How to document/submit text messages (SMS) as evidence?

[afoyoswa 178]

As part of my evidence of a bonafide relationship, I plan to submit text messages that we have sent to each other over the last year. What is the best way to present/submit these? There is really no way to reliably show who they came from or when they were sent. I can forward them to my email account, but that strips off the header information and leaves only the text of what was said.

My carrier is Verizon, if that makes a difference, and my cell phone bill shows the number of international texts I have sent in a given billing period, but not the numbers to which they were sent. More detailed records are listed in my online account (the phone number & date, but not the message itself), but if I submitted these it would only be as a screencap. And quite a few of them were sent using a third party PC application my long-distance provider has, so they don't show up anywhere (I have only the date and the text that was sent). Does anyone have any ideas? Does this even matter?

[skiptex 225]

do you have a smart phone? android or iphone?

[afoyoswa 178]

That would have been a useful detail to include! No, I'm still using a very basic flip-type phone: no advanced features at all.

[Tim/Mav 305]

As part of my evidence of a bonafide relationship, I plan to submit text messages that we have sent to each other over the last year. What is the best way to present/submit these? There is really no way to reliably show who they came from or when they were sent. I can forward them to my email account, but that strips off the header information and leaves only the text of what was said.

My carrier is Verizon, if that makes a difference, and my cell phone bill shows the number of international texts I have sent in a given billing period, but not the numbers to which they were sent. More detailed records are listed in my online account (the phone number & date, but not the message itself), but if I submitted these it would only be as a screencap. And quite a few of them were sent using a third party PC application my long-distance provider has, so they don't show up anywhere (I have only the date and the text that was sent). Does anyone have any ideas? Does this even matter?

You might be going alittle overboard with your worries. Your Timeline indicates no 129-F filed yet. Therefore, it will go to Dallas in the US and not any Embassy at this time.

You would be dealing with Homeland Security at this point with your approval of the NOA1 and not approval from any Embassy.

Send what you have at this time but be sure of proof of other requirements. (Pictures, Boarding Passes and all that other ####### included with your 129-F Petition. Send what you have. They can tell an e-mail to a future spouse.

I would strongly suggest some other means of Documentation such as Yahoo, etc. Save every page of any phone bill as well. (Shows international calls) Submit these as well.

Approval of the 129-F is the easiest part. Don't make it a personal headache.

[baron555 934]

Send emails and less SMSs.

[Jessa & Liam 11]

With an older phone like that the only way you might be able to get screen caps is to photograph the messages. I would like to think that a bill showing the phone number the texts were to and the volume of them might be reasonable supporting evidence for proof of on going relationship.

To be safe than sorry though it might be worthwhile communicating in other ways too. Email is easily printable, if you have more regular access to a computer and can you Skype, MSN or Gtalk you can take screen caps of conversations and save them as JPEG files in MS Paint or even send each other old fashioned snail mail once in a while.

Good luck on your journey

[Carlos&Alyssa 4]

Hi! I also have Verizon and have asked them multiple times if there is anyway of printing out text messages and date/time information together...everytime they said no

I plan on sending the Usage Details showing the dates and times that he and I texted each other, and then I will also forward all text messages to my email and put them in a microsoft word document together...It sucks that the messages won't have the date/time attached, but oh well - I'll still going include both as more proof.