Question's on petition paperwork

[NidStyles 0]

Hi all.

Ok, I'm about to file for the K-1 Visa for my Fiance. I've been to the Philippines several times in the past four year's. The problem is that the last time I returned I had my passport stolen from my housing, and had to get a new one. I have the itinerary and a ticket stub from 2008, but not from 2010 the last time I was there to see her. I have letter's from her family and friend's stating our relationship and our intention's to marry, and photographs from March 2010 when i was last over there.

Is the lack of my travel proof going to be an issue for us filing? Unfortunate circumstances of course.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[happyme'11 3]

Hi all.

Ok, I'm about to file for the K-1 Visa for my Fiance. I've been to the Philippines several times in the past four year's. The problem is that the last time I returned I had my passport stolen from my housing, and had to get a new one. I have the itinerary and a ticket stub from 2008, but not from 2010 the last time I was there to see her. I have letter's from her family and friend's stating our relationship and our intention's to marry, and photographs from March 2010 when i was last over there.

Is the lack of my travel proof going to be an issue for us filing? Unfortunate circumstances of course.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Not really. As long as u have met each other within 2 yrs. and u have proof that u met(Photos together) is the most important proof although the travel records helps too.

[iampatricias 17]

Actually, photos together are not the most important proof and won't even be considered as evidence at all unless there are travel documents proving you were both in the same country at the same time.

You could try to print out the itinerary of the 2010 flight and include a note explaining that your passport was stolen (and include copies of the pages of your most recent passport) and hope for the best?

[VinhBao MyTam 3]

Do you have anything from the 2010 trip like hotel receipts, etc? Is the airline willing to give you copies of anything?

[happyme'11 3]

Actually, photos together are not the most important proof and won't even be considered as evidence at all unless there are travel documents proving you were both in the same country at the same time.

You could try to print out the itinerary of the 2010 flight and include a note explaining that your passport was stolen (and include copies of the pages of your most recent passport) and hope for the best?

Really? Then why is it that the number1 requirment is photos of u together?I amybe wrong then.

[TBoneTX 45,079]

I amybe wrong then.

Sorry, but there's no "maybe" about it. Photographs are considered to be secondary evidence. Please read the official requirements accurately and interpret them literally.

[happyme'11 3]

Sorry, but there's no "maybe" about it. Photographs are considered to be secondary evidence. Please read the official requirements accurately and interpret them literally.

Read my asnwer to the OP. I said photographs are important since he said it's NOT important.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Read my asnwer to the OP. I said photographs are important since he said it's NOT important.

He didn't say photographs were not important. He said they were not the MOST important. There are two facts you must prove in order to be eligible to have a petition approved; you met face-to-face, and the meeting occurred within the past two years. A photograph cannot conclusively prove either of these. Anyone with rudimentary Photoshop skills can produce a picture of two people who appear to be together when they were, in fact, never actually together. It's also impossible to accurately date a digital photograph in a way that cannot easily be tampered with.

The most credible evidence comes from multiple unbiased third party sources. This is why travel documents are given so much weight. A passport containing a stamped visa and a boarding pass are considered good primary evidence. If you provide sufficient primary evidence that proves you actually made the trip then secondary evidence, like photographs, are much more likely to be accepted as proof you met each other while you were there.

[vancedan 5]

Do you by any chance have a police report or something filed with the State Department. My bag got stolen last time I was in Lima with my fiancee except, it was the otherway around, I lost my boarding passes. Since I was carrying some of my fiancee's gear, I first went to the police department and had a statement drawn up of all that was stolen with BOTH of our names on it, and then to the Consulate where I reported it, again receiving a notice with both of our names. If you have that it could be a great asset. In the very least, a document from the US when you reported the theft of your passport.

[NidStyles 0]

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, I have none of that Primary evidence. I have the Itinerary records, and that's about it. I had reported my Passport stolen/lost, so I could call them and ask for a record of that.

I had been planning on visiting her before we started this process, but things here sort of got in the way, and my finances were stretched a bit thin. This whole thing is typical of Government procedures. I should have expected it to be a cluster-mess.

I'm thinking my leave record's would help as well. I was in the Army still the last time I visited her, so I will call up there and see if I can get them to fax me a copy of my leave paperwork as well. What do you guy's think?

Sidenote we have pictures, and I also have letters from her roommates and family stating the last time I was there, and about our intention's. I now know I should have started looking at this stuff sooner. LOL!

[VinhBao MyTam 3]

Do you say you don't have even an itinerary from the last trip? Or can you at least get the itinerary?

Were you awarded frequent flyer miles for the trip? They won't award those unless you physically board the plane. That record combined with the police report might help.

Did you stay in a hotel or anything like that? If so, they would probably be willing to make out a duplicate receipt. Although, I'm guessing it would be pretty easy to fake a hotel receipt, so they may not put too much weight on that.

Can you look to see if you perhaps have a customs form of some sort? I can't believe it, but I actually randomly found one from 2009 entering Vietnam in a folder. Then I remembered that I couldn't find it when exiting and they just let me go through.

I called an airline once to ask for copies of boarding passes (I just wanted to help someone add frequent flyer miles and you need numbers from the pass itself.) They told me they couldn't... BUT... if you call and ask really nice and talk to a supervisor and explain your whole situation, they might be able to do something. I mean, I'm pretty sure they have to maintain records of who actually got on a plane.

Oh, do you perhaps still have your baggage claim tags? If you're like me, you could just be lucky and it's still stuck on your suitcase.

Did you go to the doctor/dentist/clinic while over there? Don't laugh, I get my teeth cleaned for $10 when I go... and also had a retainer put in very inexpensively.

The one time it would have been nice to have been arrested for a minor infraction and it doesn't happen. :-)

Just brainstorming to think of as many ways as I can to prove you were in a country.

Does anyone know if they accept any kind of video? That would be much harder to fake, if you had some.

[pushbrk 12,823]

Really? Then why is it that the number1 requirment is photos of u together?I amybe wrong then.

Yes, you are wrong. Dead wrong.

Photos together are important evidence of a bona fide relationship but are not worth a thing as evidence of WHEN you met in person.

Edited February 15, 2011 by pushbrk

[pushbrk 12,823]

Do you have anything from the 2010 trip like hotel receipts, etc? Is the airline willing to give you copies of anything?

I've seen a combination of an itinerary and luggage tickets with name for matching flight numbers be accepted in an RFE situation. The Petitioner also had a passport stolen, explained this and did the best they could. The shortfall is that luggage tickets had the month and day but not the year BUT they matched the dates on the itinerary that DID have the year.

Receipts in country work too. Banks are often better than airlines at producing proof of international purchase if a credit or debit card was used.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

OP, did you use an ATM Card to withdraw money while in the Philippines? Even if you don't have the ATM Receipts you should be able to get bank records showing the transactions.

[NidStyles 0]

^^ That's what I'm doing right now actually. Never used the card to buy anything there, because everything is done with cash there. Using your card is how you get robbed there.

Do you say you don't have even an itinerary from the last trip? Or can you at least get the itinerary?

Were you awarded frequent flyer miles for the trip? They won't award those unless you physically board the plane. That record combined with the police report might help.

Did you stay in a hotel or anything like that? If so, they would probably be willing to make out a duplicate receipt. Although, I'm guessing it would be pretty easy to fake a hotel receipt, so they may not put too much weight on that.

Can you look to see if you perhaps have a customs form of some sort? I can't believe it, but I actually randomly found one from 2009 entering Vietnam in a folder. Then I remembered that I couldn't find it when exiting and they just let me go through.

I called an airline once to ask for copies of boarding passes (I just wanted to help someone add frequent flyer miles and you need numbers from the pass itself.) They told me they couldn't... BUT... if you call and ask really nice and talk to a supervisor and explain your whole situation, they might be able to do something. I mean, I'm pretty sure they have to maintain records of who actually got on a plane.

Oh, do you perhaps still have your baggage claim tags? If you're like me, you could just be lucky and it's still stuck on your suitcase.

Did you go to the doctor/dentist/clinic while over there? Don't laugh, I get my teeth cleaned for $10 when I go... and also had a retainer put in very inexpensively.

The one time it would have been nice to have been arrested for a minor infraction and it doesn't happen. :-)

Just brainstorming to think of as many ways as I can to prove you were in a country.

Does anyone know if they accept any kind of video? That would be much harder to fake, if you had some.

I have the past two itineraries. One from mid '08, and the one from '10. I was deployed in '09 and I took my leave to the US to visit a friend that had been wounded. I stayed with her family that trip, as she was on break from school.

The Philippines doesn't have customs paperwork when you go through. They just look at your ticket and stamp it. The '10 trip I didn't even go through custom's. I got the stamp through from her uncle. He's a Mayor of one of the metro area cities.

Never been arrested. Have had Cop's try to shake me down before, that stopped once they found out I was Military, LOL! They tried saying I was walking illegally, and had to pay them 500 PhP or go to jail. I still laugh about that.

I haven't paid for dental work in 12 year's. Military covered all of that.