RFE FINALLY came in snail mail

[silverbutterfly228 0]

So I have complained on here about waiting forever to learn what the RFE was for and my fiance finally received it yesterday. I post what they said in the letter. I had my fiance type it up for me...

"Your own statement (statement made by petitioner, John ****) which must include the date, place, and circumstances of your meeting, and should be supported by copies of transportation tickets, photos, and/or letters written to each other after your meeting. Additionally, photocopies of you and/or your fiance passports, (including biographical data pages and pages showing entry/exit stamps,where applicable)showing that you both have been present in a given location at the same time may be submitted."

So in my haste when we were preparing the i-129f I had wrote the supplement question for cirgumstances of us meeting, because my fiance wasn't really taking part in the procedure so I did it for him and had him sign it. Well I now know that wasn't ok. i thought of that after mailing out the petition.

I didn't have a passport at the time. I'm now resubmitting copies of greyhound bus tickets and photos. i have no dated photos though. Has anyone just written the date the picture was taken on the back with any success? I also just orderd 3 credit card statements showing purchases in the usa including the store he works at. 7-10 business days to get i'm alos thinking of including statements from friends and family of seeing us together. Has anyone used such letters with success? And what was included on these letters? I'm worried if this isn't enough it will be denied. Interesting note: they said letters written to each other after meeting, while many people say this is not evidence of meeting within the last two years. that one puzzled me. now it will be may when this gets approved.

[Sinergy 3]

You will be ok *hugs*, send in what you have, and letters from people, and you will be fine.

Congrats on finally getting the RFE though

Hugs,

Tara

Edited April 1, 2006 by Ionescu

[kaydee457 13]

"Your own statement (statement made by petitioner, John ****) which must include the date, place, and circumstances of your meeting, and should be supported by copies of transportation tickets, photos, and/or letters written to each other after your meeting. Additionally, photocopies of you and/or your fiance passports, (including biographical data pages and pages showing entry/exit stamps,where applicable)showing that you both have been present in a given location at the same time may be submitted."

Interesting note: they said letters written to each other after meeting, while many people say this is not evidence of meeting within the last two years. that one puzzled me. now it will be may when this gets approved.

They will accept letters written to one another of the "snail mail" variety with postal dates on the envelope and, just speculating here, but I would imagine that the content of the letter should discuss your meeting past tense....

Emails are sometimes useful as secondary evidence if they discuss your travel plans but be assured that they won't carry much weight unless they have some sort of posting date.

Bus tickets are a tough one- anyone can have bus tickets and unlike international airline tickets nobody verifies that the traveller is really who/whom they say they are. Of course the airline industry checks, and double checks that the person named on the ticket is indeed the person using the tickets.

I have read from time to time that statements from family members have been used successfully to overcome the burden of proving one has met their S.O. in the past two years. In fact I remember reading a USCIS finding whereby a denial was overturned on appeal because the Petitioner had submitted statements from friends and family members attesting to the fact that they had met prior in the past two years.

In the end, you go with the best evidence that you have....If bus tickets are what you have, then that's all you have....

The CC statements, coupled to the bus tickets (hopefully they're dated tickets) might be enough if all the pieces fit together to paint a coherent picture, so to speak. By the way, why can't you get your CC statement online? Most people have access to their CC information/account via the internet.

We've discussed the photo thing in this forum ad nauseum. Photos prove that you two have met, but by themselves do not overcome the two year burden.

Whatever you do be sure to include a narrative with whatever evidence you submit tying each piece of evidence together.

Good luck

[Ladylethal 12]

I didn´t get the statement part, you mean you wrote on your behalf? Like, the "I" in that statement was you and not your fiance? And then he signed it?

Or did I get that wrong as well.

And #######! I sent through SEDEX more stuff to my fiance today and from the passport I only sent in the visa and entry stamp, not my biographical info. That will be needed as well?

[silverbutterfly228 0]

I didn´t get the statement part, you mean you wrote on your behalf? Like, the "I" in that statement was you and not your fiance? And then he signed it?

Or did I get that wrong as well.

And #######! I sent through SEDEX more stuff to my fiance today and from the passport I only sent in the visa and entry stamp, not my biographical info. That will be needed as well?

Sadly and stupidly yes. using my name and 'I'. and than he signed it.

Big mistake. i feel like a fool now.

They will accept letters written to one another of the "snail mail" variety with postal dates on the envelope and, just speculating here, but I would imagine that the content of the letter should discuss your meeting past tense....

Emails are sometimes useful as secondary evidence if they discuss your travel plans but be assured that they won't carry much weight unless they have some sort of posting date.

Bus tickets are a tough one- anyone can have bus tickets and unlike international airline tickets nobody verifies that the traveller is really who/whom they say they are. Of course the airline industry checks, and double checks that the person named on the ticket is indeed the person using the tickets.

I have read from time to time that statements from family members have been used successfully to overcome the burden of proving one has met their S.O. in the past two years. In fact I remember reading a USCIS finding whereby a denial was overturned on appeal because the Petitioner had submitted statements from friends and family members attesting to the fact that they had met prior in the past two years.

In the end, you go with the best evidence that you have....If bus tickets are what you have, then that's all you have....

The CC statements, coupled to the bus tickets (hopefully they're dated tickets) might be enough if all the pieces fit together to paint a coherent picture, so to speak. By the way, why can't you get your CC statement online? Most people have access to their CC information/account via the internet.

We've discussed the photo thing in this forum ad nauseum. Photos prove that you two have met, but by themselves do not overcome the two year burden.

Whatever you do be sure to include a narrative with whatever evidence you submit tying each piece of evidence together.

Good luck

Thanks for such a detailed reply. I know the bus tickets kinda suck but it is all i have and three of them were purchased while i was in the states. they were all dated.

I feel better about the statements from family/friends now.

And about the credit card stements. Online will only show the last 3 months. I used credit card in august and october trips. I even asked if bank could print those out but they too only have last 3 month access as well. it's why i had to order them.

[Ladylethal 12]

It´s ok, I almost did the same. I was the one writing the statement, but after I did it I re-read and changed all the places I made that same mistake. It happens.

[Tiksman 0]

I dated the back of the picture and put the location and who it is in the picture. I made sure where we were could not be mistaken for anywhere else. We had the Thai flag behind us.

[Ladylethal 12]

Yeah, I did the same with a pic where we´re standing in a balcony with the Sugar Loaf (Rio de Janeiro) right behind us, and in another we have the Arecibo Observatory (Puerto Rico) right behind us.

It was the best angle picture btw, we were right by the dish, since we had special admitance to the non-visitor area, Luis´s aunt is an astronomer there.

[silverbutterfly228 0]

I really wish I would have put more thought into the pcitures. Everyone one we have is only the two of us in his house or in mine and nothing with landmarks or anything like that. I'm the one with the camera and take so many of him but never many of the two of us.

[Ladylethal 12]

We have fewer pics of both of us than I wished, but it´s more than enough for the K1 process, I think we have around 50 pics where we show in together.

[john_and_marlene 162]

As part of the evidence of meeting within the past 2 years, we would always ask waiters in restaurants to take pictures of the two of us together and then saved the restaurant receipt. I wrote the date and place on the back of the photos and put the receipt with them. Knowing about the requirement in advance was a big plus and we made special efforts to get good evidence pictures.

[Jasman0717 9]

Sounds pretty easy to fix. Good luck

[silverbutterfly228 0]

As part of the evidence of meeting within the past 2 years, we would always ask waiters in restaurants to take pictures of the two of us together and then saved the restaurant receipt. I wrote the date and place on the back of the photos and put the receipt with them. Knowing about the requirement in advance was a big plus and we made special efforts to get good evidence pictures.

wow I think that was a great idea. i wish i had of thought something like that before.

[Ladylethal 12]

It's a good idea indeed, except Luis and didn't think we'd get married till a year ago, and we didn't know how it worked, we only started looking this up after the engagement, 2 months ago.