Proof of Having Met in Person Evidence: Lost Passport

[tony1343 0]

Hi,

I'm working on completing the I-129F petition for my fiancee and myself.

For proof that we've met in the past two years and have an ongoing relationship I have included:

(1) Photographs

(2) Printed itineraries for 4 trips to China (where she lives) and 1 trip we took together to Malaysia over the past 2 years.

(3) Billing statements for Skype (for over a year) and recent calls for the last two months (with lots of calls to her cell phone).

(4) Email or two (really don't have very much good emails since our conversations are almost entirely through phone and texting on Skype).

I was going to include photographs of my passport to show I've been to China 4 times. This seems to be the suggestion I've heard from a lot of people. However, it appears I've lost my passport. I've been looking everywhere, but can't find it. You think this will be problem or have any other advice on anything else to include (or think this is enough)? Hopefully I'll be able to find it, but I'm thinking it will probably happen after I send off the I-129F petition.

This process is really making me want to move there. Only if my student loan payment wouldn't be almost the entire salary I could earn there.

Thanks for any advice.

Thanks,

[Hannah+Vito 0]

i know you said itineries, but you wouldnt happen to have the actually tickets or ticket stubs would you? (meaning the ones you get from check-in) and also maybe and bank statements or receipts that show you bought things in the places to stayed at with her?

[pushbrk 13,605]

Hi,

I'm working on completing the I-129F petition for my fiancee and myself.

For proof that we've met in the past two years and have an ongoing relationship I have included:

(1) Photographs

(2) Printed itineraries for 4 trips to China (where she lives) and 1 trip we took together to Malaysia over the past 2 years.

(3) Billing statements for Skype (for over a year) and recent calls for the last two months (with lots of calls to her cell phone).

(4) Email or two (really don't have very much good emails since our conversations are almost entirely through phone and texting on Skype).

I was going to include photographs of my passport to show I've been to China 4 times. This seems to be the suggestion I've heard from a lot of people. However, it appears I've lost my passport. I've been looking everywhere, but can't find it. You think this will be problem or have any other advice on anything else to include (or think this is enough)? Hopefully I'll be able to find it, but I'm thinking it will probably happen after I send off the I-129F petition.

This process is really making me want to move there. Only if my student loan payment wouldn't be almost the entire salary I could earn there.

Thanks for any advice.

Thanks,

You must show primary evidence you met in person. Nothing you listed above qualifies but boarding passes or receipts (with dates) from China would as would the China visas and passport stamps.

[Kevin&Leilei 1]

Boarding passes are better than flight itineraries. I'd put all my effort into finding that passport, as the visas and entry stamps are very strong evidence. ATM receipts are good too.

[luckytxn 2,265]

Actually the pics of you together would show a lot of proof. You will need to have your boarding passes and ticket stubs and any and all receipts that you have while you were there. Also eventually you may need to get a repalcement passport so I would get that going soon.

[pushbrk 13,605]

Actually the pics of you together would show a lot of proof. You will need to have your boarding passes and ticket stubs and any and all receipts that you have while you were there. Also eventually you may need to get a repalcement passport so I would get that going soon.

Pictures are good but they are secondary evidence. You'll need primary evidence like boarding passes or other hard proof you were in country.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hi,

I'm working on completing the I-129F petition for my fiancee and myself.

For proof that we've met in the past two years and have an ongoing relationship I have included:

(1) Photographs

(2) Printed itineraries for 4 trips to China (where she lives) and 1 trip we took together to Malaysia over the past 2 years.

(3) Billing statements for Skype (for over a year) and recent calls for the last two months (with lots of calls to her cell phone).

(4) Email or two (really don't have very much good emails since our conversations are almost entirely through phone and texting on Skype).

I was going to include photographs of my passport to show I've been to China 4 times. This seems to be the suggestion I've heard from a lot of people. However, it appears I've lost my passport. I've been looking everywhere, but can't find it. You think this will be problem or have any other advice on anything else to include (or think this is enough)? Hopefully I'll be able to find it, but I'm thinking it will probably happen after I send off the I-129F petition.

This process is really making me want to move there. Only if my student loan payment wouldn't be almost the entire salary I could earn there.

Thanks for any advice.

Thanks,

For the I-129f you only need to prove you met in person in the last two years, the ongoing realtionship thing comes later.

Photos are of no use without something to indicate they occurred in the last two years, like boarding passes and passport stamps. Itineraries are not acceeptable they are proof of nothing. Skype and email basically proves you were NOT there. You need proof you WERE there. This is definitely not enough and yes, the loss of your passport is a big problem. You have been there four times and have no boarding passes (boarding passes are the only things accepted as proof of travel without other supporting documents)

Sorry if the process is too much for someone who contemplates marrying a foreign national and then loses all his boarding passes (from four trips) and his passport to boot! I am not sure you would get through the process anyway, there is a lot more to be presented. I have lived in other countries, ones much more attractive to live in than China, sorry to say, and I am still here by choice. If this relatively simple process makes you want to leave, then by all means do so, I will be over to help you pack and get out as quickly as possible, oh and forget about the student loans. If you loan someone money you never hear from them again...it was probably worth it.

I apologize if my opinion offends anyone's sensiablities, but there was no reason for the OP to run down our country which so many here do a lot of work to get INTO! If the OP wants to leave because he can't keep track of his toys, then get the H-E- double hockey sticks OUT!!!!!!!! Unlike most countries, we don't even have passport control when you LEAVE!!!!!!!!! So you will be FREE to leave without your lost passport. And if you cannot accept responsibility for your own mistakes, the Chinese consulate will be glad to take your money and reject your application for you.

[tony1343 0]

Okay, thanks. I'll spend some time trying to find my passport. It must be somewhere in my home. I moved apartments a little while back, so some things got lost in the shuffle.

I'm at my office right now, but I think I might have ticket stubss from the last time (in August). Definitely didn't keep ticket stubs from before. I don't make it a habit of keeping 1 1/2 year old ticket stubs. I wasn't trying to create a trail until recently.

Gary and Alla, you should calm down. There is nothing more unpatriotic than questioning another's Americanism. I've gotten through much more difficult paperwork processes than this in the past (security clearance, etc), so I think I'll be just fine.

Also, you seem to question my sincerity because I didn't keep ticket stubs and ATM receipts, etc from over the past two years. Do you keep everything? In this day of computers, I find that very odd. I went to China two years ago, and had no idea I was going to fall in love, let alone get engaged. Why would I possibly keep all of this documentation? That's absurd. Losing the passport was stupid, I admit that. I also lost my checkbook if you'd like to berate me for that too.

I'm not sure how a ticket stub is primary evidence either (as you could go to the country but never meet the girl), but photographs of you with the fiancee wouldn't be (with date stamps on them).

Also, are all of these requirements actually in the statute or regulations? I'd appreciate if someone could point me to where. I have a feeling that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has just created these requirements which aren't always rational.

Thank you for your comments. I appreciate it very much, and will be shortly scouring for more evidence. ATM receipts are an interesting thought, I'll have to check into that.

[pushbrk 13,605]

Okay, thanks. I'll spend some time trying to find my passport. It must be somewhere in my home. I moved apartments a little while back, so some things got lost in the shuffle.

I'm at my office right now, but I think I might have ticket stubss from the last time (in August). Definitely didn't keep ticket stubs from before. I don't make it a habit of keeping 1 1/2 year old ticket stubs. I wasn't trying to create a trail until recently.

Gary and Alla, you should calm down. There is nothing more unpatriotic than questioning another's Americanism. I've gotten through much more difficult paperwork processes than this in the past (security clearance, etc), so I think I'll be just fine.

Also, you seem to question my sincerity because I didn't keep ticket stubs and ATM receipts, etc from over the past two years. Do you keep everything? In this day of computers, I find that very odd. I went to China two years ago, and had no idea I was going to fall in love, let alone get engaged. Why would I possibly keep all of this documentation? That's absurd. Losing the passport was stupid, I admit that. I also lost my checkbook if you'd like to berate me for that too.

I'm not sure how a ticket stub is primary evidence either (as you could go to the country but never meet the girl), but photographs of you with the fiancee wouldn't be (with date stamps on them).

Also, are all of these requirements actually in the statute or regulations? I'd appreciate if someone could point me to where. I have a feeling that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has just created these requirements which aren't always rational.

Thank you for your comments. I appreciate it very much, and will be shortly scouring for more evidence. ATM receipts are an interesting thought, I'll have to check into that.

Now is as good a time as any to focus on precise language and terminology.

Boarding passes, not ticket stubs are what qualify as primary evidence, as do passport stamps and receipts from in country.

Pictures, even with date stamps are secondary evidence. There must be primary evidence to go with any secondary.

USCIS standards are that if you can prove you were in the same country, you've met the standard. You don't have to prove every trip, but must show primary evidence of at least one trip in the past two years.

I would suggest you always store your passport in the same place, preferably a safe. Ours are all in the same safe as my loaded pistol and Chinese currency, as are the green cards. Hindsight and mistakes are wonderful teachers.

Edited February 5, 2009 by pushbrk

[tony1343 0]

Apologies for the rashness of my last comment, but this is a sensitive and personal topic.

I'm in middle of my search for better evidence. So far I found a ticket stub to the Shanghai Zoo, and the 2 flight ticket stubs from Shanghai to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (and back).

Hopefully, I'm getting warmer. I'm going to keep looking, but you think I'm there yet? I'm crossing my fingers that I can find the passport. Little background on myself: I am not organized. I lost my wallet twice overseas (once in Shanghai and once in Italy, where surprisingly someone was nice enough to turn it in to the police and I got it back).

Thanks so much.

[tony1343 0]

pushbrk,

Sorry, I missed your comment.

What's the difference between a boarding pass and the ticket stub? I thought they took the pass, ripped off a piece and gave you the stub. Well, I think that's how my Malaysia airline ticket worked. Now that I think about it though, AA I believe just scans it and returns it to you.

Thanks.

[pushbrk 13,605]

pushbrk,

Sorry, I missed your comment.

What's the difference between a boarding pass and the ticket stub? I thought they took the pass, ripped off a piece and gave you the stub. Well, I think that's how my Malaysia airline ticket worked. Now that I think about it though, AA I believe just scans it and returns it to you.

Thanks.

You are speaking of a boarding pass, not a ticket. There really is no such thing as an airline "ticket stub". Paper tickets will have one more ticket-like sheet in the back of the book which is the proof of purchase. Proof of purchasing a ticket is not proof of travel. Boarding passes are proof of travel.

[pushbrk 13,605]

Apologies for the rashness of my last comment, but this is a sensitive and personal topic.

I'm in middle of my search for better evidence. So far I found a ticket stub to the Shanghai Zoo, and the 2 flight ticket stubs from Shanghai to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (and back).

Hopefully, I'm getting warmer. I'm going to keep looking, but you think I'm there yet? I'm crossing my fingers that I can find the passport. Little background on myself: I am not organized. I lost my wallet twice overseas (once in Shanghai and once in Italy, where surprisingly someone was nice enough to turn it in to the police and I got it back).

Thanks so much.

A boarding pass from Shanghai to anywhere is primary evidence you were in country. Zoo stubs don't have your name on them. If you have one boarding pass in each name, that's pretty much a lock.

Edited February 5, 2009 by pushbrk

[pushbrk 13,605]

So, onward and upward. To file, if she's been married, you'll need her divorce certificate "Notarial Translation" from the local Gong Zheng Chu, a passport picture and a signed G325a. Then, she might as well get started on the Notarial birth certificate. Later, she'll also need a police report and affidavit of single status, also from the Gong Zheng Chu. Unless there's a divorce to deal with, she can get all those at the same time once your petition is approved.

For China specific support, join http://www.candleforlove.com They just piss their pants with joy when you tell them Pushbrk sent you.

[tony1343 0]

pushbrk, thank you very much.

Looks like I have so far: two boarding passes (Malaysia <-> Shanghai). I no longer have the boarding passes for any of the trips Chicago <-> Shanghai. I have a Chinese departure card; Shanghai Zoo stub; printed travel itineraries / receipts for all 4 trips to China; and photographs with my fiancee.

Hopefully, this will do it. I'm going to keep looking for my passport and other evidence for a few more days. I will probably be taking another trip out to China (almost enough for a free flight from miles), but definitely don't want to wait until after that to submit everything and unnecessarily delay the process 3-4 months.

Again, thanks. Once I'm done with this process, I'll make sure to return the favor and help out answering some questions based upon my experience.

Whether I find my passport or have to get a new one, I'll make sure to not repeat this mistake again.