proof of meeting in last two years - any suggestions?

[quickatie 0]

Hi all,

My fiancé and I have lived together in Italy for nearly three years. I'm planning on including a copy of our apartment lease (translated into English), both of our drivers' licenses that show our same address, the receipt for the engagement ring, and some photos of us together as proof of us having "met" in the last two years. It kind of makes me laugh because living in a tiny apartment together means that I couldn't get away from the man if I tried!!

What else can I show??????? Unfortunately (stupidly) hotel receipts, etc. from our vacations together have all been thrown away because it never occured to us that we might need them one day. I'm racking my brain for any documentation that might have both our names on it. But all utility bills are addressed solely to him, as is the insurance for the car and scooter. Our relationship doesn't really have many "tracks" since we see each other all the time!!

If anyone has any ideas, or is living with their fiancé that they are filing the 129f for... all suggestions are welcome!!!

Thanks!

[Sunny123 44]

Hi all,

My fiancé and I have lived together in Italy for nearly three years. I'm planning on including a copy of our apartment lease (translated into English), both of our drivers' licenses that show our same address, the receipt for the engagement ring, and some photos of us together as proof of us having "met" in the last two years. It kind of makes me laugh because living in a tiny apartment together means that I couldn't get away from the man if I tried!!

What else can I show??????? Unfortunately (stupidly) hotel receipts, etc. from our vacations together have all been thrown away because it never occured to us that we might need them one day. I'm racking my brain for any documentation that might have both our names on it. But all utility bills are addressed solely to him, as is the insurance for the car and scooter. Our relationship doesn't really have many "tracks" since we see each other all the time!!

If anyone has any ideas, or is living with their fiancé that they are filing the 129f for... all suggestions are welcome!!!

Thanks!

Boarding passes or nice color photo copies of your guys passports to show you have been in the same country. We didn't have a copy of boarding passes didn't know that we would need them. So they sent an to us saying copies the entry stamp from others country was suffient.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Sunny123

[max+patricia 24]

Don't count on pictures for proof of meeting. Pictures can be faked, edited, manipulated, etc.

Any documentation that has your name (or both of your names) will help - your drivers licenses showing the same address, a copy of an apartment lease, etc.

You should also include copies of passport pages showing stamps for entry/exit into the beneficiary's country. Also, if you had an Italian visa, make a copy of it. Whatever shows you were in the same country as your SO is what they're looking for.

[LookyWhatIFound 38]

Hi all,

My fiancé and I have lived together in Italy for nearly three years. I'm planning on including a copy of our apartment lease (translated into English), both of our drivers' licenses that show our same address, the receipt for the engagement ring, and some photos of us together as proof of us having "met" in the last two years. It kind of makes me laugh because living in a tiny apartment together means that I couldn't get away from the man if I tried!!

What else can I show??????? Unfortunately (stupidly) hotel receipts, etc. from our vacations together have all been thrown away because it never occured to us that we might need them one day. I'm racking my brain for any documentation that might have both our names on it. But all utility bills are addressed solely to him, as is the insurance for the car and scooter. Our relationship doesn't really have many "tracks" since we see each other all the time!!

If anyone has any ideas, or is living with their fiancé that they are filing the 129f for... all suggestions are welcome!!!

Thanks!

Since you both live there I think the quicker way is to go and get married there and then do a DCF (Direct Counselor Filing) straight with the embassy. You have to verify that you are eligible for DCF and your embassy processes DCFs.

By the way passport stamps in the EU does not mean much because you only get a stamp for your POE into the EU and then nobody stamps your passport in any EU country.

[quickatie 0]

Don't count on pictures for proof of meeting. Pictures can be faked, edited, manipulated, etc.

Any documentation that has your name (or both of your names) will help - your drivers licenses showing the same address, a copy of an apartment lease, etc.

You should also include copies of passport pages showing stamps for entry/exit into the beneficiary's country. Also, if you had an Italian visa, make a copy of it. Whatever shows you were in the same country as your SO is what they're looking for.

Oooh... good thinking with the Italian residency permit. I'll definitely add that to the bunch. Unfortunately, I handed over my passport YESTERDAY to the US consulate to get renewed!! I won't get the new one for another two weeks and now panic is setting in because I didn't ask if I'll get the old one back!!!!!!!!!! I have so many stamps in that sucker I had nearly run out of space! It would have been excellent solid proof. I'll call the consulate on Monday.

Should I also include a copy my fiancé's passport? He hasn't travelled outside of Italy for over two years. Our last and only trip to the US was in 2008!!

[quickatie 0]

Since you both live there I think the quicker way is to go and get married there and then do a DCF (Direct Counselor Filing) straight with the embassy. You have to verify that you are eligible for DCF and your embassy processes DCFs.

By the way passport stamps in the EU does not mean much because you only get a stamp for your POE into the EU and then nobody stamps your passport in any EU country.

We've explored that option, although for our situation it won't necessarily be quicker. Italian laws and red tape are one bazillion times more lengthy and complicated than those in the US and for me (USC) just to get MARRIED here requires a ridiculous amount of paperwork and sometimes months of waiting for appointments, wedding dates, etc.

To add salt to the wound - and even more stress to get this thing out of the way - we're immigrating to be closer to my dad who is seriously ill. I'll be heading to the US in a couple of months. My fiancé will join me as soon as he can and then we'll marry there. I think that between getting married and doing a DCF or going the fiancé visa route, we're looking at potentially the same time frame. The only difference is that I can feel free to return to the states to be with my dad while waiting for the paperwork to be handled, instead of being "stuck" here until I can finally get an appointment to be married at city hall in Italy and starting the DCF paperwork in a couple of months!!

Anyone who can prove me wrong and thinks DCF will be faster (even if we still need to get married) your comments/advice are welcome!!!!!!!! Seriously, anything to get this process done as quickly as possible.

[max+patricia 24]

By the way passport stamps in the EU does not mean much because you only get a stamp for your POE into the EU and then nobody stamps your passport in any EU country.

True, unless your POE is the EU country the beneficiary is from.

Oooh... good thinking with the Italian residency permit. I'll definitely add that to the bunch. Unfortunately, I handed over my passport YESTERDAY to the US consulate to get renewed!! I won't get the new one for another two weeks and now panic is setting in because I didn't ask if I'll get the old one back!!!!!!!!!! I have so many stamps in that sucker I had nearly run out of space! It would have been excellent solid proof. I'll call the consulate on Monday.

Should I also include a copy my fiancé's passport? He hasn't travelled outside of Italy for over two years. Our last and only trip to the US was in 2008!!

Probably not a bad idea if you can use those stamps to place the two of you together in whatever country. My fiancee and I used copies of stamps from her passport showing entry/exit into the US and Aruba that put the two of us there at the same time.

IIRC, the DCF route is for IR-1/CR-1, not K-1, but someone can certainly correct me if I'm wrong.

[LookyWhatIFound 38]

We've explored that option, although for our situation it won't necessarily be quicker. Italian laws and red tape are one bazillion times more lengthy and complicated than those in the US and for me (USC) just to get MARRIED here requires a ridiculous amount of paperwork and sometimes months of waiting for appointments, wedding dates, etc.

To add salt to the wound - and even more stress to get this thing out of the way - we're immigrating to be closer to my dad who is seriously ill. I'll be heading to the US in a couple of months. My fiancé will join me as soon as he can and then we'll marry there. I think that between getting married and doing a DCF or going the fiancé visa route, we're looking at potentially the same time frame. The only difference is that I can feel free to return to the states to be with my dad while waiting for the paperwork to be handled, instead of being "stuck" here until I can finally get an appointment to be married at city hall in Italy and starting the DCF paperwork in a couple of months!!

Anyone who can prove me wrong and thinks DCF will be faster (even if we still need to get married) your comments/advice are welcome!!!!!!!! Seriously, anything to get this process done as quickly as possible.

That is a tough situation. I just thought with the DCF you are eliminating the USCIS approval and proof of meeting part and in both cases you are doing the embassy interview. Well, it was just a thought, good luck whatever you do!

[LookyWhatIFound 38]

This might interest you, just in case you want to read this. Don't know if this is up to date info but there's a section in here dealing just with DCF and you could ask in there.

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

"How long does the DCF Process Take

Every consulate is different however in many cases the processing time frame can be measured in weeks. For consulates with a higher case load or instance of fraud the processing time could be months. Regardless, DCF will almost always be faster than filing with the USCIS in the US. Additionally when you enter the US your spouse will immediately become a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) and their Green Card will be mailed to them shortly after arriving."

[Snickerz 0]

hi, we also lived together before...like as what you said, since we both lived together we don't have many correspondences during that period of our relationship as we see each other everyday...

our proof of relationship includes the lease agreement with both our names, bond lodgement letter, internet & utility bills with both our names, passport stamps, both our individual bank letters

and other letters showing proof that we both lived on the same address....also birthday cards and we also included online receipts (since just stored in our emails) of our local trips, concert ticket purchases, etc.

[gretchen_darren 67]

wow.. did you even look at things??? Italy is a VWP country. Y'all can come and go as you please. Your significant other can come and go all the time. filing for a k-1 or for an i-130 does not matter. You can still visit the US an go back and forth. However, if you marry in the US, you need to remain until AP is given. Marrying in italy may not be a problem. but would not recommend until a K1 is filed and approved. the nice part is your finace can come and stay here while waiting. Your fiance does not have to wait in Italy. You just need to be careful on the entry and exits times allowed so as not to get in trouble with your fiance stay in the US going over the limits.

[keysjangle 145]

Cell phone records showing calls between you two? Any e-mails back and forth?

[newlyweds2010 208]

you could take a picture of you two together holding today's newspaper

[max+patricia 24]

wow.. did you even look at things??? Italy is a VWP country. Y'all can come and go as you please. Your significant other can come and go all the time. filing for a k-1 or for an i-130 does not matter. You can still visit the US an go back and forth. However, if you marry in the US, you need to remain until AP is given. Marrying in italy may not be a problem. but would not recommend until a K1 is filed and approved. the nice part is your finace can come and stay here while waiting. Your fiance does not have to wait in Italy. You just need to be careful on the entry and exits times allowed so as not to get in trouble with your fiance stay in the US going over the limits.

Yes, the foreign SO can visit under VWP, but it doesn't address getting married - which seems to be the OP's intention. Marrying and staying after entering under VWP can be considered visa fraud and is not recommended.

If the priority is getting back to the US to be with family (totally understandable) - then yes, petitioning for your fiancee (K-1) is probably the best way to go about it - and yes, your SO can come visit during the process as long as he can demonstrate significant ties to his home country.

[aimeevsgarnette 4]

you could get letters written by friends/family who know that you guys are engaged and they have seen you guys together ect... We did this when we filed our K-1. We did a letter from my mom and a letter from a friend who worked with us (we met eachother in the USA at work). You guys have a solid case with lease agreements, passport photocopies, pictures, ect.