How do I Prepare my documents??

[Clark needs help 0]

Do i have to staple them all up together? Our photos, should they be stapled on the corner of each respective file? should i put them all in a folder? What did you all did? I want to make it as neat as possible. Im eager to start this journey

[Tero 105]

No stapling needed. See guides

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

[Mrs O. 29]

No staples. use paper clips instead. Put photos in a clear pouch and clip to the forms.

Would be helpful to know which documents you are filling in though.

[Daniel&Theary 30]

Use paper clips for documents and for photos I put them in a zip lock bag and whole punched it so the could attach to file if they need to.

[M&S forever 4]

Use paper clips for documents and for photos I put them in a zip lock bag and whole punched it so the could attach to file if they need to.

Hi,

Regarding photos.I just did attach them with my package that all.It will work, do not glue them.

Regards,

Selvina

[jkelly07 120]

do not staple any thing, use paper clips only,if you have a large package use a rubber ban also.

[Done--Really 331]

Do not staple. Do not hole punch. Do not add tabs. Do not HIGHLIGHT anything. Do not put into separate folders. Keep photos completely separate--do not staple them to any of the forms--a plastic baggie is handy.

Everything is disassembled at the processing center and scanned and then reassembled and stapled in the order that they prefer--probably not in the order you sent it in, so don't make it hard for them.

[Tero 105]

Do not staple. Do not hole punch. Do not add tabs. Do not HIGHLIGHT anything. Do not put into separate folders. Keep photos completely separate--do not staple them to any of the forms--a plastic baggie is handy.

Everything is disassembled at the processing center and scanned and then reassembled and stapled in the order that they prefer--probably not in the order you sent it in, so don't make it hard for them.

What's wrong with using tabs and highlighting?

[Done--Really 331]

They will have to remove the tabs in order to scan the documents, and highlighting shows up either as a big blur or black when scanned, obfuscating the very information you were trying to highlight. Scanning changes everything, so any information you have to the contrary about assembly, throw it out.

[Darnell 8,478]

some good info here, also, worth a read:

Loto's Wiki Page - http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/How_to_bring_your_foreign_spouse_to_live_in_the_US

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/EZGuideSpouse

[Tero 105]

They will have to remove the tabs in order to scan the documents, and highlighting shows up either as a big blur or black when scanned, obfuscating the very information you were trying to highlight. Scanning changes everything, so any information you have to the contrary about assembly, throw it out.

Tabs are not hard to remove, and if anything, they'll help them sort out the forms better. That way they know which bundle is your proof of Phone and email communications, which bundle is your tax transcripts, which bundle is your finances etc...

I see the point with the highlight though, I used a light lemon highlight (which comes out as light grey on the copy) both times to show relevant travel amongst the unrelated ones, and also phone conversations between us from the rest of the log.

Edited February 21, 2011 by Tero

[Done--Really 331]

Look Tero, the tabs are a complete waste of time--they remove them and throw them away. They really don't care in what order you put things. They will scan and reorder everything to suit themselves, and believe me, they know a tax transcript when they see it and can tell it from a bank statement. And as to highlighting, maybe you got lucky, but others won't, and they will use a color that causes problems, and also just because it copied as light gray for you does not mean that it will do the same with their scanners. It all depends on how the contrast is set. I can tell you with almost 100% assurance that I can take your documents and scan them so that they are unreadable--why would anyone ever take that chance?? You are sounding a little bit stubborn--you need to be really flexible and accommodating to get thru this process without too much stress--start now with the easy stuff.

[Done--Really 331]

Here is a note from an immigration lawyer about a year ago--this is her only business, so let's all take it to heart and not assume that YOUR documents will be OK when highlighted just because they looked OK when you made a copy:

Stop Highlighting on Documents to USCIS

I was just at a meeting with a liaison to USCIS and discovered a tidbit of information. Different USCIS offices are switching to a scanning program for documents that HATES highlighting. It reads the highlighted area as a big black blob, hiding what you are trying to draw attention to. Put things in bold if you want to draw attention to them. Otherwise anything that is electronically entered and then passed around will forever be missing the most important information.

[Tero 105]

Look Tero, the tabs are a complete waste of time--they remove them and throw them away. They really don't care in what order you put things. They will scan and reorder everything to suit themselves, and believe me, they know a tax transcript when they see it and can tell it from a bank statement. And as to highlighting, maybe you got lucky, but others won't, and they will use a color that causes problems, and also just because it copied as light gray for you does not mean that it will do the same with their scanners. It all depends on how the contrast is set. I can tell you with almost 100% assurance that I can take your documents and scan them so that they are unreadable--why would anyone ever take that chance?? You are sounding a little bit stubborn--you need to be really flexible and accommodating to get thru this process without too much stress--start now with the easy stuff.

I am not being stubborn, just relayed what I did that's all. Like I said before, I see your point and you are correct. Please don't take it personal. Are we cool?

[Lisamarie 79]

I used tabs to separate everything, because I like things to be organized and I didn't just want to send a pile of papers to them. I had read somewhere that tabs can be used, to put them on the bottom rather than the side. I put my pictures in clear photo sheets (4 per page) so that they could just turn the sheet around and read what I wrote on the back. I made everything easy for them.

Look Tero, the tabs are a complete waste of time--they remove them and throw them away. They really don't care in what order you put things. They will scan and reorder everything to suit themselves, and believe me, they know a tax transcript when they see it and can tell it from a bank statement. And as to highlighting, maybe you got lucky, but others won't, and they will use a color that causes problems, and also just because it copied as light gray for you does not mean that it will do the same with their scanners. It all depends on how the contrast is set. I can tell you with almost 100% assurance that I can take your documents and scan them so that they are unreadable--why would anyone ever take that chance?? You are sounding a little bit stubborn--you need to be really flexible and accommodating to get thru this process without too much stress--start now with the easy stuff.