Evidence of a Bonifide Marriage?

[Stevenlatino 0]

Well i read on the guides that we need to send evidence of a bonifide marriage ! but here the thing !

i live here in the USA and my wife live i Venezuela

how i going to have evidence of a bonifide if we are just trying to live together in USA?

first we would have to live here together in order to have any bonifide evidence ! am i off here ?

thanks guys

[MargotDarko 0]

Well i read on the guides that we need to send evidence of a bonifide marriage ! but here the thing !

i live here in the USA and my wife live i Venezuela

how i going to have evidence of a bonifide if we are just trying to live together in USA?

first we would have to live here together in order to have any bonifide evidence ! am i off here ?

thanks guys

In the I-130 instructions, there are example of acceptable documents to prove bona fide marriage. If you've never lived together and have no shared accounts, you can submit affidavits from friends/family attesting to your relationship. There's an example under the I-751 guides I believe. Basically it's a letter saying they the person knows you and your wife and attests to the genuineness of your relationship. It doesn't specify a number, but three is a safe number.

[Gaby&Talbert 1]

Add her on your insurance, and anything else you can. During my wife's interview they didnt ask for a single thing about our marriage but she was 6 months pregnant so maybe that was all they needed to see. Our interview may have been an exception to the rules. She took all kinds of pictures, emails, phone records, insurance, etc. but nothing was needed. They checked her record and my income and that was all. The POE officer made a comment about her being pregnant but these guys are jerks always. He didn't cause any problems for us he was a typical government employee with a bad attitude.

[girlafraid7 0]

Add her on your insurance, and anything else you can. During my wife's interview they didnt ask for a single thing about our marriage but she was 6 months pregnant so maybe that was all they needed to see. Our interview may have been an exception to the rules. She took all kinds of pictures, emails, phone records, insurance, etc. but nothing was needed. They checked her record and my income and that was all. The POE officer made a comment about her being pregnant but these guys are jerks always. He didn't cause any problems for us he was a typical government employee with a bad attitude.

They didn't ask us for a single proof of evidence either, and I'm not pregnant. But basically if you have any pictures together, letters, emails, anything, I think thats what you want!

Good luck!

[Mononoke28 135]

You can also send me a PM with your e-mail and I can send you a sample affidavit that my mom and sister used so I can send with the I-130. By the way, that is all I sent since my husband has never left Colombia and I live here in the States. The USICS approved us without getting an RFE.

[MargotDarko 0]

Add her on your insurance, and anything else you can. During my wife's interview they didnt ask for a single thing about our marriage but she was 6 months pregnant so maybe that was all they needed to see. Our interview may have been an exception to the rules. She took all kinds of pictures, emails, phone records, insurance, etc. but nothing was needed. They checked her record and my income and that was all. The POE officer made a comment about her being pregnant but these guys are jerks always. He didn't cause any problems for us he was a typical government employee with a bad attitude.

They didn't ask us for a single proof of evidence either, and I'm not pregnant. But basically if you have any pictures together, letters, emails, anything, I think thats what you want!

Good luck!

As of January this year, the I-130 instructions were revised. The OP would receive a request for evidence before the I-130 could be approved if they didn't include appropriate evidence of a bona fide marriage.

[pushbrk 13,058]

Add her on your insurance, and anything else you can. During my wife's interview they didnt ask for a single thing about our marriage but she was 6 months pregnant so maybe that was all they needed to see. Our interview may have been an exception to the rules. She took all kinds of pictures, emails, phone records, insurance, etc. but nothing was needed. They checked her record and my income and that was all. The POE officer made a comment about her being pregnant but these guys are jerks always. He didn't cause any problems for us he was a typical government employee with a bad attitude.

They didn't ask us for a single proof of evidence either, and I'm not pregnant. But basically if you have any pictures together, letters, emails, anything, I think thats what you want!

Good luck!

As of January this year, the I-130 instructions were revised. The OP would receive a request for evidence before the I-130 could be approved if they didn't include appropriate evidence of a bona fide marriage.

Yes the instructions were revised but so far, only a couple DCF cases in London got RFE's for this evidence. DCF case, by definition include people who have lived together. I believe in caution so sending affidavits is probably a good idea, but for newlyweds who have never lived in the same country, much less lived together, it would be fairly rare for many people to have much knowledge of the relationship. I just wouldn't want to be the test case for skipping the additional evidence. The other additional items are nearly impossible for such newlyweds.

It would be nice to hear from people with recent stateside I-130 approvals filed using the new form. Did they send any extra evidence? Were they asked for any?

Edited July 13, 2007 by pushbrk

[Yodrak 7]

Stevenlatino,

Most people are in the same situation that you are, and have little in the way of documentation. Evidence of communication and visits is about the best that most people can do.

The decision on the visa is going to depend in large part on the impressions that the consular officer gets during the visa interview, although the material that has been submitted in advance can influence the interviewer's expectations.

Yodrak

Well i read on the guides that we need to send evidence of a bonifide marriage ! but here the thing !

i live here in the USA and my wife live i Venezuela

how i going to have evidence of a bonifide if we are just trying to live together in USA?

first we would have to live here together in order to have any bonifide evidence ! am i off here ?

thanks guys

[vylex 0]

Yes the instructions were revised but so far, only a couple DCF cases in London got RFE's for this evidence. DCF case, by definition include people who have lived together. I believe in caution so sending affidavits is probably a good idea, but for newlyweds who have never lived in the same country, much less lived together, it would be fairly rare for many people to have much knowledge of the relationship. I just wouldn't want to be the test case for skipping the additional evidence. The other additional items are nearly impossible for such newlyweds.

It would be nice to hear from people with recent stateside I-130 approvals filed using the new form. Did they send any extra evidence? Were they asked for any?

I used the new form. My wife and I are recent newlyweds (less than a year). This is what I provided (possibly overkill but hey, no RFE and got a straight up approval):

• 2 notarized letters stating the validity of our on-going relationship from close friends.
  
• copies of my phone bill showing calls to my wife.
  
• copy of my itinerary from past flights to visit her as well as future booked flights.
  
• copy of health insurance status with my wife added to it (they allowed it even without her SSN).
  
• pictures of us together with family in different states and pics during our civil wedding.
  
• copy of a hallmark card sent from my wife to me.
  

I also sent a cover letter to the attached info and mentioned that we are newlyweds and are still apart so this is all I have LOL.

I think you only need one of those to pass but I wasn't taking any chances.

[pushbrk 13,058]

Yes the instructions were revised but so far, only a couple DCF cases in London got RFE's for this evidence. DCF case, by definition include people who have lived together. I believe in caution so sending affidavits is probably a good idea, but for newlyweds who have never lived in the same country, much less lived together, it would be fairly rare for many people to have much knowledge of the relationship. I just wouldn't want to be the test case for skipping the additional evidence. The other additional items are nearly impossible for such newlyweds.

It would be nice to hear from people with recent stateside I-130 approvals filed using the new form. Did they send any extra evidence? Were they asked for any?

I used the new form. My wife and I are recent newlyweds (less than a year). This is what I provided (possibly overkill but hey, no RFE and got a straight up approval):

• 2 notarized letters stating the validity of our on-going relationship from close friends.
  
• copies of my phone bill showing calls to my wife.
  
• copy of my itinerary from past flights to visit her as well as future booked flights.
  
• copy of health insurance status with my wife added to it (they allowed it even without her SSN).
  
• pictures of us together with family in different states and pics during our civil wedding.
  
• copy of a hallmark card sent from my wife to me.
  

I also sent a cover letter to the attached info and mentioned that we are newlyweds and are still apart so this is all I have LOL.

I think you only need one of those to pass but I wasn't taking any chances.

Thanks. Only the affidavits and health insurance fit any items listed on the new I-130. I wasn't very clear. I'm more interested in hearing from people who ignored the form's request for additional documentation and were aproved or not. I think I'll start a thread on that specifically.

[Yodrak 7]

pushbrk,

I have to disagree. I believe that these items do fit item #6.

Yodrak

I used the new form. My wife and I are recent newlyweds (less than a year). This is what I provided (possibly overkill but hey, no RFE and got a straight up approval):

• 2 notarized letters stating the validity of our on-going relationship from close friends.
  
• copies of my phone bill showing calls to my wife.
  
• copy of my itinerary from past flights to visit her as well as future booked flights.
  
• copy of health insurance status with my wife added to it (they allowed it even without her SSN).
  
• pictures of us together with family in different states and pics during our civil wedding.
  
• copy of a hallmark card sent from my wife to me.
  

I also sent a cover letter to the attached info and mentioned that we are newlyweds and are still apart so this is all I have LOL.

I think you only need one of those to pass but I wasn't taking any chances.

Thanks. Only the affidavits and health insurance fit any items listed on the new I-130. .....