Affidavit of Support & Being "Touched"

[In God We Trust 3]

Hello All!

As you will see by my questions I am fairly new here so any information ANYONE might be able to give is greatly appreciated.

1) I see on MANY posts around the site people often list a "Date" for when they were "Touched". Just wondering WHAT EXACTLY does this mean?

2)When HE arrives at the Consulate in Lagos for the Interview & to submit his Application Packet & supporting documents/evidence, will HE be REQUIRED to submit an Affidavit of Support from me as well?

The reason I ask is this ... Since I began this process and with ALL the ORIGINAL as well as ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & EVIDENCE I submitted to USCIS, at NO TIME have THEY EVER asked me to fill out this form. The FIRST time I even saw this form APPEAR was in my fiances paperwork that states what he will need to bring to the appointment, application forms, police cert., medical exam, etc. which I downloaded from the Nigerian Consulate Website. So I called USCIS and spoke to an Immigration Officer. She told me that IF it was a FIANCE visa then you DO NOT have to submit this evidence of support until AFTER you are married and when they are doing the adjustment of status once in the US. She said this is because if in the 90 day period of time I/WE decided NOT to marry then he would return and there would be no need to have even done this form at all. She further said that IF we were already married and doing the K-3 spousal visa THEN we would have had to include that in our paperwork as they would have already asked for a support of affidavit.

I am just trying to get a better understanding if they ALWAYS REQUIRE you to submit this form BEFORE the visa is approved whether it is a K-1 Fiance or K-3 Spousal visa. Of course K-1 ONLY applies to me as we are not married yet.

Thanks in advance!

[Inky 1,110]

A touch is a last updated date on your USCIS account. It doesn't mean anything really.

[Ning 619]

Hello All!

As you will see by my questions I am fairly new here so any information ANYONE might be able to give is greatly appreciated.

1) I see on MANY posts around the site people often list a "Date" for when they were "Touched". Just wondering WHAT EXACTLY does this mean?

2)When HE arrives at the Consulate in Lagos for the Interview & to submit his Application Packet & supporting documents/evidence, will HE be REQUIRED to submit an Affidavit of Support from me as well?

The reason I ask is this ... Since I began this process and with ALL the ORIGINAL as well as ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & EVIDENCE I submitted to USCIS, at NO TIME have THEY EVER asked me to fill out this form. The FIRST time I even saw this form APPEAR was in my fiances paperwork that states what he will need to bring to the appointment, application forms, police cert., medical exam, etc. which I downloaded from the Nigerian Consulate Website. So I called USCIS and spoke to an Immigration Officer. She told me that IF it was a FIANCE visa then you DO NOT have to submit this evidence of support until AFTER you are married and when they are doing the adjustment of status once in the US. She said this is because if in the 90 day period of time I/WE decided NOT to marry then he would return and there would be no need to have even done this form at all. She further said that IF we were already married and doing the K-3 spousal visa THEN we would have had to include that in our paperwork as they would have already asked for a support of affidavit.

I am just trying to get a better understanding if they ALWAYS REQUIRE you to submit this form BEFORE the visa is approved whether it is a K-1 Fiance or K-3 Spousal visa. Of course K-1 ONLY applies to me as we are not married yet.

Thanks in advance!

# 1 Touched means someone look at the case file.

# 2 Yes

Read the instructions for the packet 3. You SHOULD see the REQUIREMENT for the 134 SUPPORT from. Its up to YOU to understand your responsibility during the processes. Thats WHY you didnt SEE this before now. It isnt required until the INTERVIEW.

YOU have to PROVE you can support HIM after HE gets to the USA. Nigeria is one of THE toughest places to get a VISA from so make SURE YOU & HE know exactly HOW to file the CASE documents. Any mistake will result in a denial that can be difficult to overcome.

[feli114 65]

For his interview PLZ make sure you do the I134 . You will need your bank statement, letter of employment, tax forms, evidence of relationship,and anything else they told you in that letter. I am new, but believe me I have been reading this site every day. You will need the I 864 for adjustment of status, which comes after he gets here. My fiance is Nigerian as well, so I know I will have an uphill battle. Do your homework cause I would hate to see you get denied.

[In God We Trust 3]

# 1 Touched means someone look at the case file.

# 2 Yes

Read the instructions for the packet 3. You SHOULD see the REQUIREMENT for the 134 SUPPORT from. Its up to YOU to understand your responsibility during the processes. Thats WHY you didnt SEE this before now. It isnt required until the INTERVIEW.

YOU have to PROVE you can support HIM after HE gets to the USA. Nigeria is one of THE toughest places to get a VISA from so make SURE YOU & HE know exactly HOW to file the CASE documents. Any mistake will result in a denial that can be difficult to overcome.

Thanks for the reply... I have read the Instructions as well as looked over the documentation they will be asking for. As I SEE MANY other people here STRUGGLE with ENOUGH evidence like phone records/proof this will also be a problem/issue for us.

That issue aside, what do you mean when you say, "Make SURE YOU & HE know exactly HOW to file the CASE documents". Ummm ... IS THERE A CERTAIN WAY THEY MUST BE FILED OR WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I apologize if I seem ignorant in any way but I am very new to all of this and am merly trying to be prepared with any and everything they may possibly need that could cause us to be delayed or denied.

[In God We Trust 3]

For his interview PLZ make sure you do the I134 . You will need your bank statement, letter of employment, tax forms, evidence of relationship,and anything else they told you in that letter. I am new, but believe me I have been reading this site every day. You will need the I 864 for adjustment of status, which comes after he gets here. My fiance is Nigerian as well, so I know I will have an uphill battle. Do your homework cause I would hate to see you get denied.

Homework is ALL I have been doing for MONTHS now, but it just seems to be SOOO MUCH at times. Even here on VJ there is such an abundance of information I find myself getting slightly overwhelmed at times. As far as the letter goes, I have still not received a letter and neither has he. As a matter of fact, I can not even get a reply from them to see if they received our case from NVC (Confirmed already left NVC) or when the interview will be via email or an answer via phone (I'm sure that not a surprise. I guess you could say this post is part of my homework/research. Who better to know than those who are going through the same thing. Thanks!

[Ning 619]

Thanks for the reply... I have read the Instructions as well as looked over the documentation they will be asking for. As I SEE MANY other people here STRUGGLE with ENOUGH evidence like phone records/proof this will also be a problem/issue for us.

That issue aside, what do you mean when you say, "Make SURE YOU & HE know exactly HOW to file the CASE documents". Ummm ... IS THERE A CERTAIN WAY THEY MUST BE FILED OR WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I apologize if I seem ignorant in any way but I am very new to all of this and am merly trying to be prepared with any and everything they may possibly need that could cause us to be delayed or denied.

Your ignorance is understood, acceptable & normal. We all have a lot to learn especially when it comes to this subject matter. It would be a good idea to to turn off the caps because we dont need you to yell to be understood.

You said you were suprised to find that some documents are required prior to the interview. Hence you need to study the sequence of events to be better prepared.

Your reaction was to call USCIS. Someone there gave you bad info which has served to confuse you even more. Basicly everything they told you is wrong.

To begin your case you petition USCIS asking for approval of that petition. If that is approved the petition is sent to NVC ( national visa center ) for processing. In K 1 cases there is little processing for them to do.

The decision as to the visa is made by the embassy. This is why the Packet 3 info becomes the most important aspect. The support documents become the most important because without the proper level of support there is no visa. This is why it is turned in at the embassy. Nigeria is infamous for being tough on these visas because of the level of fraud. For this reason it is critical to make sure everything is perfect. You should for example add tax transcripts to the 134. This will eliminate any chance that they question your income or tax status. This aspect has caused a lot of pain in the past.

[In God We Trust 3]

Your ignorance is understood, acceptable & normal. We all have a lot to learn especially when it comes to this subject matter. It would be a good idea to to turn off the caps because we dont need you to yell to be understood.

You said you were suprised to find that some documents are required prior to the interview. Hence you need to study the sequence of events to be better prepared.

Your reaction was to call USCIS. Someone there gave you bad info which has served to confuse you even more. Basicly everything they told you is wrong.

To begin your case you petition USCIS asking for approval of that petition. If that is approved the petition is sent to NVC ( national visa center ) for processing. In K 1 cases there is little processing for them to do.

The decision as to the visa is made by the embassy. This is why the Packet 3 info becomes the most important aspect. The support documents become the most important because without the proper level of support there is no visa. This is why it is turned in at the embassy. Nigeria is infamous for being tough on these visas because of the level of fraud. For this reason it is critical to make sure everything is perfect. You should for example add tax transcripts to the 134. This will eliminate any chance that they question your income or tax status. This aspect has caused a lot of pain in the past.

Thanks Ning! Do you know if it is harder to get approved for a visa if you have to have an additional person fill out an affidavit of support if you yourself dont meet the income requirements? And as far as the caps thing, not really yelling more like stressing certain words. Thanks all the same!

[Ning 619]

Thanks Ning! Do you know if it is harder to get approved for a visa if you have to have an additional person fill out an affidavit of support if you yourself dont meet the income requirements? And as far as the caps thing, not really yelling more like stressing certain words. Thanks all the same!

In cyber speak using caps is considered yelling & rude. Some people will not respond at all if you do that. We understand the importance of the written word. Just sayin.

First you need to check to see if Lagos will even accept a co sponsor. Some embassies do & some do not. Your income level will be very important to the outcome. All you need is to meet the minimum to qualify.

I couldnt edit my post to add the following so will do so here.

I know for Nigeria it is very important to establish in everyway possible the quality of your realtionship. Do not take for granted whatever you may have sent in to USCIS in the USA. I have seen many cases denied because of this.

There are many qualified members here on V J including some with direct Nigerian experiance. Hopefully they will chime in soon to help.

This can be as you say, overwhelming. You are not alone as you may feel. V J was custom designed to be of help. You are doing a good job right now. Just stay with it & dont give up.

[souleymon 27]

Lagos do Accept Co-Sponsor

[P & T 14]

..... As far as the letter goes, I have still not received a letter and neither has he. As a matter of fact, I can not even get a reply from them to see if they received our case from NVC (Confirmed already left NVC) or when the interview will be via email or an answer via phone (I'm sure that not a surprise. I guess you could say this post is part of my homework/research. Who better to know than those who are going through the same thing. Thanks!

Your reaction was to call USCIS. Someone there gave you bad info which has served to confuse you even more. Basicly everything they told you is wrong.

To begin your case you petition USCIS asking for approval of that petition. If that is approved the petition is sent to NVC ( national visa center ) for processing. In K 1 cases there is little processing for them to do.

The decision as to the visa is made by the embassy.

Ning,

Go easy. Not everything is 'wrong' as you indicate.

Depends on where she is calling. We all have labeled groups incorrectly or misunderstood the instructions someone kindly shared with us. From the time that we were aware of our NOA-2 approval, we utilized the Washington DC based phone number to call the Visa Specialists. The first time I called, I provided them the EAC# from the NOAs, confirmed some detail on my fiance and I and the Visa Specialist gave me the new NVC case identifier. From then on, I would provide the identifier and the Visa Specialist would give me the updates- shipment to Embassy, receipt by the embassy, mailout of the 'Packets,' and eventually the interview date and time. The detail is on file with them for free. I am always calm and respectful; keeping the call brief. Dont ask them questions about the process or ask them to guess when they think your case will be scheduled, etc... its not their job so dont annoy them and ask stuff out of their scope. Will look for the number and post in a moment.....

[P & T 14]

To get information, call (toll-free) the Visa Specialist (Department of State) in Washington DC. Call 202-663-1225. Press Option 1 then Option 0 to speak to a visa specialist. (Do not waste your money calling the Embassy first.) The Visa Specialist can tell you when your case was mailed and when your interview date is.

Also, as Ning cited, the folks petitioning the same country would be a good source of information for you. Check to see if they have an active country forum here on VJ, read the Embassy reviews for your country to see what challenges they faced. PM (private message) or email them if you have specific questions and patiently appreciate when they take time to get back to you. We all have busy lives, so if they are no longer active on VJ, but permit emails to their account- ask pointed questions only on what you need to know from them. Broad questions like "How was your experience?" probably wont get you a quality response. Wish you well!

[Ning 619]

Ning,

Go easy. Not everything is 'wrong' as you indicate.

Depends on where she is calling. We all have labeled groups incorrectly or misunderstood the instructions someone kindly shared with us. From the time that we were aware of our NOA-2 approval, we utilized the Washington DC based phone number to call the Visa Specialists. The first time I called, I provided them the EAC# from the NOAs, confirmed some detail on my fiance and I and the Visa Specialist gave me the new NVC case identifier. From then on, I would provide the identifier and the Visa Specialist would give me the updates- shipment to Embassy, receipt by the embassy, mailout of the 'Packets,' and eventually the interview date and time. The detail is on file with them for free. I am always calm and respectful; keeping the call brief. Dont ask them questions about the process or ask them to guess when they think your case will be scheduled, etc... its not their job so dont annoy them and ask stuff out of their scope. Will look for the number and post in a moment.....

Go easy? Dont presume to lecture me. Below is the statement.

Are you trying to indicate what they told her is correct? She doesnt need to submit evidence of support? Why dont you correct what she was told? She wants to know what she has to do to get approval at the embassy.

. "So I called USCIS and spoke to an Immigration Officer. She told me that IF it was a FIANCE visa then you DO NOT have to submit this evidence of support until AFTER you are married and when they are doing the adjustment of status once in the US. She said this is because if in the 90 day period of time I/WE decided NOT to marry then he would return and there would be no need to have even done this form at all. She further said that IF we were already married and doing the K-3 spousal visa THEN we would have had to include that in our paperwork as they would have already asked for a support of affidavit".

Then you follow with this child like instruction on how others should act? Dont annoy them? You mean to say thats what she did? Depends on where she is calling? She called USCIS & she thinks the above is what they said. Read her question again. It has to do with the need for a support form. What she was told is indeed totaly wrong.

[patient2010 93]