Communication Proof

[Bugs 455]

Okay, I'm in the midst of assembling proof of our communication history via Yahoo Messenger, Skype, and Facebook Messages over the past year and a half, to bring to the interview.

I am torn though between deciding to print ALL of it, which would be thousands of pages, or just a regular sampling, and wanted to get an idea from you that have gone through the interview in determining what the consulate likes to see.

Here is what I think I will do:

From Yahoo Messenger (our primary means of chatting):

1 screen shot EACH week from Feb. 2012 to Aug. 2013 - each containing a log on the left side of most of the dates and times we have chatted that week along with a sample transcript from that log highlighted and shown in the main window.

From Skype (our video calls):

Screenshots showing log listing of all the call dates and times from June 2013 to August 2013. A similar log listing cut and pasted from Skype dating from April 2012 to May 2013 onto a word file and printed out.

From Facebook Messages (a secondary means of communication):

1 screen shot EACH day showing a sample of our messages that day, with a date and time stamp showing in the message, from June 2013 (when we started using this) to August 2013.

Is this good enough? We do need to show substantial evidence of a bonafide relationship due to a few minor red flags, but the thought of printing out thousands of pages of every text and message seems so cumbersome (not to mention costly), and we were wondering if it is even worth doing if the consulate would be fine with it being cut down to sampling like the above. It cuts it down to about 100 pages, as opposed to thousands of pages if we printed out all the chat text of everything.

Edited July 4, 2013 by Leon & Mylen

[jenni17 36]

I was just looking into this last night after seeing someone post about how to get print outs of skype logs... I copied and pasted ours into a word doc and it's 350 pages long... and that's with it only showing convo after June 2011 since before that I had a different laptop. If i were to go back to when we first started dating in 2009 it would be several volumes long.

I don't plan on bringing the whole thing. I'm going to take a sampling from each month since we started dating plus cell phone bills from the past 6 months showing incoming and outgoing calls to each other. There's no way the interviewer is going to take the time to read through all of them... we would just be killing trees if we were to print the entire thing.

I think you're good with the sampling.

That being said someone who's had experience at the Manila embassy should chime in... because from what others have told me Peru asks more for pictures than anything else so I'm going to go overboard on the photos rather than the chat logs

Edited July 4, 2013 by jenni17

[Hank_ 9,174]

I only printed out a small sampling (not the complete text from any one day) over a variety of months, totaled maybe 4-6 pages, I included a few screenshots as will from Skype.

For us the embassy never asked to see any of it, but I was there for the interview. They did ask for pictures of us together and kept a few.

[Bugs 455]

I was just looking into this last night after seeing someone post about how to get print outs of skype logs... I copied and pasted ours into a word doc and it's 350 pages long... and that's with it only showing convo after June 2011 since before that I had a different laptop. If i were to go back to when we first started dating in 2009 it would be several volumes long.

I don't plan on bringing the whole thing. I'm going to take a sampling from each month since we started dating plus cell phone bills from the past 6 months showing incoming and outgoing calls to each other. There's no way the interviewer is going to take the time to read through all of them... we would just be killing trees if we were to print the entire thing.

I think you're good with the sampling.

That being said someone who's had experience at the Manila embassy should chime in... because from what others have told me Peru asks more for pictures than anything else so I'm going to go overboard on the photos rather than the chat logs

Thanks for your input. Yeah, if they won't even bother to look at a stack of a thousand pages, then it is definitely not worth it. A sampling may be what they prefer.

And I agree, it's consulate specific, which is why I put it in the Philippines forum (but your input is still appreciated).

It's a good question - what DOES the Manila consulate tend to want in terms of bonafide relationship proof?

Edited July 4, 2013 by Leon & Mylen

[Bugs 455]

I only printed out a small sampling (not the complete text from any one day) over a variety of months, totaled maybe 4-6 pages, I included a few screenshots as will from Skype.

For us the embassy never asked to see any of it, but I was there for the interview. They did ask for pictures of us together and kept a few.

Thanks. Sounds like a sampling is the way to go with Manila then. I will however indicate on the cover page for my sampling packet that I can procure full transcripts for them to look at if desired.

Edited July 4, 2013 by Leon & Mylen

[Cha n Nel 1]

Agreed on sampling, it's more practical plus CO's don't have time to sift all those.

[sld 5]

I was able to save everything on a cd, as a just on case. But didn't need it. But I had it.

[Dustin and Janen 86]

Our main form of communication is text message. I did an export from my iPhone and we had over 47,000 text messages for December(when she got an iphone) through June. If I printed it would be over 3000 pages. So, just picked 1 page from each month. I hope that will me enough. I also printed our Vonage logs but they didn't start until May since that's when I got it. I didn't include Skype, Facebook, or Couple (iPhone app we use when iMessage isn't working).

For photos I made 2 photo books using Apple iPhoto. One for our engagement in November and another for our trip around the Philippines and Thailand.

[Bugs 455]

I was able to save everything on a cd, as a just on case. But didn't need it. But I had it.

That's a good idea, although I will use a USB stick instead of a CD, as CDs are a bit outdated at this point lol.

[Cha n Nel 1]

Not a good idea if you plan to bring those as added proof to the embassy. I remember someone saying that they don't allow USB sticks during my last visit in the embassy. But if its for personal storage then yeah good idea.

That's a good idea, although I will use a USB stick instead of a CD, as CDs are a bit outdated at this point lol.

Edited July 4, 2013 by Cha n Nel

[Bugs 455]

Not a good idea if you plan to bring those as added proof to the embassy. I remember someone saying that they don't allow USB sticks during my last visit in the embassy. But if its for personal storage then yeah good idea.

Well yes, I was just thinking of keeping it on personal storage, so it's handy in case the embassy wants more proof is all then I can get it off of there. I assumed that is what the person above kept it on CDs for, unless they allow CDs as part of proof, then I'll put it on a CD and bring it. Do they allow CDs?

Edited July 4, 2013 by Leon & Mylen

[Cha n Nel 1]

I suppose they do allow (for you to enter the embassy) considering that your Medical results from St. Luke's will be in CD form. As far as the CO reviewing your CD of your files for the proof of communication is entirely up to that person. I'd prolly bring it when my time comes just in case, no harm in being thorough.

Well yes, I was just thinking of keeping it on personal storage, so it's handy in case the embassy wants more proof is all then I can get it off of there. I assumed that is what the person above kept it on CDs for, unless they allow CDs as part of proof, then I'll put it on a CD and bring it. Do they allow CDs?

[Hank_ 9,174]

Well yes, I was just thinking of keeping it on personal storage, so it's handy in case the embassy wants more proof is all then I can get it off of there. I assumed that is what the person above kept it on CDs for, unless they allow CDs as part of proof, then I'll put it on a CD and bring it. Do they allow CDs?

You can bring a CD into the embassy but they won't accept.

Having the info handy on a USB is just fine... for later if you need something.

[reginaglenn 25]

I only had 5 pages of chats, 5 pages of emails( both from my fiancee and my future mom), 5 pages letters, 5 selected greeting cards, 5 copies poems i wrote for him(funny, just decided to include, not necessary though), to think for more than 8 years, i can't imagine how to gather them all, and decided to the very last minute to have a few. But all these were useless, i slept late at night just to assemble all of them including pictures. During interview, both Fil and American CO just took a glance on our pictures, 2 flips and we're done. Right, they don't really spend much time on flipping all proofs, as long as all other docs required is present and look good, you'll know the verdict. Good luck!

[Hank_ 9,174]

Yup that is pretty much how it goes, the CO asks a few questions, looks at a couple pictures and if no red flags with that its done.... but there is always that IF, and then there are those that bring everything but yesterday's newspaper.