mailing i129f- do i submit a photocopy of my certified court disposition for an arrest or the original?

[secund2nun 0]

When i mail my i-129f application i have to submit a certified copy of my arrest and court disposition.  I should mail a photo copy of the original certified court disposition or should I mail the original? Thanks.

[Edward and Jaycel 370]

From the instructions for Form I-129F:

 

Item Number 4.a. Criminal Information. Indicate whether you have ever been arrested, cited, charged, indicted, convicted, fined, or imprisoned for breaking or violating any law or ordinance in any country, for any offenses other than those you have already outlined in the previous section. Unless a traffic incident was alcohol- or drug-related or involved a fine of $500 or more, you do not need to provide information on it. Item Number 4.b. Criminal History Documents.

If you indicated “Yes” in Item Number 4.a., provide information that explains the circumstances, places, dates, and outcomes for each incident of arrest, citation, charge, indictment, conviction, fine, or imprisonment. You must submit court certified copies of the arrest record and/or disposition for each incident unless you submit a certified statement from the court indicating that no record exists of your arrest, citation, charge, indictment, conviction, fine, or imprisonment. If you need extra space to complete this section, use the space provided in Part 8. Additional Information

 

I got an RFE on my I-129F for not submitting certified court records for my conviction 30+ years ago. Get certified copies and send them.

Edited December 26, 2024 by Edward and Jaycel

[secund2nun 0]

When you got the RFE the documents you sent were not court certified?

The arrest report and court disposition I have are court certified with a seal and everything, but I read somewhere that I should make photo copies of it and with the initial application include the photocopies of it and keep the originals later for the interview.

[Edward and Jaycel 370]

58 minutes ago, secund2nun said:

When you got the RFE the documents you sent were not court certified?

The arrest report and court disposition I have are court certified with a seal and everything, but I read somewhere that I should make photo copies of it and with the initial application include the photocopies of it and keep the originals later for the interview.

 

Yeah I did not send certified copies and got the RFE. The instructions are clear that you have to send certified copies and I just missed that part when I was filing the I-129F. USCIS did send back the original, certified copies to me after they approved the petition. I would order another set of court certified copies just in case they don't send back the ones you send in. USCIS rules are that they return any original/certified copies you send them as long ast USCIS requests them and they clearly are requesting them in the instructions. But you never know with USCIS, they might not return the ones you send.