Need help on organizing information for interview

[VJ-Newbie 5]

Greetings all!

I'm new to the site and everything has been very helpful!

My fiance has his second interview in two weeks at the Ghana Consulate in which they have asked for more proof of our relationship. During the first interview, we organized all the documents with cover sheets and labeled tabs. The receptionist who took his documents said all "foreign matter" had to come out, so my fiance had to remove everything and handed a huge stack of papers over to them (the forms + evidentiary docs). After reading some of the posts, it sounds like other folks initially handed over the forms only (e.g. I-134) but kept the "proof documents" for the oral interview with the CO.

So, for the second interview I have a quick set of questions (I hope):

-How should we organize all of the documents for the interview in the Accra Consulate Office?

-Do you staple together multi-page docs, use paper clips, or nothing?

-How do you distinguish between the material?

-Also, how did you present docs where the original is something you want to keep? Did you give the Consulate photocopies and include a letter that your fiance has the originals with him for demonstration? From the first interview, the CO kept an original photo album I gave as a gift to my fiance and WE WANT IT BACK!

Can someone please advise? The more details the better.

Thanks so much!

VJ NEWBIE

[JustUs 3]

The key is to have it organized in a manner where your fiance can quickly pull out anything that is requested. You can separate your information into individual folders if there is a lot of information per section or use colored paper to separate everything. Consider a binder with tabs that identifies each section for your fiance's quick access. Don't give anything unless they ask for it. I'm not sure what you mean by originals - with the exception of forms that required original signatures. Everything else are copies - phone records, emails, even photos. I printed our photos on regular paper and had no problem. Regarding the photo album, tell your fiance to be sure to ask for it back at the end of the interview process.

Hang it there - I'm sure there or more ideas for you.

[ghanagal 2]

Do not staple the pages and maybe try putting everything together in one echo fastner. That is the advise my lawyer gave me as I am working on my rebuttal for my husbands CR1 visa denial. Good luck to you.

[midge and isi 8]

Ghanagal- are you saying no papers should be stapled together? What about paperclips?

[ghanagal 2]

I was told no staples by my lawyer for USCIS, I would not make it any more difficult for the people at the embassy, you will just make them mad!

[midge and isi 8]

Can any one who recently interviewed let us know if you used staples or paperclips and if it was an issue! Thanks!!!!

[Afrilaskan Queen 0]

Can any one who recently interviewed let us know if you used staples or paperclips and if it was an issue! Thanks!!!!

Hi,

I would definitely suggest no stamples, because when you hand them certain papers, even if they are papers that should be grouped together it is easier to thumb through them when they are not stuck together. I noticed our lawyer would send all loose papers (with tabs identifying), with a clip holding it all together, it's very easy to open but stays together.

There is a black/steel clip that fastens at the top of your pages (can hold a lot! or a little depending on the size). You usually fasten it at the top center, they can easily look through all pages but also open and take one out easy if they want to. I can't think of the name, you can find them in any office area store.

I also was trying to find a way for my hubby to have access to all the papers in a good order. Like I am wondering if anyone knows the order in which they ask for papers??? Tabs, simplicity, and you being able to find what you're looking for, I think that is most important.

I thought about creating separate binders, one for phone evidence, one binder for photos, one binder for affidavit of support, and one single folder for important docs like marriage certficate/birth certificate/and the forms you fill they might need. So I guess i would not use staples, but I cannot imagine paper clips are bad, if it works for you!

Does anyone else have a good suggestion?? I hope that helps.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Joseph used those expanding separated files . 2 ten pocket ones. Then he could put things in order, emails in one, pictures in one, phone records in one, copies of his papers , copies of my papers and so on.

[midge and isi 8]

I have folders with seperate information (in what seems like a logical order and seperation)- so would it be okay to use the binder clips (i think is what you are talking about!) at the top with no staples? I just feel things should be attached somehow!

Did you double side papers? Like I-134, DS-156 and so on....

Thanks!

[Afrilaskan Queen 0]

I have folders with seperate information (in what seems like a logical order and seperation)- so would it be okay to use the binder clips (i think is what you are talking about!) at the top with no staples? I just feel things should be attached somehow!

Did you double side papers? Like I-134, DS-156 and so on....

Thanks!

Hi there midge.mij,

I think you are going to be so organized! Your question about binder clips, great, but I would definately say no staples. I was trying to think about double side papers you are using (because I didn't use the same pages)... I would use the clips again, because then the papers can be looked at easily, one after another. I did not double side papers, because they would have to turn it around. It sounds funny but like Ghanagal said - it's like they don't want to fuss or something...lol.

Perhaps you're worried about certain papers that belong together being separated, am I right? I would use paper clips, no permanent holes in the original paper - sounds good to me.

Also like someone else said here, you want your SO to find the papers with ease, and the interviewer will not likely ask for more than one different paper at a time. All your ideas sound great!

I had to chuckle, I would defintely want my original photos back too!! One person indicated you could copy all your photos on color paper and not take in the originals. I sent originals and didn't get them back, so yes, definitely bring them along but unless they ASK for the originals I wouldn't hand them over.

Please, if anyone here on the site knows if using the non-original photos please let her know! I know our lawyer didn't use originals, but I will bring those just in case for our next interview.

Hope this is helpful.

[midge and isi 8]

Okay thanks. I just thought staples made sense- but i took them all out!!! Put them in binder clips. I am seeing my fiance in a few weeks so am bringing him everything so far and then will mail him some more closer to our interview date (when ever it might be!) but at least he has most if some miracal happens....

[taurean 0]

Hi,

I would definitely suggest no stamples, because when you hand them certain papers, even if they are papers that should be grouped together it is easier to thumb through them when they are not stuck together. I noticed our lawyer would send all loose papers (with tabs identifying), with a clip holding it all together, it's very easy to open but stays together.

There is a black/steel clip that fastens at the top of your pages (can hold a lot! or a little depending on the size). You usually fasten it at the top center, they can easily look through all pages but also open and take one out easy if they want to. I can't think of the name, you can find them in any office area store.

I also was trying to find a way for my hubby to have access to all the papers in a good order. Like I am wondering if anyone knows the order in which they ask for papers??? Tabs, simplicity, and you being able to find what you're looking for, I think that is most important.

I thought about creating separate binders, one for phone evidence, one binder for photos, one binder for affidavit of support, and one single folder for important docs like marriage certficate/birth certificate/and the forms you fill they might need. So I guess i would not use staples, but I cannot imagine paper clips are bad, if it works for you!

Does anyone else have a good suggestion?? I hope that helps.

It's been so long since we went through the visa interview process and we didn't go through Lagos, so I hope what I write here helps. I think on a first interview you are asked for different documents at different times. For example at the Embassy on the day of the interview, when your number is first called and you go to the window, one of the staff (not the CO) will ask for the birth certificate, police certificate, AOS, etc. Once all of the initial documents are provided then you took a seat and waited for the actual interview. And I guess at that point, the CO would ask for evidence of the relationship, e.g., phone bills, pictures, etc. As I said this was the process during our experience, but I assume it would be similar at most embassies.

I say all of that to say that it would be really helpful to have all the documents divided and tabbed so that they can be easily passed over to who ever needs them.