RFE to show we met in person. HELP!

[Pinkrlion 2,716]

Hi VJ'ers,

I need advice from the throng on VJ about what I can do to meet the requirement for proving we met in person.

Background: Here is the letter that I included with the I129F for Part B, Question 18: "Has your fiancée met and seen you in within the two-year period immediately preceding the filing of this petition."

To Whom It May Concern:

Michelle and I met in person in Manila. I arrived on May 23 and returned to San Francisco on June 6, 2012. During our time together I stayed at her house in Las Piñas, Manila. Our time was spent in and around Manila. I met Michelle’s family, most of whom flew in from Butuan City for the duration of my stay.

Attached is documentation that confirms that I, Jeffrey X. XXXXX, met and saw my fiancée, Michelle X. XXXXX, within the 2-year period preceding the filing of my I-129F petition.

Included herewith:

• Itinerary/Receipt of round-trip flight from SFO to MNL

• Copy of petitioner’s US Passport with entry and exit stamps from the immigration officers at the Manila airport (entry: 5/23/12, exit: 6/6/12)

• Copies of boarding passes

• Receipt for Php 550 Passenger Service Charge upon exiting the Philippines

• Copies of toll receipts for taxi rides on Manila Skyway

• Copies of receipts from restaurants and movie theater

• Photographs documenting our time together [here I included 6 pages of photos of us together, printed in full color at Kinkos, with dates]

Here is the text from the RFE from the CSC:

REQUIREMENT THAT PETITIONER AND BENEFICIARY HAVE MET IN PERSON: It must be established that the petitioner and beneficiary have met in person and/or have been in each other's physical presence at any time during the two years immediately preceding the filing of this petition.

• Circumstances of Meeting - Submit information regarding the circumstances under which the petitioner and beneficiary met to establish this relationship.
  

So, my question is, what else can I do to prove that I spent 2 weeks with Michelle? Are they looking for a longer narrative about our love story? More pictures?

Thanks for your help!!

They want to know how you met to establish a relationship, not for proof of meeting within the past two years. Alot of people miss this, as it is a two part question.

[TnJ 131]

They want to know how you met to establish a relationship, not for proof of meeting within the past two years. Alot of people miss this, as it is a two part question.

I agree except I would have worded it "They want to know how you met to establish a relationship AND proof of meeting within the past two years". The only thing I submitted as to how we met to establish a relationship was one sentence in my overall statement of meeting.

Edited October 14, 2012 by ToddnJessa

[Misha♥Jeff 12]

They want to know how you met to establish a relationship, not for proof of meeting within the past two years. Alot of people miss this, as it is a two part question.

Yeah I think you are right about that. What I read on the Petition form is that if we DIDN'T meet within the last 2 years, then I would need to describe how the relationship was established. However since we met face to face this year, I didn't think that extra description was necessary.

This advice should definitely be part of the I129F checklist on the VJ wiki page.

[-=Mai and Timmy=- 12]

just make a letter of you two that describes how you met and stay inlove within the last two years ,I hope everything is fine as soon as you send the docs they needed, Im pretty sure too that they might approved it soon upon you guys send it. goodluck and god bless us all to this journey

[Moomin 292]

OP, if you're going to write a 2 page letter explaining how you met(the circumstances), I'd probably suggest making a timeline as well. It'll serve as an overview with the important highlights.

Were you introduced through a friend, family member, met online searching, or randomly met online. Did you arrange to meet in person and know each other before you arrived in her home country, or randomly visited her home country and then met in person.

[TnJ 131]

Yeah I think you are right about that. What I read on the Petition form is that if we DIDN'T meet within the last 2 years, then I would need to describe how the relationship was established. However since we met face to face this year, I didn't think that extra description was necessary.

This advice should definitely be part of the I129F checklist on the VJ wiki page.

You DO NEED TO MEET WITHIN 2 YEARS. Don't let this confuse you. Meeting within 2 years of filing IS a requirement. There are only very few exceptions regarding cultural traditions and such, and I don't know of any Fil/Am couples excused for this. USCIS does expect the general census of applicants to meet within 2 years. However, one must also give an introduction of how you met. Seriously, I think something happened to your evidence honestly. You have all you need. If there were anything to add, it would be a statement of HOW you met. That, along with resubmitting the evidence is all I can think of

Edited October 14, 2012 by ToddnJessa

[Misha♥Jeff 12]

OP, if you're going to write a 2 page letter explaining how you met(the circumstances), I'd probably suggest making a timeline as well. It'll serve as an overview with the important highlights.

Were you introduced through a friend, family member, met online searching, or randomly met online. Did you arrange to meet in person and know each other before you arrived in her home country, or randomly visited her home country and then met in person.

Great idea!

[rehtse 1]

I suggest that just make it a one letter page since they might not like to read long love story. (I read it from somewhere when we did ours). Just state how and when you met,when you become a couple, when you decided to go to her country, where you spent while visiting her, how are you get along with her friends and family and what are you plans in the future. Then let ut sign and dated by the petitioner.

[Pinkrlion 2,716]

I agree except I would have worded it "They want to know how you met to establish a relationship AND proof of meeting within the past two years". The only thing I submitted as to how we met to establish a relationship was one sentence in my overall statement of meeting.

They are not asking for proof of meeting, just the statement of how they met. Also, the question on the petition says met and seen, people miss that it is a two part question. In addition the first statement under the question says...Describe the circumstances of how you met.... Petitioners confuse this with the two year in person requirement.

Edited October 14, 2012 by Pinkrlion

[SweetieUs 4]

Does that really happen? Where some papers are lost? That is probably not likely since I MEGA-stapled everything together.

Yes it happens. We got a RFE for something we included in the package (passport photographs) , so they could have misplaced it. Send a well explained letter with the proof you sent plus some more emails And chats just in case they also want more proof, just to be safe.

[aws&ndd 103]

Does that really happen? Where some papers are lost? That is probably not likely since I MEGA-stapled everything together.

Stapling is bad, and could be possible how they lost your papers in trying to unstaple them. They tear your entire packet apart and reorganize it how they want it. Sounds like you sent all the evidence in, so I would suggest just to resend it. It is not necessary to give a detailed account as to how your relationship started or how you met initially like online or whatever. Your response in to how you met physically in person is all that is required and should fit in the box on the I-129f form, and you already sent in the evidence proving it. Just resend it again.

[StarGirl 13]

As a response to OP's RFE I would write a letter with a narrative of relationship and also resend all the evidence of meeting within past two years. God only knows what happened to his original package.. wouldn't take any chances for second RFE.

[feli114 65]

How you met and proof that you have met in person in the last 2 years are 2 different questions.

Edited October 14, 2012 by feli114

[dbcroasman 2]

It sounds like to me they are asking HOW you met i.e you met online, etc. The letter you sent explained when you met for the first time but not how the relationship got started. That is my take on it anyway.

agree ! u need to explain wher and when did you meet and how the relationship started. ur details is not complete.. then attach the docs and different pictures again.

good luck !

[Calicolom 266]

Prove, prove, proof, what you write in your letters means nothing, I can write a letter with your name on it. Somehow you did not prove to them you meet in person. Did you write on your I-129 Line 18 how you meet. They pay the most attention to the form you fill in, and not some letter you wrote.