James1223

Hello all, I submitted the CR-1 for my spouse back on 3/4 and received the I-797C NOA form soon after. After some research, I understood that this is NOA1, and no action needed to be done at this time. Today, 6/18/23, I received an email from the NVC stating that my case was went over to the NVC and that a case has been created for me. On the email, it invited me to go online to their website and pay some fees before we can fill out the forms online. It also mentioned completing a 12 step process for completing the case. Is this the NOA2? I wasn't sure cause it seemed like from other timelines, the gap between NOA1 and NOA2 was a lot longer than we experienced. Also, I have not received anything in the mail yet similar to the I-797C form. I guess my main question is - is this the NOA2? Or is this just a step in between? Thanks!

Thanks again for the help. I appreciate it!

Sorry for bothering you again but wanted to hear your opinion on what you think of the quality of our material. I understand that you are not an officer, but it seems like you have a lot of experience in this, so I just want to know your thoughts. For the primary evidence, we have taken a total of 4 trips. For those trips, we have the passport stamps, in addition we have the physical boarding passes for some (not all) of the trips. For the trips we do not have the boarding passes for, we have copies of the online itinerary that was sent by the airline company. In addition, we have an account summary that details that he is an authorized user for my credit card. Our relationship time is ~ 5 years, with recent marriage a few months ago. We will be attaching the marriage certificate. The marriage was done through the Zoom marriage with Utah due to COVID. For pictures (which I understand is secondary and not as important), we have pictures of us two at the different locations with obvious landmarks (Statue of Liberty, Tiananmen Square, etc) in addition to pictures with family/friends. We will also provide chatlogs/letters (which I understand is even less important). For both, this is our first marriage and first time submitting an application like this. Thank you for the help! Again, I understand that you are not an officer, but I am just interested in hearing your thoughts.

Thanks! I definitely will focus on the primary evidence first. I appreciate your help

I wrote my previous comment before reading this one - I apologize. To respond to this, I understand that the letters may not actively help, but I still wish to submit the letters as long as it does not harm the application. I will submit the real evidence as well, as I know that that is more helpful. I just wanted to know if the letters can be typed with hand-written signatures, and if a letter was in Chinese, if it could be self-translated, or if it needed an official translator. Thanks!

I believe you in that the letter is not required. I am not arguing that it is required. But it is something that I can submit, so I don't see why not. Unless you know of applications that were tossed out because they submitted too much evidence?

I understand that it is not required. But I am still planning on submitting it, in addition to the other documentation (passport stamps, boarding passes, other secondary evidence that shows we were together physically), since it says that I can submit more than one. I just wanted to know if the letter could be typed (with a hand-written signature) and if I needed to find a translator it if it were in Chinese, or if I could just self-translate it. Thanks! I am planning on submitting those, I just wanted to submit the letters as well, as it gives me the option to submit multiple.

On the online form, this is what it says. I assume that these options the "required evidence." This is why I am trying to include the Affidavit letters. While I understand that the "any other relevant document..." may hold more weight, I think it may be better to include some extra material as I do not have other "strong" evidence such a joint lease, life insurance, etc. I just wanted to know if the letter of affidavit could be typed, or if it had to be hand written. In addition, if it is written in Chinese, is it appropriate to self-translate it. Thank you.

Documentation showing joint ownership of property A lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence, meaning you both live at the same address together Documentation showing that you and your spouse have combined your financial resources Birth certificates of children born to you and your spouse together Affidavits sworn to or affirmed by third parties having personal knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship. Each affidavit must contain the full name and address of the person making the affidavit; date and place of birth of the person making the affidavit; and complete information and details explaining how the person acquired his or her knowledge of your marriage Any other relevant documentation to establish that there is an ongoing marital union Unfortunately we do not have any joint ownership or property. We do not currently live together either. We have no children. We were going to submit the Affidavits in addition to plane tickets/itineraries/hotel reservations that showed us spending time together. The closest we have to "official" documentation of joint lives together, other than the travel, is that he is an authorized user on my credit card. I am planning on reaching out to the bank to see if I can get that in a letter, if not, I will just take pictures of our two cards and upload that as proof. That's why I was wondering if the letter of affidavit could be typed, or if it had to be hand written. In addition, if it is written in Chinese, is it appropriate to self-translate it. Thank you.

That's how I interpreted it as well. But just wanted to be safe than sorry. Thank you!

Thanks for the help again! I will complete my profile soon, sorry about that. Yes, my spouse's native language uses the Chinese alphabet, so I figured that section would be applicable for me. It reads: If the beneficiary's native written language does not use Roman letters, upload a document with his or her name and foreign address in their native written language. If you have a text or word processing document you would like to submit for evidence, send us a PDF version of the file. When saving your file, select PDF as the file type to save. I wanted to make sure that even though it says "native written language" that a typed document would be still okay, as the next line "if you have a text or word processing document" seems to imply that a typed version is fine. Regarding the Affidavits, there are two sections that mention them. One reads: Affidavits sworn to or affirmed by third parties having personal knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship. Each affidavit must contain the full name and address of the person making the affidavit; date and place of birth of the person making the affidavit; and complete information and details explaining how the person acquired his or her knowledge of your marriage the other reads: If records like those described above are not available, then you may submit two or more written statements from individuals who were living at the time and who have personal knowledge of the event you are trying to prove, such as the date and place of birth, marriage, or death. The individuals making the written statements do not have to be U.S. citizens. One of them indicates a written statement whereas the other one does not. I was wondering if similarly to before, they wanted it physically written out or if a typed version is okay. Also a separate question - I understand that chat-logs are not considered amazing evidence, and no guarantee that the officers will even look, but if we do send in chat logs, should they be translated? Again, my partner and I write in a mix of Chinese/English, and I am more than comfortable translating it - but I did see in the instructions that "all documents must be verified by a translator." Does this include chat logs? I've looked at previous VisaJourney posts and it seems like it's not required, but I just wanted to double check. Similarly, my spouse is having one of his friends write a letter of affidavit as well, I have translated it but again, didn't know if I needed to have an authorized translator do the translation. Thank you for the help.

Hello, just had a few questions regarding the I-130 form. I am submitting it online, and was wondering for the documents that ask for a document with the spouse's name/address in his/her "written language" - does this just mean in their foreign language, or does it mean that the name and address must be written out and then scanned in. Basically - are typed forms okay? Similarly, for letters of Affidavit, do those have to be written out as well? Or is a typed form okay. On the immigration part, it asks for a I-94 arrival departure record number - this is asking for a current I-94 number correct? My spouse had one in the past, but it expired like 2 years ago. Do I need to put that information on the form? Lastly, the secondary evidence stuff is optional correct? There is one area for a letter of admissions from a school. If I (the benefactor) am in school, should I provide a letter for my admission? Or is that mostly evidence for children or something. Thank you

Thanks for the response. Do you think it would be better if I used my parents' address instead? Thank you for the help regarding the foreign address.

Hello everyone, I posted a few days ago, and have narrowed down some of my questions, but still have some remaining questions on certain areas. Appreciate any help! 1. What do I put for the intended address that my spouse and I will live at if I am not sure where I will be in the next few years? 2. For filling out the I-130A, the foreign addresses can be difficult to translate. My partner is from China and some of his addresses do not have clear street numbers etc. For example, one of his addresses is in the format of Room #, Name of Living Community, XX Building, XX District, Shanghai, XX Province, Postal Code, China. In this case, how do I fill out the address sections of the forms? Thanks for all the help, and sorry for all the questions. I appreciate any help I can get.

Hello everyone, I am currently filling out the I-130 form for my spouse, and I have a few questions regarding some of the questions on the form. 1. Is there any benefit for submitting physically or online? I am thinking of submitting online but wanted to see if there were any strong opinions on one way or another. 2. For listing the previous physical addresses, since I was still a student for some of those years, I would live at home during the summer. Do I need to list each of those summers individually? (Always same address) 3. For the question on "Intended address that you and your spouse will live at" - again, since I am a student, I do not know where I will be living at in 1-2 years time. Can I put my parent's address instead? Since that will be permanent. 4. My husband and I stayed together for about a month at the end of his study abroad in America around 4.5 years ago, can I use that time for "when we last lived together?" Or is that time period too short. In addition, he wasn't on my lease, so I wasn't sure about the legality of it as well. 5. For the question, "was the beneficiary ever in the US," this counts trips for visiting correct? 6. It asks for the beneficiary's I-94 arrival-departure record number. This is just the I-94 number for his most recent visit correct? I was able to find the number on the I-94 website but just wanted to double check. 7. My partner is currently abroad in China in Beijing. Even though Beijing has a consulate office, he and I have seen most of the applications go to Guangzhou. Is this also where he will have to go (and the address we put for the application)? 8. Do I have a USCIS online account number if this is my first time filing? 9. If I file online, for uploading the 2x2 picture, is it okay to upload the electronic version of the front, and then a physical version of the signed back? Or are they looking for a picture of the 2x2 picture of the front and the back (signed)? 10. My partner's passport was just recently renewed. Should I include his old passport number anywhere? I wasn't sure because I didn't want them to try to compare his previous visits with his new passport number and see a mismatch. 11. On a similar note, my passport will expire in 2 years. Since I dont know how long this process will take, are there any precautions I need to take in regards to the passport number potentially changing throughout this process? Thanks for all the help, and sorry for all the questions. I appreciate any help I can get.

Ah okay thanks for the help. It helps to know that they will accept copies of the tax forms and that most of the documentation is uploaded online. Do you know anything about the address and the marriage certificate? If not - no worries! Thank you again.

Yes, we are planning on meeting in person in January and starting the process afterwards. That's why we're trying to figure out if there are any documents I should give him or he should give me during this time, so we can save on shipping/mailing times later. 1. So all the forms for the NOAs and interview prep will be done via email? The only thing he will get in the mail would be the visa after passing the interview? 2. I understand - however, if he is requested to send an original copy of my paperwork - does that mean I will need to first mail it to him and then he ships it to USCIS/NVC? Or on the flip side if they request from me his paperwork, he needs to first send it to me then I send to them? We're just trying to minimize potential delays in shipping (and potential losing) of documents. 3. The guide says that "9.I-864 Affidavit of Support Form along with past 3 year U.S tax returns (or transcripts) and any other financial documents required. (see poverty limits here)" are required for the interview. Would this not include tax returns on my end? Thank you!

Hello again. Had a few follow up questions since my last post. My partner and I decided to proceed with the online marriage. We filled out the online marriage certificate but I think we may have messed up the form for his current address since we had to translate it from a Chinese address to an English address. Instead of putting the district on the "Address" line, we put it on the "State/Province" line, and then put Beijing for the city. I think the "correct" way of doing it would be to put the district on the address line and Beijing on BOTH the State/Province and City line, since it appears Beijing is both a city and a province. All the information is there, it may just be in slightly incorrect boxes. I was wondering if this would cause any problems with the marriage ceremony or if it is okay to keep it as is. The physical certificate will be mailed to my US address, and that has no issues. I had some other questions regarding the CR1 process - 1. I read the guide and it said that after receiving the second NOA, my significant other will receive a packet of forms to fill out. Since my SO is located in China, does that mean that they will ship it abroad to him? It also seems like the I-864 form is sent in this packet, but I (the petitioner) live in the US. Does that mean after he receives the packet in China, he will have to mail it to me and then I fill it out and send it out from America? It just seems like a lot of back and forth mailing between my partner and I since we do not live in the same country. In addition, after completing the packet, where will my partner have to send the information to? Would it be back to the US or to the US consulate in his country? 2. It seems like there are a number of pre-interview forms that may be requested to be sent. However, it seems like many of these forms want the original version. How do we know who will be expected to send what. If my partner is in China and he gets requested to send in my original birth certificate - does that mean I will need to send him my certificate from the US and then he send that over? Similarly to the tax forms for the previous 3 days. It just seems like there may be a lot of delays. Is there a way for us to prep for this ahead of time? 3. Similarly to the previous question, the guide says that for the interview, he will be expected to bring copies of various tax forms/birth certificates/passport/etc. How can we prepare for this accordingly? Is he expected to be holding onto my passport until he gets the interview? How can I get him an extra copy of my birth certificate? Do I need to mail him my tax records since there will probably be 2022, 2023 tax forms by the item he gets invited? 4. Lastly, to prove a bona fide marriage, do we need to send in original copies of boarding passes and tickets, or can scanned copies/receipts of tickets work? In addition, since my partner and I chat in both English and Chinese, for any chatlogs - are translations highly recommended? Thank you for the help!

Is that short of a meeting detrimental to our case? Would it cause any red flags? We’re currently trying to plan a meeting, but thought it would be better if we could spend a few days together at the very least to show more legitimacy for our relationship. We thought that since it has been over 2 years since we last met in person, a short meeting like that would cause red flags during processing.

Sounds good! Thank you both for the help.

Sorry - I was taking the 40 quarters of work and equilibrating it to 10 years. I see, okay! If he ends up selling his major assets (house, car) but has savings, that will still be fine in meeting the requirements correct? Also - is there any way to end a co-sponsorship early if I have proof that I can take on full support for my partner? Thank you both for the help

@Boiler @Letspaintcookies Doesn't the form read that until the obligations under I-864 terminate, the co-sponsor is responsible for 1) providing the support necessary to keep the beneficiary above 125% poverty income and 2) provide any changes in address? If my father ends up leaving the country, and no longer files tax forms in America, how would he satisfy the first requirement/convince the USCIS that he can still support the beneficiary. Thank you!

Hello, To provide some background - Me (25, USA) and my partner (29, China) are looking to soon start the process for a CR1 visa. Our plan is to marry through Utah's online marriage and then consummate the marriage by meeting in another country as travel right now is fairly strict in China still. I had a few questions regarding the consummation process though. I understand that with the initial application packet with the I-130, it is important that we also submit evidence of a bona fide marriage. In regards to that, how do we prove to USCIS that we have met after the marriage and have consummated the marriage? Is it just something like a plane ticket that is dated after the marriage? The reason I ask that is that I understand it takes over a year for the I-130 packet to be reviewed. If this is the case, could my partner and I get married in December. Submit the application by January 2023, and have a plane ticket attached that shows intent to meet to consummate prior to say January 2024 before they review the application? Because by then, we would have met and the marriage would be consummated. The reason we are thinking of this method is due to the destabilizing conditions in China at the time, and we want to submit our application ASAP - however, it is fairly hard to find a time to meet within the next month or two due to our conflicting timelines. If this is not the case, please let me know how to best provide proof of consummation. My second question is regarding sponsorship. Currently, I am a medical student, which means that I will not get paid for another 3ish years. Once I graduate and go into residency, I should be able to make above the 125% poverty guideline for a household of 2. However, prior to that, I will need a co-sponsor. Originally, my plan was to ask my father to co-sponsor us, but after reading the conditions for co-sponsorship, I have a few concerns. It reads that the co-sponsor would be responsible for the beneficiary for a total of 10 years - during this time, my father would need to provide proof of income/assets and any change in location. My dad is approaching retirement age, so he might retire within the next few years. I believe his assets would allow him to stay over the 500% of the poverty income line, however my major concern is that my dad may try to relocate to another country (specifically Taiwan) after retirement. How would this impact our sponsorship application? I don't think he would be relocating immediately, so I'm probably safe for the next few years, but I would say the chance of him moving in the next 10 years is pretty high. Is there a way, say after I graduate and start actually making money, that I will be able to sponsor my partner without the involvement of my father - or is he essentially trapped in the country for the next 10 years until the co-sponsor time period ends? Thank you for the help!