How long to keep I-130 duplicate package?

[Esponjoso 26]

Hi!

 

My I-130 was approved last month and my petition has gone on to the NVC. Following the recommendations here, I made a duplicate I-130 package in addition to the one submitted. I am continuously traveling at the moment and would love to be carrying fewer pounds of papers around. At what point is it safe to dispose of (securely!) the duplicate I-130 forms? I will keep all the documents (marriage certificate, birth certificates, passport copies, etc.), but the forms themselves ... is there any reason to retain them? Will they be needed for the embassy interview?

 

Thanks!

[JMPM 507]

3 minutes ago, Esponjoso said:

Hi!

 

My I-130 was approved last month and my petition has gone on to the NVC. Following the recommendations here, I made a duplicate I-130 package in addition to the one submitted. I am continuously traveling at the moment and would love to be carrying fewer pounds of papers around. At what point is it safe to dispose of (securely!) the duplicate I-130 forms? I will keep all the documents (marriage certificate, birth certificates, passport copies, etc.), but the forms themselves ... is there any reason to retain them? Will they be needed for the embassy interview?

 

Thanks!

I didn't make a copy of the duplicate. I scanned everything I sent in and saved it to a PDF file to my google drive.  Sometimes suggestions are old behind the times  
 

[G Walters 136]

I would keep it till your immigration journey is complete. You never know what you might need from it in the future.

 

[JeanneAdil 6,697]

keep it on a flash drive or CD (computer itself can crash anytime)

put the originals in a safe deposit box or home safe

 

always need originals of marriage and birth 

I kept a copy of everything submitted to immigration till got the citizenship

[Illiria 980]

I still have a copy of the I-129 (fiancé petition) plus everything since and I got citizenship in March 2018 🤣 but then again I am a paranoid pack rat.

 

Joking aside - The scanning idea above is great for those who don’t have space to keep photocopies. 

Edited September 22, 2019 by Illiria

[JMPM 507]

16 minutes ago, Illiria said:

I still have a copy of the I-129 (fiancé petition) plus everything since and I got citizenship in March 2018 🤣 but then again I am a paranoid pack rat.

 

Joking aside - The scanning idea above is great for those who don’t have space to keep photocopies. 

It's an awesome idea accessible anywhere and my wife is on the shared folders so she too can print something. She does have originals of the official documents for the interview.

 

I also have them backup on a flash drive on my keychain(encrypted) and computer. 

 

Paperless is the way to go 

 

[Esponjoso 26]

Thanks for all the responses! Since there is no concrete need for the documents, I'm going to shred the paper copies. I have everything in digital files, so if there is a need down the road, I can always print out another copy.