Some questions about I-130 (Filing online) And I-130a (merged threads)

[ES0603 9]

On 5/9/2020 at 6:00 PM, pushbrk said:

Just to be clear, you SENT what you sent, but when the foreign spouse is NOT currently in the US, there is no need for a passport photo at the petition stage.  Petitioner yes.  Beneficiary no.

 

This thread is about how the online filing works.  If it won't let you file without a photo of each, then that's a glitch in the program, people will just have to deal with.  There are several such apparent glitches.

I tried backing out of the application and skipping to the summary page and it appears that I would be able to bypass this step and submit the application without his photo. However it doesn’t seem to specify on the online application that his photo is not required if he is not currently in the US so I’m concerned that they could deny or send an RFE if I don’t include it? Would it be best I include a photo just to be on the safe side?

[pushbrk 12,814]

1 hour ago, ES0603 said:

I tried backing out of the application and skipping to the summary page and it appears that I would be able to bypass this step and submit the application without his photo. However it doesn’t seem to specify on the online application that his photo is not required if he is not currently in the US so I’m concerned that they could deny or send an RFE if I don’t include it? Would it be best I include a photo just to be on the safe side?

Do what you want.  The paper I-130 doesn't "specify" that either.  You get that information from the PDF instructions for the I-130.  The I-130 is NOT just for a spouse.  For anybody other relative, the photo is required.  There's no harm in including one.  It just is not required.  If you haven't downloaded and studied the instructions, do it now.

[Nitas_man 3,100]

On 5/8/2020 at 11:34 AM, ES0603 said:

I am filing I-130 online for my husband. I’ve read on here that if spouse is overseas, the spouses photo is not required to submit I-130, but apparently it is required if I-130 is submitted online?

My husband and I were going to attempt to take the photos ourselves and use the USCIS online tool, but when I tried taking one as a practice run in front of a white wall, the wall appears very yellow in the photo... (I haven’t cropped the photo on USCIS website yet so I know the size isn’t right.)

but if we do our own photos, is something like the white wall appearing yellow-ish or something like that going to be an issue? I know it says “off-white” is ok but...

 

 

I could try to find a place that is still doing passport photos here in the states for myself but I think my husband will have a hard time finding one that meets the US requirements in Japan? Not completely sure though...

 

#COVIDMASKSHARPIEGATE

[Babu Frik 1,162]

There is only ONE set of instructions that apply to paper and online filing.

Please read the instructions, photo of spouse is not needed.

https://www.uscis.gov/system/files_force/files/form/i-130instr.pdf?download=1

 

The online process is a little confusing, sometimes you have to submit twice as it shows "errors" that are really just reminders in case you didn't include something.

It needs work, it's not great.

 

I would think that photo would get rejected anyway.

You don't want to include a bad photo when you didn't need to, then get an RFE because it doesn't meet the standards.

 

[ES0603 9]

On 5/1/2020 at 4:29 PM, Paul & Mary said:

In Section 7 leave the item number blank.   If you need more space just put all of it on a sperate sheet.

 

Just list the main or corporate location if the time as contiguous.   Otherwise you can just use the best information you have.

I finished the i-130a, but for all of my husbands work history, I had to note “approximate dates” beside each one on the additional page. I was re-reading the instructions and it says to provide an explanation. He doesn’t remember the exact dates/was unable to find record of exact dates but would this explanation suffice? 

[ES0603 9]

It won’t allow a “/“ mark, so I was wondering if I need to type “NA” in the fields that aren’t applicable on the online I-130 as well?

[Chancy 6,241]

6 minutes ago, ES0603 said:

It won’t allow a “/“ mark, so I was wondering if I need to type “NA” in the fields that aren’t applicable on the online I-130 as well?

 

I wrote "Not Applicable" where I could, or just left the field blank.

 

[Babu Frik 1,162]

Unless the instructions specifically mention doing that,  you don't need to.  Plenty of people left them blank including myself. 

 

 

[NancyNguyen 1,657]

Blank

[JeanneAdil 6,413]

or type does not apply

 

[Babu Frik 1,162]

41 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

or type does not apply

 

where does it say to do that

[JeanneAdil 6,413]

Just now, Babu Frik said:

where does it say to do that

N/A means does not apply so type it out 

[JeanneAdil 6,413]

3 hours ago, Babu Frik said:

where does it say to do that

I should have said N/A means not applicable which is the same as does not apply 

sorry for my rush to answer earlier

[pushbrk 12,814]

When it's already clearly not applicable, it's fine to leave it blank.  Use some common sense.  The advice to never leave anything blank is a decade or more out of date.  The PDF form won't even let you do that in some places.

 

Be aware also, that sometimes a question is APPLICABLE, and the answer is NONE.  None and N/A are not the same thing.

Edited May 13, 2020 by pushbrk

[ES0603 9]

For credit card payment and e-notification that petition has been received, so I need to attach these forms to an I-130 filed ONLINE?