RFE... boarding passes?

[Antdawg270 0]

I want to make sure I have enough documentation to show proof of meeting my fiancee twice. I have e-tickets from Aeroflot confirming my arrival and departure dates. I can likely produce bank statements which show ATM withdrawals in the Russian city I was in. I have digital photos of course. I'm a little nervous I don't have the boarding passes. Will that be a problem?? How picky are they?

[Hell0W0rld 10]

credit card statement is good, hotel receipts, VISA entry/departure stamps on passport, E ticket doesn't really show that you actually took the trip...... pictures are ok but those are secondary evidence...

Edited May 25, 2009 by HelloWorld08

[Antdawg270 0]

credit card statement is good, hotel receipts, VISA entry/departure stamps on passport, E ticket doesn't really show that you actually took the trip...... pictures are ok but those are secondary evidence...

I'm sure I can get a copy of the bank statement, but if I send my stamped visas, wouldn't that be the best proof of entry? Why would I need to worry about the others? It doesn't get much more official than that. Sorry, I just think some of this stuff is overkill.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

All we submitted was a bunch of photos and our flight itineraries. We didn't save our boarding passes and nobody has passport stamps as I am a Canadian. This was never a problem for us. I think the items you listed above are more than enough!

[Antdawg270 0]

Here's what I have to send:

- Russian tourist visas (2) stamped at the airport in Moscow both times

- E-ticket via e-mail from Aeroflot

- E-mail to Aeroflot from Russia describing a change request

- multiple photos in different settings with my fiancee

- tons of text messages and e-mails sent to my fiancee

Will I get RFE'd? As I said before, I can probably pull a bank statement which will show ATM withdrawals in Russia, but will that truly be a deal-breaker?? Just don't wanna get RFE'd. :-)

All we submitted was a bunch of photos and our flight itineraries. We didn't save our boarding passes and nobody has passport stamps as I am a Canadian. This was never a problem for us. I think the items you listed above are more than enough!

Thanks! This is the answer I was looking for. I can even send my Russian tourist visas stamped in Moscow...

[lovica_l 0]

all that evidence is good, include lots of pictures, maybe with both of your families or something, call records, chats

[Mr. Georgia Guy 0]

what if we didnt chat? i mean we met in person b4 we totally fall inlove with each other?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I want to make sure I have enough documentation to show proof of meeting my fiancee twice. I have e-tickets from Aeroflot confirming my arrival and departure dates. I can likely produce bank statements which show ATM withdrawals in the Russian city I was in. I have digital photos of course. I'm a little nervous I don't have the boarding passes. Will that be a problem?? How picky are they?

Very picky. The most commoncause of RFEs is for further evidence of meeting in person. Here's the deal....

You give a description of how you met in person, (answer to question 18) then you must provide "primary" and "secondary" evidence to support that. E-tickets would be, at best, secondary evidence but probably not even that. E-tickets do not prove you traveled. Boarding passes prove you traveled. They are PRIMARY evidence of travel. BUT, so are passport stamps. Certainly your passport was stamped when you entered and left Russia, or whatever country you met in...I met Alla in CZ Republic.

Photographs are SECONDARY evidence, they prove you met but not within the last two years. Even if the are time stamped. Time stamps can be set to anything you want, so time stamps are ignored. But when you say "I met my fiancee in Moscow on March 27, 2009" and you have passport stamps or boarding passes showing you were in Russia on March 27, 2009 and photos of you together that look relatively like the passport photos you submit, it is sufficient. ALL of the evidence is taken as a whole, when one item supports another item, they deem your description and evidence to be suffiecient to prove you are eligible to petition your fiancee. In your case, your passport stamps will be your primary evidence.

Sufficient for the PETITION. The petition is a request for an opportunity to apply for a visa. When your fiancee applies for the visa she will have to provide evidence of an ongoing relationship of the type which leads to marriage. You both need to conduct yourselves accordingly and be careful to keep the evidence you need from now until the interview.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Here's what I have to send:

- Russian tourist visas (2) stamped at the airport in Moscow both times

- E-ticket via e-mail from Aeroflot

- E-mail to Aeroflot from Russia describing a change request

- multiple photos in different settings with my fiancee

- tons of text messages and e-mails sent to my fiancee

Will I get RFE'd? As I said before, I can probably pull a bank statement which will show ATM withdrawals in Russia, but will that truly be a deal-breaker?? Just don't wanna get RFE'd. :-)

All we submitted was a bunch of photos and our flight itineraries. We didn't save our boarding passes and nobody has passport stamps as I am a Canadian. This was never a problem for us. I think the items you listed above are more than enough!

Thanks! This is the answer I was looking for. I can even send my Russian tourist visas stamped in Moscow...

To the OP, yes include a copy of your passport and the visas. Yes, the evidence you list is enough. The acceptable evidence for Canadians is different. Canadians and Americans going to Canada do not get passport stamps or visas, for another week we do not even need a passport to cross by land and several states have "enhanced drivers licenses" such as ours in Vermont that allows us to cross without a passport. The requirements for primary evidence will vary for the "next door neighbors" with privileged entry procedures. (lest you accuse me of being an arrogant American, we are BOTH privileged with easy and paperless border crossings)

If you say you net your fiancee in Russia, you have best be prepared to PROVE with documentation you were there. Airline itineraries are not primary evidence, but again, the body of evidence for each case is considered. A fiancee from Canada will be considered differently than a fiancee from Russia, in terms of evidence expected.

Regarding anything else...I often see people suggest emails, chats etc. Such things do NOT prove meeting in person, in fact, they prove the opposite and are not required for the petition nor will they help in any way to meet the terms and requirements of the petition. Save those for the interview. If you don't chat or email...start. You WILL need to provide evidence of communications and relationship for the interview, conduct yourselves in a way that generates evidence and then keep the evidence.

[KimandRuss 0]

Passport stamps and travel itinerary/boarding passes are your best proof. Add to these a few pictures of you together. Again, photos are secondary evidence. I could put you anyone at anytime in photoshop.

I'm going to disagree a bit with Gary with regards to proof ongoing relationship. Recently we've had a couple of VJ members get RFE'd for proof of on-going relationship at the petition stage of the process. Although it's not asked for with the petition, I always recommend adding at least some proof of on-going relationship evidence such as phone/chat logs, emails...etc. Save the bulk for interview but do send something at this stage as well.

At higher fraud posts, many times the decision is already made before you walk in the room to be interviewed... sad, but true. The more they have with the initial petition, the more likely the chances to prove your relationship bona-fide.

[BokGao 0]

I want to make sure I have enough documentation to show proof of meeting my fiancee twice. I have e-tickets from Aeroflot confirming my arrival and departure dates. I can likely produce bank statements which show ATM withdrawals in the Russian city I was in. I have digital photos of course. I'm a little nervous I don't have the boarding passes. Will that be a problem?? How picky are they?

I only sent 1 picture of us together. I also sent a copy of my passport. Of the passport, I only sent the page of me and the page of the stamp that showed entry and departure. I didn't include all pages of the passport. I didn't send the itinery. I didn't send the money exchange slip. No ticket stubs. No phone records. No emails/letters. Just 1 picture and 3 pages of the passport. I thought that I might get an RFE for sure but what you have seems to be a lot more than what I sent. Of course, I sent her a lot more stuff such as pictures and call record for the packet 3.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Passport stamps and travel itinerary/boarding passes are your best proof. Add to these a few pictures of you together. Again, photos are secondary evidence. I could put you anyone at anytime in photoshop.

I'm going to disagree a bit with Gary with regards to proof ongoing relationship. Recently we've had a couple of VJ members get RFE'd for proof of on-going relationship at the petition stage of the process. Although it's not asked for with the petition, I always recommend adding at least some proof of on-going relationship evidence such as phone/chat logs, emails...etc. Save the bulk for interview but do send something at this stage as well.

At higher fraud posts, many times the decision is already made before you walk in the room to be interviewed... sad, but true. The more they have with the initial petition, the more likely the chances to prove your relationship bona-fide.

I have no disagreement with you Kim. Include all you want in the I-129f. Better too much gun. BUT emails, letters, etc. do not prove "meeting in person" in any case. Some people using difficult consulates do what has come to be called "front loading" the petition to make sure some evidence gets to the other side of the glass at the interview.

Many people file an I-129f and have little evidence of ongoing relationship at the time of filing. Include what you have, why not? But they will be looking for primary and secondary evidence of meeting in person for certain. For our case I gave a two sentence description, ONE photo of us together in a restaraunt and boarding passes/passport stamps.

[pushbrk 13,543]

Passport stamps and travel itinerary/boarding passes are your best proof. Add to these a few pictures of you together. Again, photos are secondary evidence. I could put you anyone at anytime in photoshop.

A travel itinerary is evidence of nothing at all. Passport stamps, boarding passes and receipts in country are primary evidence. Anything else is secondary at best. One piece of primary evidence of meeting is sufficient and I always recommend at least SOME pictures.

Adding evidence of a bona fide ongoing relationship is situational but can be kept at a minimum in most cases.

Edited May 25, 2009 by pushbrk

[chelle+james 0]

I only sent in my eticket and 5 pictures for evidence, I didn't get an RFE...