Original document missing but I have the copy from I-129

[I love San Diego 18]

Hello all,

I am not sure what happened, but I submitted a scanned copy of my wife's divorce decree from her last marriage for her K-1 visa but now I cannot find the original divorce decree for our interview. I printed the high resolution copy out, but the instructions for our interview say bring the original and a copy. How big of a deal could this be? We have been married almost a year, live together, have finances together etc, will they even ask for it and if so what will happen if I don't have the original?

Getting a new divorce decree isn't a simple matter - this is a notarized translation from China.

Thank you

[Pitaya 2,577]

The IO can, and may ask to see the original to compare it to the copy you previously submitted. you may get an RFE if no original is available. At our AOS interview, they asked to see the original of my divorce decree (USC), I had submitted a copy with the original I-129F petition. Thankfully, I brought along the original.

I perfectly understand the steps necessary to obtain a Notarial Certificate (AKA White Books) of any document from the PRC. That is why my wife obtained multiple copies of all of her and the stepson's important documents (White Books) prior to moving to the US.

The very concept of obtaining multiple copies of all 'White Books' prior to leaving China is a frequent recommendation in the China Regional Forum, for this very reason.

Does your wife have any friends or relatives in China that she can send a photocopy of the specific White Book (as a sample), and ask them to have the several of the 'White Books' prepared and delivered by courier service to you?

Good luck on your immigration journey.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Pitaya

[I love San Diego 18]

The IO can, and may ask to see the original to compare it to the copy you previously submitted. you may get an RFE if no original is available. At our AOS interview, they asked to see the original of my divorce decree (USC), I had submitted a copy with the original I-129F petition. Thankfully, I brought along the original.

I perfectly understand the steps necessary to obtain a Notarial Certificate (AKA White Books) of any document from the PRC. That is why my wife obtained multiple copies of all of her and the stepson's important documents (White Books) prior to moving to the US.

The very concept of obtaining multiple copies of all 'White Books' prior to leaving China is a frequent recommendation in the China Regional Forum, for this very reason.

Does your wife have any friends or relatives in China that she can send a photocopy of the specific White Book (as a sample), and ask them to have the several of the 'White Books' prepared and delivered by courier service to you?

Good luck on your immigration journey.

Thank you, ok I guess the worst that can happen is we'll get an RFE. Luckily her sister can go to the gong zhen chu and get more copies and send them to us.

We did get 3 copies of each white book before leaving China. Now I have all of the police records and birth certificates, but the divorce decree whitebooks are nowhere to be found. It is really confounding because we have all of this stuff in one place and we wouldn't have taken those out and placed them elsewhere.

So they asked for yours, maybe they'll ask for ours. We'll see. Either way, tomorrow we are going to ask her sister to get copies and send them to us.