I think we are ready to submit our I-129F!

[Daniela M_______ 410]

Hi guys, I think we are ready to submit our application but I want to make sure we are not forgetting anything (Our plan is to submit it first week of January).

 

So, to start, neither of us has been married before, or has criminal records, or children, or name changes so I guess that makes things easier.

 

What we have at the moment:

 

- The I-129 F (we still have to fill some information but we are working on it).

- The G-1145 form for e-notification.

- 2x2 Photographs (1 for petitioner, 1 for beneficiary).

- Proof of U.S. Citizen: We have copies of all the pages of his valid passport (He's US Citizen by birth is that ok?).

- Original statements of intent to marry for both of us.

- Proof that we met in person: We are including 30 pictures of us together with dates and places description, text and calls log from the past year, some emails we shared, Amazon.com gift cards mails (with a brief description), Fedex packages tracking information (he sent me a gift for my birthday), plane tickets, credit card balances (to show his expenses while we was visiting). And a letter about how we met (one with his story and one with mine).

 

I think that's pretty much it (filling fee is still pending).

 

We don't have an engagement ring yet and we don't plan to have an engagement party (I live alone in another country so we won't have one because my family is not here and I don't have a tourist visa to go to the US).

 

Are we missing something? I know if everything goes right after the NOA1 and NOA2 it comes the medical appointment and the interview, we already are making two copies of the application and I'll keep one for the interview (plus some other documents that I need to translate by then) but we will also need to submit the affidavit of support for the interview right?

 

Thanks to all of you for your help!

 

[geowrian 22,338]

24 minutes ago, dany_ccs said:

- Original statements of intent to marry for both of us.

- Proof that we met in person: We are including 30 pictures of us together with dates and places description, text and calls log from the past year, some emails we shared, Amazon.com gift cards mails (with a brief description), Fedex packages tracking information (he sent me a gift for my birthday), plane tickets, credit card balances (to show his expenses while we was visiting). And a letter about how we met (one with his story and one with mine).

The letters should be signed (wet signature for the petitioner, wet or scanned & printed version for the beneficiary is fine).

 

Note that almost all these items are not proof of meeting within the past 2 years. They are relationship evidence, which is known as "front loading" the application. USCIS doesn't review the relationship at the I-129F, but it can help the CO form an opinion before the embassy interview later.

Photos, even if labeled, are secondary evidence as verifying the date/time or location can be quite difficult. They can work to corroborate other evidence of meeting, though. Texts, call logs, emails, sending of gifts/packages, etc. don't show that you met within the past 2 years either. The same goes for a letter on how you met.

 

The plane tickets are ok, but I would highly suggest sending the boarding passes instead. Tickets show it was purchased, but boarding passes better show that you were actually on the plane. The passport stamps from your evidence of being a USC will corroborate this. The credit card statements showing that you were in x country helps as well (assuming she either lives there or you provide evidence that she was there on the same dates). If you have things like hotel invoices/receipts, travel itineraries, etc. that can help as well.

 

24 minutes ago, dany_ccs said:

We don't have an engagement ring yet and we don't plan to have an engagement party (I live alone in another country so we won't have one because my family is not here and I don't have a tourist visa to go to the US).

That's fine....no issue here.

Edited December 18, 2017 by geowrian

[Daniela M_______ 410]

17 minutes ago, geowrian said:

The letters should be signed (wet signature for the petitioner, wet or scanned & printed version for the beneficiary is fine).

 

Note that almost all these items are not proof of meeting within the past 2 years. They are relationship evidence, which is known as "front loading" the application. USCIS doesn't review the relationship at the I-129F, but it can help the CO form an opinion before the embassy interview later.

Photos, even if labeled, are secondary evidence as verifying the date/time or location can be quite difficult. They can work to corroborate other evidence of meeting, though. Texts, call logs, emails, sending of gifts/packages, etc. don't show that you met within the past 2 years either. The same goes for a letter on how you met.

 

The plane tickets are ok, but I would highly suggest sending the boarding passes instead. Tickets show it was purchased, but boarding passes better show that you were actually on the plane. The passport stamps from your evidence of being a USC will corroborate this. The credit card statements showing that you were in x country helps as well (assuming she either lives there or you provide evidence that she was there on the same dates). If you have things like hotel invoices/receipts, travel itineraries, etc. that can help as well.

 

That's fine....no issue here.

Thanks! I get what you are saying, in fact I can add my passport stamps that match my time in Mexico and his visits, also you can see through pictures that I've change my haircut and hair color (I had even loose weight) so I think that can be taken as a sign that we have met in different occasions. We don't have all the boarding passes (maybe just one) but his passport shows the dates that match with pictures and credit card expenses here in Mexico... Do you think this is ok? How other way can we prove that we met 3 times during this year?

 

Oh! He might be coming in a month or so and he's taking with him the file I'm preparing to complete his part and to wet sign everything that needs to be signed... Any recommendation on what evidence can we add during this visit?

[geowrian 22,338]

1 minute ago, dany_ccs said:

Thanks! I get what you are saying, in fact I can add my passport stamps that match my time in Mexico and his visits, also you can see through pictures that I've change my haircut and hair color (I had even loose weight) so I think that can be taken as a sign that we have met in different occasions. We don't have all the boarding passes (maybe just one) but his passport shows the dates that match with pictures and credit card expenses here in Mexico... Do you think this is ok? How other way can we prove that we met 3 times during this year?

 

Oh! He might be coming in a month or so and he's taking with him the file I'm preparing to complete his part and to wet sign everything that needs to be signed... Any recommendation on what evidence can we add during this visit?

While I get what you are saying, I'm doubtful the IO would look closely enough at the photos to consider a weight gain/loss or haircut. It's possible, but I do think that's a bit of a longshot given that they will likely only have their eyes on your entire file for minutes before deciding to issue an RFE or approve/deny it.

Whatever you do have, send that. It is what it is. But yes, the passport stamps are the main items showing that he was actually there. The credit card expenses should backup that he was physically there as well. As for anything else, I would check if there are hotel invoices, event tickets, travel itineraries, etc. You would probably be fine as-is, but I'm just trying to provide examples of other items to strengthen fulfilling this requirement.

 

Another visit is a big help. Just save whatever you can that shows you two in the same location and includes a date. Good luck!

[Daniela M_______ 410]

3 minutes ago, geowrian said:

While I get what you are saying, I'm doubtful the IO would look closely enough at the photos to consider a weight gain/loss or haircut. It's possible, but I do think that's a bit of a longshot given that they will likely only have their eyes on your entire file for minutes before deciding to issue an RFE or approve/deny it.

Whatever you do have, send that. It is what it is. But yes, the passport stamps are the main items showing that he was actually there. The credit card expenses should backup that he was physically there as well. As for anything else, I would check if there are hotel invoices, event tickets, travel itineraries, etc. You would probably be fine as-is, but I'm just trying to provide examples of other items to strengthen fulfilling this requirement.

 

Another visit is a big help. Just save whatever you can that shows you two in the same location and includes a date. Good luck!

Thank you!