How much proof is too much proof?

[Richard Moss 17]

I have been told two opposite answers to the same question…. “When my fiancée goes in for her interview how much evidence should she take?”

 

A woman that went through the process said she took a file folder box  in with thousands of pages and the interviewer looked at the pile and said “congratulations I can see proof of a relationship”

 

A man going through the process at the same point I am at said too much evidence will slow down the process….

 

I would love any insight to the correct answer…. Thanks in advance for your responses!!

 

Richard

[RJandHamid 1,133]

There really is no 'correct' answer here. Sometimes they want to look at evidence during the interview and sometimes they don't.

I think its more about the quality of proof rather than quantity. 

Did you front-load the I-129F petition with a lot of relationship evidence? If so, I would only take to the interview continuing proof of relationship since filing your petition, since the officer should already have the original evidence you submitted. 

 

A few photos from the latest visits (and boarding passes/reciepts to prove any recent travel), and a couple of pages of the last few months of chat or call logs since your NOA1 should be enough evidence to bring to the interview. 

[Dashinka 24,494]

No one can answer how much is too much.  Personally, I would take as much as she can carry.  Photos, chat logs, a copy of the K1 package, etc.  Most of it will most likely not even be looked at, but it may ease her mind as no one wants to get the question "where are the pictures" and have none.  Once you get to the interview stage I am not sure how having too much evidence would slow down the process,

 

 

Good Luck!

Edited June 19, 2017 by Bill & Katya

[EandH0904 1,184]

A file folder of papers doesn't prove anything. Your relationship should have been proven before the interview stage. If you have new evidence since you submitted your initial k1 packet, if you've had other visits or maybe some more chat log exercepts to show but I don't know what the point of taking hundreds of pages is. 

 

Usually the mind is already made up before the interview it seems, but if they are on the fence the interview helps push either way. 

[Dashinka 24,494]

1 minute ago, EandH0904 said:

A file folder of papers doesn't prove anything. Your relationship should have been proven before the interview stage. If you have new evidence since you submitted your initial k1 packet, if you've had other visits or maybe some more chat log exercepts to show but I don't know what the point of taking hundreds of pages is. 

 

Usually the mind is already made up before the interview it seems, but if they are on the fence the interview helps push either way. 

That is not always the case.  When the I129F is filed, it is really a two part process.  The first part being run by USCIS and really only looks at the hard and fast requirements and is more focused on the US citizen/LPR petitioner.  The second phase is for the beneficiary and includes a physical interview so further proof of a relationship (particularly for a country that is considered high fraud) is generally suggested.  I don't have the stats, but anecdotally, it appears that most K1s get denied at the interview stage and not the USCIS stage.

[j N j 50]

Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it..

[geowrian 22,337]

15 minutes ago, EandH0904 said:

A file folder of papers doesn't prove anything. Your relationship should have been proven before the interview stage. If you have new evidence since you submitted your initial k1 packet, if you've had other visits or maybe some more chat log exercepts to show but I don't know what the point of taking hundreds of pages is. 

 

Usually the mind is already made up before the interview it seems, but if they are on the fence the interview helps push either way. 

There is no requirement to prove a bona fide relationship prior to the interview. It's not part of the I-129F or application process until the interview.

 

Most COs do not make up their mind prior to the interview. COs at certain high fraud countries are believed to do so, but that's an exception to the rule, not the norm. Front loading is not necessary in most cases.

[EandH0904 1,184]

2 minutes ago, geowrian said:

 

2 minutes ago, geowrian said:

There is no requirement to prove a bona fide relationship prior to the interview. It's not part of the I-129F or application process until the interview.

 

Most COs do not make up their mind prior to the interview. COs at certain high fraud countries are believed to do so, but that's an exception to the rule, not the norm. Front loading is not necessary in most cases.

 

If there was no evidence of a relationship why would an I 129F be approved?

 

When you're in a category that you're part of the exception it's very hard to deal with knowing that others are given the right to prove a relationship while my fiancé was not asked a single question about our relationship nor allowed to present any evidence merely because of where he was born at. 

 

Theres no standards in this process and for those of us who are in real relationship and have undue burden of extra fscetimes and filing CR1 after K1 is returned a lack of standardization is unfair and unjust. 

 

The OP lists his fiancé as being from Iran if this is the case it will unlikely be a more difficult embassy as well to go through. 

[geowrian 22,337]

1 minute ago, EandH0904 said:

If there was no evidence of a relationship why would an I 129F be approved?

 

When you're in a category that you're part of the exception it's very hard to deal with knowing that others are given the right to prove a relationship while my fiancé was not asked a single question about our relationship nor allowed to present any evidence merely because of where he was born at. 

 

Theres no standards in this process and for those of us who are in real relationship and have undue burden of extra fscetimes and filing CR1 after K1 is returned a lack of standardization is unfair and unjust. 

 

The OP lists his fiancé as being from Iran if this is the case it will unlikely be a more difficult embassy as well to go through. 

Because no proof is requested for the I-129F. Read the I-129F instructions...there's nothing in there requesting said evidence. Actually, I only sent 1 photo of us together + boarding passes and such for my I-129F, and it was approved fine. The I-129F requirement is to meet in person once within the past 2 years...nothing more (besides establishing identities, UCS status, etc.).

 

The process is unjust IMHO. But it is what it is. Some embassies have high levels of fraud and it leads to greater scrutiny...deserved or not.

 

True, Iran may be more difficult (MENA countries tend to be IMO), but I don't know it personally. It's not known as a high-fraud one from what I can tell, albeit security checks / extended AP may be more likely. I was speaking in general terms in response to the remark that was made in general terms.

[Dashinka 24,494]

8 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Because no proof is requested for the I-129F. Read the I-129F instructions...there's nothing in there requesting said evidence. Actually, I only sent 1 photo of us together + boarding passes and such for my I-129F, and it was approved fine. The I-129F requirement is to meet in person once within the past 2 years...nothing more (besides establishing identities, UCS status, etc.).

 

The process is unjust IMHO. But it is what it is. Some embassies have high levels of fraud and it leads to greater scrutiny...deserved or not.

 

True, Iran may be more difficult (MENA countries tend to be IMO), but I don't know it personally. It's not known as a high-fraud one from what I can tell, albeit security checks / extended AP may be more likely. I was speaking in general terms in response to the remark that was made in general terms.

I agree, when I submitted my 129F I included two pictures from our two in person meetings (four total), and that was it. I definitely did not front load anything and the petition was approved with no issues at USCIS (NOA2).  I decided to go to the interview with my fiancé to add a little more to the proof of the relationship, and we did take a bunch of photos and chat logs with us.  We had no issues at all.

 

To the OP, as I said in my first reply, no one can tell you how much proof is enough or too much.  Take what is comfortable for your fiancé.

 

Good Luck!

[JFH 12,190]

Evidence (which has not "proof", by the way) is not an exact science. Certainly focus on quality rather than quantity. The officer at the embassy has no time or need to read through pages and pages of trivial chit chat. 

 

Focus on time spent together. Phone records don't really show much more than you have a working phone. Even people who are committing fraud by marrying just for an immigration benefit will be able to show phone records as they will have been on the phone setting the whole thing up!

 

I took a huge file to the embassy for my IR-1 interview just to make me feel more confident, I think. I wasn't asked for anything from my file except one item which was specific to my husband's felony. 

[Bzlibem 111]

Personally for my AOS interview I brought A LOT of proof.. and the officer hasn't taken anything from me 🙄

Our interview was 10 minutes long and got approved 

I would say that you should take every possible proof of your relationship because it's never too much. Better safe than sorry  

[O&GForever 387]

I would recommend reading through your country's portal to see what others typically did. What works for some countries, won't work for others. For example, I had to submit a lot...and I mean lot...because my husband came from a high fraud country, Ghana. While those from lesser countries, like England or Canada, don't need to submit as much. 

 

The best thing you can do is focus on your relationship. The time together, getting to know each other's families and your future. 

[geowrian 22,337]

34 minutes ago, O&GForever said:

While those from lesser countries, like England or Canada, don't need to submit as much.

lesser fraud countries*  

[lierre 224]

As someone who did the CR-1 and have been approved for removal of conditions, too... and I'm a citizen of a high-fraud country (Philippines), I'd have to agree to focus on quality rather than quantity. For my 2 year PR card, I sent pics from our dates pre-wedding, from our wedding, from our honeymoon, and from our many trips since then. I also printed out a few chat logs from Facebook and our emails on Yahoo and Gmail when we were dating. I even wrote a cover letter that talked about our relationship timeline: from how we met to when he proposed and to when we got married. It was all very personal. We also had his commander (he's in the military) write a letter to expedite my case... We were living abroad at that time, but my husband needed to be stationed to the US soon. My line of thinking when I was building this packet was the burden of proof was on me and my husband... and we needed to make sure they know our relationship wasn't built on fraud.

 

For my 10 year PR card, I didn't put anything that happened prior to me getting my 2 year PR card. The pics were about our trips since I got to the US, pics of us visiting his family in other states. I also included info on an apartment we rented, the house we bought, the cars we bought and both own, the insurance info, and I even put the scholarships I got because I'm married to him. He's military and I received a few education benefits because of it. For this stage, I gave a lot less proof (so to speak), but it was mostly an update on what our life has been since I received the 2 year PR card.

 

I'm getting ready for my naturalization application. And reading here... it has shocked me how so much less you actually need to show. So, it seems the initial step is where you need the most proof. So, I would say for your case, do something similar to what I did for my 2 year PR card.

 

And lastly, like what a couple of my friends told me when I was so anxious about the RoC process, "your marriage is legit and you've done everything legally... so you've got nothing to worry about." I completely agree with it now.