Proof of relationship

[CDN2US 10]

So I've seen everyone printing out reams of paper of emails and chat logs, and then not getting asked for anything at the interview, and I want to give my husband at least a little bit of "proof" for support, but not reams!

Turns out, I just don't have a lot of "proof." I have my phone bills, but he uses an American phone (with US area code), so it doesn't look like I'm calling Canada/Canada is calling me. I don't save everything, and our emails only go back to the start of the year, and they're usually short one-liners about his business (so I look like an employee almost!). We do most of our talking via Skype, but I can't figure out how to download a phone call log, and even with it, we only started using it over summer.

Our photos don't look especially convincing to me either! He hates PDA, and we're usually just standing next to each other, or at most, with his arm around me, but we could be any kind of friends. Our wedding ceremony was totally casual, and it looks like a simple trip to the park (which it kinda was).

When I look at things with the eyes of a distrustful and wary border officer, I get nervous!

I have a few emails where I'm sending him my travel itineraries for my visits up, but I don't have the boarding passes.

I know that the proof is usually needed for high-fraud countries or cross-cultural relationships, so it's not that big a deal for us, but when I looked at my pitiful stack of "proof," I panic a little!

[Oksana & Max 94]

Proof is needed for every country, as the fraud exist in every country. While most of the time they may not look at that, you could be one of the people they might. Also if they will see you provided only limited amound of evidence they will question it.

You need to get as much evidence as you can.

If you don't have boarding passes is not a big deal. You can show your itenerary with the copy of the entry stamps in the passport. It will proove that you traveled on those dates.

If you do calls over skype like if you are dialing his number or he is dialing yours. You can go to your account online, and they will have 3 month worth of logs. Also you can get skype to skype logs from the skype itself. Just do a print screen of them or copy paste them and print it.

Better have reams of evidence, and not being asked for it, or have little and being questioned about it.

Just a suggestion

[CDN2US 10]

That's what I'm saying, though: I don't have reams. I'm not a saver, and I didn't get into the relationship thinking that one day I'd have to prove it to government officials. We're not big romantics; we don't have stacks of cards filled with sweet nothings to fork over. When we visit, it's just the two of us, and most pictures only have one of us in them, or they're of the handheld variety where you see the tops of our heads.

I don't know, I just felt a sudden stab of despair like we're doing it wrong.

[Marilyn. 340]

That's what I'm saying, though: I don't have reams. I'm not a saver, and I didn't get into the relationship thinking that one day I'd have to prove it to government officials. We're not big romantics; we don't have stacks of cards filled with sweet nothings to fork over. When we visit, it's just the two of us, and most pictures only have one of us in them, or they're of the handheld variety where you see the tops of our heads.

I don't know, I just felt a sudden stab of despair like we're doing it wrong.

don't despair... just bring what you have.

thy never asked for any proof at my interview... i cant even remember if i even brought any..

[Flames9_RN 358]

Why do people post on other Countries forums when they have no clue about the actual interview in that country?? Maybe I should have put that in our vent forum,lol

Always good to have proof with you, but one should have Quality over quantity! In my plastic accordion folder I brought a few pics of us and a few with each others family. A few airfare tickets and that was about it. In Canada they rarely ask for any evidence at the interview and if they do, people usually just show a few pics. Marriage fruad isn't that high here, sure it happens, but not like in other countries.

The Interview is lucky to be 10 min long!! And most of that time the Consular officer is reviewing ur paperwork!! They ask very basic questions, were u met how long married, what ur spouse does for work, your employment in the USA? very basic!! I joked a fair bit with mine. Its over before you know it

[Marilyn. 340]

during my interview they never asked any questions about the relationship... I found that kind of strange.... all I remember him asking me was if I had any other trouble at the border other then the one time when I was banned..

[Flames9_RN 358]

during my interview they never asked any questions about the relationship... I found that kind of strange.... all I remember him asking me was if I had any other trouble at the border other then the one time when I was banned..

I guess you just look so honest marilyn! lol

[Udella&Wiz 325]

The burden of proof for Canadians tends to be far less - because we can travel easily between Canada and the US, there simply isnlt the same pressure, hence the reason we seldom if ever are asked for much.

Quality over Quantity as Flames stated above....if you aren;t a super mushy couple, you aren't and that's all there is to it.

Proof is needed for every country, as the fraud exist in every country. While most of the time they may not look at that, you could be one of the people they might. Also if they will see you provided only limited amound of evidence they will question it.

You need to get as much evidence as you can.

If you don't have boarding passes is not a big deal. You can show your itenerary with the copy of the entry stamps in the passport. It will proove that you traveled on those dates.

If you do calls over skype like if you are dialing his number or he is dialing yours. You can go to your account online, and they will have 3 month worth of logs. Also you can get skype to skype logs from the skype itself. Just do a print screen of them or copy paste them and print it.

Better have reams of evidence, and not being asked for it, or have little and being questioned about it.

Just a suggestion

Edited October 27, 2011 by Udella&Wiz

[pocheros 101]

Just bring what evidence you have... I don't know how it works for IR1/CR1s, but apparently it's similar to K1s in that they don't ask for evidence very often. The photos are still good evidence, they're not going to discount them simply because of how you look in them- they just want to see that you've been together in the same place at the same time. I brought four photos of us (and yeah, we look like American Gothic in them too), our plane tickets, some receipts from when my fiance visited me and bought dinner (his name printed off on the receipts since he used his credit card), and just a couple e-mails.

Chat logs and emails, while they can be used as supplements, are not considered the best evidence. So I suggest you print out some, if you like, but there's no need to go crazy and use up all your printer ink.

I get frustrated when people from other countries post in here too... I know they're trying to be helpful but EVERY consulate and country is different. As such, those who are the most informed are the ones who went through the same consulate you have your interview at. One person recently said that Montreal doesn't require the DS-156 What the heck?

Anyways, Canada is a low fraud country so they generally aren't as hard on you. I'm not saying you should show up with nothing because you never know and it's better to be overprepared, but it's not something you need to lose sleep over. This is just another reason to be grateful you're Canadian- the process is much easier on us that it would be elsewhere

Edited October 27, 2011 by pocheros

[la2011 5]

Yes, people from other countries do not know what it's like to be Canadian, we do get treated a tad differently, like it or not. When we did our AOS interview, she didnt even want to look at the original birth certificates, or much else, didnt want to keep anything we brought, and was way more interested in chatting about other things lol In fact, she hardly looked at anything, to the extend that it made me think, whats wrong here lol Dont they want proof?

It took 5 days to get my GC approval after that, but then I found out all their computers were down that day and then there was a government holiday. She never typed anything into her computer...

Edited October 27, 2011 by la2011

[CDN2US 10]

Thanks for the reassurances, folks, and by the way, this is really funny:

I brought four photos of us (and yeah, we look like American Gothic in them too)

What I have in our pathetic love pile is this: Five photos of us spanning different seasons, 9 emails (two of which are me forwarding my travel arrangements to come visit him), my cell phone log spanning one year, and a photocopy of two notes he included with flowers he's given me (he's a flowers only on Valentine's kind of guy).

I found the notes in my wallet, so I guess I'm a little mushier than I thought!

[pocheros 101]

Thanks for the reassurances, folks, and by the way, this is really funny:

What I have in our pathetic love pile is this: Five photos of us spanning different seasons, 9 emails (two of which are me forwarding my travel arrangements to come visit him), my cell phone log spanning one year, and a photocopy of two notes he included with flowers he's given me (he's a flowers only on Valentine's kind of guy).

I found the notes in my wallet, so I guess I'm a little mushier than I thought!

You should be fine I also just remembered I brought a credit card statement that indicated I bought stuff in the US where my husband lives, so that's also something to think about.

My hubby doesn't like taking photos, I have to practically chase him with the camera. But I'm convincing him to take some more because we need evidence for AOS.

Edited October 27, 2011 by pocheros

[Girl from Celebes 588]

..... We do most of our talking via Skype, but I can't figure out how to download a phone call log, and even with it, we only started using it over summer....

If you use Skype, you need to configure the setting.

• Go to tools and option
• Click IM Setting and put keep history forever. It would keep chats and call logs forever. If you wanted to copy it, either you show your screen and do print screenshot or you scrolling down the chat box, copy all call logs that you've made.

I've been using Skype many years until now long way before this VoiP service offered video call. Here my another thread about Skype. You might be interested in it.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Girl from Celebes

[CDN2US 10]

Thank you for the Skype advice, but when I went to the settings, I see I have it set to keep history for two weeks! Brilliant! It's okay, though, I think we'll be alright with photos and emails and travel itineraries.

Thanks though!

[brooksie 3]

if you called his phone on skype it saves that on the internet forever you just have to log into there website and i think its under history