Assembling the Interview Documents

[Manny&G 1]

Hello Everyone,

My fiance's interview date is just around the corner. We have gather most of our

documents (just waiting on the medical exam)and happy the date is coming soon.

One quick question i would like to ask the experts:

First, is there a thread on this site showining exmples of how to properly assemble the interview documents before they are handed over to the Consulate Officer.

Some forms and documents have more the one page, should i use staples, should i use paper clips, should i used a binder, or should i use a folder with fasteners?

Thanks in advance,

[Nik+Heather 121]

Make copies of any documents you wish to keep (birth certificates, etc) and paperclip the copy to the original. Organize and store all of the things on the checklist the embassy gives you at the front/top so you can get to them easily. You can do this in whatever manner you like, you'll hand bare papers to the person who takes them before the interview as they ask for them. Usually it goes like this (No particular order, as far as I know)

"Give me your birth certificate"

- You hand in birth certificate + photocopy attached.

"Give me your passport photos"

- You hand over your passport photos

...etc etc. So, you'll be digging around looking for these things, and they will request them as you go along. However you want to hold it all together is up to you. They'll take them in whatever order they feel like, and put them in your file.

As for the "extras" like copies of the forms you mailed in just in case they were lost, or relationship evidence, or whatever else you want to bring but isn't on the list, organize it similarly, but I kept it separate so I wouldn't be flustered and looking through a large stack for things I knew I would need like the affidavit of support.

[bluenoser77 0]

I got an accordion type file holder and individual file folders. I put each doc and copies in one file folder and labelled it. Just as Nik+Heather said, they ask in no certain order for your docs. Also, you might be nervous, so you should have some kind of system that makes it easy for you to thumb through quickly and locate each doc to hand over. I also had each document paper clipped if it was multiple pages and I separated the copies from the original. This worked really well for me. good luck!

[Bernie C 24]

We used two flexible binders.

In the binders I placed clear plastic sleeves.

In the front of the binder I had an index and the sections were all tabbed.

The first binder had all the technical documents.

The second binder had all our proof of relationship, photos, receipts, emails, chat logs, etc. This was all placed in chronological order.

The key is to be well organized so everything is identifed and easliy found.

Everyone has their preferences so you have to decide what makes the most sense for you.

I liked the plastic sleeves because it was easy to slide the documents out and put them back in if returned. I thought it was better than loose leaf since I was worried about having the stuff dropped and having papers flying all over the place!

[Manny&G 1]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

So, when the CO ask for a document (Birth Certificate, Divorce Decree, Police Certificate etc) my fiance will give him/her the original along with a photocopy, correct? Should we put a sticky note/label on the top or side of each document stating orinal or photocopy?

Thanks in advance,

[Manny&G 1]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

So, when the CO ask for a document (Birth Certificate, Divorce Decree, Police Certificate etc) my fiance will give him/her the original along with a photocopy, correct? Should we put a sticky note/label on the top or side of each document stating original or photocopy?

Thanks in advance,

[Nik+Heather 121]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

So, when the CO ask for a document (Birth Certificate, Divorce Decree, Police Certificate etc) my fiance will give him/her the original along with a photocopy, correct? Should we put a sticky note/label on the top or side of each document stating orinal or photocopy?

Thanks in advance,

Hopefully it is obvious which is which? We did regular black and white photo copies and usually the original is color. They examine the photocopy to ensure it's the same as the original, and give the originals back in a pile at the second part of the interview.