Proof of relationship (I-129f)

[Evelina L 0]

Hello! Me and my fiance are getting ready to assemble our i-129f package. I think we have everything we need but I just have some questions about submitting photos as proof of our relationship.

 

We have printed a few photos at Walgreens that we'd like to submit and from what I've found upon googling it seems like writing our names and dates on the back of each photo is what you're supposed to do. Should we also add a short description (for example, visiting his mom, engagement photoshoot, on a trip to xyz, etc)?

 

Also, when putting them in the package, do we just put them all in a ziplock bag and attach it to a blank piece of paper with a paper clip?

 

Thanks in advance!

[MalloryCat 211]

you would be better off scanning them into a computer, add them into a word document, and then write a short description of where and when the picture was taken and then printing that to include with your petition.

and keep the originals for yourself.

USCIS will prefer the pictures just copied onto normal printer paper. mostly for filing purposes.

[Evelina L 0]

11 minutes ago, MalloryCat said:

you would be better off scanning them into a computer, add them into a word document, and then write a short description of where and when the picture was taken and then printing that to include with your petition.

and keep the originals for yourself.

USCIS will prefer the pictures just copied onto normal printer paper. mostly for filing purposes.

that actually sounds a lot easier, thank you!

the guide says you only need to prove you've met in the last two years, but we were thinking we'd also add a few from previous visits too, such as the first time i went to see him in 2019, spending christmas together 3 years back, engagement photos, etc. does that sound excessive, or is that a smart move?

Edited August 8 by Evelina L

[JeanneAdil 6,583]

How to assemble from USCIS site is a good read

 

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-guidance/tips-for-filing-forms-by-mail

• Do not use binders or folders that we cannot easily disassemble.
• Do not use heavy-duty staples. Instead, use fasteners or heavy clips to hold together thick or bulky applications or petitions. Two-hole punching the top of the material for easy placement in the file is appreciated. Note: this is only applicable when submitting filings at a USCIS lockbox location. We recommend that you do not use fasteners, hole punch, staple, paper clip, binder clip, or otherwise attach documents to one another when filing directly with a USCIS service center or the Asylum Vetting Center as that may cause delays in scanning the documents into the electronic database systems.

[MalloryCat 211]

1 hour ago, Evelina L said:

that actually sounds a lot easier, thank you!

the guide says you only need to prove you've met in the last two years, but we were thinking we'd also add a few from previous visits too, such as the first time i went to see him in 2019, spending christmas together 3 years back, engagement photos, etc. does that sound excessive, or is that a smart move?

you want to include as much proof as possible that your relationship is real.

i personally would include those things as well as flight itineraries, hotel bookings, things like that. They like that stuff more than just pictures

[smilingstone 218]

Photos together, although undoubtedly help bolster your case, are secondary evidence and should not be relied on as the sole evidence of meeting within 2 years (or beyond).

 

Me and my fiancé included only one picture together, but crucially also included ESTA, flight receipts, itineraries, boarding passes, Airbnb receipt and my I-94. We were approved earlier this month.

 

If you still have those documents going back to 2019, that's fantastic, but if you don't, I would just focus on really evidencing the visits you do have a paper trail for, and using any older pics to pad it all out.

 

Collate all your evidence (scanned docs, images, etc) into a single Word document and use this to accompany your I-129F. Do not submit pics printed on photo paper. Save it on your PC and also a back up on cloud storage. It is incredibly important that you retain a back-up copy of everything you submit, incase anything goes missing on USCIS' end (this does happen).

[Elays 418]

We included this for our "Proof of relationship" and we were approved✅

 

➡️Flight itineraries and boarding passes

➡️Passport stamps to SPAIN and USA

➡️Hotel reservations

➡️Travel history (from I-94 website)

➡️Dated photographs

 

We did everything on Google drive documents📰

Later we printed all the evidence on regular paper (the photos too, we wrote the dates, the names of the people who were in each photo and a little description of what was going on in each photo)🖨️

[Edward and Jaycel 290]

Build the strongest case you possibly can. Give them no choice but to approve the petition. The packet I submitted to petition my fiancee was 110 pages. Photos (put in a Word document and printed out with dates and descriptions), airline tickets / boarding passes, passport stamps, hotel receipts, engagement ring receipt, letters from her mama and sister attesting to our relationship, receipts for gifts I sent her when we were LDR, etc. BTW... we still got an RFE but that was because I did not read the instructions carefully enough. If you (the petitioner) has had any kind of negative interaction with law enforcement (Arrest, conviction, etc.), anything other than minor traffic tickets, make sure you detail it in the application AND include ORIGINAL, CERTIFIED police reports, court records or whatever is appropriate. I only detailed in the petition what happened to me when I was a dumb kid but did not include any official records which cost us a few months in the processing time and caused us to get an RFE.

[Sam Burns 157]

We just supplied a bunch of photos, no context, and they were scanned in for the application 

[Evelina L 0]

Thank you to everyone for all your replies, we really appreciate it and it definitely helps a lot! Luckily we've been HOARDING every little thing from all my 7 trips over to the US so I feel like we will have no issues with our case. Fingers crossed! ❤️

[Edward and Jaycel 290]

2 minutes ago, Evelina L said:

Thank you to everyone for all your replies, we really appreciate it and it definitely helps a lot! Luckily we've been HOARDING every little thing from all my 7 trips over to the US so I feel like we will have no issues with our case. Fingers crossed! ❤️

 

 

Best of luck to you both!

[Scandi 4,173]

We didn't send real photos, we just printed them on regular printer paper and added names/dates/places etc underneath each photo. These items are being scanned into their system and they may or may not scan the backside of each photo, so better have everything (photo and text) on the same side. It was only two or three photos max, USCIS doesn't care about photos anyway. Bring the photos to your interview instead. 

Edited August 9 by Scandi

[Scandi 4,173]

9 hours ago, Evelina L said:

that actually sounds a lot easier, thank you!

the guide says you only need to prove you've met in the last two years, but we were thinking we'd also add a few from previous visits too, such as the first time i went to see him in 2019, spending christmas together 3 years back, engagement photos, etc. does that sound excessive, or is that a smart move?

Correct, for the i-129f and for your specific country, you don't need to send any evidence at all with the petition (other than proof that you have met in the last 2 years), USCIS doesn't care about your evidence. That's the stuff you bring to the interview later on, that's where they will determine if your relationship is real or not. The Swedish embassy is super easy to deal with, so no worries at all. 

If you decide to send extra evidence with the petition, make it only 5 or 6 pages at the most. Bring the rest to the interview. 

[Umineko 0]

Is it a problem that we have been together already now six-years?  It says we must have net "within the required two-year period".  We aren't married but have been cohabitating now since 2018. Plenty of proof of our relationship, that's no problem

[Lil bear 4,261]

1 hour ago, Umineko said:

Is it a problem that we have been together already now six-years?  It says we must have net "within the required two-year period".  We aren't married but have been cohabitating now since 2018. Plenty of proof of our relationship, that's no problem

Met within the last 2 years refers to face to face meeting. Where are you both ? 

Edited August 9 by Lil bear