RFE Insanity

[MaseR 1]

Hi All,

 

Like most people recently I received an RFE asking for evidence of having met in the 2 year period.  While the amount of evidence I submitted might not be considered exorbitant, it could clearly be described as abundant.  Photos of us traveling in 8 different countries (including dinner with her family in Russia), various boarding passes and hotel/airbnb receipts (including stays and travel to Tyumen, Russia her home).  We lived together for a total of 4-5 months over that 2 years in 2 different countries (evidenced by BOTH of us on Airbnb stays).  All of this totalled more than 25 pages in my application.  I'm not sure what else I can provide to prove this requirement.  Their insinuation on the RFE was that the photos could have been taken prior to the 2 years.  We met March 25th 2018 on a language app (my I-129 was filed 2.12.20).  I have attached a screenshot of the beginning of our chat on that app dated on my phone that I am thinking of submitting.  Any other ideas are more than welcome as I'm at a loss.

 

Thank you in advance,

Mason

 

 

Edited July 13, 2020 by millefleur
Screenshot containing personal info removed

[payxibka 10,045]

20 hours ago, MaseR said:

Hi All,

 

Like most people recently I received an RFE asking for evidence of having met in the 2 year period.  While the amount of evidence I submitted might not be considered exorbitant, it could clearly be described as abundant.  Photos of us traveling in 8 different countries (including dinner with her family in Russia), various boarding passes and hotel/airbnb receipts (including stays and travel to Tyumen, Russia her home).  We lived together for a total of 4-5 months over that 2 years in 2 different countries (evidenced by BOTH of us on Airbnb stays).  All of this totalled more than 25 pages in my application.  I'm not sure what else I can provide to prove this requirement.  Their insinuation on the RFE was that the photos could have been taken prior to the 2 years.  We met March 25th 2018 on a language app (my I-129 was filed 2.12.20).  I have attached a screenshot of the beginning of our chat on that app dated on my phone that I am thinking of submitting.  Any other ideas are more than welcome as I'm at a loss.

 

Thank you in advance,

Mason

How about Passport entry stamps, airline boarding passes?

 

It's a well known fact that photos don't get the job done.  Neither do chats or emails as they all can be fabricated 

Edited July 13, 2020 by millefleur
Screenshot containing personal info removed

[NotPennysBoat 20]

47 minutes ago, payxibka said:

How about Passport entry stamps, airline boarding passes?

 

It's a well known fact that photos don't get the job done.  Neither do chats or emails as they all can be fabricated 

Boarding passes, hotel / apartment, passport stamps and photos together seem to be the magic combination.

Edited July 13, 2020 by NotPennysBoat

[NoMansLand2020 298]

1 hour ago, NotPennysBoat said:

Boarding passes, hotel / apartment, passport stamps and photos together seem to be the magic combination.

Not always. I sent all that plus more and still got this RFE. What's ironic is that my fiancée's kids whom I am also petitioning and who are pictured in many of our photos would have been babies had the photos been older than two years. It's like they did not even check the pictures and compared them to the age info on the I129F. 

[NotPennysBoat 20]

21 minutes ago, Solaris81 said:

Not always. I sent all that plus more and still got this RFE. What's ironic is that my fiancée's kids whom I am also petitioning and who are pictured in many of our photos would have been babies had the photos been older than two years. It's like they did not even check the pictures and compared them to the age info on the I129F. 

What else did you send to prove you two were together?

[NoMansLand2020 298]

Just now, NotPennysBoat said:

What else did you send to prove you two were together?

Photos, boarding passes, passport stamps, hotel and airline reservations. Receipts from places we went with photos to accompany. Bank statements showing I made purchases, ATM withdrawals. I had dated photos that you get at some theme parks plus the entrance tickets and receipts. 

[SalishSea 17,475]

20 hours ago, MaseR said:

Hi All,

 

Like most people recently I received an RFE asking for evidence of having met in the 2 year period.  While the amount of evidence I submitted might not be considered exorbitant, it could clearly be described as abundant.  Photos of us traveling in 8 different countries (including dinner with her family in Russia), various boarding passes and hotel/airbnb receipts (including stays and travel to Tyumen, Russia her home).  We lived together for a total of 4-5 months over that 2 years in 2 different countries (evidenced by BOTH of us on Airbnb stays).  All of this totalled more than 25 pages in my application.  I'm not sure what else I can provide to prove this requirement.  Their insinuation on the RFE was that the photos could have been taken prior to the 2 years.  We met March 25th 2018 on a language app (my I-129 was filed 2.12.20).  I have attached a screenshot of the beginning of our chat on that app dated on my phone that I am thinking of submitting.  Any other ideas are more than welcome as I'm at a loss.

 

Thank you in advance,

Mason

 

Yup, this is why photos are not good evidence.  Passport stamps and boarding passes are best.

 

Not sure what you are hoping to show by submitting the chat screenshot, but that also is not evidence of the one required in-person meeting in the prior two years.

Edited July 13, 2020 by millefleur
Screenshot containing personal info removed

[powerpuff 6,461]

The chat screenshot might seem like a good idea but only at the interview stage if they ask questions of when you met etc... the USCIS just wants to see physical evidence of meeting.  In your original submission, did you include passport stamps?

[AlaMike 227]

I got an RFE asking for more info also. I had, like you included all the info they requested. I sent back the original pages as well as a other pictures and evidence. I also included a letter that stated, I had previously sent this same information as well as the added ones, just in case someone got the file without my originals.

Good luck.

[geowrian 22,337]

14 hours ago, MaseR said:

Like most people recently I received an RFE asking for evidence of having met in the 2 year period.  While the amount of evidence I submitted might not be considered exorbitant, it could clearly be described as abundant.  Photos of us traveling in 8 different countries (including dinner with her family in Russia), various boarding passes and hotel/airbnb receipts (including stays and travel to Tyumen, Russia her home).  We lived together for a total of 4-5 months over that 2 years in 2 different countries (evidenced by BOTH of us on Airbnb stays).  All of this totalled more than 25 pages in my application.  I'm not sure what else I can provide to prove this requirement.

I wouldn't say "most" people got an RFE for that. Some people have, and it is a common cause of an RFE for an I-129F among those who get an RFE.

 

The amount of evidence doesn't matter. It's the quality of the evidence that matters.

Quality >> quantity

 

Boarding passes may or may not show the year...it's hhit or miss miss in my experience. Passport stamps are the gold star here.

The hotel/airbnb receipts are good to corroborate other evidence. Show that you were both in the same area at the same time. It wasn't enough on its own, but alongside passport stamps, these are usually pretty good. It was total possible that you booked the hotels or airbnb stays but never actually showed up.

 

Quote

Their insinuation on the RFE was that the photos could have been taken prior to the 2 years. 

Yup. The burden is on you to show that you met at least once within 2 years. Unless you can prove that the photos were taken within the past 2 years, they don't do anything for the meeting requirement.

Don' take it personally...I doubt they are saying they think you lied about the photos. They just need documentation that you met in person, and photos won't do it.

Edited July 13, 2020 by geowrian

[SteveInBostonI130 3,350]

It also helps to have a signed cover letter for you I-129F package which includes a statement that you have met in person within the last 2 years, and list the dates you were together. 

 

Because you went to visit her in Russia, show your Russian visa page on your passport as well and the entry/exit stamps.

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

1 hour ago, SteveInBostonI130 said:

It also helps to have a signed cover letter for you I-129F package which includes a statement that you have met in person within the last 2 years, and list the dates you were together. 

 

Because you went to visit her in Russia, show your Russian visa page on your passport as well and the entry/exit stamps.

Yep, I sent a little blurb listing the dates we were together and where along with passport stamps and boarding passes. I also sent maybe six photos of us together also labeled by date and location. That was all.

[Frider 7]

This is posted under K1 visa procedures so I’m going to assume you got engaged. Was there an engagement ring? You can submit a receipt for that along with pictures of the engagement. This is mentioned in the VisaJourney K1 guide:

https://www.visajourney.com/guides/k1-fiance-visa/

[geowrian 22,337]

10 minutes ago, Frider said:

This is posted under K1 visa procedures so I’m going to assume you got engaged. Was there an engagement ring? You can submit a receipt for that along with pictures of the engagement. This is mentioned in the VisaJourney K1 guide:

https://www.visajourney.com/guides/k1-fiance-visa/

That can be included as part of an intention to marry or possibly for front-loading purposes.

But how does an engagement ring resolve the RFE by showing they met in person within the past 2 years?

[MarieJames 48]

2 minutes ago, geowrian said:

That can be included as part of an intention to marry or possibly for front-loading purposes.

But how does an engagement ring resolve the RFE by showing they met in person within the past 2 years?

I suppose including pictures of the proposal and a dated receipt from the ring could prove that you bought the ring, met, and proposed within the last two years.