Journey Just Started =)

[gogo 6]

Hello Everyone:

My I-130 Journey just started =) Yay.. maybe a little too early to celebrate.. hehe.. but I hope I did a good start =).. but I just realized I made a mistake on my *evidence of bonafide relationship* I-130 #7 requirement.. I didn't have any of the affidavits notarized.. is that a big problem? The evidence I have included are : 1) Wedding Pictures (married 3/27/07) in 3 groups (first group consists of our wedding ceremony - 7 photos), second group consists of petitioner (me) and spouse (her) taken in a wedding studio - 5 photos), third group consists of petitioner, spouse, and both sets of parents and her sisters (5 photos), 2) Wedding Invitations (2 of them) printed out on red card, 3) Affadivits of 3 people, but I didn't get them notarized =( and of course our 4) marriage certificate.

Of course, I sent in the 1) I-130 application, 2) G-325A (4 for me, 4 for her), 3) Marriage Certificate with translation, 4) Proof of marital relationship notarized by government with translation (different from certificate), 5) Her birth certificate + translation, 6) 2 passport photos (one of me, one of her)

Can you tell me if this is acceptable?

Thanks

Edited April 16, 2007 by gogo

[pushbrk 13,066]

Hello Everyone:

My I-130 Journey just started =) Yay.. maybe a little too early to celebrate.. hehe.. but I hope I did a good start =).. but I just realized I made a mistake on my *evidence of bonafide relationship* I-130 #7 requirement.. I didn't have any of the affidavits notarized.. is that a big problem? The evidence I have included are : 1) Wedding Pictures (married 3/27/07) in 3 groups (first group consists of our wedding ceremony - 7 photos), second group consists of petitioner (me) and spouse (her) taken in a wedding studio - 5 photos), third group consists of petitioner, spouse, and both sets of parents and her sisters (5 photos), 2) Wedding Invitations (2 of them) printed out on red card, 3) Affadivits of 3 people, but I didn't get them notarized =( and of course our 4) marriage certificate.

Of course, I sent in the 1) I-130 application, 2) G-325A (4 for me, 4 for her), 3) Marriage Certificate with translation, 4) Proof of marital relationship notarized by government with translation (different from certificate), 5) Her birth certificate + translation, 6) 2 passport photos (one of me, one of her)

Can you tell me if this is acceptable?

Thanks

No worries. Most evidence of an ongoing bonafide relationship is dealt with at interview, not by the USCIS during the approval of your petition. They don't expect people who have never lived together to have much proof at petition time except that they are legally married. You could have saved all that other stuff for her to take to the interview.

Affidavits swearing you really got married carry little weight in the face of an official Chinese Notarial Marriage Certificate. If you later file an I-129F for a K3 visa, don't bother with any of the documents that aren't required. It just gives them more they have to evaluate and can add time to your process.

For support specific to China, I highly recommend www.candleforlove.com

[gogo 6]

Thanks for your fast reply! =) Actually, I am just worrying about their "evidence for bonafide relationship" new rule they added for the I-130 under #7.. It was for forms that are submitted after 1/31/07... but I hear that a lot of people are using older forms as to "not know about it", so they won't have to submit all the extra things.. Since we just married recently, we don't have any leases on property or birth certificates of children (what does that say about what they think about us, we get married because she is pregnant??... today's society sure has changed.. but that is for another issue).. so the only thing I can go with is the affidavit from other people and the marriage certificate (notarized), and also the notarized "proof of martial relationship" from the government (hope this one helps out too, since it is notarized).. My estimated date is September 10 according to the "Estimator" in my timeline.. hope that comes true =)

[Niels Bohr 72]

GOOD LUCK GOGO!!!

Share your timelines with us.

[gogo 6]

Yes, I updated my "I-130 sent in", but it doesn't show up at the bottom of my posts? Can you tell me how to do that?

Thanks

[Niels Bohr 72]

I'm sorry. You have to type in your signature, the timeline. Make it colorful, and organized.

To access signatures:

Click on MY CONTROLS ----> Edit Signatures. That is all you need to do.

[gogo 6]

hehe, that was fun... thanks for showing me how to change my signature.. but back to my question... when will I be able to get the NOA1? about 1-2 weeks later? I just try to read everyone's timeline =) Edited April 16, 2007 by gogo

[Niels Bohr 72]

About 1-2 weeks after they receive your petition.

[pushbrk 13,066]

Thanks for your fast reply! =) Actually, I am just worrying about their "evidence for bonafide relationship" new rule they added for the I-130 under #7.. It was for forms that are submitted after 1/31/07... but I hear that a lot of people are using older forms as to "not know about it", so they won't have to submit all the extra things.. Since we just married recently, we don't have any leases on property or birth certificates of children (what does that say about what they think about us, we get married because she is pregnant??... today's society sure has changed.. but that is for another issue).. so the only thing I can go with is the affidavit from other people and the marriage certificate (notarized), and also the notarized "proof of martial relationship" from the government (hope this one helps out too, since it is notarized).. My estimated date is September 10 according to the "Estimator" in my timeline.. hope that comes true =)

I am familiar with the suggestions under #7 but they are suggestions only. They apply more to people who are using the I-130 in conjunction with an adjustment of status. Those people are already together in the USA or elsewhere and can provide several of the suggested items. People like you and me, don't have such things. Even an affidavit from an individual, couldn't tell them much besides, "Yeah, I was at the wedding and they seemed excited about going on the honeymoon." Really, such affidavits are of little use anyway. What is somebody going to swear to? Maybe, "Yeah, they live next door and I hear the shouting when they fight and the headboard banging when they make up. Sounds like a real marriage to me."

Assuming you have an actual "Notarial Translation" of your marriage certificate, you've got the marriage part covered for this stage of the process.

[gogo 6]

HAHA, that's funny .. Yes, I actually have two documents when we got our marriage certificate.. one is of the marriage certificate + english translation.. the other document is more of a "proof of relationship" stating that she is my wife, and I am her husband (I don't know how this will be different from the marriage certificate).. but both of them are notarized and stamped/dated.. Seems like I am just worrying too much.. after all, normally we don't do this often.. not like interviews for jobs where you get to practice..

[LvivLovers 39]

HAHA, that's funny .. Yes, I actually have two documents when we got our marriage certificate.. one is of the marriage certificate + english translation.. the other document is more of a "proof of relationship" stating that she is my wife, and I am her husband (I don't know how this will be different from the marriage certificate).. but both of them are notarized and stamped/dated.. Seems like I am just worrying too much.. after all, normally we don't do this often.. not like interviews for jobs where you get to practice..

Good luck with your journey! May it be swift!

[sheila526 2]

Goodluck with the process. You will need a lot of patience on this though

[ullumanali 0]

Haahaa!

The definition of a "real" marriage. This should go up on urbandictionary.com!!

What is somebody going to swear to? Maybe, "Yeah, they live next door and I hear the shouting when they fight and the headboard banging when they make up. Sounds like a real marriage to me."

[arwensun1965 1]

Good Luck with your journey hope it is swift

[gogo 6]

Thanks for all your replies! Hopefully I will get a NOA1 in a week or two.. then I can just sit back and relax a bit.. seems like I have more "evidence" than needed.. I already filled out my I-129F, but there is a question I am confused on.. for the question stating "Describe the circumstances under which you met." Does that mean how we started to meet, or anything that we met over the last 2 years? Basically, I just put something like the following :

5/2005 - 8/2005 first time we met each other

3/2006 went back for vacation

3/2007 got married + wedding ceremony with parents and family

is that enough or do I actually have to write in paragraph form? I can reproduce the pictures just like I did for the I-130 (7 pictures for wedding ceremony, 5 for wedding studio photos with both parents, and 5 of studio pictures of us)

Thanks