We don't have pictures together. Am I screwed?

[Sadie.c.c 0]

Hello! 

Thank you for reading my question. I am trying to bring him to the states from Chile to get married, but we have no photos together!!! Is there any way that we could get the visa approved and bring him over? 

 

A little context.

I met my fiance while I was studying abroad. We were both renting rooms in the same house, and as that goes we fell in love and it has been a year of long distance and we want to be together. The thing is, we only have one picture together and you can even see his face (I've included it for the sad irony, I'm in the mirror) I was going to go spend a few months with him this summer but with coronavirus that was not a good idea, so no pictures. Since we did live together for a while,  I have to pictures of myself in our apartment, and pictures of him in our apartment, just not together. Is there any point in filing an application for a K-1 visa without couples photos?

 

Thank you for your insight!!

[TBoneTX 45,763]

Photos are secondary evidence.  Passport stamps are better.

 

Get copies of your respective rental contracts/letters/agreements (whatever you got) that show your concurrent residence in the house.

 

Perhaps also include an affidavit from a third eyewitness who saw you there during your stay and who can attest to the valid nature of your relationship.  Have this affiant put his/her full contact information on the letter.

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

Pictures aren’t a requirement. however any  chance the others you lived with have photos of you together? 
For the initial petition you need to show you met within the last two years. You can show passport stamps, flight tickets, lease agreements, document that you went to school in his country, affidavits from people who can attest to you meeting/being together. That should suffice for initial petition. Worst case scenario you get a RFE now or at interview stage and you make a trip to meet up with each other. (Expect the process to take approx a year)

[Boiler 45,813]

Make sure you get some good ones on your next visit.

[Sadie.c.c 0]

15 hours ago, Luckycuds said:

Pictures aren’t a requirement. however any  chance the others you lived with have photos of you together? 
For the initial petition you need to show you met within the last two years. You can show passport stamps, flight tickets, lease agreements, document that you went to school in his country, affidavits from people who can attest to you meeting/being together. That should suffice for initial petition. Worst case scenario you get a RFE now or at interview stage and you make a trip to meet up with each other. (Expect the process to take approx a year)

Thank you for your advice. There are absolutely no photos of us. Unfortunately. We are both camera shy and weren't thinking about immigration at the time. The other documentation you sent is a great idea. Do you think it is likely they will ask?

[Sadie.c.c 0]

14 hours ago, Boiler said:

Make sure you get some good ones on your next visit.

You betcha!

[Sadie.c.c 0]

2 minutes ago, Sadie.c.c said:

Thank you for your advice. There are absolutely no photos of us. Unfortunately. We are both camera shy and weren't thinking about immigration at the time. The other documentation you sent is a great idea. Do you think it is likely they will ask?

I'm wondering if we would have to wait until things settle down in the world and I can visit, to get photos together if, it would just be better to not file for a k-1 visa and just wait and get married, take loads of pics, and apply for a k-3...

[Sadie.c.c 0]

16 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Photos are secondary evidence.  Passport stamps are better.

 

Get copies of your respective rental contracts/letters/agreements (whatever you got) that show your concurrent residence in the house.

 

Perhaps also include an affidavit from a third eyewitness who saw you there during your stay and who can attest to the valid nature of your relationship.  Have this affiant put his/her full contact information on the letter.

This is really helpful. Thank you!!! 

[Boiler 45,813]

9 minutes ago, Sadie.c.c said:

I'm wondering if we would have to wait until things settle down in the world and I can visit, to get photos together if, it would just be better to not file for a k-1 visa and just wait and get married, take loads of pics, and apply for a k-3...

CR1 not K3 and it does have many advantages, actually a photo was one of the few things I was asked for.

[HRQX 4,145]

54 minutes ago, Sadie.c.c said:

apply for a k-3...

If you marry then very high odds it'll be IR-1/CR-1 not K-3: "because USCIS now takes less time to adjudicate the Form I-130, the current need for K-3 and K-4 visas is rare." https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-us-citizens/k-3k-4-nonimmigrant-visas

In fiscal year 2019 only five K-3 visas were issued in the whole world; zero in South America: https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/AnnualReports/FY2019AnnualReport/FY19AnnualReport-TableXVI-B.pdf Page 2

[Sadie.c.c 0]

4 minutes ago, HRQX said:

If you marry then very high odds it'll be IR-1/CR-1 not K-3: "because USCIS now takes less time to adjudicate the Form I-130, the current need for K-3 and K-4 visas is rare." https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-us-citizens/k-3k-4-nonimmigrant-visas

In fiscal year 2019 only five K-3 visas were issued in the whole world; zero in South America: https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/AnnualReports/FY2019AnnualReport/FY19AnnualReport-TableXVI-B.pdf Page 2

Thank you! You are totally right that I would need either the ir-1 or cr-1. I appreciate the links! I've been mostly looking at the k1 Visa since we are not currently married.  With coronavirus, I'm not really sure if it's a good idea to be pushing forward with this. But waiting is hard and we've already had to wait a full year to see each other. (for other complications) and I'm not sure how many years until international travel is back to normal. My heart goes out to people who are separated from their children right now. ♥️

[MrHanky 1,377]

While photos are secondary, they help put the whole story together.

There can also be varying quality in photos, meaning what they portray.

I'm willing to bet they'd want to see at least some.

[Sadie.c.c 0]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

CR1 not K3 and it does have many advantages, actually a photo was one of the few things I was asked for.

Did they ask for a photo of you two together or of a photo proving that you were in the country recently?

[Boiler 45,813]

He just wanted a photo of us together, as always YMMV. I did not have an issue with the meetings, both had loads of air miles.

[Sadie.c.c 0]

Just now, MrHanky said:

While photos are secondary, they help put the whole story together.

There can also be varying quality in photos, meaning what they portray.

I'm willing to bet they'd want to see at least some.

Thank you for your insight! What do you mean by varying quality? What other portrayals would be valid? There was never a photo of us taken other than the one I posted, but there are lots of him in our apartment that I took, and lots of me with the same background apartment that he took.