DCF Seoul Checklist

[mrss13 2]

The time is coming! I booked an appointment for this Tuesday via InfoPass to speak to an immigration officer and file our I-130.. I'm pretty worked up and I hope that I have everything sorted out properly. If anyone has a moment, would you mind looking over my checklist/cover letter?

Dear US Immigration Officer:

My name is XXX, and I am the petitioner in this matter. Enclosed, please find my Form I-130, Petition for Alien Spouse for XXX, who is a Canadian citizen, and supporting documents. Contents include:


1. Form I-130.

2. G-325A Biographic Information for XXX (American)

3. G-325A Biographic Information for XXX (Canadian)

4. Copy of US Spouse’s Birth Certificate

5. Copy of Canadian’s Spouse’s Birth Certificate

5. Copy of all pages of US Spouse’s Passport

6. Copy of all pages of Canadian Spouse’s Passport

7. Copy of the apostilled Marriage Certificate and certified translation into English from the original Korean.

8. One passport style photo of petitioner.

9. One passport style photo of beneficiary.

10. Several items presented as proof of a genuine marital relationship:

A. Copies of both the petitioner’s and beneficiary’s Korean Alien Registration Cards, showing proof of cohabitation.

B. Documentation of bank account transfers, showing financial co-mingling.

C. Documentation of a vacation taken together.

D. Signed affidavit describing our marital relationship by a friend, XXX.

E. Signed affidavit describing our marital relationship by the petitioner’s father, XXX.

F. Photos presented as proof of genuine marital relationship.

G. Copies of emails, messages, and Facebook posts showing proof of ongoing relationship.

11. Proof of intent to re-establish residence in the United States upon a successful competition of the permanent resident application process. (Inquiries into getting my husband an American teaching certification, job applications, etc. Do you guys think this is sufficient?)

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Respectfully,

XXX

Does it look good? We are paying the fee in person in cash, as per the website's instructions for this embassy.

Edited June 7, 2013 by elee09

[mrss13 2]

Just for reference if anyone else looks: I was given back all of my relationship proofs, as well as the copy of my passport. The copy of my birth certificate was sufficient, and they say they "might" need the proofs for the interview but they didn't need it at that time. I would advise people to prepare it anyway, just in case. I applied in person at Seoul, so it may differ if you use another consulate.

Edited June 11, 2013 by elee09

[noreaga 0]

Thank you for this highly informative post. I'm looking into starting the process in Seoul as well, so this was a great reference.

[mrss13 2]

No problem We are doing our interview next week and I'll be sure to let you know how that goes. You can PM me with any questions!

[noreaga 0]

Thanks ! I do have a few questions:

1. For the passport style photos, did they need to be any specific measurements, or taken within a certain time frame? I have my passport photos from earlier this year (January) when I had to renew my Canadian passport in Seoul.

2. how do copies of the ARC card prove cohabitation?

3. Did you use a sample template to write out the letters for the affidavits?

[mrss13 2]

1. They have to be 5cm x 5cm and taken within 6 months. We went to a generic photo place and they did the US size passport photos. They have a photo booth inside of the US consulate as well.

2. We both have the same address printed on the back of our ARCs. It's the only "official" documentation we have of us sharing an address.

3. I didn't, I just made sure they included their name, address, date and place of birth, email and phone number. I asked them to speak specifically about our relationship and what they knew about how we met, what we do as a couple, and things we have done together as a group. For my dad, I also had him include that we will be welcome to live with him when we return to the US.

[noreaga 0]

Thanks much. Im excited and nervous to start the process; my wife just moved to Korea three weeks ago, so it will be some time before we start the process.

How did you guys think about deciding when to start your DCF process?

[mrss13 2]

We knew it would be shorter and easier to do it this way. We both live and work here anyway, so it's what made the most sense.

[noreaga 0]

How long had you both been in Korea before you started to follow the process? I'm only asking because I would like to start the process with my wife ASAP. I've been here 14 months, but she just got here three weeks ago ... I dont know if it will arouse any suspicion at the US embassy if we start the process so quickly.

[mrss13 2]

We were both in Korea for about 10 months. We came to Korea at the same time. I don't think they will mind very much about when she came to Korea. The sponsor has to have been in Korea for at least 6 months, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't apply to the applicant. The good news is that it is a very quick process. We could have been finished within a couple of months but we took our time with gathering the other paperwork, etc. We plan on returning early next year so we weren't in a huge rush.