RFE - Confused now

[phrogfrau 0]

Hello,

I filed an I-130 (consular processing) for my spouse back in September 2017.  I received and RFE today.  It is asking for  2 passport photos.  I will submit these.  What is concerning me is the statement they used:  You did not submit sufficient evidence to establish the spousal relationship."  I submitted years of pictures together, flight tickets to visit each other and trips together, multiple affidavits from people attesting to our relationship, and of course our marriage and personal documents.  But I live in Washington DC and he lives in the UAE - we don't have the normal pieces of evidence to show a relationship like two people living together - like shared ownership of property, bills, leases, etc. because he lives half way around the world!  - how do we otherwise prove we are "married"???  Is this really what they are saying in the RFE, or is this just boiler plate language they use when something is missing and all we need to submit is the photos?  I'm really worried...

[Beast333 62]

22 minutes ago, phrogfrau said:

Hello,

I filed an I-130 (consular processing) for my spouse back in September 2017.  I received and RFE today.  It is asking for  2 passport photos.  I will submit these.  What is concerning me is the statement they used:  You did not submit sufficient evidence to establish the spousal relationship."  I submitted years of pictures together, flight tickets to visit each other and trips together, multiple affidavits from people attesting to our relationship, and of course our marriage and personal documents.  But I live in Washington DC and he lives in the UAE - we don't have the normal pieces of evidence to show a relationship like two people living together - like shared ownership of property, bills, leases, etc. because he lives half way around the world!  - how do we otherwise prove we are "married"???  Is this really what they are saying in the RFE, or is this just boiler plate language they use when something is missing and all we need to submit is the photos?  I'm really worried...

Did you add photos when you were applying petition?

[phrogfrau 0]

Hi - no I don’t remember submitting passport style photos with the packet of evidence

[educin 6]

On 4/4/2018 at 10:50 PM, phrogfrau said:

Hello,

I filed an I-130 (consular processing) for my spouse back in September 2017.  I received and RFE today.  It is asking for  2 passport photos.  I will submit these.  What is concerning me is the statement they used:  You did not submit sufficient evidence to establish the spousal relationship."  I submitted years of pictures together, flight tickets to visit each other and trips together, multiple affidavits from people attesting to our relationship, and of course our marriage and personal documents.  But I live in Washington DC and he lives in the UAE - we don't have the normal pieces of evidence to show a relationship like two people living together - like shared ownership of property, bills, leases, etc. because he lives half way around the world!  - how do we otherwise prove we are "married"???  Is this really what they are saying in the RFE, or is this just boiler plate language they use when something is missing and all we need to submit is the photos?  I'm really worried...

Hello! I received the same RFE last month and was confused by that same statement they used. I actually just created an account so that I could answer your question lol. Unfortunately, USCIS posted instructions for the I-130 stating that if the beneficiary does not live in the U.S., we do not need to include their passport photos.

 

Anyways.. When I filed the I-130 for my spouse, I did not include any pictures of us together, bank accounts, or any "proof of a bonafide marriage" as they call it so I thought they might be requesting that also. I did submit only 2 passport photos of myself with the I-130. When I sent my response to the RFE, I only included 2 passport photos of my spouse (with her full name lightly printed with a pencil behind each photo) inside of a small envelope, stapled that small envelope to the RFE (careful not to staple the actual photos), then placed the letter with the stapled envelope inside of the envelope they provided and mailed it off (I used priority mail). They received it in 2 days, and my petition was approved 6 days after they received it. I received the actual NOA2 in the mail 4 days after they approved it.

 

Long story short: I just sent my spouse's passport photos and got approved

 

Here's my timeline so you can have an idea of how yours might look:

I-130 Sent: 06/12/17

NOA1: 06/14/17

RFE letter received in mail: 03/15/18

Sent Response to RFE: 03/19/18

RFE response received by USCIS (Nebraska): 03/21/18

NOA2: 03/27/18 (only received letter 03/31/18)

currently waiting for NVC to receive my case from USCIS so I can start the next phase

 

Edited April 6, 2018 by educin
typo

[phrogfrau 0]

THANK YOU educin - this makes me feel much better!!!!  I have not been able to sleep thinking and worrying about this so much.  I hope that this is all they need, and will approve the petition once the photos are received.  My husband is getting the photo done to the USA specifications in the UAE right now (which is a challenge!) and then will send them DHL to me ASAP to send back to USCIS.  Thanks for your words of encouragement and good luck to you !!!  This is such a long, daunting, scary process for two people who just want to be together :-)

[educin 6]

2 minutes ago, phrogfrau said:

THANK YOU educin - this makes me feel much better!!!!  I have not been able to sleep thinking and worrying about this so much.  I hope that this is all they need, and will approve the petition once the photos are received.  My husband is getting the photo done to the USA specifications in the UAE right now (which is a challenge!) and then will send them DHL to me ASAP to send back to USCIS.  Thanks for your words of encouragement and good luck to you !!!  This is such a long, daunting, scary process for two people who just want to be together :-)

No problem! I'm glad I was able to take some stress away because I was pretty stressed out about that, too. 

Luckily I was in Brazil visiting my wife when the RFE came in and I had a friend check my mailbox for me so I just brought the photos back with me. I think your husband might be able to scan it and send it to you. Then you can just go to CVS or Walgreens to have them crop it on their machine to the exact specifications (If DHL doesn't deliver it fast enough).

[JAtlanta 8]

23 hours ago, educin said:

Hello! I received the same RFE last month and was confused by that same statement they used. I actually just created an account so that I could answer your question lol. Unfortunately, USCIS posted instructions for the I-130 stating that if the beneficiary does not live in the U.S., we do not need to include their passport photos.

 

Anyways.. When I filed the I-130 for my spouse, I did not include any pictures of us together, bank accounts, or any "proof of a bonafide marriage" as they call it so I thought they might be requesting that also. I did submit only 2 passport photos of myself with the I-130. When I sent my response to the RFE, I only included 2 passport photos of my spouse (with her full name lightly printed with a pencil behind each photo) inside of a small envelope, stapled that small envelope to the RFE (careful not to staple the actual photos), then placed the letter with the stapled envelope inside of the envelope they provided and mailed it off (I used priority mail). They received it in 2 days, and my petition was approved 6 days after they received it. I received the actual NOA2 in the mail 4 days after they approved it.

 

Long story short: I just sent my spouse's passport photos and got approved

 

Here's my timeline so you can have an idea of how yours might look:

I-130 Sent: 06/12/17

NOA1: 06/14/17

RFE letter received in mail: 03/15/18

Sent Response to RFE: 03/19/18

RFE response received by USCIS (Nebraska): 03/21/18

NOA2: 03/27/18 (only received letter 03/31/18)

currently waiting for NVC to receive my case from USCIS so I can start the next phase

 

Hi,

 

Did you file for IR1/CR1 category or F2A category?

[educin 6]

13 hours ago, JAtlanta said:

Hi,

 

Did you file for IR1/CR1 category or F2A category?

IR1/CR1

[phrogfrau 0]

hello,

I think it is IR1/CR1 - I don't know what the F2A category is...what is this category? 

 

[phrogfrau 0]

hello,

I googled F2A - It is not that...I am a US Citizen and filed for my foreign national spouse through consular processing

 

[ms_bobdog 501]

On 4/6/2018 at 11:35 PM, phrogfrau said:

THANK YOU educin - this makes me feel much better!!!!  I have not been able to sleep thinking and worrying about this so much.  I hope that this is all they need, and will approve the petition once the photos are received.  My husband is getting the photo done to the USA specifications in the UAE right now (which is a challenge!) and then will send them DHL to me ASAP to send back to USCIS.  Thanks for your words of encouragement and good luck to you !!!  This is such a long, daunting, scary process for two people who just want to be together :-)

Actually, there is a faster way for the photo. Have your husband take a photo and send it to you by email, then you can use this site to print it out: http://www.epassportphoto.com/

 

It costs $10 per photo for me to do it in Singapore so I got my husband to do this, and since he has to courier me the original documents for the interview anyway, he can slip the photos in (I didn't provide my photo during i-130 and didn't have an issue). Hope this helps!

[hm139 55]

I was under the impression the I130 application only asked for two passport photos of the petitioner, not of the beneficiary. Are you saying you got an RFE because you didn't include photos of the beneficiary?

 

Edited to clarify that the instructions state that if the beneficiary is already in the US, they need to provide photos... but it gives you to understand that the photos are not necessary at this stage if the beneficiary is out of the country.

Edited April 9, 2018 by hm139