What documents I supplied to USCIS for I-130 approval

[No name 88 48]

Hi everyone. I thought people would find it helpful if I described what documents I provided the USCIS for an I-130 application and got approved. I don't believe in front loading. To me that's all secondary evidence where USCIS just wants the hard documents and increases the odds of them losing something. KISS keep it simple stupid

Here's what I sent and the order I compiled the paper. No cover page. No index. No notes or special paper clips. Just what they asked for with a few extras. Sent it regular mail to the Chicago lock box. Some here recommend sending a 200 page packet of secondary information such as chat logs; which seems absurd in my eyes. Personally our text logs read like an erotic novel; I'm not sending that into USCIS.

1. The Check for the application fee.
2. 2 passport photos of the wife.
3. Request for electronic notification.
4. Form I-130
5. Form G-325A for wife
6. Form G-325A for me
7. Photo copy of police certified translation from Vietnam of wife's national ID card with copy of ID card
8. Photo copy of police certified translation from Vietnam of our marriage certificate with copy of certificate
9. Photo copy of police certified translation from Vietnam of wife's birth certificate with copy of certificate
10. Photo copy of police certified translation from Vietnam of wife's house hold book with copy of book (that's one is specific to Vietnam)
11. Photocopy of our house rental agreement with page from our landlords house hold book in Vietnam; this shows we are living together.
12. Photo copy of wife's passport biometric page.
13. Photo copy of my passport biometric page and page with Vietnam Visa from when we married.
14. Photo copy of my birth certificate and SSN card.
15. 7 photos on printer paper of me and wife the together before we got married. Nothing written/no dates.
16. 4 professional photos on printer paper of me and wife in wedding shots. Nothing written/no dates.
17. 3 professional photos on printer paper of me and wife during wedding with her family. Our names and wedding date is clearly visible in the photos as it was on the wall at the wedding hall billboard size. (I'm told that's a local custom but it works in my favor)

I did all police certified translations which is not required but I won't send a document under my name that I couldn't read first.

Don't overthink the process. You don't need a lawyer. I started with one and fired him. Follow the I-130 instructions and triple check that the forms are filed in correctly. I did them on the computer and wrote in the addresses by hand because they didn't fit in the space provided. Sign in black ink. Include the documents that matter first. Anything else is secondary. For the IR/CR visa I think the marriage certificate is much more important than chat logs. This is one reason I choose the IR/CR route as you can back up your petition with actual legal documents. For the K-1 this is not the case which results in high denials.

If sending a ton of paper makes you happy go for it.

[li_09 40]

Nice post.

I strongly believe in this too hence why I only sent 2 letters from friends and marriage certificate as evidence. No photos. However we have a son together. This is honestly why I didn't frontload with evidence because I thought 'we have a child together. What more do you need to prove that our marriage is real'

I guess most people do so because it's better to be safe than sorry

Edited March 7, 2014 by li_09

[Chris & Trinh 15]

I Concur....about the same thing we sent in. I did do a cover page, if nothing else it helped me keep everything oranized. As the abover poster said having a child together is an added bonus and we sure included a copy of our sons CRBA. I believe it really helps. You'll have to provide this at some point anyway. At least the original was requested from us at the interview stage. I think you have just completed your child's CRBA, isn't that corect Todd? Be prepared to present it.