I-129F petition - request for evidence

[tealeaf 0]

Hello, I have finally received an answer from my 7 month wait since I have submitted the I-129F petition for fiance visa. The letter's title is "Request For Evidence" and it says, I quote:

"You must submit evidence that beneficiary intend to marry you within 90 days of the beneficiary's entry to the United States as a K-1. Evidence may include, but is not limited to,
copies correspondence between you and the beneficiary discussing wedding plans, evidence of wedding plans such as announcements, plans made to reserve a venue for the wedding,
or any other evidence of your intent to marry one another, including, for example, an original statement from the beneficiary establishing her intent to marry you within 90 days of her admission to the United States."

So the office is requesting this information and I would like to get advice from people who have been in the same situation.

Once she receives her visa she has 6 months to enter the US and then 90 days to marry after she enters. Our plan is, during the 6 month period we plan on having just our wedding ceramony in Vietnam (her country) without signing any legal marriage contract. Then she will come to the US to sign the actual legal marriage contract. Is this ok to do or must we have the ceramony in the US or must the ceramony be after the legal signing of the contract in the US? We have been talking about wedding plans but all through skype video/voice so there isn't any written proof that we have talked about wedding plans. How can we show the government that we did?

What is the best way to provide evidence with our intent to marry to the government? I have been waiting so long and I don't want to start the petition process all over again. This is why I am looking for advice to make sure I execute this step perfectly so I can get the petition approved asap and move on to the next step of the fiance visa process.

Since my petition has been halted because of this request for additional information, how long will it take for them to finalize the petition after I send them the information?

[Cody and Daisy 373]

Did you send with the petition letters of intent to marry within 90 days from both of you and signed them?

http://www.visajourney.com/examples/Fiance_Letter_of_Intent.doc

Edited April 7, 2015 by Cody and Daisy

[MarcoPogo 2]

There apparently wasn't enough in your I-129 to demonstrate a real relationship. That is what it is really all about. I had nothing in my I-129 about marriage plans. How can you make plans when you don't know if or when you will get a visa. How many times have you been to Vietnam? Proof? Do you send her money? Proof? Send a screen capture of your email inbox.. I email with mine 50 times every night. Yahoo chat logs.

I feel bad that you are having trouble. Mine was a slam dunk. Proof of having been to Philippines 5 times. Plus we have a child together.

Again, you have to demonstrate a real relationship, however you can do that. Then they won't ask about plans.

Good luck. I was in Vietnam August 2014, I loved it.

[Cody and Daisy 373]

There apparently wasn't enough in your I-129 to demonstrate a real relationship. That is what it is really all about. I had nothing in my I-129 about marriage plans. How can you make plans when you don't know if or when you will get a visa. How many times have you been to Vietnam? Proof? Do you send her money? Proof? Send a screen capture of your email inbox.. I email with mine 50 times every night. Yahoo chat logs.

I feel bad that you are having trouble. Mine was a slam dunk. Proof of having been to Philippines 5 times. Plus we have a child together.

Again, you have to demonstrate a real relationship, however you can do that. Then they won't ask about plans.

Good luck. I was in Vietnam August 2014, I loved it.

No this isn't it at all.

They are not asking. For proof of a bonafide relationship.

They are asking for proof that they will marry within 90 days.

Hence the letters of intent you are meant to send with the petition.

The OP does not need any of what you are suggesting.

[MarcoPogo 2]

There is no real "proof" of plans to marry. Anything can be fabricated. All I included was her signed intent to marry. That's all.

Their whole mission is to prevent fraud. It is absolutely about proving a real relationship.

[MarcoPogo 2]

And I'm curious. What objective evidence did you send as proof of a real relationship. They ask for that.

[Cody and Daisy 373]

There is no real "proof" of plans to marry. Anything can be fabricated. All I included was her signed intent to marry. That's all.

Their whole mission is to prevent fraud. It is absolutely about proving a real relationship.

Either you didn't read the OPs RFE or you're just trying to be too helpful.

The RFE clearly states that they want proof that the beneficiary plans to marry the petitioner within the 90 days in the USA.

You must submit evidence that beneficiary intend to marry you within 90 days of the beneficiary's entry to the United States as a K-1

Not proof of relationship.

The OP probably didn't include the intent to marry letters as stated in the Vj guide.

The OP does not need to include more evidence of a bonafide relationship, they have not asked for that.

They have asked for intent to marry within 90 days.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Cody and Daisy

[TBoneTX 45,288]

The answers by Cody and Daisy are correct. The answers by the other participant pertain to the consular stage, but not to the USCIS stage.

---

OP, in response to the RFE, send your letters of intent. Refer to the sample text on VJ.

Completely at your discretion, along with satisfying the RFE requirement, you may also include (as completely extra, separate material) further evidence of your bona fide relationship. Cover any such material with a note saying "USCIS: Please route this evidence of bona fide relationship to the embassy upon petition approval" or similar.

Edited April 7, 2015 by TBoneTX

[feeling_hopeful 45]

I would not do a wedding in Vietnam prior to the one in the United States - even if no official marriage contract is signed.

All it would take is one jealous person to contact immigration and show you had a wedding, and all K1 plans are out the door.

Don't do anything dumb if you really want her here. Skip that wedding.

[tealeaf 0]

Thank you all for the replies. I included an intent to marry but it was just one sentence long and only I signed it. I guess it wasn't enough. If you have any links to sample letters of intent to marry please post them here.

For that letter do we both have to write one letter and both sign it or we have to write 2 separate letters and each sign the own letter? Since they require my fiance to sign the letter, does she have to post mail it to me so the signature is in ink or is it ok if she scans it and sends it to me online?

[MarcoPogo 2]

Ya, we were wondering why that happened to you. Now we know.

There are sample letters that you can use. I did one for Ana and emailed it to her. She printed and signed and snail mailed it back to me. And I DO mean snail.

Here's what I sent to her to sign. Use the same one for you and change the info

Fiancée Letter of Intent

Beneficiary's Name:

Address

Unites States Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Address of filing location

United states Department of State

United States Consulate Manila, Philippines

Date:

Dear Sir or Madam:

I, (name) do hereby state that I am legally able and willing to marry (name), and intend to do so within 90 days of my arrival into the U.S. using the K-1 visa.

Regards,

_________________

Name

[Cody and Daisy 373]

Thank you all for the replies. I included an intent to marry but it was just one sentence long and only I signed it. I guess it wasn't enough. If you have any links to sample letters of intent to marry please post them here.

For that letter do we both have to write one letter and both sign it or we have to write 2 separate letters and each sign the own letter? Since they require my fiance to sign the letter, does she have to post mail it to me so the signature is in ink or is it ok if she scans it and sends it to me online?

Now you can see why in your RFE it specifically says the beneficiarys intent to marry ?

Yes you both need two different letters signed and dated by both of you.

If in doubt about anything in this process USE the guides and examples at the top of the page.

As for the scanning.. I'm one of those on here that will always say original signatures are neccassary.

Yes people get away with scanned copies, but there have been RFEs for original signatures and that delays your process even further than it would just to send a signature.

So yes, get a wet copy signature.

[tealeaf 0]

MarcoPogo and Cody and Daisy, I don't understand why you have the address of the filing location and the address of the consulate in the country of where your fiance is located. Is this information necessary, since this is just an intent to marry letter? Also I see you have added your address or the veneficiary's address. Why is this necessary when that information has been filled out in the 129F form. All 4 addresses are known by the USCIS already.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Forget any address-headers and simply write "To whom it concerns" or leave even that blank.

One letter from the petitioner, one from the beneficiary.

And indeed do NOT have any unofficial wedding ceremony or anything that smacks of such.

Edited April 7, 2015 by TBoneTX

[Cody and Daisy 373]

MarcoPogo and Cody and Daisy, I don't understand why you have the address of the filing location and the address of the consulate in the country of where your fiance is located. Is this information necessary, since this is just an intent to marry letter? Also I see you have added your address or the veneficiary's address. Why is this necessary when that information has been filled out in the 129F form. All 4 addresses are known by the USCIS already.

Why does it matter?

What if your intent was misplaced and they needed more information on it to match it with your file?

Anything could happen and anything could be needed.

If you don't want to put that information on there simply because you already put it on the petition then that is your call, it's probably not needed anyway.

I suggest that you read the guides and examples at the top of this page. It feels like you've not.

99% of users on this website follow the guides to a T.

Like me.

And have had little to no problems with any of it.

I suggest you do the same.

And I agree with the others.

Don't have a ceremony.

People get denied all the time for having what looks like a wedding.. So they don't believe you didn't offically get married.

It could cause huge problems.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Cody and Daisy