Additional Evidence

[MR2nice 0]

Hello,

I've been reading alot on this forum this past couple weeks and have found this site very informative and helpful. With that, I'm about to file for I-129F and have a question regarding additional evidence that I'm not sure if it's ok to include or not. My fiancee and I did an ENGAGEMENT ceremony and hosted a dinner banquet at a restaurant back in her country (Vietnam). I have pictures of the ceremony and also at the restaurant where we invited all of her family, relatives, and friends. Also, my mother went with me on this second trip to represent for my side of the family as it is customary in our cultural for this in order to make the ceremony more respectible. My question is: Is it ok for me to submit these photos (of the ceremony and banquet) as well as my mother's boarding passes, hotel receipts, etc. as additional proofs or would that be irrelevant? I just want to provide to them a complete picture as possible and not leave anything out. But at the same time, I don't want them to think this was a wedding type because in Vietnam the Engagement and Wedding ceremony is almost identical with the only difference would be the wedding gown/tuxedo at the banquet and wedding cakes. This is the part where I am reluctant to send the photos in. Please advise. Thank you everyone.

[payxibka 10,045]

Your mother's trip really adds no substantive proof of you having met you fiancee in person. As for the engagement ceremony... my advice would be if in doubt .... leave it out..... (your caution is a valid)

If your primary evidence is strong then a few pictures is all that would be needed.....

Edited April 24, 2007 by fwaguy

[MR2nice 0]

Thank you. I feel that I have strong evidences that she and I spent time together (5 weeks total on two seperate visits). I have all the boarding passes, both hers and mine on trips that we took together, hotel receipts with both of our names on them, many pictures of us together at various locations, as well as paperwork of my name being registerred to stay at her house through the city (This is the government's requirement when you enter the country). Other evidences I have would be phone bills and receipts of monthly support where I would send her some $. The only reason I asked the question because I ran into a thread here at this forum that someone mention one incident where some photos looked like they were from a wedding and thus caused the process to be denied. I just don't want to take that chance and wanted to double check first before I begin to send in my package. Thanks again for your help. This is a great site!!

Your mother's trip really adds no substantive proof of you having met you fiancee in person. As for the engagement ceremony... my advice would be if in doubt .... leave it out..... (your caution is a valid)

If your primary evidence is strong then a few pictures is all that would be needed.....

[payxibka 10,045]

Other evidences I have would be phone bills and receipts of monthly support where I would send her some $.

Phone bills do not provide evidence of meeting and therefore poor evidence for the initial petition and I'd be extremely cautious of other item.......

[Lace 0]

Just my advice but others may disagree with me. Leave them out. USCIS only needs to verify you are a US Citizen and have meet in the past 2 years. Adding something like a traditional ceromony in which they do not understand may get you a RFE or other questions. Instead, save them for the interview as the Consulate will be familar with it.

I had to face the same situation as well. If you look at my timeline my ceromonial engagement was roughly 2 weeks after filling my petition. I was debating if I should of waited untill after the ceromony but decided to save them during the interview process. That way the CO would ask more question as they will most like ask about your engagement when your fiance present it to them.

Others may say from advise from my friends. Put a note that it's a traditional Vietnameese engagement and that the Consulate will understand. That way, the CO will already know you had your engagement. So I can see the plus on both sides but personally I decided not to include them and save them for the interview. Good luck and I wish you a speedy process.

[MR2nice 0]

Should I mention about the engagement ceremony in the "Declaration of how you met in person..."? Thanks again.

Edited April 24, 2007 by MR2nice

[Lace 0]

You could put in a description on the back of the photo itself. The how you meet in person is also fine. I would suggest to keep the how you meet in person short and to the point. Put the description on the back of the engagement photos. Make sure you note ENGAGEMENT on the back of the photo so there is no misunderstanding.

Also, reguarding if it's an engagement or wedding. What really counts is if it's an "offical" wedding. A ceromony wedding should be fine from what I've heard as long as you tell them it's a ceromonial traditional wedding instead of an official wedding. We can't just take them away without doing something for her parents in order to save face. The consulate understands these things.

I opt for just putting enough info to meet USCIS's requirement. I try not to add anymore as it may prolong the approval. Save most of the proof for the interview.

[payxibka 10,045]

Should I mention about the engagement ceremony in the "Declaration of how you met in person..."? Thanks again.

If you feel it is an important fact then sure.... I didn't have such a ceremony and therefore happen to think it is not needed.....

[bimax 0]

I got my petition approved without any pictures attached (I didn't have any). I just included my boarding pass and flight itinerary from the travel agent. 2 or 3 pictures placing you in the country should not hurt but your mother's travel information should not have any relevance to the case as it does not help you get the 2 year meeting requirement. Always include only relevant information pertaining to yourself and the fiance to avoid overburdening the immigration officer as they have to validate and question any information you provide.

[MR2nice 0]

Thank you everyone for your input. I will provide enough evidences as requested and leave out the rest. Like all of you have said, save it for later for the time of the interview if they ask for it. I'm waiting for the g-325a and Fiance letter of intent from my fiancee. It should be here in a week and I can start the submission. Thanks again for your advices.

[Thai Rath 1]

Hello, MR2nice,

I beg to differ with some of the other folks and here's why:

1) While copies of documents like telephone bills don't serve as evidence of having met, they do serve as evidence of an ongoing relationship, which is a required part of the approval process.

2) Yes, there are occasions where too much information can jeopardize your case, but all over these forums, it is advised to give as much evidence as you can - you do not burden USCIS w/this! The more evidence the better as only they know what's "enough" and you don't want to have to get a RFE for more evidence!

3)Engagement ceremonies are a part of many different cultures (including my husband's, who came here on a 129F, went through the AOS process, and just received his greencard...sorry, a tangent) and USCIS knows this. Again, the engagement ceremony photos are an important piece of evidence that this is not a sham relationship. Just make sure you write the date and nature of the event on the photo - something that should be done for all photo evidence submitted.

4) Send in the photos of your mother at the ceremony, yes! I'll say it again: it's evidence that this is a real relationship and will certainly help your case.

Hope this helps,

smgx

Thank you everyone for your input. I will provide enough evidences as requested and leave out the rest. Like all of you have said, save it for later for the time of the interview if they ask for it. I'm waiting for the g-325a and Fiance letter of intent from my fiancee. It should be here in a week and I can start the submission. Thanks again for your advices.

[billsafari 0]

Include as much information as possible. Pictures of you and her with her family will score points. I dont agree AT ALL with "when in doubt leave it out". I have never seen an RFE for too much evidence. As for saving evidence for interview. I would be more concerned with getting to that point then saving evidence for an interview. More evidence the better, you dont want anything to hold this process up. If you decide to overkill with evidence (like me!!) make sure it is organized so it is an "easy read" for the person viewing your petition.

[MR2nice 0]

Originally that's what I was thinking. By providing these photos (my mom, her entire family, engagement ceremony, banquet) hopefully it will show them that we're very much committed to each other and want to get marry. I just wasn't sure if this may delay the process or it may cause any misunderstanding. I think I will clearly write on the back of each photo to explain that this was an engagement ceremony and not a wedding. Thanks again!

[Cry_Tuff 0]

When I mailed out my I129F paperwork...I mailed out as much information as possible...the enitre packet was over 70 pages! The government would rather have too much than too little...unless it is irrelevant. As far as submitting your mothers boarding passes... It doesn't hurt to photocopy them and submit them... add a note to the side...stating this was when your mother went with you....make sure you submit all your boarding passes/passport info tho. Telephone bills, emails, screen prints, greeting cards, etc...those all prove an ongoing relationship..but is not the major proof of someone meeting. I did submit that information tho to build my case. As far as your pictures go...do not send the originals...scan them..then color copy on paper...that's what I did. Any pictures that shows you and your fiance together in the photo are good. Describe near the picture what is going on....to let them know ...the customs... it was not a wedding..but an engagement ceremony. I submitted photos of me with my fiance's family... It doesn't hurt your case...It can only help it.

[Arnold_and_Joan 0]

Hello, MR2nice,

I beg to differ with some of the other folks and here's why:

1) While copies of documents like telephone bills don't serve as evidence of having met, they do serve as evidence of an ongoing relationship, which is a required part of the approval process.

2) Yes, there are occasions where too much information can jeopardize your case, but all over these forums, it is advised to give as much evidence as you can - you do not burden USCIS w/this! The more evidence the better as only they know what's "enough" and you don't want to have to get a RFE for more evidence!

3)Engagement ceremonies are a part of many different cultures (including my husband's, who came here on a 129F, went through the AOS process, and just received his greencard...sorry, a tangent) and USCIS knows this. Again, the engagement ceremony photos are an important piece of evidence that this is not a sham relationship. Just make sure you write the date and nature of the event on the photo - something that should be done for all photo evidence submitted.

4) Send in the photos of your mother at the ceremony, yes! I'll say it again: it's evidence that this is a real relationship and will certainly help your case.

Hope this helps,

smgx

I agree. I brought my parent's boarding passes with me to the interview, with pictures of both our families together just to show that we were serious about our relationship. Now, granted, they didn't even look at them it's still good to have. I think I sent SO MUCH evidence with my 129F (28 pictures I think) and a thick sheaf of xeroxed receipts, boarding passes, movie tickets, concert tickets, bills, cards, etc. that they didn't even think to look at my second stack of photos and xeroxes of an ongoing relationship. So too much is not bad. Good Luck!!