Originals or just copies for USCIS

[mike411 15]

Thank you everyone for helping me out! I am putting the I-130 package together for USCIS.

All Chinese government certified documents I am only submitting copies. Am I right in thinking I should keep the original?

0. Cover letter - signed and date

1. Personal check in the amount of $420 Application Fee

2. G-1145 E-Notification of Petition Acceptance

3. I-130 Petition for Alien Relative

4. COPY of unexpired U.S. passport

5. COPY Certified Birth Certificate with Official Translation (Beneficiary)

6. COPY Certified Marriage Certificate from China with Official Translation (Beneficiary)

8. G-325A (Petitioner)

9. Passport Style Photo (Petitioner)

10. G-325A (Beneficiary)

11. Passport Style Photo (Beneficiary)

Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage:

12. Letter explaining our relationship history, marriage, and our future plans together.

13. COPY of affidavits from family and friends having personal knowledge of the bona fide marriage.

14. Photo pages as evidence to our bona fide relationship and marriage.

[Brusik 11]

Thank you everyone for helping me out! I am putting the I-130 package together for USCIS.

All Chinese government certified documents I am only submitting copies. Am I right in thinking I should keep the original?

0. Cover letter - signed and date

1. Personal check in the amount of $420 Application Fee

2. G-1145 E-Notification of Petition Acceptance

3. I-130 Petition for Alien Relative

4. COPY of unexpired U.S. passport

5. COPY Certified Birth Certificate with Official Translation (Beneficiary)

6. COPY Certified Marriage Certificate from China with Official Translation (Beneficiary)

8. G-325A (Petitioner)

9. Passport Style Photo (Petitioner)

10. G-325A (Beneficiary)

11. Passport Style Photo (Beneficiary)

Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage:

12. Letter explaining our relationship history, marriage, and our future plans together.

13. COPY of affidavits from family and friends having personal knowledge of the bona fide marriage.

14. Photo pages as evidence to our bona fide relationship and marriage.

you need originals for NVC

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

they need originals and when it gets to NVC, they also need originals. I had to get 2 copies of all and he sent me one for myself.

If you send copies, they will ask for originals and the process is delayed by that much more.

Thank you everyone for helping me out! I am putting the I-130 package together for USCIS.

All Chinese government certified documents I am only submitting copies. Am I right in thinking I should keep the original?

0. Cover letter - signed and date

1. Personal check in the amount of $420 Application Fee

2. G-1145 E-Notification of Petition Acceptance

3. I-130 Petition for Alien Relative

4. COPY of unexpired U.S. passport

5. COPY Certified Birth Certificate with Official Translation (Beneficiary)

6. COPY Certified Marriage Certificate from China with Official Translation (Beneficiary)

8. G-325A (Petitioner)

9. Passport Style Photo (Petitioner)

10. G-325A (Beneficiary)

11. Passport Style Photo (Beneficiary)

Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage:

12. Letter explaining our relationship history, marriage, and our future plans together.

13. COPY of affidavits from family and friends having personal knowledge of the bona fide marriage.

14. Photo pages as evidence to our bona fide relationship and marriage.

[Darnell 8,478]

4,5,6 - photocopies

13 - originals

If you use EP at NVC -

Chinese documents will be scanned in by you, sent via email during NVC processing, then originals must be shown on interview day.

If not use EP at NVC (paper processing only) -

Orignal Chinese documents will be sent in.

Interview day, bring all originals of things sent to USCIS that were submitted as copies.

errata - if you 'home' your account to China, by selecting beneficiary country to China - your posts will show up in the china portal , other China experts can see/respond quickly.

Edited June 8, 2011 by Darnell

[mike411 15]

I read all I can about EP on here and on the state.gov, but still not sure at what stage can I enroll in EP! Can I use EP to submit my i-130? Sounds like I can only do it later in the process because they are talking about a case number change.

I should continue my i-130 submission then enroll in EP later? Thanks!

4,5,6 - photocopies

13 - originals

If you use EP at NVC -

Chinese documents will be scanned in by you, sent via email during NVC processing, then originals must be shown on interview day.

If not use EP at NVC (paper processing only) -

Orignal Chinese documents will be sent in.

Interview day, bring all originals of things sent to USCIS that were submitted as copies.

errata - if you 'home' your account to China, by selecting beneficiary country to China - your posts will show up in the china portal , other China experts can see/respond quickly.

[Darnell 8,478]

stage = NVC, after I-130 approval. USCIS schlepps the casefile to NVC, where the intake for the Visa Application occurs.

[Darnell 8,478]

FOR THE I-130, I guess my point really is - PHOTOCOPIES ONLY (unless I-130 instructions specifically say otherwise) for I-130 submittal.

Anything requiring original signature and is a government form, must be original document.

After I-130 approval, the casefile is sent to NVC, and they have different document requirements, mostly all is original documents there.

If it was a paper case to NVC, later, you'd be sending them on via postal mail.

If it's an EP case to NVC, later, you send scans of PDF files, then originals are taken on interview day in China.

[BocaChicaBabe 6]

I also submitted photocopies of 4, 5, and 6 with my I-130. Good luck on your journey!!

Edited June 8, 2011 by BocaChicaBabe

[elya4848 3]

they need originals and when it gets to NVC, they also need originals. I had to get 2 copies of all and he sent me one for myself.

If you send copies, they will ask for originals and the process is delayed by that much more.

I sent copies and was approved in 4 months at USCIS. I sent originals to NVC.

[Done--Really 331]

The instructions are VERY simple--virtually everything for USCIS is copies, and civil docs for NVC are originals--don't know why this is so hard--it is spelled out in the instructions--all too often we see people send originals to USCIS and then not have them for NVC when they are mandatory.

[Dave and Kinnari 31]

# 5 is not needed for I-130 Petition.