is how we met. Is this sufficient, and is this what they were wanting?

I was also hit for an RFE of our last meeting. I had initially included a few ticket stubs and a couple pictures of my fiancee and I standing on a bridge over the River Thames. Having read another thread here on VJ though, I came across the info that this wasn't enough: it only showed that I bought the tickets, not that I actually went anywhere (which is silly since even though I'm missing a stub or two it still clearly says I left on 3-12 and came back on 8-12) - I'm also going to print my itenerary from back then, a ring receipt I've got, and some transcripts of MSN chats I've had with my girl leading up to the day I left, as well as an e-mail I sent to my mom while there telling her how everything is. My mom suggested she would also write a letter confirming I left and would have it notorized, and my fiancee is intending to scan in some of her phone bill receipts. Finally, I took my passport showing my actual departure and return, and scanned in the entire thing, cover to cover.

Is this / would this all be enough, or should I include even more / less?

PS should I add more pictures of me and my fiancee?

Thanks for reading my wall of text!

-Knight

Edited August 30, 2008 by KnightAndMagpie

[ray77755 0]

When I sent my I-129 all I sent was a copy of my passport and 4 pictures of us together and I passed. I never saved hotel receipts or ticket.

[TBoneTX 46,276]

Your experience justifies the wisdom of including SOME (not an overwhelming amount, but some) "proof of relationship" with an I-129F filing. Doing so at this stage can be worth its weight in gold when our files progress to the consular level. You're at a comparatively "easy" embassy (or it reputedly has been, so far), but attitudes and protocols can change at any consulate, at any time and without any warning. This RFE from USCIS, although a pain and a delay now, could pay off handsomely at the time of your interview, because you're providing evidence of your relationship that the embassy cannot choose to ignore when they eventually receive your file.

Your ideas are all sound, and you should be able to overcome this RFE with ease. Be sure to document the dickens out of your relationship from this point forward, including the saving of boarding passes, luggage receipts from your airline travels, and any "joint" receipts that you can procure when you're together in the future.

[Otto 83]

I got RFE'd for an initial evidence request on my I-129F guys. It is asking me for more info regarding the circumstnces under which my financee and I met to establish our relationship. I'm assuming this is asking me how we both met for the first time? I had put on my documentation that my fiancee and I had met over the internet, but apparently that wasn't enough. Given that, I'm thinking the good ol' boys and girls at USCIS are leery of me possibly having met my fiancee through a mail-away-bride or internet dating site. I in fact met her through World of Warcraft and to that end I've made some copies of some credit card statements outlining the months through which I met her up til my termination of playing WoW - and I have explained in my letter that this is how we met. Is this sufficient, and is this what they were wanting?

I was also hit for an RFE of our last meeting. I had initially included a few ticket stubs and a couple pictures of my fiancee and I standing on a bridge over the River Thames. Having read another thread here on VJ though, I came across the info that this wasn't enough: it only showed that I bought the tickets, not that I actually went anywhere (which is silly since even though I'm missing a stub or two it still clearly says I left on 3-12 and came back on 8-12) - I'm also going to print my itenerary from back then, a ring receipt I've got, and some transcripts of MSN chats I've had with my girl leading up to the day I left, as well as an e-mail I sent to my mom while there telling her how everything is. My mom suggested she would also write a letter confirming I left and would have it notorized, and my fiancee is intending to scan in some of her phone bill receipts. Finally, I took my passport showing my actual departure and return, and scanned in the entire thing, cover to cover.

Is this / would this all be enough, or should I include even more / less?

PS should I add more pictures of me and my fiancee?

Thanks for reading my wall of text!

-Knight

Believe it or not, unless a couple was introduced through circumstances that involve IMBRA, USCIS doesn't necessarily want to know how anyone met for the first time - they want to see proof that you have met In Person (face to face). This means (for most of us) flight information (stubs etc) passport stamps, hotel/rental car bills, and the like. Photos are ok, but they are purely secondary proof (meaning you can send all the pictures you want, but if you cant prove you went somewhere, they wont count for much).

It's a common mistake to assume they want to know how you first met - when it's the IN PERSON aspect they're concerned about.

The guides give some really useful tips to help those that read the OP's topic.

[KnightAndMagpie 7]

So does that mean that my passport is my most solid bet? That's all I can really think of that would really and truly show them that I did go anywhere at all, yes? I didn't have any paparrazi storming around me when I embraced my fiancee for the first time to have proof through the media or anything

And should I still go ahead and submit the other things I mentioned just to have the evidence (regardless of it being primary or secondary)? The more proof the better, right? Don't worry, I don't intend to swamp them, but I am trying to find the most relevant pieces of stuff I can. Would this irritate them?

Edited August 30, 2008 by KnightAndMagpie

[richo 0]

So does that mean that my passport is my most solid bet? That's all I can really think of that would really and truly show them that I did go anywhere at all, yes? I didn't have any paparrazi storming around me when I embraced my fiancee for the first time to have proof through the media or anything

And should I still go ahead and submit the other things I mentioned just to have the evidence (regardless of it being primary or secondary)? The more proof the better, right? Don't worry, I don't intend to swamp them, but I am trying to find the most relevant pieces of stuff I can. Would this irritate them?

At least it will be more evidence...just try to organize it, put a cover letter and state everything that you included in the letter and include the original NOtice for RFE and make copies for you..good luck

[TBoneTX 46,276]

And should I still go ahead and submit the other things I mentioned just to have the evidence (regardless of it being primary or secondary)? The more proof the better, right? Don't worry, I don't intend to swamp them, but I am trying to find the most relevant pieces of stuff I can. Would this irritate them?

Send copies of all pages of your passport, sure. Send other proof that would more-than-convince a reasonable person. Do not EVER worry about "irritating" USCIS regarding what you send -- your goal is to pass the consular interview, and the consulate cannot ignore what you've included in the I-129F submission that USCIS (DHS) has reviewed.

[pushbrk 13,172]

It's helpful if you provide the actual wording of any RFE, instead of your interpretation thereof but it sounds like you were confused about the meaning of the following in section five of the I-129F instructions.

A. Provide copies of evidence that you and your fiancé(e)have personally met within the last two years;

Primary evidence is boarding passes and passport stamps. In this context "meeting" is "in person".

[Cassie 8]

It's a common mistake to assume they want to know how you first met - when it's the IN PERSON aspect they're concerned about.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. There have been many times when people have been RFE'd for not explaining how they first started their relationship, especially people who met online. Seems like the OP has now joined the list! With that being said, one does not have to write a lot about it, they just have to indicate when and how they first came in contact with each other.

For example, my explanation went something like this:

"We initially met in late January 2004 online, in a chatroom on a Christian website. After many conversations online and over the phone, we decided to meet in person and Jerry came to Nova Scotia in April 2004." etc etc etc. And then we provided evidence that backed up what we wrote in the statement.

to Knight: think of your petition (and now your response to the RFE) as a puzzle, one that when all the pieces are put together give an accurate picture of your relationship and answers the following questions: "Have they met in person in the past 2 years?" "Do they show a legitimate ongoing relationship?" -- although this question will be more critical during the consular phase, you still need to include a smidgen of that kind of evidence in the initial package.

To bolster your argument that you met in person:

--definitely include the passport

--if you have any credit card statements that show you spent money on your trip, highlight those and include it

--the email you sent your mom is ok to include

--boarding passes prove that you actually used the tickets, do you have those?

--pictures of the two of you together, particularly if you are standing in front of landmarks

--the emails between the two of you before the trip (a sample) that specifically talk about the trip would be fine

I would also include a brief explanation stating that you met online playing WoW, when that happened, and approximately when the relationship changed from online gaming buddies to something more romantic.

Best wishes to you!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I got RFE'd for an initial evidence request on my I-129F guys. It is asking me for more info regarding the circumstnces under which my financee and I met to establish our relationship. I'm assuming this is asking me how we both met for the first time? I had put on my documentation that my fiancee and I had met over the internet, but apparently that wasn't enough

It sounds like they wanted a little more for Question 18. If you just put "met on the internet" then they probably wanted a few details explained like: "We met on an internet gaming site called _____ in July 2007. We played a game called WoW. In August 2007, I flew to meet her in person. We have met in person a total of seven times. When she came to visit me in March 2008, I proposed to her. We communicate daily using instant messenger and Skype."

That way they have a short story to know it wasn't a dating site and how the relationship came to be. That's just my guess of what you should send back, along with passport stamps, itineraries receipts...whatever you have. If she can send copies of her passport stamps as well, then you show the meetings. I even wrote on the photocopies blank area---London Gatwick Aug 25, 2008. Some of those stamps are too blurred.

Edit: Cassie types faster than me. Sorry to repeat her sentiments.

Edited September 1, 2008 by Nich-Nick