Can you send the Affidavit of Support too soon?

[Pelmeni 39]

Will it be too old? Do I need to re-do it? I sent it to him and it's dated June. I wanted to be pro-active because sometimes it takes months to get things to Siberia and things have been stolen before. We just now got the approval via text and are waiting on the mail to get our new case # to do the DS-160. So, will it be questioned at the interview because of the date? I thought of emailing him more recent bank statements to print off.  I'm not sure what else would be good. The form expires 11/30/2018 but I also can't find a newer version even if I need to do another. The first time the affidavit of support took six weeks to reach him in Yakutsk. 

Edited October 13, 2018 by Pelmeni

[Jenna Ting 27]

37 minutes ago, Pelmeni said:

Will it be too old? Do I need to re-do it? I sent it to him and it's dated June. I wanted to be pro-active because sometimes it takes months to get things to Siberia and things have been stolen before. We just now got the approval via text and are waiting on the mail to get our new case # to do the DS-160. So, will it be questioned at the interview because of the date? I thought of emailing him more recent bank statements to print off.  I'm not sure what else would be good. The form expires 11/30/2018 but I also can't find a newer version even if I need to do another. The first time the affidavit of support took six weeks to reach him in Yakutsk. 

As you described,your fiance might get the letter from the USA embassy At Least 2 months later ,it's better he can e-mail the USA embassy to put his email account in their system then they can email him epackage 3 sooner.they'll need his and your names,receipt number(Noa1),passport number ,birthday…to check your petition. And to fill out DS160, you don't need a new case number, it only needs the USCIS receipt number. You need to email him a recent bank statement if it gets an expiration date on November 30.

[debbiedoo 2,339]

the documents can be scanned and emailed so you can print them. Id also send via fedex or similar (hopefully faster delivery) to at least try to get them to you but scanned should suffice.

[Pelmeni 39]

1 minute ago, debbiedoo said:

the documents can be scanned and emailed so you can print them. Id also send via fedex or similar (hopefully faster delivery) to at least try to get them to you but scanned should suffice.

Wow, I didn't know they would accept a scan and print. Thanks!

16 minutes ago, Jenna Ting said:

As you described,your fiance might get the letter from the USA embassy At Least 2 months later ,it's better he can e-mail the USA embassy to put his email account in their system then they can email him epackage 3 sooner.they'll need his and your names,receipt number(Noa1),passport number ,birthday…to check your petition. And to fill out DS160, you don't need a new case number, it only needs the USCIS receipt number. You need to email him a recent bank statement if it gets an expiration date on November 30.

Thank you!

[Jenna Ting 27]

1 hour ago, Pelmeni said:

Wow, I didn't know they would accept a scan and print. Thanks!

Thank you!

Oh. You're welcome. You can also call the NVC asking for your new case number (it'll be in epackage 3)and giving them his email now before it's" in transit" 

[TimonLovesSkylour 7]

34 minutes ago, Pelmeni said:

Wow, I didn't know they would accept a scan and print. Thanks!

Thank you!

Um, I wouldn't count on that... not to rain on people's parade here but I think this isn't a guarantee. I would ask in the Russia-specific section of the forums, here: https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/98-russia-ukraine-and-belarus/

 

Every consulate does things a little bit differently, and apparently not every Consular Officer in every consulate has 'gotten the memo' so to speak, about inked signatures no longer being required, if this thread is right: https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/665859-wet-signature-required-i-134/

(look in particular at the last post in the thread, I think that person has a point... it sounds like the various consulates still haven't been told that photocopies are okay, even though the NVC has been told that).

 

I can't really be sure of any of this, but I think some further research would be a good idea.

 

It would be a shame to bank on them accepting the photocopy and then for your fiancé to go back for another interview after waiting for the original to arrive. Having to schedule a new interview will probably slow things down a lot, and I'm guessing he has to travel to get to the embassy and that it might be a long trip if he's in such a remote part of Russia.

 

If you're concerned about the I-134 getting to him properly, is there any way you could have it delivered by courier, (Fedex, DHL, UPS) or some other kind of registered mail, and possibly expedited as well? And could your fiancé travel to somewhere less remote in Russia to pick up the mail (a Fedex/DHL/UPS pick-up location) if that makes it easier for it to get to him successfully?

[geowrian 22,338]

Yes, it's possible to send the I-134 too soon. There is no hard requirement for what is too soon...it just needs to be recent enough for the CO>

 

The memos referenced above refers to USCIS requirements (not DOS) or NVC not requiring inked signatures. COs can still request/require a wet signature. Most are probably fine without it, so if somebody had no time and needed it ASAP, going with a scan is much better than nothing. But if there is time to send one, I do suggest a wet signature unless somebody can reliably confirm that the specific embassy/consulate does not require it.

 

No second interview is necessary for a 221g due to a missing or unsatisfactory I-134. They will just want a satisfactory I-134 (+ evidence) sent to them for review.

[Pelmeni 39]

39 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Yes, it's possible to send the I-134 too soon. There is no hard requirement for what is too soon...it just needs to be recent enough for the CO>

 

The memos referenced above refers to USCIS requirements (not DOS) or NVC not requiring inked signatures. COs can still request/require a wet signature. Most are probably fine without it, so if somebody had no time and needed it ASAP, going with a scan is much better than nothing. But if there is time to send one, I do suggest a wet signature unless somebody can reliably confirm that the specific embassy/consulate does not require it.

 

No second interview is necessary for a 221g due to a missing or unsatisfactory I-134. They will just want a satisfactory I-134 (+ evidence) sent to them for review.

Thank you so much. The biggest worry is him having to travel twice from Yakutsk to Moscow so that info is very helpful and I'll do both, new wet signature and the scanned. Also, since they haven't issued a form good for after November 30 I was worried about waiting for it, filling it out and getting it their in time if the interview was December 1, for example but someone also told me that they generally accept those forms for people that do them after the process has started. Thank you!!!!!

[geowrian 22,338]

1 minute ago, Pelmeni said:

Thank you so much. The biggest worry is him having to travel twice from Yakutsk to Moscow so that info is very helpful and I'll do both, new wet signature and the scanned. Also, since they haven't issued a form good for after November 30 I was worried about waiting for it, filling it out and getting it their in time if the interview was December 1, for example but someone also told me that they generally accept those forms for people that do them after the process has started. Thank you!!!!!

That Nov. date is the OMB expiration date for comment. It is not the Edition Date that USCIS and DOS use (which is when they release the form, noted in the lower left corner). USCIS and DOS use accepted Edition Date(s), as listed on the website.

[Pelmeni 39]

1 hour ago, geowrian said:

Yes, it's possible to send the I-134 too soon. There is no hard requirement for what is too soon...it just needs to be recent enough for the CO>

 

The memos referenced above refers to USCIS requirements (not DOS) or NVC not requiring inked signatures. COs can still request/require a wet signature. Most are probably fine without it, so if somebody had no time and needed it ASAP, going with a scan is much better than nothing. But if there is time to send one, I do suggest a wet signature unless somebody can reliably confirm that the specific embassy/consulate does not require it.

 

No second interview is necessary for a 221g due to a missing or unsatisfactory I-134. They will just want a satisfactory I-134 (+ evidence) sent to them for review.

DOS=Date of Submission? Not sure about OMB or 221g. Ty

Edited October 13, 2018 by Pelmeni

[Pelmeni 39]

6 hours ago, TimonLovesSkylour said:

Um, I wouldn't count on that... not to rain on people's parade here but I think this isn't a guarantee. I would ask in the Russia-specific section of the forums, here: https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/98-russia-ukraine-and-belarus/

 

Every consulate does things a little bit differently, and apparently not every Consular Officer in every consulate has 'gotten the memo' so to speak, about inked signatures no longer being required, if this thread is right: https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/665859-wet-signature-required-i-134/

(look in particular at the last post in the thread, I think that person has a point... it sounds like the various consulates still haven't been told that photocopies are okay, even though the NVC has been told that).

 

I can't really be sure of any of this, but I think some further research would be a good idea.

 

It would be a shame to bank on them accepting the photocopy and then for your fiancé to go back for another interview after waiting for the original to arrive. Having to schedule a new interview will probably slow things down a lot, and I'm guessing he has to travel to get to the embassy and that it might be a long trip if he's in such a remote part of Russia.

 

If you're concerned about the I-134 getting to him properly, is there any way you could have it delivered by courier, (Fedex, DHL, UPS) or some other kind of registered mail, and possibly expedited as well? And could your fiancé travel to somewhere less remote in Russia to pick up the mail (a Fedex/DHL/UPS pick-up location) if that makes it easier for it to get to him successfully?

Good point. I'll do everything I can to get the wet signature there also.

[geowrian 22,338]

34 minutes ago, Pelmeni said:

DOS=Date of Submission? Not sure about OMB or 221g. Ty

Department of State The department in charge of embassies/consulates.

OMB = Office of Management and Budget. Bureaucrats.

221(g) is a section of the INA (immigration law) regarding an incomplete visa application. They issue a 221(g) when there is a refusal of the visa pending additional documents or investigation.

[Pelmeni 39]

4 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Department of State The department in charge of embassies/consulates.

OMB = Office of Management and Budget. Bureaucrats.

221(g) is a section of the INA (immigration law) regarding an incomplete visa application. They issue a 221(g) when there is a refusal of the visa pending additional documents or investigation.

Wow. I've always been pretty good with paperwork but not this. Thank you.