supplement letter for question 18 on I-129F

[debby1 0]

I had to make my font size 8 to fit our story in of how we met, fell in love, saw each other and got engaged.

Is that too small?

I've re-read it over a few times and can't think of what to cut it out, to make the letter shorter, and I read that it has to be only 1 page.

Thanks for any advice

Debby

[Milka 0]

Wow, thats a very long story. But size 8 is good to read. Much luck on your journey.

[Richard&Maria 0]

I had to make my font size 8 to fit our story in of how we met, fell in love, saw each other and got engaged.

Is that too small?

I've re-read it over a few times and can't think of what to cut it out, to make the letter shorter, and I read that it has to be only 1 page.

Thanks for any advice

Debby

Hi Debbie,

Congratulations, you finally found true love.

I too had a similar problem reducing the love story to a one-page memoir, but I kept the long version and submitted it anyway. It is the truth that counts. My better sense tells me to say less when there is something to hide or not truthful, but in your case, you are so spontaenous and candid about the story. And I guess, you are verbose when you are in love.

My fiance and I are both good writers and we had so much difficulty shortening our 6 month love story, since every event just flowed on to the next.

I can't categorically say you should cut the story; I would maybe suggest to shorten the part on the first fiance who backed out. That was best for both of you, and I saw it coming.

Well, get the paperwork moving as love is in the air.

Best wishes for both of you.

Maria

[heishe 2]

Mine was like four sentences. #######.

[Alex+R 0]

I will take the liberty of doing a quick edit. I cut out most of the unecessary information. I did NOT edit for grammar, punctuation, or flow. I really think you should leave out the ex-fiance. It's suspicion-raising and not really relevant to your story. Tell me what you think! (This could be cut in half from here, by the way). There are different ideas about how you should answer Question 18; I'm just editing THIS STYLE down.

I went to the Philippines on a missions trip in October 2005, I had no idea what to expect, my mom had just died and I was taking my 2 teenage daughters across a bunch of water, to a place we never really even heard of before, for two weeks. My daughters and I fell in love with the Philippines, and all we thought about was going back there someday.

Soon after the trip, back in Michigan, I recieved a PM from someone I didn't know, I checked the profile and noticed it was someone living in Manila so I figured it was a person I met from one of the churches. I accepted him on my YM list and we began to chat. He told me he had a Filipina girlfriend in Canada. Since we weren't looking for a relationship it was really easy to be real with each other. We had so much in common, and since he owned the cafe and had a computer at his house, we were always online chatting, joking, singing songs, it was like an immediate friendship building.

He called me every night on the phone, he was the first person to call me on Valentines day, he was there for me when I got laid off from my job of 10 years, he was the first person to call my daughter on her 17th birthday, and when my 15 year old had to have blood work done in the hospital, he txt messaged me the whole time we were there, cuz he knew how worried I was about the results, and he called at 3am his time, just to talk to her and make sure she was ok. It was clear he cared about me and my family.

I wanted to plan another trip to the PIs to see all my church family, and I wanted to meet my friend, so I bought tickets in January. We didn't have a place to stay. 4 days b4 we left, My friend told me that he talked to his family and we could go stay there with them. Even though we never met face to face, he had become one of the most important people in my lives, and I trusted him completely.

We spent 2 weeks together and bonded even more than I thought we could. We were in love. I wrote him a long letter on my last day there about my feelings and how they had changed. When I came home we tried really hard to keep our relationship on the friendship level. We still talked as much as before I went there, he grew closer to my daughters and they started emailing him with questions and advice on school, boyfriends, me. Their father never played a role in their life and I never brought anyone home for them to get close to.

So, we continued to talk, email, chat, and call each other. I tried a few times to not go online, and he would txt me saying he was waiting for me, I couldn't stay away from him...last week he told me that he finally broke up with the girlfriend, he told her that the thought of living without me and the girls made him cry, and he couldn't pretend to love her anymore.

On Monday, it was 6 months to the day we met online, he called me up while I was leaving for my new job. I was a little cranky cuz I was running late and he said "You don't want to talk to me debb?" and I said "ofcourse I do, but I have to work" and he said "debb, will u marry me?" That was the best feeling in the world..to hear that from him. Even though we've only known each other for 6 months I know him. He knows me....its not like anything I have ever had with anyone before, and I think its the same for him.

*Note: I cut what you had, but you should really be focusing on proof of your experiences meeting in the last 2 years (so... that's all of them). Emphasize you met his family, where you stayed (Manila?) and that's what they really want, although I think Question 18 is a fine time to make your bona fide relationship clear.

Edited August 17, 2006 by Alex+R

[aussiewench 9]

I will take the liberty of doing a quick edit. I cut out most of the unecessary information. I did NOT edit for grammar, punctuation, or flow. I really think you should leave out the ex-fiance. It's suspicion-raising and not really relevant to your story. Tell me what you think! (This could be cut in half from here, by the way). There are different ideas about how you should answer Question 18; I'm just editing THIS STYLE down.

I went to the Philippines on a missions trip in October 2005, I had no idea what to expect, my mom had just died and I was taking my 2 teenage daughters across a bunch of water, to a place we never really even heard of before, for two weeks. My daughters and I fell in love with the Philippines, and all we thought about was going back there someday.

Soon after the trip, back in Michigan, I recieved a PM from someone I didn't know, I checked the profile and noticed it was someone living in Manila so I figured it was a person I met from one of the churches. I accepted him on my YM list and we began to chat. He told me he had a Filipina girlfriend in Canada. Since we weren't looking for a relationship it was really easy to be real with each other. We had so much in common, and since he owned the cafe and had a computer at his house, we were always online chatting, joking, singing songs, it was like an immediate friendship building.

He called me every night on the phone, he was the first person to call me on Valentines day, he was there for me when I got laid off from my job of 10 years, he was the first person to call my daughter on her 17th birthday, and when my 15 year old had to have blood work done in the hospital, he txt messaged me the whole time we were there, cuz he knew how worried I was about the results, and he called at 3am his time, just to talk to her and make sure she was ok. It was clear he cared about me and my family.

I wanted to plan another trip to the PIs to see all my church family, and I wanted to meet my friend, so I bought tickets in January. We didn't have a place to stay. 4 days b4 we left, My friend told me that he talked to his family and we could go stay there with them. Even though we never met face to face, he had become one of the most important people in my lives, and I trusted him completely.

We spent 2 weeks together and bonded even more than I thought we could. We were in love. I wrote him a long letter on my last day there about my feelings and how they had changed. When I came home we tried really hard to keep our relationship on the friendship level. We still talked as much as before I went there, he grew closer to my daughters and they started emailing him with questions and advice on school, boyfriends, me. Their father never played a role in their life and I never brought anyone home for them to get close to.

So, we continued to talk, email, chat, and call each other. I tried a few times to not go online, and he would txt me saying he was waiting for me, I couldn't stay away from him...last week he told me that he finally broke up with the girlfriend, he told her that the thought of living without me and the girls made him cry, and he couldn't pretend to love her anymore.

On Monday, it was 6 months to the day we met online, he called me up while I was leaving for my new job. I was a little cranky cuz I was running late and he said "You don't want to talk to me debb?" and I said "ofcourse I do, but I have to work" and he said "debb, will u marry me?" That was the best feeling in the world..to hear that from him. Even though we've only known each other for 6 months I know him. He knows me....its not like anything I have ever had with anyone before, and I think its the same for him.

*Note: I cut what you had, but you should really be focusing on proof of your experiences meeting in the last 2 years (so... that's all of them). Emphasize you met his family, where you stayed (Manila?) and that's what they really want, although I think Question 18 is a fine time to make your bona fide relationship clear.

I'm not so sure on the way this reads, especially being from philipines which is a high fraud country and can suffer more scrutiny. I cant quite put my finger on it first read, except to say that IMO it contains too much frivolous stuff that could/may cause issue. 'I Thinks' 'you dont want to talk to me' .......concentrate only on the affirmative/positive...dont risk ever having them question. I might be way off but this is just my feel on reading it.

[hockeygal 0]

I'm not so sure on the way this reads, especially being from philipines which is a high fraud country and can suffer more scrutiny. I cant quite put my finger on it first read, except to say that IMO it contains too much frivolous stuff that could/may cause issue. 'I Thinks' 'you dont want to talk to me' .......concentrate only on the affirmative/positive...dont risk ever having them question. I might be way off but this is just my feel on reading it.

I agree with the wench. For example, I'd remove the part in bold and just say he asked you to marry him.

On Monday, it was 6 months to the day we met online, he called me up while I was leaving for my new job. I was a little cranky cuz I was running late and he said "You don't want to talk to me debb?" and I said "ofcourse I do, but I have to work" and he said "debb, will u marry me?" That was the best feeling in the world..to hear that from him. Even though we've only known each other for 6 months I know him. He knows me....its not like anything I have ever had with anyone before, and I think its the same for him.

Our letter was 4 lines, listing the most recent visits we have proof for, and very formal. I am half expecting an RFE to prove love!

Edited August 17, 2006 by hockeygal

[Mew 0]

We only wrote a really short paragraph to describe our meeting. Summarizing the letter the OP wrote, it'd be something like this:

We met online on Yahoo Messenger in 2005. We then started chatting and talking on the phone on a regular basis. In January, 2006, I took a 2-week trip to the Phillipines and we had the opportunity to meet in person.

Then, gather evidence of such meeting.

Edited August 17, 2006 by Mew

[Officer's Fiance 0]

Our Q18 Supplement was 1 paragraph, about 5 sentences... lol and we have one hell of a story, but I really thought that they didn't need to know ALL of the details of our relationship...you really just need to concentrate on where and under which circumstance you physically at least once over the last 2 yrs.

Good luck!

[AndyMisiu 0]

It's supposed to be the explanation of how you met in person within the last 2 years, not your entire love story. You'll have your chance to prove that in the interview. Just keep it to the facts of how you saw eachother within the two year period. Maybe add an opening sentence of how you met, then a paragraph on the meeting that took place, then a closing sentence of when you got engaged. this should cover everything. Then send in your evidence to back up your statement of meeting in person.

Edited August 17, 2006 by AndyMisiu

[Karel 0]

I'm not so sure on the way this reads, especially being from philipines which is a high fraud country and can suffer more scrutiny. I cant quite put my finger on it first read, except to say that IMO it contains too much frivolous stuff that could/may cause issue. 'I Thinks' 'you dont want to talk to me' .......concentrate only on the affirmative/positive...dont risk ever having them question. I might be way off but this is just my feel on reading it.

I agree with the Aussiewench. It's a very nice love story, but too much information to give for scrutiny. Just my opinion.

Karina

[aussiewench 9]

Whilst evidence of an ongoing relationship is not a requirement at the initial filing stage, it can be beneficial to those from high fraud countries to do so or if there is anything that could be a red flag that may cause issues at interview stage. This evidence should always be very carefully scrutinised especially emails and chat, to make sure there is nothing mentioned that may be construed in a different way then it is meant. The same goes for any photographic evidence of an engagement ceremony as these can be construed as a wedding and cause an issue.

debby

You are on the right track with including information of an ongoing relationship as you are talking the Philipines, but choose it wisely and to the point, without too many frilly bits, and no 'I think' etc.

eg only

correspondence.........how and how often.

brief outline of the events that lead up to you wanting to visit.....why?

dates of visits

what you did together on the visits

have you met family

Why you love this person and the hopes you have for future.

mention the relationship built with the children.

anything else that you think is relevant to your circumstances.

Tip:

Use Q18 to describe in some detail of how you met in the required 2 year period that established the relationship. Then the evidence you submit should support those details. Boarding passes, passport stamps, hotel/credit card receipts, rental receipts if ever lived together etc etc are primary evidence. Photos are secondary which support the primary evidence. What you should be aiming for is creating an image in the minds eye of the adjudicator......a complete picture. Look outside the box for evidence that shows you both in the same place at the same time. Each case is different and you should submit evidence accordingly, not just rely on the standard unofficial list.

[Alex+R 0]

Yeah by the way OPer, I was NOT advocating that you SEND THAT ONE OFF. NO! I was just cutting out a LOT of the infromation and then telling you to go from there.

PS to add: I am an actual editor, and am a bit mortified someone might have thought that was an editing job. This is my vanity post to explain that I was doing that to show her what would happen if she took out the part about the ex-fiance.

[damulag 26]

We went through Manila and I only used the space that was one the application, no problems.

Mike and Luvy

[BJZags 17]

My ques. 18 was two sentences long. "I met her in Manila . . then we travelled to the province to see her folks." It has been approved and is being sent to the embassy as I type. Rule of thumb, if you don't need additional papers, don't submit, because folks won't read them anyway.