Unnecessary RFE

[kris&me 572]

not only send the okcupid terms and conditions but send a print out of the first initial meeting on there

[Deletedacct 3]

8 minutes ago, kris&me said:

not only send the okcupid terms and conditions but send a print out of the first initial meeting on there

Alright, I will if I have it still. I took screenshots before deleting the accounts ( both accounts are deleted)

[Sunnyland 639]

27 minutes ago, kris&me said:

not only send the okcupid terms and conditions but send a print out of the first initial meeting on there

That is exactly what we did for our case few years ago. We included in our package the screenshot of our first talk on a dating website and the terms of that site and all worked great.

[DonMc 11]

I am anticipating the same RFE.  We met on Filipino Cupid.   I did not know to send in the TOS until I saw this question arise later on VJ.  My mistake!  I have the TOS and an email from Filipino Cupid in a file. I will  send immediately.  I have fingers crossed that maybe Filipino Cupid is well known to them and may slide by.  Yes, wishfull thinking!

[J&D09 63]

My advise is to send it, dont waste time. i have seen a lot of people getting rfe for things they already sent. It’s just the way they work is frustrating😔

[mich923 23]

18 hours ago, FiorellaYMalachi said:

So is there a certain template you or anyone else would recommend and the information I should say before the copy of Terms and conditions ? 

 

I am so nervous now

 

I just received this NOA2 a few weeks ago. I sent of a copy of the terms and conditions from the website and the page called "About" for the website my fiance and I met on. Then I sent in the beginning messages that my fiance and I had on it. Then my application was approved in 3 weeks. Just answer the question and send it back in certified mail. 

[Chris&Ale 153]

18 hours ago, Ben&Zian said:

 

Well first it is your responsibility to update them on your address if you move so they can properly mail you things.

 

Secondly, the RFE is fairly common. While yes, you may have answered it on the petition, if USCIS is unsure they can ask for proof. Most commonly it is if people meet on an unfamiliar dating site/app. USCIS will generally ask you to clarify that it indeed is not a broker and you do that by simply sending in a copy of the site's/app's terms of services. 

Since this is such a common occurence, one would think someone at USCIS would compile and maintain an exhaustive list of dating and social media websites so that the agents could simply check the list rather than have to send out so many RFEs for that one simple issue. Can you imagine the millions in dollars it would save the govt (not to mention the wasted time for applicants).

[Crazy Cat 41,661]

1 minute ago, Chris&Ale said:

Since this is such a common occurence, one would think someone at USCIS would compile and maintain an exhaustive list of dating and social media websites so that the agents could simply check the list rather than have to send out so many RFEs for that one simple issue. Can you imagine the millions in dollars it would save the govt (not to mention the wasted time for applicants).

Terms of service change frequently.......and at this stage of the immigration process, the burden is upon the petitioner and fiance/spouse.

[Chris&Ale 153]

2 minutes ago, missileman said:

Terms of service change frequently.......and at this stage of the immigration process, the burden is upon the petitioner and fiance/spouse.

Perhaps but if it is such a common occurrence, then the govt (in my humble opinion) should request TOS or other evidence upfront if folks met online. I'm of the mindset that the govt works for us, ya know?

 

Once I get through this process, I'm going to develop a letter or petition on how USCIS can improve its processes and send it out to my congressperson, senators, head of USCIS, etc.

[chi6488 94]

You are at the mercy of USCIS.  Do what they want or they deny.

 

That simple

[CharleneB 112]

13 minutes ago, Chris&Ale said:

Perhaps but if it is such a common occurrence, then the govt (in my humble opinion) should request TOS or other evidence upfront if folks met online. I'm of the mindset that the govt works for us, ya know?

 

Once I get through this process, I'm going to develop a letter or petition on how USCIS can improve its processes and send it out to my congressperson, senators, head of USCIS, etc.

I completely agree. I met my fiancé on Tinder and because I frequent this site I went ahead and sent in the TOS. Unfortunately we both deleted our account last and couldn’t retrieve our conversation there. Not sure if that will cause an RFE, but it’s wasted time and money on everyone’s part. Plus, it costs the additional manhours the agents have to put in to retouch the case. If it’s a requirement then they should list it as such in the instructions.

[geowrian 22,337]

2 hours ago, Chris&Ale said:

Since this is such a common occurence, one would think someone at USCIS would compile and maintain an exhaustive list of dating and social media websites so that the agents could simply check the list rather than have to send out so many RFEs for that one simple issue. Can you imagine the millions in dollars it would save the govt (not to mention the wasted time for applicants).

It's not just checking a list, but they also need to have documentation on file. This is something that can be reviewed over the years, and websites can appear/disappear/change/etc.

 

I'm not sure it would save "millions in dollars"...the mail room isn't exactly a huge cost per mailpiece.

They typically get around 3k-4k I-129Fs per month. Say even 30% of them get an RFE for this reason alone (it's likely much less than this!). That's at most 1,200 mailings, which is $600/month in postage (non-discounted rate) + handling of the outgoing mail + incoming response. All-in-all, you're looking at a couple tens of thousands of dollars per year even with the very conservative assumptions. It's likely well under that, even after taking into account the handling/personnel costs (mail room and intake workers are not the high paying jobs).

 

Edit: Compare this to the cost of changing policies. In a large, bureaucratic organization like USCIS, you're talking about around the same amount in costs to implement even a simple list + raising awareness to the IOs to actually use the list. At best it's a wash cost-wise.

Edited August 17, 2018 by geowrian

[Amadia 711]

21 hours ago, FiorellaYMalachi said:

Since then I did not receive RFE until June but I did not know because I had moved and never received it.

OP,

Did you update your address with USCIS after you moved?

It is a requirement to do so within 10 days of moving to the new address.

 

What would have happened if they had denied the application and mailed that notice to your old address? Your excuse of "not knowing since you moved" would not have sufficed then.

[Amadia 711]

3 hours ago, Chris&Ale said:

Since this is such a common occurence, one would think someone at USCIS would compile and maintain an exhaustive list of dating and social media websites so that the agents could simply check the list rather than have to send out so many RFEs for that one simple issue. Can you imagine the millions in dollars it would save the govt (not to mention the wasted time for applicants).

USCIS officials don't even want to look thoroughly at your application, much less to sit and compile a list of dating sites....a new dating platform created daily, mind you. 🤣

[web2nala 7]

You may also want to consider contacting the site/app.  My wife and I met on an Asian dating site and before filing I sent them a message through support asking for a statement.  Within a couple hours, they responded with a prepared statement regarding not being a paid marriage broker addressed to the USCIS.  I can only assume that this is a common request for them.