E-mail, text, and Skype evidence? Also, unique question regarding K-1 filing.

[Mala Maca 0]

Hello all! And thanks for taking the time to read this. I have tried to search for answers, but could not find anything concrete. 

 

I am curious as to what I should send for evidence. My fiance and I have been in communication for 10 years. There are thousands of emails, texts and Skype logs/calls. I am not sure how to go about sending in this evidence. Which emails, texts and Skype logs should I choose to send? I don't want to send too many, cause I have MOREE than enough and I was told I shouldn't overwhelm them with too much. I know the K-1 Visa petition is mostly just trying to prove that we met within the last 2 years and we finally were able to make it happen a little over 2 weeks ago!  So, as far as I know, I shouldn't front load the petition with more evidence of our communication over the last years. Or should I?

 

Now, the unique question:

 

My fiance and I were finally able to meet in person because he actually got a job on a cruise line so he was able to come to the states! Right now he is in the Caribbean Sea working and his contract is up in May. I would love to apply once he gets back, but he may only be off of work for maybe 2 months and then he goes back on the ship. I am afraid to apply, and then we may get approved while he is out on the cruise ship. Is it a risk I should take or should we just wait until he is done with his second contract (if he gets one) with the cruise line? If you get approved for the K-1 Visa, do you have to immediately do the next step of the process or do you have time in between to get the next step done?

 

I hope I explained it well enough. 

Thanks again for reading and thanks in advance for any comments! 

 

 

[pajobra 1,395]

Really they are looking for hard evidence that you met in person. We put skype logs in ours, boarding passes, pictures, hotel receipts, and engagement ring receipt.

 

Right now approvals are taking 6-7 months from submission of the application so really that is up to you to decide. You can hold off and get extensions I believe but yeah he has a hard job to get away from. lol

Edited December 20, 2017 by pajobra

[Mala Maca 0]

37 minutes ago, pajobra said:

Really they are looking for hard evidence that you met in person. We put skype logs in ours, boarding passes, pictures, hotel receipts, and engagement ring receipt.

 

Right now approvals are taking 6-7 months from submission of the application so really that is up to you to decide. You can hold off and get extensions I believe but yeah he has a hard job to get away from. lol

 

So how many Skype logs did you send with it? I just don't know which ones or where to start since there are so many.

 

And yes, it's a very hard job to get away from lol. He could end the contract in May once he is done, but then he would have no job and who knows how long it can take realistically to get approved or denied these days, as you said it's months! It's a risky situation. I don't want him to struggle financially, but we do want to be together. 

[pajobra 1,395]

1 minute ago, Mala Maca said:

 

So how many Skype logs did you send with it? I just don't know which ones or where to start since there are so many.

 

And yes, it's a very hard job to get away from lol. He could end the contract in May once he is done, but then he would have no job and who knows how long it can take realistically to get approved or denied these days, as you said it's months! It's a risky situation. I don't want him to struggle financially, but we do want to be together. 

Trust me I know the feeling. lol We sent logs from the past 4 months before we sent the application in. It wasn't very many pages because its all call for 4 hours another call for 4 hours or more. LOL

 

Being together is the best part of this whole process. I have been in the States now for almost 2 months and being married to my husband is priceless. I could not imagine it any other way although I miss my family and my country. The States certainly is different even from Canada. Not being able to work drives me nuts though.  Oh well once my EAD is approved I think I might be happier. I have always worked and relying on someone is a hard kettle of fish to swallow. lol

[useful89 692]

Don't put too much in yours or you'll risk delaying it further. There's no reason to overkill and put pages and pages of stuff as proof. 

[x_driven_x 1,778]

For Skype, I downloaded Skyperious and only submitted the summary reports of total number of calls, messages, etc....

 

For our written chats, I've heard picking one day a week / month etc... is plenty to show a continuing relationship. Your chat logs shouldn't be more than 20 pages.

 

In the end chat logs are not really great evidence alone, they are only supporting evidence along with boarding passes, passport stamps showing travel to meet in person during the last 2 years.

 

We also included about 12 photos, signed, described, and dated on the back. Again, pictures don't really prove you met in the last 2 years either, but they help fill in the full picture (no pun intended) 

 

While the entire package should help show this is a real, ongoing relationship; a large portion of what they are trying to prove besides that is that you have met in person within the last 2 years. That is the big important one, the rest is more subjective.

[useful89 692]

54 minutes ago, x_driven_x said:

For Skype, I downloaded Skyperious and only submitted the summary reports of total number of calls, messages, etc....

 

For our written chats, I've heard picking one day a week / month etc... is plenty to show a continuing relationship. Your chat logs shouldn't be more than 20 pages.

 

In the end chat logs are not really great evidence alone, they are only supporting evidence along with boarding passes, passport stamps showing travel to meet in person during the last 2 years.

 

We also included about 12 photos, signed, described, and dated on the back. Again, pictures don't really prove you met in the last 2 years either, but they help fill in the full picture (no pun intended) 

 

While the entire package should help show this is a real, ongoing relationship; a large portion of what they are trying to prove besides that is that you have met in person within the last 2 years. That is the big important one, the rest is more subjective.

All of that is secondary evidence, you need primary. Do you have boarding passes, hotel receipts, etc that put you in the same place at the same time?

[Mala Maca 0]

38 minutes ago, useful89 said:

All of that is secondary evidence, you need primary. Do you have boarding passes, hotel receipts, etc that put you in the same place at the same time?

I do have both his boarding passes and mine. I am going to get his passport as well. I have my hotel receipt, not sure if he has his (will have to check). I also have call logs and texts from the day of when he was flying, telling me when and where he landed and vice versa. The day we met I have call logs and more texts telling each other where we were and whatnot. Not sure if that’s some evidence I should send in or not?

[useful89 692]

1 hour ago, Mala Maca said:

I do have both his boarding passes and mine. I am going to get his passport as well. I have my hotel receipt, not sure if he has his (will have to check). I also have call logs and texts from the day of when he was flying, telling me when and where he landed and vice versa. The day we met I have call logs and more texts telling each other where we were and whatnot. Not sure if that’s some evidence I should send in or not?

I wouldn't send too much secondary evidence tbh. I'm of the opinion there may be a correlation between those who stack their packets and having to wait longer than usual 

[AshMarty 360]

They are looking for hard evidence of meetings more than anything.

 

 

I used 5-7 photos (which is secondary evidence) with our families, from trips, and the rest with our close family and friends.

 

I submitted hotel receipts, boarding passes the two of us used for domestic flights and international flights, passport stamps, two paragraph long conversations about wedding planning, and credit card statements from the both of us that highlighted when we were in the same town purchasing things (to provide times stamps with proof we were in the same zip code). I also used pictures to match were these purchases were made. For example we were at a Kangaroo sanctuary so I showed purchases at the sanctuary then added a picture with the two of us petting a Kangaroo.  

 

I think a majority of our proof was credit card statements accompanied with a picture for the restaurant we were at during the purchase or beach we were at that had signs or famous landmarks in the background.

 

To Answer the second half of your question. Your fiancé will have to be available for his medical appointments and an interview at his embassy. This might be difficult while working on a cruise ship.

 

Edited December 20, 2017 by AshMarty

[Marzena & Stephen 544]

17 hours ago, Mala Maca said:

 

So how many Skype logs did you send with it? 

I didn't send many because I switched devices and all my Skype logs got deleted. So i only had submitted some screen shots of Skype from the last 3 months random dates. I also submitted Instagram screen shots that show dates and comments i made about our relationship.and I submitted tons of photos and airlines tickets etc 

[payxibka 10,047]

In the petition stage I submitted zero chat logs.  I submitted only evidence required to support our meeting withing the past two years

[payxibka 10,047]

8 hours ago, x_driven_x said:

For Skype, I downloaded Skyperious and only submitted the summary reports of total number of calls, messages, etc....

 

For our written chats, I've heard picking one day a week / month etc... is plenty to show a continuing relationship. Your chat logs shouldn't be more than 20 pages.

 

In the end chat logs are not really great evidence alone, they are only supporting evidence along with boarding passes, passport stamps showing travel to meet in person during the last 2 years.

 

We also included about 12 photos, signed, described, and dated on the back. Again, pictures don't really prove you met in the last 2 years either, but they help fill in the full picture (no pun intended) 

 

While the entire package should help show this is a real, ongoing relationship; a large portion of what they are trying to prove besides that is that you have met in person within the last 2 years. That is the big important one, the rest is more subjective.

In the petition stage, not only is Skype logs, written chats, chat logs  not considered secondary evidence, it is non evidence.  The USCIS is not concerned about an ongoing relationship, that occurs at the Embassy phase.  The USCIS wants evidence to approve the petition.  That the petitioner is a USC, both are free to marry, they have met withing the past two years, intend to marry within 90 days after entry, etc...  

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

a few sentences from over the months to show you continued to talk /i would have had over 10000 pages if i printed all out / not necessary

my daughter worked 2 differnt cruise lines and her contracts ran 6 to 8 months / when you leave one, they fly u to your home address / country of origin and then you wait for a new offer and contract

you can, at the time of an offer,  not take it if you have an interview coming up

all you are worried about can be handled/  the USC is the one who knows case is headed for each step so you can (if you have to) arrange the interview\

cruise line job is really not an issued / it is taking about a year now for K1 approval to a visa

 

Now,  you have not made a timeline and we do not know the embassy and country you will be dealing with

it is so important in the next stage to let the VJ community know the country as so much is embassy dependent

good luck from all of us

[Clara B. 119]

Each cruise line has a resignation policy, I have worked for one myself. If this is really what you want I would advise you to file for the K1 right away and once its approved have your fiance give the cruise line the resignation notice wich can vary, the one I worked was 30 days. The cruise will still purchase yours fiance ticket to go back home.

Since you mentioned you were concerned for your fiance financially. You could also get married when your fiance ship is in the usaa. File for a IR1, and even though it might take longer, your fiance could continue on the cruise untill it was processed and resign the cruise once its time to go back and do the embassy part. This way when your fiance comes to the country she is already a permanent resident and can start working right away with no need to AOS.