Photos returned with no instruction...HELP!!!

[benandnordhey 2]

I spent months putting my packet together to the exact instructions for my I-129F packet. Today, received a package from USCIS. It contained the ziplock bag I had placed my passport photos of myself and my fiancee as well as the ziplock bag of photos containing my photos of evidence that she and I were together. The package was accompanied by a letter that said "Dear Sir, we are returning those atiems because they are not in a format that can be put in your file folder for an agent to look at during this stage of the process". The letter gave no receipt or case number and only told me to call the USCIS toll free number if I had questions. A got the run-around all day. I am miserable and terrified that the government has lost my packet with all of my affidavits and original material. FED EX confirmed delivery of my packet to the Texas office on the 12 of December. I have not yet received a I797 notice of action, so I have no ID number or case number. I figured out why they returned the assort photos, but still have no idea why they returned my evidence photos.

So, the question is what do I do next. Someone suggested that I wait until I receive a I797 then resend the photos with my receipt number. Yet, I am afraid they will not send me a I797 because of the missing or inadequate materials. If I just send the photos in with my name and without a receipt number, then they are sure to be lost. I am very seriously troubled about this. Can someone please give me some advice or let me know how I can remedy this? If they did not return my entire application packet, but only a few items, does that mean they will still send me a i797 and just request those missing materials...or is my application lost altogether. Please help. I'm missing my fiancee so much, and this is making my holidays miserable not knowing if all our hard work has been lost in the bureaucracy. Anything??

[BaBamSam 239]

I spent months putting my packet together to the exact instructions for my I-129F packet. Today, received a package from USCIS. It contained the ziplock bag I had placed my passport photos of myself and my fiancee as well as the ziplock bag of photos containing my photos of evidence that she and I were together. The package was accompanied by a letter that said "Dear Sir, we are returning those atiems because they are not in a format that can be put in your file folder for an agent to look at during this stage of the process". The letter gave no receipt or case number and only told me to call the USCIS toll free number if I had questions. A got the run-around all day. I am miserable and terrified that the government has lost my packet with all of my affidavits and original material. FED EX confirmed delivery of my packet to the Texas office on the 12 of December. I have not yet received a I797 notice of action, so I have no ID number or case number. I figured out why they returned the assort photos, but still have no idea why they returned my evidence photos.

So, the question is what do I do next. Someone suggested that I wait until I receive a I797 then resend the photos with my receipt number. Yet, I am afraid they will not send me a I797 because of the missing or inadequate materials. If I just send the photos in with my name and without a receipt number, then they are sure to be lost. I am very seriously troubled about this. Can someone please give me some advice or let me know how I can remedy this? If they did not return my entire application packet, but only a few items, does that mean they will still send me a i797 and just request those missing materials...or is my application lost altogether. Please help. I'm missing my fiancee so much, and this is making my holidays miserable not knowing if all our hard work has been lost in the bureaucracy. Anything??

Oh wow. Why did they return the photos?

[benandnordhey 2]

My lawyer insisted they only needed one passport photo of us each, but as I tied to tell him we need two identical of each of us. So I understand why they would have a problem with that. But the letter only said that the "items were not in the right format" ...no real explanation of what to do. I figured that out after a while. I have no clue why they sent back my evidence photos (This was about 20 date stamped photos of me and my fiancee together in India last summer. They were in a sealed ziplock bag that was 2-hole punched and inserted into my packet. They didn't tell me why they returned it. Most importantly. I don't have a receipt or case number...no I797. If they rejected the whole thing, wouldn't they have informed me? I don't know if I should mail the photos back (passport photos corrected) with my name and a letter and hope they put it together...or if I should hope and wait that they will send me a receipt number so I can send these materials back with a number. I am so at a loss and the people on the toll-free number had no clue. I even wrote to the Dallas Lockbox support, but got no reply yet.

[BaBamSam 239]

My lawyer insisted they only needed one passport photo of us each, but as I tied to tell him we need two identical of each of us. So I understand why they would have a problem with that. But the letter only said that the "items were not in the right format" ...no real explanation of what to do. I figured that out after a while. I have no clue why they sent back my evidence photos (This was about 20 date stamped photos of me and my fiancee together in India last summer. They were in a sealed ziplock bag that was 2-hole punched and inserted into my packet. They didn't tell me why they returned it. Most importantly. I don't have a receipt or case number...no I797. If they rejected the whole thing, wouldn't they have informed me? I don't know if I should mail the photos back (passport photos corrected) with my name and a letter and hope they put it together...or if I should hope and wait that they will send me a receipt number so I can send these materials back with a number. I am so at a loss and the people on the toll-free number had no clue. I even wrote to the Dallas Lockbox support, but got no reply yet.

You only do need 1 passport photo each at this stage (according to the G-325a instructions on the USCIS website), so it's weird that they would say you need two.

I wish I could give you advice, but it sounds like you did everything as you should have so I have no idea why they were returned. Maybe try calling the toll free again tomorrow and just asking if you should send them with a letter and your name or if they can give you a receipt number? It sounds very strange that this is happening to you and I'm very sorry for it.

[newlyweds2010 208]

Did you send 2"x2" passport photos? I know that in many countries passport photos have a different format. In Italy they are different, and if you want them "American size", you have to ask.

[Mike & Mila 5]

It sounds to me that you did "too" much. I don't believe I129F instructions say to put photos in little bags. I would wait to see if you get NOA1 and number. Remember, don't send too little stuff and don't send too much stuff. These folks are looking at reams and reams of stuff all day long. You can't "flood" them with things and photos and stuff. Stay calm, Get it done,, You will be fine... Relax and get ready to wait and wait and wait. Mike

[benandnordhey 2]

yes, they were both 2x2, and in a zip lock bag. The bag was 2-hoe punched and inserted in my packet and even listed in my table go contents. This is also true with my photos of evidence. The more I hear about this the more of a nightmare it becomes. It seems there is no way to fix it without a receipt number and mate no way to get a receipt number without these items. I'm feeling so terrible and can't find answers anywhere.

Thank you for the reassuring words, Mike. Do you know what format I should send the photos in then?

[redvelvet 12]

Did you put your names in the back of the 2x2 photos? Did you put captions (place, date taken, names of people on the picture) at the back of the evidence photos?

There is a required format. Check the K1 guide on the link above.

[BaBamSam 239]

It sounds to me that you did "too" much. I don't believe I129F instructions say to put photos in little bags. I would wait to see if you get NOA1 and number. Remember, don't send too little stuff and don't send too much stuff. These folks are looking at reams and reams of stuff all day long. You can't "flood" them with things and photos and stuff. Stay calm, Get it done,, You will be fine... Relax and get ready to wait and wait and wait. Mike

In the I-129F instructions and the guides here on VJ is advised that you put the passport photo in a Baggie and attach it to the G-325a for each person.

Photos are also suggested to be in labeled baggies or photo sheets.

I disagree about "too much". Unless you're submitting 100 pages of emails or something excessive, the more primary evidence supplied at first limits the chances of an RFE or denial.

[benandnordhey 2]

yes, I did label everything as you mentioned above. I was pretty thorough. I did notice that my fiancees passport photo was one of her looking at an angle rather than head on..that could be the passport photo problem, but once again, why return them without explanation? Shouldn't they just ask for the correct one. Secondly, this does not explain why they returned my photos. Some were date stamped on the front, and all had names dates and places hand-written on the back. The way the letter is worded, they make it sound like the format is't correct to be placed in their file folder. All in all I sent 400 some pages, including all the required form, affidavits, and FB and Skype records as well as hotel and bus trip receipts. I just don't know what to do. I feel like i got singled out in some fluke because i did everything right except for that one passport photo is at an angle. I wish I could know whther I should expect a I-797 notice of action with receipt number or if I should be sending things in more blindly without a number. Is there anyway I can contact them at the local dallas or lewisville , T office and speak to some people actually working on it? Is this 800 number really my only course of action? I just get lost in an endless trail of phone transfers and have to repeat my story to each new clueless person who answers. Should I just start the whole process over? This is really ruining my holidays.

[BaBamSam 239]

yes, I did label everything as you mentioned above. I was pretty thorough. I did notice that my fiancees passport photo was one of her looking at an angle rather than head on..that could be the passport photo problem, but once again, why return them without explanation? Shouldn't they just ask for the correct one. Secondly, this does not explain why they returned my photos. Some were date stamped on the front, and all had names dates and places hand-written on the back. The way the letter is worded, they make it sound like the format is't correct to be placed in their file folder. All in all I sent 400 some pages, including all the required form, affidavits, and FB and Skype records as well as hotel and bus trip receipts. I just don't know what to do. I feel like i got singled out in some fluke because i did everything right except for that one passport photo is at an angle. I wish I could know whther I should expect a I-797 notice of action with receipt number or if I should be sending things in more blindly without a number. Is there anyway I can contact them at the local dallas or lewisville , T office and speak to some people actually working on it? Is this 800 number really my only course of action? I just get lost in an endless trail of phone transfers and have to repeat my story to each new clueless person who answers. Should I just start the whole process over? This is really ruining my holidays.

As much as it sucks, it does seem like dealing with the 800 number is the way you have to go unless you were given another number. You can't really "start over" without withdrawing your current petition, which would require the receipt number so you're going to have to endure the headache of the 800 number. Naturally, the holiday timing is super unfortunate as well.

400 pages? Four hundred? That sounds like an excessive amount. Most people here seem to be between 40 and 70 pages on average.

[benandnordhey 2]

yeah 400. there was no guideline on how many pages to submit, and our whole relationship is evidenced through FB and Skype. I really didn't know if it was too much, but the lawyer said he thought it was ok. If they were pissed that I sent too many pages, wouldn't they send that back instead of the photos? Could that really be the problem?

[BaBamSam 239]

yeah 400. there was no guideline on how many pages to submit, and our whole relationship is evidenced through FB and Skype. I really didn't know if it was too much, but the lawyer said he thought it was ok. If they were pissed that I sent too many pages, wouldn't they send that back instead of the photos? Could that really be the problem?

I don't think it'll be a real problem, but it might have just made you stick out a bit. And since Facebook and Skype aren't primary types of evidence (they are secondary at best and often used as proof of "ongoing" relationship rather than having met in the last two years), that might help explain why they looked into your photos and everything so much. Again, I am not saying this is fact but judging by previous threads and stories, this is a potential reason for your delay.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

You are the 2nd person this week to post about having loose photos returned: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/405122-returned-incompatible-format-information-with-noa1/

[benandnordhey 2]

Jay-Kay,

thanks, that is helpful information. I don't have my notice of action or a receipt number yet. Do you think they will still send that? it is odd that I got the photos, but no receipt.