About to petition I-130 for spouse (merged topics)

[craig5977 58]

If you are a frequent flyer member of an airline, they will have a record of trips taken since you accumulate miles and can use that as proof also.

have used that and also just showed I bought the ticket.

Good Luck

[Mike E 11,742]

We submitted zero boarding passes and zero passport stamps. Instead we submitted copies of emails from travel bookings (airlines, hotels, booking sites like hotels dot com). USCIS and State never asked for more.  Our lawyer that we used for  for the AOS steps never asked for more.  

 

For the I-129F and I-485 I assembled booklets of our itineraries and inserted a photo or two in each.  Since we met over ten times before filing the I-129F it was a vast document.  
 

Obviously (from our timeline) it wasn’t a problem.  
 

Since I never delete email, it is trivial for me find old itineraries going back over 20 years when online booking became a thing. 

[bakphx1 789]

7 hours ago, Mike E said:

We submitted zero boarding passes and zero passport stamps. Instead we submitted copies of emails from travel bookings (airlines, hotels, booking sites like hotels dot com). USCIS and State never asked for more.  Our lawyer that we used for  for the AOS steps never asked for more.  

 

For the I-129F and I-485 I assembled booklets of our itineraries and inserted a photo or two in each.  Since we met over ten times before filing the I-129F it was a vast document.  

Somehow it gets passed around like folklore here that trips are highly suspicious as if people would pay for international travel and not go.  I submitted the passport stamps though not to prove the trip was taken, but I just did a kitchen sink approach.  More to prove we didn’t have other travel to places not mentioned-another story.  But single males traveling in Central and South America arouse suspicion as being in the drug business.  
 

I think they’d have to find a case really shady to accuse you of creating essentially an entire fictitious file which would be highly fraudulent.  

[carmel34 3,655]

Submit as much evidence as you can to front load your petition, it's a personal decision, and you can't submit what you don't have.  IMO quality is more important than quantity, but it also depends on your personal circumstances, country of origin, age difference, any other red flags.  USCIS doesn't really care about the optional evidence of bona fide marriage, as they look at the civil documents and whether the petitioner qualifies to file.  It will be the consulate or embassy abroad that looks in depth at the evidence, and in some cases they don't look at new evidence brought to the interview, this is why front loading is recommended.  We sent some boarding passes with the passport stamps with the petition, but also hotel receipts showing both of our names from trips we took together, photos, summary of emails sent and received, samples of messages exchanged, and as much financial co-mingling evidence that we had, such as beneficiary on health insurance, life insurance, retirement accounts, bank accounts, shared credit card statements, etc.   Good luck!

Edited February 15, 2020 by carmel34

[Ryan H 3,834]

~~~Similar topics merged; please ask all questions you have about completing the I-130 in this thread instead of starting a new thread for every question you have about completing that form.~~~

[Bill Hamze 89]

Thanks all. 

 

I'll send flight tickets + travel photos + passport stamps. That should leave no doubt that we actually went on those trips.

 

Nobody keeps boarding passes anyway, and I'm sure the DOS staff knows that.

Edited February 16, 2020 by Bill Hamze

[Bill Hamze 89]

Another question - 

 

I'm aware that proof of domicile (or intent to reestablish) doesn't come into play until the later stages after the petition. 

 

Should I save all those domicile documents (bank statements, driver license, voter registration, etc...) for later, or should I front-load them in the petition?

 

[Ryan H 3,834]

57 minutes ago, Bill Hamze said:

Another question - 

 

I'm aware that proof of domicile (or intent to reestablish) doesn't come into play until the later stages after the petition. 

 

Should I save all those domicile documents (bank statements, driver license, voter registration, etc...) for later, or should I front-load them in the petition?

 

 

Save the domicile items for later; frontloading it now won't do you any good because you will have to re-submit at the appropriate time.

[Bill Hamze 89]

Gotcha, thank you sir ^

[Bill Hamze 89]

Have all documents ready, except two. 2 simple questions for filing online:

 

1. Passport photos - we have the prints. But do I need to submit both of ours (mine and hers), or only mine? We both live together overseas. 

 

2. I-130A - would I need to print that out, sign it myself in ink (I'm the preparer), and re-scan it into a PDF? 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bill Hamze 89]

And 3rd question: 

 

With flight tickets and passport stamps, I have some credit card statements showing I paid for those trips. 

 

Should I include them? 

 

Each statement is 3-4 pages long, and if I have to include them for every trip we went on, that will add like 50 more pages to the total of 120 I already have.

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by Bill Hamze

[Bill Hamze 89]

BUMP

[Just Paul 4,595]

19 hours ago, Bill Hamze said:

I have some credit card statements showing I paid for those trips. 

 

Should I include them? 

No,  you only need to show proof one time.   Immigration stamps are the best.

[Boiler 46,144]

The children must enter within 6 months of the date of the medical.

[Bill Hamze 89]

Here's a list of documents and additional evidence I intend to submit along with the I-130 petition. I'm front loading this with as much documentation as possible for 3 reasons:

 

1.  HCMC Vietnam consulate is probably being more difficult about approving spousal immigration visas due to a marriage fraud ring that was exposed last year (100 arrests made in Houston Texas, where my U.S. address also happens to be... and I have a previous marriage as well). 

 

2.  We do not have a joint bank account nor do we own any joint property, so I'm backstopping the lack of co-mingling finances with as much secondary evidence as possible. 

 

3.  If I don't submit the additional evidence now, I may not have a chance to present it later at the interview. In Vietnam, the consulate doesn't even look at additional evidence at all, even in cases where applicants bring 4-5" stacks of it. 

 

So, here's my list. If I'm missing/forgetting anything, please let me know. If it helps, I will try to file online and see how things go.

 

Primary evidence:

 

• I-130 form + an extra page of additional information (for part 9)
• I-130a form (I will print it out, hand write everything in, sign and scan it)
• 2" x 2" Passport Photos (only of myself, the petitioner -- my wife has never been to the U.S.)
• Marriage Certificate (certified and translated)
• Divorce Decree (from my previous marriage -- my wife has never been married before)
• Birth Certificate (only mine)
• Bank Transactions - Proof of me paying our rent, transfers to her bank account for support, wedding expenses, etc.
• Beneficiary on Bank Accounts - shows my wife's name as beneficiary on my U.S. bank accounts (including retirement IRA), plus as an authorized user on my credit card
• Joint Tenancy Lease Agreement 2018 (not notarized, but attached a copy of my passport biometric page, and her national ID)
• Joint Tenancy Lease Agreement 2019 (not notarized, but attached a copy of my passport biometric page, and her national ID)
• More Evidence of Shared Address in Vietnam - my Vietnamese driver's license with our shared address, mom's invitation letter for tourist B2 visa (which was previously denied), her employment confirmation, Grab taxi receipts with the address on it.

 

Secondary evidence: 

 

• Passport biometrics, all stamped pages (for 2 of my passports -- I had renewed it a year ago, has proof of travel into Vietnam and proof of travel together)
• Passport biometrics, all stamped pages (for her passport -- I know it's not required at this time, but added it in anyway to show passport stamps for proof of travel together)
• Spousal Visa Exemption Certificate in my passport (that shows proof of valid marriage and ability to enter/stay in Vietnam for 5 years)
• Additional Evidence - Before Marriage (32 pages of photos, chat screenshots, social media screenshots, flight & hotel bookings, passport stamps before and up until marriage)
• Additional Evidence - Wedding Photos (32 pages of engagement AND wedding photos, I hear the consulate is very fussy on requiring BOTH engagement and wedding ceremony photos)
• Additional Evidence - After Marriage (41 pages of photos and travel bookings, passport stamps after marriage)
• Affidavit letters from my mother and sister

 

Just the additional evidence photos + travel evidence adds up to about 100 pages. All in all, probably around 200 pages including everything.

 

Am I missing anything? Or is this way too much?

 

I'm just waiting for a mail delivery with the beneficiary stuff on it, then I will be ready to submit everything.