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> I-30 Petition- Evidence of marriage.
matt01
post Nov 7 2009, 08:02 AM
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All I have is tons of our ceremony photos and a receipt of our wedding bands we brought. Is that enough?
My wife is thinking of making a small color album of our ceremony and end photos of us signing our marriage certificate. I also have flight tickets and intinerys of us flying to see each other during our relationship apart. Some 30 family members attended our ceremony.
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Darnell
post Nov 7 2009, 09:25 AM
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I suggest affadavits from people that attended the wedding, also.
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ashlesha
post Nov 7 2009, 09:30 AM
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QUOTE (Darnell @ Nov 7 2009, 08:25 AM) *
I suggest affadavits from people that attended the wedding, also.

Its a MUST.


--------------------

2009-09-30 -> I-129 Approved
2009-09-30 -> I-130 Approved
-------NVC----------
2009-10-14 -> NVC Received
2009-10-15 -> Received/Sent DS-3032
2009-10-15 -> Received/Paid I-864 Bill
2009-10-19 -> Send I-864 Packet
2009-10-26 -> NVC Received DS-3032
2009-10-28 -> Receive/Pay IV Bill Pay
2009-10-29 -> Send DS-230 (Overnight)
2009-10-30 -> NVC Received (DS-230) 11:00 AM
2009-11-03 -> NVC Entered DS-230 in system.
2009-11-05 -> False RFE Missing document (DS-230)
2009-11-09 -> Received email requesting DS-230..WHY?? CHECK YOUR MAILROOM FOLKS..
2009-11-12 -> Log in to Consular Electronic App Center failed!!
2009-11-13 -> Case complete
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MaddyCruise
post Nov 7 2009, 09:38 AM
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I suggest Affidavit of Bona Marriage from your relatives, membership card from CostCo, Sams that it doesn't need your SSN. Newlyweds doesn't have a lot of evidence.
Coz banks and insurance need a SSN. And before I forget, Joint tenancy too. If you are renting your place just ask them if you can put the name of the spouse in the lease.
More evidence that better.


Good Luck

Maddy & Russ


--------------------
OUR TIMELINE:
October 2007: Met Online
5-27-09: Maddy arrived in the U.S. on tourist visa for the 4th. time
8-30-09: Wedding date
11-03-09: Sent the AOS package and other forms via UPS - Day 1
11-04-09: AOS package received at Chicago Lockbox 9:25 a.m. - Day 2
11-12-09: All NOA'S produced and sent to us - Day 9
11-13-09: All checks cleared bank - Day 10
11-16-09: Received all NOA'S: i-130 (2), i-485 (2), i-765, i-131 - Day 13
11-17-09: i-130, i-485, i-131, i-765 for Maddy "all touched; i-130 for daughter "touched", i-485 "not touched" - Day-14













WAITING TIME!
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FinnLove
post Nov 7 2009, 09:45 AM
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QUOTE (matt01 @ Nov 7 2009, 05:02 AM) *
All I have is tons of our ceremony photos and a receipt of our wedding bands we brought. Is that enough?
My wife is thinking of making a small color album of our ceremony and end photos of us signing our marriage certificate. I also have flight tickets and intinerys of us flying to see each other during our relationship apart. Some 30 family members attended our ceremony.


Don't waste your time on a photo album. I had a photo book made at a camera store (it was very thin with 38 pages!), and USCIS sent it back to me the day they opened up my package. They didn't even look at it.


--------------------
Our timeline:

2/88: We met in Sydney, Australia at a youth hostel! He's Finnish, I'm American-both were in our early 20s at the time and fresh out of college (so couldn't afford to visit each other's countries after that!). We had a three-day romance, then went our separate ways. He actually was going to Sydney a week later, but decided at the last minute to cut his trip short in another country and go early. Wow.
1988-1998: Wrote "snail mail" letters/sent Xmas cards, but lived our separate lives. I married someone else, divorced in 2006...he lived with someone for years and then that ended.
10/08: Because of a series of random life events, I Googled my Finn Man and found him (but no link to his email, and the website his name was on was in Estonian so I couldn't even read it!). It took me two weeks to find a link to someone else, who forwarded my email to him (we were both single at the time thankfully!!!!). The email went to his spam folder but he happened to check it that day and responded back to me immediately! This was after 10 years of no contact and almost 21 years of not seeing each other after we first met.
11/08-5/09: We traveled back and forth to visit each other. Love at first (second?) sight!
7/09: Married in Helsinki, Finland...after meeting randomly 21 1/2 years ago and finding each other again!!!!!
8/13/09: I-130 sent!!!!!!!!!
Rest is on my timeline!
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christeen
post Nov 7 2009, 12:43 PM
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Agreed, dont send an album, I printed photos on regular paper (4 to a sheet) so they are easily included withe the package and sent 12 photos and just wrote captions under them... The affadavits are good too...
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pushbrk
post Nov 8 2009, 11:23 AM
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QUOTE (ashlesha @ Nov 7 2009, 06:30 AM) *
QUOTE (Darnell @ Nov 7 2009, 08:25 AM) *
I suggest affadavits from people that attended the wedding, also.

Its a MUST.


No, they are not a must. They are optional as is anything listed in the instructions following the words, "in addition to the required....".

Evidence of marriage is a marriage certificate. Evidence of a bona fide ongoing relationship could be many things. Affidavits from friends and relatives are usually lame and useless particularly for newlyweds who have not yet lived in the same country together.
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Scott and Mhay
post Nov 8 2009, 01:04 PM
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I used 4 affidavits, evolution of relationship letter from me, and pictures. I will give my wife chat logs, skype call logs, phone records, e-mails, letters and cards for the actual interview. She will also take my ticket stubs, hotel receipts, more pictures and such to the interview.

It is hard to show in the application for people that havent been married for very long. Get what you can together and keep gathering for the interview.


--------------------
29 Aug 2009 -- Married in the Baliuag, Bulacan
05 Nov 2009 -- I-130 Sent from Kuwait APO
14 Nov 2009 -- signed for in Chicago verified online tracking
19 Nov 2009 -- email confirmation NOA -- got case number
20 Nov 2009 -- Called the military helpline to request expedited processing
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Married2aTico
post Nov 8 2009, 01:43 PM
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QUOTE (pushbrk @ Nov 8 2009, 11:23 AM) *
No, they are not a must. They are optional as is anything listed in the instructions following the words, "in addition to the required....".

Evidence of marriage is a marriage certificate. Evidence of a bona fide ongoing relationship could be many things. Affidavits from friends and relatives are usually lame and useless particularly for newlyweds who have not yet lived in the same country together.



Just to clarify:

Are you asking about evidence for the I-130 petition or the interview?

Evidence is not a requirement for the packet. Aside from your certified marriage certificate, you do not have to submit anything. I submitted no additional evidence and my petitions (I-130 and I-129F) were approved with no RFE. Remember that your petition/s only get you an interview, not an approval for legal entry into the USA.

As for the interview - yes, bring evidence. Plane tickets are not accepted as travel evidence, since there is no guarentee you were actually on the plane. Travel is evidenced solely through passport stamps. Wedding pictures are good (especially those that include friends and family) and photos that show the progression of the relationship over time. For my interview, my husband and I took a very little book we titled "The History of Us...So far". In it, we put pictures from the night we met all the way through until the present time. We put labels on all of the pics, so the Officer would not need to ask tons of questions (i.e. when, where, who is in the pic). We put the book together on Ritz.com and I picked it up in an hour at the local store. Very easy. In addition, of course, you will wnt to take tax docs (and employment/salary verification and w2's) to prove financial eligibility. Generally, you will be asked for very little unless fraud is suspected.


--------------------
Vermont Service Center
I-130 NOA1 10/17/2008
I-129F NOA1 11/04/2008
I-130 NOA2 04/29/2009
I-129F NOA2 04/29/2009
NVC Rcvd. 05/05/2009
K3 Interview 05/20/2009
POE Atlanta 05/26/2009
EAD NOA1 06/01/2009
EAD NOA2 08/2009

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BunzTheMagicSnai...
post Nov 8 2009, 02:34 PM
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QUOTE (matt01 @ Nov 7 2009, 08:02 AM) *
All I have is tons of our ceremony photos and a receipt of our wedding bands we brought. Is that enough?
My wife is thinking of making a small color album of our ceremony and end photos of us signing our marriage certificate. I also have flight tickets and intinerys of us flying to see each other during our relationship apart. Some 30 family members attended our ceremony.


USCIS is not looking for evidence of marriage, they are seeking evidence of a bona fide, ongoing relationship
sending a ton of photos is not necessary, you should save those for the interview, if it makes you feel comfortable though you can probably send a few
copies of your tickets and itineraries are very good evidence of your ongoing relationship

This post has been edited by BunzTheMagicSnail: Nov 8 2009, 02:35 PM


--------------------
I864 delivered November 2nd
DS230 delivered November 6th



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pushbrk
post Nov 8 2009, 05:10 PM
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QUOTE (BunzTheMagicSnail @ Nov 8 2009, 11:34 AM) *
QUOTE (matt01 @ Nov 7 2009, 08:02 AM) *
All I have is tons of our ceremony photos and a receipt of our wedding bands we brought. Is that enough?
My wife is thinking of making a small color album of our ceremony and end photos of us signing our marriage certificate. I also have flight tickets and intinerys of us flying to see each other during our relationship apart. Some 30 family members attended our ceremony.


USCIS is not looking for evidence of marriage, they are seeking evidence of a bona fide, ongoing relationship
sending a ton of photos is not necessary, you should save those for the interview, if it makes you feel comfortable though you can probably send a few
copies of your tickets and itineraries are very good evidence of your ongoing relationship


This is incorrect. In spouse visa cases, USCIS is looking for evidence of a legal marriage. A Consular officer will evaluating evidence of bona fides.

It's important to note that the I-130 is not just used in visa cases. In an adjustment of status case, USCIS is the agency that evaluates bona fides, so adding some evidence beyond the marriage certificate, when filing, is helpful. Nevertheless the I-130 can be approved without any "additional" evidence. The real evaluation of bona fides in an AOS case is at the interview that takes place in the process of approving the I-485.
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Kenza
post Nov 8 2009, 06:07 PM
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I just sent one pic from each year we were together plus 2 photos from our wedding/engagement. total of 7 photos. All the other evidence should be saved for the interview.


--------------------
Met: 2004-07-18
Islamic marriage: 2006-07-31
Marriage : 2008-12-27

Entry San Fran 2009-09-27

Hubby is HOME!!!!

Received SSN 2009-10-06
Received welcome letter 2009-10-10
GREEN CARD!!! 2009-10-13
Driver's License 2009-10-26
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