Want to verify I'm submitting correct documentation for I-129F

[N0mad 16]

The checklist on this website for I-129F is very useful, but some of the paperwork does not seem to align with that recommended by other blogs and articles I ran into. The USCIS website instructions do not seem to specify that either way is correct or wrong for this evidence (such as Letter of Intent). I want to confirm I'm sending correct evidence and in the correct format to avoid denials and RFEs. I also want to avoid sending excess documents as that is likely to do more harm than good, with the officer spending more time to make sense of all of them. Here are some of the confusions we ran into:

• Cover Letter: VisaJourney instructions state to provide a cover letter, which I did not see in instructions from USCIS or other blogs. Is this equivalent to K-1 Declaration Letter that other websites like CitizenPath mention?
• K-1 Declaration: VisaJourney makes no mention of this, this seems to mainly be a summary of how we met and as far as I understand serves as evidence of having met in person in the last 2 years. I see other websites also use this as evidence of Intent to Marry. Do you suggest keeping the 2 separate (see next bullet) or is a single K-1 Declaration (such as https://citizenpath.com/faq/k-1-declaration-sample/) good enough?
• Intent to Marry: A couple websites (such as example above) send a single 2-page letter describing how the couple met and a paragraph at the end that serves as evidence of intent to marry. The checklist on VisaJourney not only states that the 2 must be separate but that individually signed letters of intent must be included in the packet. The USCIS instructions only state that evidence must be provided. Can we provide a single letter with 2 signatures? We have no evidence of any wedding planning yet, but I do have engagement ring receipts, are those sufficient with a letter promising to marry signed by both parties? Also, can her signature be scanned? She's not in US, and getting a "wet ink" signature from her will probably delay the process by at least a month due to mailing logistics.
• I-94 Arrival-Departure Record: When visiting me in the US, she simply got a stamp in her travel passport. Yet page 11 of instructions for I-129F (https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f) makes it sound like an I-94 form must be provided for every visit to US. Reading more about this form, I saw that it's now automated and physical copy is only provided per request. Is this something we should request (which would also delay the process) or is this safe to ignore?
• Name ambiguity for fiancee: her first name appears differently on different paperwork (mainly due to how it was translated from Russian by different agencies, sometimes it seems like they're just adding arbitrary letters to it). Will this be an issue? Can we state her name as we want it to appear in official documents and simply state other forms (as used in previous B-1 and travel documents) in the section of I-129F asking for previously used aliases? Does the first name we state in K-1 need to match up with her previous travel documents and B-1 (which we're mainly attaching as evidence of having met before and ongoing relationship)?

 

Thank you

[Dashinka 24,493]

6 minutes ago, N0mad said:

The checklist on this website for I-129F is very useful, but some of the paperwork does not seem to align with that recommended by other blogs and articles I ran into. The USCIS website instructions do not seem to specify that either way is correct or wrong for this evidence (such as Letter of Intent). I want to confirm I'm sending correct evidence and in the correct format to avoid denials and RFEs. I also want to avoid sending excess documents as that is likely to do more harm than good, with the officer spending more time to make sense of all of them. Here are some of the confusions we ran into:

• Cover Letter: VisaJourney instructions state to provide a cover letter, which I did not see in instructions from USCIS or other blogs. Is this equivalent to K-1 Declaration Letter that other websites like CitizenPath mention?
• K-1 Declaration: VisaJourney makes no mention of this, this seems to mainly be a summary of how we met and as far as I understand serves as evidence of having met in person in the last 2 years. I see other websites also use this as evidence of Intent to Marry. Do you suggest keeping the 2 separate (see next bullet) or is a single K-1 Declaration (such as https://citizenpath.com/faq/k-1-declaration-sample/) good enough?
• Intent to Marry: A couple websites (such as example above) send a single 2-page letter describing how the couple met and a paragraph at the end that serves as evidence of intent to marry. The checklist on VisaJourney not only states that the 2 must be separate but that individually signed letters of intent must be included in the packet. The USCIS instructions only state that evidence must be provided. Can we provide a single letter with 2 signatures? We have no evidence of any wedding planning yet, but I do have engagement ring receipts, are those sufficient with a letter promising to marry signed by both parties? Also, can her signature be scanned? She's not in US, and getting a "wet ink" signature from her will probably delay the process by at least a month due to mailing logistics.
• I-94 Arrival-Departure Record: When visiting me in the US, she simply got a stamp in her travel passport. Yet page 11 of instructions for I-129F (https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f) makes it sound like an I-94 form must be provided for every visit to US. Reading more about this form, I saw that it's now automated and physical copy is only provided per request. Is this something we should request (which would also delay the process) or is this safe to ignore?
• Name ambiguity for fiancee: her first name appears differently on different paperwork (mainly due to how it was translated from Russian by different agencies, sometimes it seems like they're just adding arbitrary letters to it). Will this be an issue? Can we state her name as we want it to appear in official documents and simply state other forms (as used in previous B-1 and travel documents) in the section of I-129F asking for previously used aliases? Does the first name we state in K-1 need to match up with her previous travel documents and B-1 (which we're mainly attaching as evidence of having met before and ongoing relationship)?

 

Thank you

If she has an I94 record, I would provide it rather than ignore it.  Last time I checked (back in 2014), you could get it online and print it out.  It did not really delay anything.

 

Good luck!

[payxibka 10,045]

37 minutes ago, N0mad said:

The checklist on this website for I-129F is very useful, but some of the paperwork does not seem to align with that recommended by other blogs and articles I ran into. The USCIS website instructions do not seem to specify that either way is correct or wrong for this evidence (such as Letter of Intent). I want to confirm I'm sending correct evidence and in the correct format to avoid denials and RFEs. I also want to avoid sending excess documents as that is likely to do more harm than good, with the officer spending more time to make sense of all of them. Here are some of the confusions we ran into:

• Cover Letter: VisaJourney instructions state to provide a cover letter, which I did not see in instructions from USCIS or other blogs. Is this equivalent to K-1 Declaration Letter that other websites like CitizenPath mention?
• K-1 Declaration: VisaJourney makes no mention of this, this seems to mainly be a summary of how we met and as far as I understand serves as evidence of having met in person in the last 2 years. I see other websites also use this as evidence of Intent to Marry. Do you suggest keeping the 2 separate (see next bullet) or is a single K-1 Declaration (such as https://citizenpath.com/faq/k-1-declaration-sample/) good enough?
• Intent to Marry: A couple websites (such as example above) send a single 2-page letter describing how the couple met and a paragraph at the end that serves as evidence of intent to marry. The checklist on VisaJourney not only states that the 2 must be separate but that individually signed letters of intent must be included in the packet. The USCIS instructions only state that evidence must be provided. Can we provide a single letter with 2 signatures? We have no evidence of any wedding planning yet, but I do have engagement ring receipts, are those sufficient with a letter promising to marry signed by both parties? Also, can her signature be scanned? She's not in US, and getting a "wet ink" signature from her will probably delay the process by at least a month due to mailing logistics.
• I-94 Arrival-Departure Record: When visiting me in the US, she simply got a stamp in her travel passport. Yet page 11 of instructions for I-129F (https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f) makes it sound like an I-94 form must be provided for every visit to US. Reading more about this form, I saw that it's now automated and physical copy is only provided per request. Is this something we should request (which would also delay the process) or is this safe to ignore?
• Name ambiguity for fiancee: her first name appears differently on different paperwork (mainly due to how it was translated from Russian by different agencies, sometimes it seems like they're just adding arbitrary letters to it). Will this be an issue? Can we state her name as we want it to appear in official documents and simply state other forms (as used in previous B-1 and travel documents) in the section of I-129F asking for previously used aliases? Does the first name we state in K-1 need to match up with her previous travel documents and B-1 (which we're mainly attaching as evidence of having met before and ongoing relationship)?

 

Thank you

I94 for every visit?  I don't see it

[Pitaya 2,577]

1 hour ago, N0mad said:

The checklist on this website for I-129F is very useful, but some of the paperwork does not seem to align with that recommended by other blogs and articles I ran into. The USCIS website instructions do not seem to specify that either way is correct or wrong for this evidence (such as Letter of Intent). I want to confirm I'm sending correct evidence and in the correct format to avoid denials and RFEs. I also want to avoid sending excess documents as that is likely to do more harm than good, with the officer spending more time to make sense of all of them. Here are some of the confusions we ran into:

• Cover Letter: VisaJourney instructions state to provide a cover letter, which I did not see in instructions from USCIS or other blogs. Is this equivalent to K-1 Declaration Letter that other websites like CitizenPath mention? This is common in business correspondence. The cover letter should include the purpose of your correspondence, and a listing of the specific types of information you are including in the letter. This also serves as a good checklist of what you need to include in the letter.
• K-1 Declaration: VisaJourney makes no mention of this, this seems to mainly be a summary of how we met and as far as I understand serves as evidence of having met in person in the last 2 years. I see other websites also use this as evidence of Intent to Marry. Do you suggest keeping the 2 separate (see next bullet) or is a single K-1 Declaration (such as https://citizenpath.com/faq/k-1-declaration-sample/) good enough? USCIS doesn't want a love story, KEEP IT SIMPLE,  SEE VJ K1 Guide
• Intent to Marry: A couple websites (such as example above) send a single 2-page letter describing how the couple met and a paragraph at the end that serves as evidence of intent to marry. The checklist on VisaJourney not only states that the 2 must be separate but that individually signed letters of intent must be included in the packet. The USCIS instructions only state that evidence must be provided. Can we provide a single letter with 2 signatures? We have no evidence of any wedding planning yet, but I do have engagement ring receipts, are those sufficient with a letter promising to marry signed by both parties? Also, can her signature be scanned? She's not in US, and getting a "wet ink" signature from her will probably delay the process by at least a month due to mailing logistics. Follow Form I-129F, form instructions and VJ Guide
• I-94 Arrival-Departure Record: When visiting me in the US, she simply got a stamp in her travel passport. Yet page 11 of instructions for I-129F (https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f) makes it sound like an I-94 form must be provided for every visit to US. Reading more about this form, I saw that it's now automated and physical copy is only provided per request. Is this something we should request (which would also delay the process) or is this safe to ignore?
• Name ambiguity for fiancee: her first name appears differently on different paperwork (mainly due to how it was translated from Russian by different agencies, sometimes it seems like they're just adding arbitrary letters to it). Will this be an issue? Can we state her name as we want it to appear in official documents and simply state other forms (as used in previous B-1 and travel documents) in the section of I-129F asking for previously used aliases? Does the first name we state in K-1 need to match up with her previous travel documents and B-1 (which we're mainly attaching as evidence of having met before and ongoing relationship)?  As others have posted.

 

Thank you

You are way overthinking this. You didn't run into "confusions,"  you created them. Of course two sources will have some differences in format and style. This forum is not a review session to compare and contrast several sources. Pick one that works for you and go for it. If you are reading my comments on VJ, that should tell you which one I prefer. Follow the Form I-129F, the form instructions, and the VJ K1 Visa Guide and examples, https://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide/  . That is what my Chinese wife and I did. BTW, her native character set doesn't even use the same alphabet as in the Western world. Head over to the RUB Regional Forum, https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/98-russia-ukraine-and-belarus/ , for questions about use of Cyrillic alphabet and character use.

 

Good luck on your immigration journey.

[N0mad 16]

@Pitaya I'm still confused about the situation with mailing original Intent to Marry letter from the beneficiary when she's located on the opposite side of the world? Does it need to be original or can it be a scanned document? The original is not practical to obtain until the next time we see each other (in a month, and I wouldn't be able to mail the packet until I'm back to US a few weeks later). It seems like this would be a common problem, and I didn't see USCIS instructions specifically claim that they want the original (although VJ instructions say so). Can we send a scanned copy?

 

Regarding the name ambiguity, her actual name is indeed written in Russian, my confusion is from the fact that she has it written differently from what we'd prefer in her B-1, travel/itinerary docs we plan to provide as evidence, and also differently in her social media accounts. Will this be a problem or will UCSIS staff understand that this is simply a translation quirk of the office where she obtained her B-1 visa?

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

1 hour ago, N0mad said:

@Pitaya I'm still confused about the situation with mailing original Intent to Marry letter from the beneficiary when she's located on the opposite side of the world? Does it need to be original or can it be a scanned document? The original is not practical to obtain until the next time we see each other (in a month, and I wouldn't be able to mail the packet until I'm back to US a few weeks later). It seems like this would be a common problem, and I didn't see USCIS instructions specifically claim that they want the original (although VJ instructions say so). Can we send a scanned copy?

Your fiancee should print out her letter of intent, sign it, scan it, email the scanned file to you, and you can print out and send it with the form. Works fine; that's what we did. Also note that despite most examples of letters of intent to marry being written "business letter" style with the destination address above the letter, this isn't required.

 

BTW, you can do pretty much the same thing for the passport-style pictures of your fiancee; she can get pictures taken in Russia and send you the file, and then you can get it printed here in the US. Again, that's what we did.

 

Quote

Regarding the name ambiguity, her actual name is indeed written in Russian, my confusion is from the fact that she has it written differently from what we'd prefer in her B-1, travel/itinerary docs we plan to provide as evidence, and also differently in her social media accounts. Will this be a problem or will UCSIS staff understand that this is simply a translation quirk of the office where she obtained her B-1 visa?

USCIS is aware that transliterations from non-Roman alphabets aren't always consistent (my wife's given name is transliterated one way on her passport, a second way on the site we met, and a third on her social media accounts). Be consistent on with her passport in everything you write to avoid confusion when looking things up later.

Edited September 17, 2019 by DaveAndAnastasia

[SalishSea 17,827]

There is no "K-1 declaration," lol.  Just follow the checklist on the USCIS site, that's what we did.  

[Dxc 12]

They dont care how you originally met. They only care about your face to face meeting within the last 2 years in about ****2**** sentences not a book.

[N0mad 16]

Thanks guys, another question. If I received my own citizenship through my parents naturalization while being under 18 (I have Citizenship Certificate but no Naturalization Certificate), should I claim "Naturalization" or "U.S. citizen parents" for  question 40 on I-129F? I'm not sure if the latter option is only applicable to people born abroad or for people such as myself as well.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Naturalization 40b   Then answer 41 and 42a,b,c.