Hello! I'm new! Here's my checklist!

[TeaCup 65]

Hi everyone!

I'm Irish and my husband is from the US.

I've had so much help reading things on here with other peoples past experiences..

My husband and I met online going on 5 years ago, we married last year and now are sending our I-130 first thing on Monday!!

Here's my cover letter / checklist of what I'm sending.. Hope I can help some other people when I learn more about everything and all the codes!

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services

Nature of Submission: I-130 Application

Please find enclosed my I-130 Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of my wife (name)

Please find enclosed:

Check enclosed for the amount of $420.00

Completed form G-1145

Completed form I-130

Completed form G325-A Signed by me the petitioner (name) with attached signed passport-style photo

Completed form G325-A Signed by wife (name) with attached signed passport-style photo

Copy of our Marriage Certificate

Copy of petitioners birth certificate (Front, Back & Apostille Stamp)

Copy of my wife's longform birth certificate *Printed on two (2) pages

Copy of Petitioners passport (name)+ visa stamps to Ireland

Copy of petitioners Irish visa card

Copy of my wife's passport + visa stamps from visits to the U.S.A.

Original bank statement as proof of co-mingling financial resources

Original photographs as a secondary evidence of a bonafide marriage. (we sent 21 photos, before marriage, wedding, after marriage)

If anyone thinks we are forgetting anything please let us know!

Thank you!

[JayJayH 546]

Looks good.

Just being technical here.. Your wife's birth certificate won't harm the petition, but it is not needed.

Using pictures as evidence can be either a great asset or completely worthless depending on what pictures you use.

Keep the wedding pictures, but you need more than just wedding pictures. Wedding pictures do not prove a bona fide marriage, but rather that you had a wedding, and that someone took pictures of it. The marriage certificate proves that you had a wedding. You want to show that it was bona fide.

So, aside from the wedding pictures, how do you turn picture evidence from worthless to substantial?

Example of worthless picture evidence:

20,000+ photos showing nothing but your faces and maybe an indistinguishable background.

- This proves that you have met in person, and it proves that you have access to a camera. Nothing more. It's completely worthless as evidence of anything.

Examples of substantial picture evidence:

10 - 20 pictures spanning a big timespan. The backgrounds should show different, distinguishable scenery, different situations and different places. Preferably different seasons. Different hair styles in some pictures are a plus. Pictures showing you two together are great, but be sure some pictures show you with family and/or friends.

- This proves that you have spent significant amounts of time together. If you have pictures of the two of you in Ireland it means you actually met when you went to Ireland (as opposed to showing you just went to Ireland by providing passport stamps). Show pictures of the two of you in the US, which proves that you actually met when she was in the US. Further, showing at least a couple of pictures with family and/or friends show that your lives are, at least to an extent, intertwined.

This being said, she will be interviewing in Dublin, a 'friendly consulate.'

Edited November 10, 2013 by yang-ja

[Amorim 0]

They will probably send back those pictures and other proofs just like they did with me. They mostly request that at the NVC stage in case of reestablishing domicile and interview.

Edited November 10, 2013 by Amorim

[TeaCup 65]

Thank you for your reply Yang-Ja!

Sorry I wasn't more clear (i usually hate when people leave out information! lol)

I am sending 4-6 pictures of us together when we first met in Chicago, (at willis tower, restaurants etc) some with his family on other visits at different places, pictures of me with his father, sisters, step mother etc.

then 7-10 wedding pics (some just us, some with my family) and some random pictures of us together in different places!!

I wrote dates, and places on the back of every photograph too, and who was in them.

Do you think this will suffice??

Again, thank you so much for the feedback! Everything is greatly appreciated!

[TeaCup 65]

They will probably send back those pictures and other proofs just like they did with me. They mostly request that at the NVC stage in case of reestablishing domicile and interview.

I'm hoping to get the pictures back, but they are just copys so no big deal. I was just worried I'd get an RFE and someone told me best to send them rather than wait to see if I do. I'm still learning though!

Also, the reason I did send them was because it is really all else we have to show we are actually in a bonafide relationship other than marriage cert and bank account together.

[JayJayH 546]

Thank you for your reply Yang-Ja!

Sorry I wasn't more clear (i usually hate when people leave out information! lol)

I am sending 4-6 pictures of us together when we first met in Chicago, (at willis tower, restaurants etc) some with his family on other visits at different places, pictures of me with his father, sisters, step mother etc.

then 7-10 wedding pics (some just us, some with my family) and some random pictures of us together in different places!!

I wrote dates, and places on the back of every photograph too, and who was in them.

Do you think this will suffice??

Again, thank you so much for the feedback! Everything is greatly appreciated!

Yep, this will be good. They want to see that you've spent a lot of time and even travelled together, not just what you look like

[TeaCup 65]

Yep, this will be good. They want to see that you've spent a lot of time and even travelled together, not just what you look like

Thank you so much!

[scienceworks 64]

All looks good. In mean time while you are waiting, make and collect more evidences.

eg. Add spouse as an excluded non-driver in your car insurance ( you will save money by declaring you are married).

If you take more trips, collect boarding passes, stamps, baggage receipts.

Any gift that you send to each other.

Edited November 10, 2013 by scienceworks

[TeaCup 65]

All looks good. In mean time while you are waiting, make and collect more evidences.

eg. Add spouse as an excluded non-driver in your car insurance ( you will save money by declaring you are married).

If you take more trips, collect boarding passes, stamps, baggage receipts.

Any gift that you send to each other.

@Scienceworks

Thank you. We will definitely start on all of that now that the process has begun!

We sent packages to eachother for birthdays, christmas etc. But we didn't really send cards. Will this be a problem? Gifts were usually small and I mostly would get him shirts, I did send him a nice silver money clip and also a silver pocket watch and I have a necklace he got me for my birthday but we have no actual proof that they were gifts to eachother? Do you have any suggestions on how we should go about proving this? Unfortunately we don't have any receipts.

[scienceworks 64]

Be advised that the things mentioned are only additional stuff that you may want to have just in case. Many times it's not needed. Remember, this is an administrative process so the burden of proof is on you. still, if you don't have these additional things, don't worry too much. If there isn't much red flags, these are probably irrelevant. From your profile pics, I don't see much red flags; you two seem to be of comparable age and same ethnic/racial origin. And I guess Ireland is a low-fraud country, so not much trouble.

I didn't send any gifts in the normal sense. When my wife needed stuff that wasn't available in a store in Germany or something cheaper was available on amazon.de, I would buy it for her using my card (with US address as billing). As far as I am concerned that's taking care of her needs and in my opinion is a good evidence of relationship rather than buying expensive gift.

Dig you wallet for any mailing receipts. I am sure you will find one or two. And I never send any card. Buying a card for few dollars and then spending more than that for shipping doesn't sit well with my wallet.

[TeaCup 65]

Be advised that the things mentioned are only additional stuff that you may want to have just in case. Many times it's not needed. Remember, this is an administrative process so the burden of proof is on you. still, if you don't have these additional things, don't worry too much. If there isn't much red flags, these are probably irrelevant. From your profile pics, I don't see much red flags; you two seem to be of comparable age and same ethnic/racial origin. And I guess Ireland is a low-fraud country, so not much trouble.

I didn't send any gifts in the normal sense. When my wife needed stuff that wasn't available in a store in Germany or something cheaper was available on amazon.de, I would buy it for her using my card (with US address as billing). As far as I am concerned that's taking care of her needs and in my opinion is a good evidence of relationship rather than buying expensive gift.

Dig you wallet for any mailing receipts. I am sure you will find one or two. And I never send any card. Buying a card for few dollars and then spending more than that for shipping doesn't sit well with my wallet.

Ah, I see what you mean!

I am definitely going to have a search for something, I may have emails from shirts I got on Amazon and some other things too.

Thank you again for reminding us to have these things ready just in case!

I'm just hoping we don't get an RFE!

[scienceworks 64]

I don't think you will get an RFE. I think you have the essential things. I have a cousin who got approved in March; all she sent was Marriage certificate and bank account. Her school of thought (well she didn't know what to do) is that give only what they ask, if they need more, they will ask (WRONG!!!!!!)

[TeaCup 65]

We were planning on sending i-130 back in 2012 but I'm happy we didn't! We didn't have the essentials at that point!

It's so nice to talk to people in the same position.

All of you are soo nice!!

[scienceworks 64]

one more thing. I completely forgot. How about communication logs? Gmail/Chat/Skype/NameyourMethod what ever that shows you were in constant touch, phone logs/bills.

[scienceworks 64]

Following are the things I submitted, for you to cross check. I lost lots of neurons in the last few months, so I am not recollecting all but my cover letter says it all.

1. Photographs of Petitioner
2. Photograph of Beneficiary
3. Completed Form I-130
4. Completed Form G-325A of Petitioner
5. Completed Form G-325A of Beneficiary
6. Copy of Petitioner’s US Passport
7. Copy of Petitioner’s US Certificate of Naturalization
8. Copy of Marriage Certificate
9. Copy of Beneficiary’s passport showing petitioner name as spouse.
10. Joint Bank Account
11. Petitioner Tax returns (2011 and 2012), 4 sheets total showing spouse's name
12. Bank Money Transfer Document
13. Petitioner’s Car Insurance declaration page (5 sheets)
14. Travel and Visit details
    1. Petitioner’s Passport Stamps
    2. Beneficiary’s Passport Stamps
    3. Copy of Boarding Passes (4 sheets)
15. Printout of pictures from wedding and visits (3 sheets)
16. Receipts of purchases and gifts (7sheets)
17. Gmail Chat Logs (9 sheets)
18. Skype Call and Chat Logs (3 sheets)