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kmbeeman

How much evidence of bonafide marriage is necessary for I-130 Petition?

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Filed: Country: Bolivia
Timeline

Hi, I will be mailing out our I-130 at the end of this month. For evidence of a bonafide marriage, my husband and I have the following:

1) Our marriage certificate (with a photocopy of a legal, certified translation)

2) My special-purpose visa (needed to marry in Bolivia, where my husband is from)

3) Flight itineraries and passport stamps

4) 50+ photos of us together (we have MUCH more than that, but we were thinking that 50 would be sufficient)

5) Emails sent back and forth (only during our engagement were we separated, we have been living together since we got married and therefore have little communication by email)

6) The lease to our apartment (where we have been living together since Oct 2011) with both of our name and signatures (by the way, do I need to translate this? It is in spanish)

7) Rent receipts (with both names)

8) A notarized letter from my mother, swearing that she attended our wedding

9) Photos from our wedding and honeymoon

10) Correspondence with friends and family referring to our getting married, wedding, etc.

11) My tax returns (I changed my status from single to married, but filed separately since my husband hadn't received his TIN yet)

Could anyone tell me if this is adequate? I could gather more documentation, but if what we already have works, I'd like to go ahead and file. Anyway, we'd always have the opportunity to show more at the interview, right?

Thank you!

Edited by kmbeeman
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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Poland
Timeline

Hi, I will be mailing out our I-130 at the end of this month. For evidence of a bonafide marriage, my husband and I have the following:

1) Our marriage certificate (with a photocopy of a legal, certified translation)

2) My special-purpose visa (needed to marry in Bolivia, where my husband is from)

3) Flight itineraries and passport stamps

4) 50+ photos of us together (we have MUCH more than that, but we were thinking that 50 would be sufficient)

5) Emails sent back and forth (only during our engagement were we separated, we have been living together since we got married and therefore have little communication by email)

6) The lease to our apartment (where we have been living together since Oct 2011) with both of our name and signatures (by the way, do I need to translate this? It is in spanish)

7) Rent receipts (with both names)

8) A notarized letter from my mother, swearing that she attended our wedding

9) Photos from our wedding and honeymoon

10) Correspondence with friends and family referring to our getting married, wedding, etc.

11) My tax returns (I changed my status from single to married, but filed separately since my husband hadn't received his TIN yet)

Could anyone tell me if this is adequate? I could gather more documentation, but if what we already have works, I'd like to go ahead and file. Anyway, we'd always have the opportunity to show more at the interview, right?

Thank you!

I think you have plenty of evidence. I had less than a half of what you have, when I filed for my wife.

Wife's USCIS Journey

02-27-2012 Mailed I-130, I-485 and I-765 to Chicago by Priority Mail

02-29-2012 Post Office website shows as delivered

03-01-2012 USCIS received I-130, I-485 and I-765

03-05-2012 Received 3 text and 3 email receipt notifications

03-07-2012 $1,490 poorer - both checks cashed

03-12-2012 Received NOAs for all 3 applications

03-16-2012 Received Biometrics Notice for Apr. 2

03-19-2012 Successful Walkin Biometrics

04-09-2012 Received text/email about scheduled interview for May. 11

04-12-2012 Received a hard copy of an interview letter

05-04-2012 Received a notification "Card Production Ordered" for EAD.

05-09-2012 Received another notification "Card Production Ordered" for EAD.

05-10-2012 Received notification that EAD was mailed.

05-11-2012 AOS Interview at 12:30 no final decision

05-11-2012 Notification "Card production ordered" at 3:30 pm. APPROVED!!!!!!!

05-14-2012 Received EAD card in mail and I-130 approval notification

05-15-2012 Received hard copies of I-130 approval, welcome to USA letter and a notification that green card was sent

05-21-2012 Green Card Received!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

05-23-2012 Applied for SSN

***Counting down to RoC***

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Hi, I will be mailing out our I-130 at the end of this month. For evidence of a bonafide marriage, my husband and I have the following:

1) Our marriage certificate (with a photocopy of a legal, certified translation)

2) My special-purpose visa (needed to marry in Bolivia, where my husband is from)

3) Flight itineraries and passport stamps

4) 50+ photos of us together (we have MUCH more than that, but we were thinking that 50 would be sufficient)

5) Emails sent back and forth (only during our engagement were we separated, we have been living together since we got married and therefore have little communication by email)

6) The lease to our apartment (where we have been living together since Oct 2011) with both of our name and signatures (by the way, do I need to translate this? It is in spanish)

7) Rent receipts (with both names)

8) A notarized letter from my mother, swearing that she attended our wedding

9) Photos from our wedding and honeymoon

10) Correspondence with friends and family referring to our getting married, wedding, etc.

11) My tax returns (I changed my status from single to married, but filed separately since my husband hadn't received his TIN yet)

Could anyone tell me if this is adequate? I could gather more documentation, but if what we already have works, I'd like to go ahead and file. Anyway, we'd always have the opportunity to show more at the interview, right?

Thank you!

Welcome to Vj.. :thumbs: you have a lot of proof which is good. Remember that you are really gonna need all this during your interview. I only submitted a photocopy of one picture of our wedding along with the marriage certificate.. If you feel comfortable sending this then I would. Looks like you have all your bases covered.

Good luck to you!

Edited by Gracenp2
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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Vietnam
Timeline

Hi, I will be mailing out our I-130 at the end of this month. For evidence of a bonafide marriage, my husband and I have the following:

1) Our marriage certificate (with a photocopy of a legal, certified translation)

2) My special-purpose visa (needed to marry in Bolivia, where my husband is from)

3) Flight itineraries and passport stamps

4) 50+ photos of us together (we have MUCH more than that, but we were thinking that 50 would be sufficient)

5) Emails sent back and forth (only during our engagement were we separated, we have been living together since we got married and therefore have little communication by email)

6) The lease to our apartment (where we have been living together since Oct 2011) with both of our name and signatures (by the way, do I need to translate this? It is in spanish)

7) Rent receipts (with both names)

8) A notarized letter from my mother, swearing that she attended our wedding

9) Photos from our wedding and honeymoon

10) Correspondence with friends and family referring to our getting married, wedding, etc.

11) My tax returns (I changed my status from single to married, but filed separately since my husband hadn't received his TIN yet)

Could anyone tell me if this is adequate? I could gather more documentation, but if what we already have works, I'd like to go ahead and file. Anyway, we'd always have the opportunity to show more at the interview, right?

Thank you!

You want to show the development of your relationship from beginning to present. It's not about proving there was a ceremony. Your marriage certificate is all you need to prove that you were married. Mom's statement that she was there isn't needed.

Letters between you and friends about the ceremony don't do much about proving the relationship is legit.

50 pics is much more than enough.

Time spent together with family and friends is good to show. Passport stamps, travel receipts, correspondence, the lease, etc. are all good to show a bona fide relationship.

I-864 Affidavit of Support FAQ -->> https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/immigrant-process/documents/support/i-864-frequently-asked-questions.html

FOREIGN INCOME REPORTING & TAX FILING -->> https://www.irs.gov/publications/p54/ch01.html#en_US_2015_publink100047318

CALL THIS NUMBER TO ORDER IRS TAX TRANSCRIPTS >> 800-908-9946

PLEASE READ THE GUIDES -->> Link to Visa Journey Guides

MULTI ENTRY SPOUSE VISA TO VN -->>Link to Visa Exemption for Vietnamese Residents Overseas & Their Spouses

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Filed: Country: Bolivia
Timeline

You want to show the development of your relationship from beginning to present. It's not about proving there was a ceremony. Your marriage certificate is all you need to prove that you were married. Mom's statement that she was there isn't needed.

Letters between you and friends about the ceremony don't do much about proving the relationship is legit.

50 pics is much more than enough.

Time spent together with family and friends is good to show. Passport stamps, travel receipts, correspondence, the lease, etc. are all good to show a bona fide relationship.

Thank you! Do you know if I should bother translating the lease, receipts, and correspondence?

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: China
Timeline

Thank you! Do you know if I should bother translating the lease, receipts, and correspondence?

No, an explanation of what those items are is sufficient.

Our journey:

Spoiler

September 2007: Met online via social networking site (MySpace); began exchanging messages.
March 26, 2009: We become a couple!
September 10, 2009: Arrived for first meeting in-person!
June 17, 2010: Arrived for second in-person meeting and start of travel together to other areas of China!
June 21, 2010: Engaged!!!
September 1, 2010: Switched course from K1 to CR-1
December 8, 2010: Wedding date set; it will be on February 18, 2011!
February 9, 2011: Depart for China
February 11, 2011: Registered for marriage in Wuhan, officially married!!!
February 18, 2011: Wedding ceremony in Shiyan!!!
April 22, 2011: Mailed I-130 to Chicago
April 28, 2011: Received NOA1 via text/email, file routed to CSC (priority date April 25th)
April 29, 2011: Updated
May 3, 2011: Received NOA1 hardcopy in mail
July 26, 2011: Received NOA2 via text/email!!!
July 30, 2011: Received NOA2 hardcopy in mail
August 8, 2011: NVC received file
September 1, 2011: NVC case number assigned
September 2, 2011: AOS invoice received, OPTIN email for EP sent
September 7, 2011: Paid AOS bill (payment portal showed PAID on September 9, 2011)
September 8, 2011: OPTIN email accepted, GZO number assigned
September 10, 2011: Emailed AOS package
September 12, 2011: IV bill invoiced
September 13, 2011: Paid IV bill (payment portal showed PAID on September 14, 2011)
September 14, 2011: Emailed IV package
October 3, 2011: Emailed checklist response (checklist generated due to typo on Form DS-230)
October 6, 2011: Case complete at NVC
November 10, 2011: Interview - APPROVED!!!
December 7, 2011: POE - Sea-Tac Airport

September 17, 2013: Mailed I-751 to CSC

September 23, 2013: Received NOA1 in mail (receipt date September 19th)

October 16, 2013: Biometrics Appointment

January 28, 2014: Production of new Green Card ordered

February 3, 2014: New Green Card received; done with USCIS until fall of 2023*

December 18, 2023:  Filed I-90 to renew Green Card

December 21, 2023:  Production of new Green Card ordered - will be seeing USCIS again every 10 years for renewal

 

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