Proof of Meeting

[* Kristin * 49]

Following someone's post re. proof of having met in the last two years, has anyone been in a situation where you already live together abroad?

We've been living together since 2007, have our leases, etc. We have a joint bank account (since 2009).

Can anyone suggest other things (we have pictures, and letters from when we first met back in 2006) that we could include?

Bit tricky - we have an established life here in London so a bit out of touch as to what would be good!

Thx,

Kristin

[Gingerpants 8]

We're in the same situation, we've been living here in Dublin for the past year and lived together for a few months in America as well. For my proof I'm including:

-passport stamps (for both of us) my boarding pass from my flight to Dublin last year with a corresponding receipt

-a copy of my Irish work Visa card

-copies of leases from the two addresses we've lived in together since we moved

-a receipt from an online clothes purchase I made which has my name listed as the recipient and his as the card holder plus our address

-and three copies of addressed envelopes which lists both of our names on it

-32 pictures of us over the last two years

-and about two emails to each other (since our relationship isn't long distance we never really emailed)

Another idea I heard someone mention on here is to take a picture together holding up a newspaper with the date on it, or you could always go to your local priest and ask him to sign off on having seen you both together within the last two years.

Hope that helps (I'm pretty new at this as well)!

Cheers!

[* Kristin * 49]

Thanks for the suggestions - it's good to know that there are others out there who aren't doing it all long distance! I really like the idea of the newspaper and photo - if I only would have thought of that right when we'd met

We're in the same situation, we've been living here in Dublin for the past year and lived together for a few months in America as well. For my proof I'm including:

-passport stamps (for both of us) my boarding pass from my flight to Dublin last year with a corresponding receipt

-a copy of my Irish work Visa card

-copies of leases from the two addresses we've lived in together since we moved

-a receipt from an online clothes purchase I made which has my name listed as the recipient and his as the card holder plus our address

-and three copies of addressed envelopes which lists both of our names on it

-32 pictures of us over the last two years

-and about two emails to each other (since our relationship isn't long distance we never really emailed)

Another idea I heard someone mention on here is to take a picture together holding up a newspaper with the date on it, or you could always go to your local priest and ask him to sign off on having seen you both together within the last two years.

Hope that helps (I'm pretty new at this as well)!

Cheers!

[marlea 84]

All you really need are some pictures. If you have a copy of your lease, that would work too. You don't have to make it explicit, i.e. taking a photograph with a dated newspaper. As long as you have something that proves that you have been in the same place at the same time at some point in the past two years, that's enough.

Considering that we are talking about the embassy in London, they aren't super picky. And USCIS will be happy with just 3 or 4 pictures and some passport stamps or boarding passes. If you have been in London the entire 2 years and don't have entry stamps, your visa from your passport into the UK would be sufficient.

[* Kristin * 49]

Awesome We sent our package in on 30th August... let's hope everything goes nice and speedy!

(I did has passport stamps from my initial visits to the UK in 2006 <when we met> and 2007 <before I moved>)

[JlovesA 109]

All you really need are some pictures.

That isn't true, actually. Photographs are considered secondary evidence as they can be man-made. People on this board have been given RFE's for only including photos as proof of meeting.

[marlea 84]

That isn't true, actually. Photographs are considered secondary evidence as they can be man-made. People on this board have been given RFE's for only including photos as proof of meeting.

True, but you are misreading what I intended. I didn't mean to imply that the only evidence they needed were pictures, but that only a few pictures were needed, not boatloads. Someone else said they included 32, which I think is too many for a case in western Europe. I also think that taking a photo with a newspaper is silly. What I meant was that a few photos would be just fine for the photo requirement, not that photos were the only evidence they needed. That's why I also said a copy of the lease, passport stamps or boarding passes would be good evidence to send along.

Edited September 1, 2010 by marlea

[Amyyduck 20]

Kristin and Gingerpants,

You guys are so lucky that you don't have to spend the wait time separated and alone! I'm super jealous!

But I wish you guys both speedy NOA2's! And Kristin, feel free to stop by and say hello in the August filers thread!

[Gingerpants 8]

Kristin and Gingerpants,

You guys are so lucky that you don't have to spend the wait time separated and alone! I'm super jealous!

I can't even imagine how difficult it must be for you and everyone else that has to be away from your partner for months at a time!

The waiting is still incredibly aggravating but that's mainly because we've temporarily moved in with my future mother in-law until he gets his visa. So I often have to remind myself how lucky we are to not have be apart.

But I wish you guys both speedy NOA2's! And Kristin, feel free to stop by and say hello in the August filers thread!

Thank you! Hopefully you'll receive yours quickly as well

[JlovesA 109]

True, but you are misreading what I intended. I didn't mean to imply that the only evidence they needed were pictures, but that only a few pictures were needed, not boatloads. Someone else said they included 32, which I think is too many for a case in western Europe. I also think that taking a photo with a newspaper is silly. What I meant was that a few photos would be just fine for the photo requirement, not that photos were the only evidence they needed. That's why I also said a copy of the lease, passport stamps or boarding passes would be good evidence to send along.

Oh okay, gotcha. I did misunderstand what you were saying, sorry. I agree with you...some people send way more stuff than actually is required.

[Aztec&Taino 144]

I think the idea of taking a picture with your sweetie while holding a newspaper is a good one (I wish I had done it). I hope you don't mind my asking, but why wouldn't people who are actually living together in the beneficiary's country (in other words, not being forced by the horrible separation that most of us have to live with) marry and then file for a I-130 and the I-129 F? I would think it the better deal because the beneficiary would enter the country as a permanent resident and would have work authorization right away...

[bobby_kvisa 7]

Taking a photo holding the newspaper is a nice idea - but very hard to execute. How are you going to show the date of the newspaper, name of the newspaper and the couple in the same photo. Imagine communicating this to someone with a point-and-shoot camera !

It is very hard to do the date is usually so small - and all you can make out is that the couple is holding a newspaper and smiling. Maybe the headline as well. That's about it.

Another idea is just to collect some pictures from various occasions - possibly with other people present or representing something important in your relationship.

Really they don't have to be special photos at all - as long both of you are together and clearly identifiable.

Edited September 1, 2010 by bobby_kvisa

[marlea 84]

I think the idea of taking a picture with your sweetie while holding a newspaper is a good one (I wish I had done it).

As someone else pointed out, how are you going to get the date on the newspaper and the people all in one photo? That's hard to do. And if photos are only considered secondary evidence because they are able to be doctored, holding a newspaper doesn't prove anything. You can add or change anything in a photo. It's not necessary to take a special photo with a newspaper as it wouldn't be able to serve as primary evidence. You would STILL need boarding passes or passport stamps to prove you were in the same place at the same time. So why go to the trouble of taking such a photo when there is no purpose behind it and it's impossible to do right anyway?

[MsNaNa 0]

After reading this I have a question...

If I have pictures of the two of us together and boarding passes/itineraries is that enough? What is considered Primary? I know many people suggest the passport copies which will show how many times I've gone to visit. Is that enough in all for USCIS' two year meeting requirement?

[Penny Lane 8,159]

After reading this I have a question...

If I have pictures of the two of us together and boarding passes/itineraries is that enough? What is considered Primary? I know many people suggest the passport copies which will show how many times I've gone to visit. Is that enough in all for USCIS' two year meeting requirement?

Yes, that's enough. Boarding passes and passport stamps are considered primary. Photos are secondary.