How to pay for I-130 from abroad?

[TexDude 0]

I hate to post this to the forum as it seems like such a basic question, but my local consulate (Helsinki) has been of 0 help.

I live in Finland and am beginning the greencard process for a IR-1 with my wife (European, but not Finnish. We just live here.).

How do I submit the fee for the I-130? I have a US bank account, but I don't have any more checks. Can I go to the US Embassy here and pay it?

One other ancillary question: for the proof of the real relationship, we don't have any joint leases or utility bills (eg. bills with both of our names on it), although we've been together for 5 years. What should we submit? Pictures from the wedding?

[teeak 224]

• Bank drafts, cashier's checks, certified checks, personal checks (See Check Instructions below), and money orders must be drawn on U.S. financial institutions and payable in U.S. funds.

You can't pay at the US Embassy because the fee goes to USCIS and USCIS doesn't have a counter at the embassy in Finland or else you'd be able to do direct consular filing.

You should submit more than pictures. Provide evidence of co-mingling of finances, joint property (cars, houses etc.), affidavits of third parties. Maybe look into getting a joint lease and utility bills.

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

Who is the US citizen? you say you are in Finland and she is European.. Please tell the community so they can help as the US citizen applys and pays the fees.

[TexDude 0]

Who is the US citizen? you say you are in Finland and she is European.. Please tell the community so they can help as the US citizen applys and pays the fees.

I'm the US citizen, we both live in Finland together. I'll be paying the fee.

[Ryan H 3,825]

You should submit more than pictures. Provide evidence of co-mingling of finances, joint property (cars, houses etc.), affidavits of third parties. Maybe look into getting a joint lease and utility bills.

OP, co-minglining of finances is not required. If it's something you have great, include evidence of it. However, don't do something just for the sake of gathering evidence. Furthermore, third party affidavits carry little to zero weight in the overall evaluation of a file, skip them unless you are light on evidence in other areas.

Since you have been living together in Finland, you no doubt have plenty of evidence of that time. Time spent together in-person is your strongest evidence, focus on that.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Ryan H

[TexDude 0]

OP, co-minglining of finances is not required. It it's something you have great, include evidence of it. However, don't do something just for the sake of gathering evidence. Furthermore, third party affidavits carry little to zero weight in the overall evaluation of a file, skip them unless you are light on evidence in other areas.

Since you have been living together in Finland, you no doubt have plenty of evidence of that time. Time spent together in-person is your strongest evidence, focus on that.

Cool, thanks. We've actually been living together for 3.5 years, in both Germany and Finland, but most of the stuff we have that indicates we live(d) at the same address is in a foreign language.

Can we just staple translations of those non-English forms / letters to them, or should we get them professional translated and notarized?

[Ryan H 3,825]

Cool, thanks. We've actually been living together for 3.5 years, in both Germany and Finland, but most of the stuff we have that indicates we live(d) at the same address is in a foreign language.

Can we just staple translations of those non-English forms / letters to them, or should we get them professional translated and notarized?

Professional translation is not necessary nor is translations of such letters required since it's considered relationship evidence and not official documentation. An explanation of what the letter is will be sufficient; however, if you wish to translate it word for word, you can do that. If you do decide to translate, then accompany the translation with the attestation statement that the translation is accurate and the person doing the translating is competent to do so.