USCIS Frankfurt appointment

[maruh 0]

Hi all, I'm new here to the whole process and I have a few questions. I was wondering if it's possible to get anyone on the phone to ask questions about filing the petition I-130. I tried looking on the website about making an appointment, but there's no option to selection for information about the I-130.

Maybe you guys could help me with my questions:

Do all documents needs to be translated from German to English? (for submittal in Frankfurt) I've read conflicting reports on whether it needs to be translated or not. If the documentation needs to be translated, does a certified translator need to do the translation, or can anyone who can speak German and English translate them (besides us, the petitioner and the beneficiary)?

What kind of proof of a joint bank account needs to be shown? Do they mean a signed contract of the account that we did together, or a print-out from online?

Thanks for your help!

[Catalan-American 40]

Hi,

I hope I can help you:

- Any document that is not in English will need translation to English. Official documents, indeed, need a translation by a sworn translator.

- Evidence of a joint bank account together could be any official document from the bank in which your names are together. For example, a copy of a bank account contract that shows your names would be valid.

Have a great day!

[maruh 0]

Thank you for your help.

In addition to bank info and rent contract, what other documents are helpful to attach to prove that the marriage is bona fide?

I've read that it's helpful to attach affadavits from people who say that the marriage is bona fide. How many affadavits should I get? I've also read it's good to send pictures, how many pictures should I send?

Does the translator for the documents need to sign an affadavit that they are official? Or if it's from a certified translator that has some kind of stamp, would that suffice?

Thanks again!

[Catalan-American 40]

My pleasure!

In our case, we provided them with pictures of us since our relationship started to present: pictures from vacations and special occasions (like our wedding), with families, friends... We also included tickets from trips we have done together.

I believe we sent no more than 20 pictures.

In our translated documents, no stamp was used. Just the translator certifying her competence to process the task. However, this translator is employed by a US immigration attorney, so that might be enough to prove that she can perform the job. In Spain, for example, sworn translators use a stamp.

I hope someone can give you more light in this last matter.

Good luck!

[awaywego 28]

There are two sets of requirements for translations for the Frankfurt DCF process.

I-130 packet: Documents that are not in English should be translated to English. Anyone proficient in both languages can translate, but the translations must be "certified," which is a block of text at the bottom of the page. See this USCIS FAQ for the text block.

IV packet: Documents that are not in English or German should be translated by a registered translator. There is a list on Frankfurt's site. (I am sure they have stamps )

[awaywego 28]

Oh, and what EA & AM described sounds exactly like our photos. (We haven't applied yet, but thought we might this year.)

For additional documents, we have included our wills and anything else showing the spouse as beneficiary. Many other posters include evidence of communicating (email, Skype, phone records, etc), but that is maybe not as useful for couples who live together (so communicate face-to-face).

[Kuegs 5]

Hey there:

Not sure you still need help, but check out this link:

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/pk%203%20supplements/FRN%20-%20Frankfurt

Frankfurt does not need translations for German documents, only translations for any documents in a language not English or German.

We just did the I 130 through DCF Frankfurt and are currently gathering our things for the actual IR 1 visa application ("packet 3" - which is just a letter by the way...)

Good luck!

[maruh 0]

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/pk%203%20supplements/FRN%20-%20Frankfurt

Frankfurt does not need translations for German documents, only translations for any documents in a language not English or German.

Hey, thanks for your reply!

Hm, that's interesting. I've read from other people too that you don't need documents in German to be translated to English, but when I emailed the consulate, they told me that the documents need to be translated, even the checklist online says so. Maybe it just depends on who you ask at the consulate...? It seems a bit confusing

[Kuegs 5]

Then I'd go with the info you got from the consulate directly.

It IS super confusing and I don't doubt that it might be handled in a case by case way, too.

---

I did see that the checklist said everything needed to be translated, but then the one that I sent you the link to clarified that this doesn't refer to the German ones.

We haven't submitted the packet 3 stuff, yet, but I'm planning on just sending the police record in without a translation... We shall see how well that goes...

---

Our marriage certificate was already in English, though. I'm not sure whether that made a difference.

---

What German documents do you have that might need translation?

[maruh 0]

Our marriage certificate is in German, and then stuff like our bank info and last page of our rent contract. Oh, also my name change after I got married is in German. That's about it, though. Fortunately you don't have to get a certified translator and can just have someone who knows both languages translate it, so it's not *that* big of a hassle.

What kind of proof of a bona fide marriage did you submit? How long did your I-130 processing take?

Have you done the medical yet?

[Kuegs 5]

Our marriage certificate is in German, and then stuff like our bank info and last page of our rent contract. Oh, also my name change after I got married is in German. That's about it, though. Fortunately you don't have to get a certified translator and can just have someone who knows both languages translate it, so it's not *that* big of a hassle.

What kind of proof of a bona fide marriage did you submit? How long did your I-130 processing take?

Have you done the medical yet?

---

Excluding the marriage certificate, we submitted the same documents you listed, all in German.

As for other proof: we sent in a few pictures (just eight or ten) of us through the years, including one from our wedding day.

We also submitted our two children's birth certificates plus the older one's certificate of birth abroad and US passport data page (the younger one's wasn't issued yet)

That's it.

It got approved in roughly a month.

We're currently "on hold" with the next step as we had to submit taxes and wait for his official US job offer to be able to properly fill out the I 864 etc.

Therefore, I didn't do the medical yet. I'll be waiting till we will have submitted the packet 3 documents, because the actual visa - once issued - will only be valid six months from the date of the medical (if I'm not mistaken)