I-130 package - why are copies needed?

[RobbyUSA 26]

from my understanding you need extra copies of the I-130 application you sent in to the USCIS.

why?

now if your application gets lost in the mail or if the USCIS looses some of your paperwork I can see why having a copy is good to have... but will these extra copies be mandatory at any time?

[Saylin 1,605]

from my understanding you need extra copies of the I-130 application you sent in to the USCIS.

why?

now if your application gets lost in the mail or if the USCIS looses some of your paperwork I can see why having a copy is good to have... but will these extra copies be mandatory at any time?

It's for your own records. No, it shouldn't be mandatory, but it's always a good idea to have a copy of anything you submit (especially to government departments!).

[cathy2904 97]

I agree with Saylin - it is useful to have a copy (and as you say, crucial in the unlikely event that the original were to go missing) but we didn't actually need ours at any time.