They kept my fiancees packet!!!

[neal y eliana 0]

Hi Folks,

When my fiancee (wife now! ) came through immigration in Miami, they kept all of our papers (everything in the sealed envelope) , and only returned her passport. These were all our originals that we had taken to the embassy for the interview, etc. We had been told they would return them after immigration, but they just gave her the passport, she asked about the papers and they said "no".

So now I'm kind of freakin' out. Tax statements, all kinds of stuff that is hard or impossible to replace.

Has this happened to anybody? Any idea how to get them back?

Thanks in advance for any advice. Oh, and I don't really need any lectures on the benefit of certified copies, etc. The damage is done now, so if anybody else can learn from my problem, great, but I already learned my lesson...

Thanks again,

Neal y Eliana

[Cassie 8]

I don't know what to tell you since they took my entire packet (which is normal, by the way). You might be able to get the documents you want back at the AOS interview. You can get copies of your tax transcripts for free by calling a number at the IRS (it's on their website). other than that, dunno, sorry.

[rebeccajo 14]

They were supposed to keep that stuff.

[scy 0]

Hi Folks,

When my fiancee (wife now! ) came through immigration in Miami, they kept all of our papers (everything in the sealed envelope) , and only returned her passport. These were all our originals that we had taken to the embassy for the interview, etc. We had been told they would return them after immigration, but they just gave her the passport, she asked about the papers and they said "no".

So now I'm kind of freakin' out. Tax statements, all kinds of stuff that is hard or impossible to replace.

Has this happened to anybody? Any idea how to get them back?

Thanks in advance for any advice. Oh, and I don't really need any lectures on the benefit of certified copies, etc. The damage is done now, so if anybody else can learn from my problem, great, but I already learned my lesson...

Thanks again,

Neal y Eliana

You probably won't be able to get the documents back until you interview for adjustment of status. Another thing you might consider is that Miami is taking 2-3 years to process adjustment of status. You can get tax return transcripts. What else is in there that you need?

[motu 5]

Hi Folks,

When my fiancee (wife now! ) came through immigration in Miami, they kept all of our papers (everything in the sealed envelope) , and only returned her passport. These were all our originals that we had taken to the embassy for the interview, etc. We had been told they would return them after immigration, but they just gave her the passport, she asked about the papers and they said "no".

So now I'm kind of freakin' out. Tax statements, all kinds of stuff that is hard or impossible to replace.

Has this happened to anybody? Any idea how to get them back?

Thanks in advance for any advice. Oh, and I don't really need any lectures on the benefit of certified copies, etc. The damage is done now, so if anybody else can learn from my problem, great, but I already learned my lesson...

Thanks again,

Neal y Eliana

Hey buddy: You need to read all the guidelines and understand and gather as much info as you can. IMMIGRATION KEEPING ALL THE DOCUMENTS! THIS IS NORMAL. If you didn't know, you are yourselves to blame. You take the originals to the interview and produce them if asked (the smart ones also take copies and let them keep the copy of the Original.) This is true for your next stages also - You will be doing the AOS and then the permanent Green card and then (perhaps) the citizenship. So! You can still learn. And, you can get most of the documents replaced by going back to the source that issued them and paying for them. Tax Info is very easy to replace. Don't know what else you need to replace, but you are exagerating by calling it impossible to replace - even your birth certificate and passport can be replaced. Good luck in the next stages.

Edited March 5, 2006 by motu

[neal y eliana 0]

Thanks Everyone,

I didin't know it was normal, I guess I had bad info. We'll figure it out, we made it this...

Your right, impossible is a big word, a better word would have been "bothersome".

I didin't know it was so easy to get old tax info, I had all my old stuff before, so I didn't have to get it before.

Thanks again

[eau_xplain 2]

Neal,

A tip for when you do your AOS. Submit only copies and keep the originals. USCIS will not return any original documents that you submit. You will bring these originals to the AOS interview in case the interviewing officer wants to see them.

[pri 0]

why did you submit originals? they just need originals to be seen at the interview and all the copies are in the sealed packet which is for immigrtaion records

[Peggy 1]

Hi Folks,

When my fiancee (wife now! ) came through immigration in Miami, they kept all of our papers (everything in the sealed envelope) , and only returned her passport. These were all our originals that we had taken to the embassy for the interview, etc. We had been told they would return them after immigration, but they just gave her the passport, she asked about the papers and they said "no".

So now I'm kind of freakin' out. Tax statements, all kinds of stuff that is hard or impossible to replace.

Has this happened to anybody? Any idea how to get them back?

Thanks in advance for any advice. Oh, and I don't really need any lectures on the benefit of certified copies, etc. The damage is done now, so if anybody else can learn from my problem, great, but I already learned my lesson...

Thanks again,

Neal y Eliana

Hey buddy: You need to read all the guidelines and understand and gather as much info as you can. IMMIGRATION KEEPING ALL THE DOCUMENTS! THIS IS NORMAL. If you didn't know, you are yourselves to blame. You take the originals to the interview and produce them if asked (the smart ones also take copies and let them keep the copy of the Original.) This is true for your next stages also - You will be doing the AOS and then the permanent Green card and then (perhaps) the citizenship. So! You can still learn. And, you can get most of the documents replaced by going back to the source that issued them and paying for them. Tax Info is very easy to replace. Don't know what else you need to replace, but you are exagerating by calling it impossible to replace - even your birth certificate and passport can be replaced. Good luck in the next stages.

Chill out there buddy

[neal y eliana 0]

I agree with Pink Rose, chill out Wish I was "a smart one" to, but oh well....

Anyway, We took the originals (and copies) to the embassy in Bogotá for the interview, like we were instructed. After the interview, the fellow promptly swooped up the originals and put them in the envelope that we were not supposed to open. I even asked about the originals, to which he replied "she'll get those back when she enters the US, at immigration".

So, I guess I should have known better, but on the other hand, what was I going to do, rip them out of his hands?

You live, you learn. We made it all the way through getting the K-1 and getting her here without to any major problems, so I'm still not feeling to terribly stupid. Maybe if I had to do this more than once I'd be a little better at it.

Besides, were together, were married, and were at least 1/2 way there!!!

We'll work it out, just a bit more effort required.

Neal,

A tip for when you do your AOS. Submit only copies and keep the originals. USCIS will not return any original documents that you submit. You will bring these originals to the AOS interview in case the interviewing officer wants to see them.

Got it, thanks. Thats what I did for the K-1, only like I said, the embassy kind of decided to put the originals in the packet for us, and unfortunately I didn't know enough to throw a fit right then and there!

Thanks again for the tip.

Neal

[neptune970 0]

yikes. see its posts like these that make me nervous about sending my passport or naturalization certificate through mail to PARAGUAY (of all places!!). it's just weird all our lives we've been instructed to keep these sorts of documents close by. now immigration officals take them and I might not know how to get them back. it's a little unnerving, no? (notarized copy anyone? or would this just be totally unacceptable?)

[scy 0]

yikes. see its posts like these that make me nervous about sending my passport or naturalization certificate through mail to PARAGUAY (of all places!!). it's just weird all our lives we've been instructed to keep these sorts of documents close by. now immigration officals take them and I might not know how to get them back. it's a little unnerving, no? (notarized copy anyone? or would this just be totally unacceptable?)

Don't send your passport. But do send the naturalization certificate. If you lose both, it's very hard to prove you're a US citizen. Keep the passport. I sent my citizenship certificate but kept my passport and didn't have a problem.

[Lyric 0]

I have a couple of questions concerning this as well. I realize that we have to have originals of birth certificate, divorce decrees and transcripts from the IRS. My first question is what about in my situation where I was married until last fall? I've been told that because I had to file jointly in 2003 and 2004 that I have to send my original W-2 forms for those years to show how much I made individually.

I'm also wondering about the snail mail letters from my fiance that he has written to me. They won't take those.....or will they? I mean obviously having my fiance get his visa and being here is most important, but I think everyone here can understand the importance of being able to keep originals of the letters he has handwritten to me for sentimental reasons.

All the original boarding passes and baggage tickets from the airlines? Do they keep those at the K-1 interview too or do they return them ? Will we need those later at any point for the AOS interview?

So my final question is this, really. Is there any way to keep our 'sentimental' orginal stuff used for evidence of our ongoing relationship.

Thanks for you help.

[Canuck Carrie 1]

I have a couple of questions concerning this as well. I realize that we have to have originals of birth certificate, divorce decrees and transcripts from the IRS. My first question is what about in my situation where I was married until last fall? I've been told that because I had to file jointly in 2003 and 2004 that I have to send my original W-2 forms for those years to show how much I made individually.

I'm also wondering about the snail mail letters from my fiance that he has written to me. They won't take those.....or will they? I mean obviously having my fiance get his visa and being here is most important, but I think everyone here can understand the importance of being able to keep originals of the letters he has handwritten to me for sentimental reasons.

All the original boarding passes and baggage tickets from the airlines? Do they keep those at the K-1 interview too or do they return them ? Will we need those later at any point for the AOS interview?

So my final question is this, really. Is there any way to keep our 'sentimental' orginal stuff used for evidence of our ongoing relationship.

Thanks for you help.

I can help answer parts of yours

Montreal will not ask for proof of your relationship but if you're concerned bring copies of the envelopes to your interview.

We sent copies of boarding passes with our I-129f petition, and were not asked to provide the originals at any stage.

[Lyric 0]

I have a couple of questions concerning this as well. I realize that we have to have originals of birth certificate, divorce decrees and transcripts from the IRS. My first question is what about in my situation where I was married until last fall? I've been told that because I had to file jointly in 2003 and 2004 that I have to send my original W-2 forms for those years to show how much I made individually.

I'm also wondering about the snail mail letters from my fiance that he has written to me. They won't take those.....or will they? I mean obviously having my fiance get his visa and being here is most important, but I think everyone here can understand the importance of being able to keep originals of the letters he has handwritten to me for sentimental reasons.

All the original boarding passes and baggage tickets from the airlines? Do they keep those at the K-1 interview too or do they return them ? Will we need those later at any point for the AOS interview?

So my final question is this, really. Is there any way to keep our 'sentimental' orginal stuff used for evidence of our ongoing relationship.

Thanks for you help.

I can help answer parts of yours

Montreal will not ask for proof of your relationship but if you're concerned bring copies of the envelopes to your interview.

We sent copies of boarding passes with our I-129f petition, and were not asked to provide the originals at any stage.

Wow, really? I thought for sure they'd want some sort of letters and/or e-mails we had sent to one another. That'd be a big load off our shoulders if they don't. Plus I was kind of stressing about his first three trips here. We didn't know at the time of those trips that we would possibly need the boarding passes and so he didn't save those. I called Delta and they said they don't even know if they could pull that info for us and even if they did it's $20 per ticket. What a rip off. As if we don't spend a rediculous amount of money for tickets the first time around. Sorry just venting. Thanks for the insight.