Question for those who have approved Visa's or greencards.

[Mike&Cherry 45]

Hello Everyone,

How are you doing? I was wondering what type of photographic evidence the Manila consulate prefers? Is it ok to use a digital camera and have the photos printed at a Kodak printing station or to use an old fashioned film camera. The only cheep ones I can find these days are throw away cameras. Also is it neccesary to set up the digital camera to have the date stamped on the front of the photo? (unfortunately my digital cam does not have that feature). Is it sufficent to write the date the and case info on the back of the photos instead. Are photos that are printed on plane white printer paper accepted?

I'm going to the Philippines to be with my fiance Cherry in 26 days and I'm so excited. When I come back I will have tons of evidence to send in for the K-1 visa petition. We were originally going for the CR-1, but decided that the K-1 would suit us better. I was wondering what everyone else's experiences have been with the photographic evidence; especially with those who have approved visa's or who are green card holders through the K-1 or CR-1/IR-1 visa process. Thanks in advance for your help.

Mike

[wilgrace 3]

Hello Everyone,

How are you doing? I was wondering what type of photographic evidence the Manila consulate prefers? Is it ok to use a digital camera and have the photos printed at a Kodak printing station or to use an old fashioned film camera. The only cheep ones I can find these days are throw away cameras. Also is it neccesary to set up the digital camera to have the date stamped on the front of the photo? (unfortunately my digital cam does not have that feature). Is it sufficent to write the date the and case info on the back of the photos instead. Are photos that are printed on plane white printer paper accepted?

I'm going to the Philippines to be with my fiance Cherry in 26 days and I'm so excited. When I come back I will have tons of evidence to send in for the K-1 visa petition. We were originally going for the CR-1, but decided that the K-1 would suit us better. I was wondering what everyone else's experiences have been with the photographic evidence; especially with those who have approved visa's or who are green card holders through the K-1 or CR-1/IR-1 visa process. Thanks in advance for your help.

Mike

USCIS....NVC....Philippines consulate.... doesn't care whether it's digital or old fashioned camera....as long as you have picture together. Good luck!!!

[rlogan 2,036]

Our photos were rejected because they weren't time-stamped.

Sooooo... just make sure they are.

[Tahoma 2,292]

I agree with wilgrace.

We sent the USCIS about a dozen photos taken with a cheap digital camera. None of the photos were time-stamped. On the back of each photo, I wrote names, places, and dates. Then I threw them in a Zip Lock baggie and stapled the baggie to a piece of paper.

Chinook took the exact same photos to her interview.

The consular officers like to look at photos, but it's not the only evidence you will need of meeting in person.

Edited December 10, 2010 by Tahoma

[Messybrownhair 251]

i had no dates, but my pictures are all scenic so it would be obvious where they were taken, and i had airline tickets to prove that we were in those places at that time.

[marriedtomrg 141]

Rick e-mailed me pics he had in his camera and I printed what he sent and what I had on plain bond paper in color! lol (This was for the I-130). Printed the same pictures on photo paper and put them in a baggie for the interview.

[calico1 1]

Hi Mike&Cherry...Just take alot of pics..if time/date stamped all the better but just writing on the backs time and date is good too. Get pics of your girls family with you in them, it worked for me lol and have a great trip! Congrats in advance for your soon to be unforgettable trip...happy vapor trails

[~happyndinlove~ 540]

Having a lot of pictures with your faincee, her family, relatives (and maybe some with her friends) are good enough.

USCIS doesn't really care whether your photos are time-stamped or not.

Good luck!

[Mike&Cherry 45]

Thank you everyone for your responses. The info is helping to not to worry so much about it. I just want to get things right the first time around. I'm going to use a digital and I'll get some throw aways. I found a place that develops the pictures and puts a time stamp on the back of when they are developed. I don't have a camera that I can time stamp on the front of the photo, but by what most of you are saying here is that doesn't matter. Also I've heard that can be tampered with anyways. All I know is that there's going to be a lot of picture taking. We might hire a photographer; just kidding. But some of her relatives will be glad to help us. Thanks again everyone.

Mike

Our photos were rejected because they weren't time-stamped.

Sooooo... just make sure they are.

That sucks. So what did you do to get around this problem?

[rlogan 2,036]

Thank you everyone for your responses. The info is helping to not to worry so much about it. I just want to get things right the first time around. I'm going to use a digital and I'll get some throw aways. I found a place that develops the pictures and puts a time stamp on the back of when they are developed. I don't have a camera that I can time stamp on the front of the photo, but by what most of you are saying here is that doesn't matter. Also I've heard that can be tampered with anyways. All I know is that there's going to be a lot of picture taking. We might hire a photographer; just kidding. But some of her relatives will be glad to help us. Thanks again everyone.

Mike

That sucks. So what did you do to get around this problem?

We had the airline itinerary and my passport stamps to show I had travelled there. Isn't that stupid? They would rather have an itinerary and no pictures. I could marry anyone in the Philippines with that approach.

They were not very nice about it either. We didn't see anywhere in the instructions that said they had to be time-stamped.

We had a LOT of pictures that you would have to be a complete retard to not see it was the Philippines. Not sure how to fake Maria Christina falls and the power plant there or Tinago Falls, Timuga, Iligan City, etc.

I don't doubt what other people are saying. It depends on who is evaluating your file, Godzilla or Prince Charming.

[Mike&Cherry 45]

We had the airline itinerary and my passport stamps to show I had travelled there. Isn't that stupid? They would rather have an itinerary and no pictures. I could marry anyone in the Philippines with that approach.

They were not very nice about it either. We didn't see anywhere in the instructions that said they had to be time-stamped.

We had a LOT of pictures that you would have to be a complete retard to not see it was the Philippines. Not sure how to fake Maria Christina falls and the power plant there or Tinago Falls, Timuga, Iligan City, etc.

I don't doubt what other people are saying. It depends on who is evaluating your file, Godzilla or Prince Charming.

Wow that's absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe that some CO's are allowed to operate in this manner. This is what I worry about. I wonder why they are such a-holes, maybe they are posted to a consulate that they don't prefer and wish to be transfered. Who's knows, except for them. If are lives were not hanging in the balance, I would love to ask that question. I pray to God that we get a respectable CO.

[Markieboy 104]

Yeah, it is absurd that photos must be timestamped. Nowhere in the DOS' instructions does it mention that as a requirement.

If all else fails, you can always add the timestamp in photoshop. Of course, this is assuming you're certain of the dates.

[rlogan 2,036]

Yeah, it is absurd that photos must be timestamped. Nowhere in the DOS' instructions does it mention that as a requirement.

I couldn't agree with you more. We were angry about that, naturally. But what can you do? These people tell you what to do and you just do it.

They said furthermore that the photographs would only be "secondary" evidence, even if the film was dated and that if we did not produce copies of an airline itinerary or the passport that they could reject us for not having met in the last two years.

I'd spent almost five months there total in the previous year. So we had that information, but I'm just reporting to you guys what they did to us. They were pretty mean about it too.

[Tahoma 2,292]

We had a LOT of pictures that you would have to be a complete retard to not see it was the Philippines. Not sure how to fake Maria Christina falls and the power plant there or Tinago Falls, Timuga, Iligan City, etc.