Editing personal info in emails and letters

[Chris M 1]

Hey all... Another question.

I know emails do not show proof of meeting in the past two years, but as stated in the guide it can show an on-going relationship. We got engaged when we met in Egypt a few weeks ago. I have been talking to Tanya for the past 10 months, and decided to take one email from both of us for every month we have been talking and put it in with the application. So in all I have 10 for each of us, 20 total. I tried to pick the emails that were short and sweet, and did not show too much about our conversations. However my question is, what can I edit out of the email? I imagine I want to leave the email address and date in there to show who is writing who, but what about the body of the letter? There is nothing too personal in these emails, but I like being a little private. The guide says this; "emails (you can edit personal info with a marker), letters (edit personal info also)." Any ideas are helpful.

Tanya just sent her signed documents through DHL today, so we are hoping they will be here by next week. I am hoping to get the application out next Monday, May 10th. We both have been working very hard on the application together. As all of you are aware of, it can be mentally exhausting. I think I have re-checked everything a hundred times, and I am hoping my "#######-ness" will benefit us in the end. ha ha.

Thanks again.

[LvivLovers 39]

Hey all... Another question.

I know emails do not show proof of meeting in the past two years, but as stated in the guide it can show an on-going relationship. We got engaged when we met in Egypt a few weeks ago. I have been talking to Tanya for the past 10 months, and decided to take one email from both of us for every month we have been talking and put it in with the application. So in all I have 10 for each of us, 20 total. I tried to pick the emails that were short and sweet, and did not show too much about our conversations. However my question is, what can I edit out of the email? I imagine I want to leave the email address and date in there to show who is writing who, but what about the body of the letter? There is nothing too personal in these emails, but I like being a little private. The guide says this; "emails (you can edit personal info with a marker), letters (edit personal info also)." Any ideas are helpful.

Tanya just sent her signed documents through DHL today, so we are hoping they will be here by next week. I am hoping to get the application out next Monday, May 10th. We both have been working very hard on the application together. As all of you are aware of, it can be mentally exhausting. I think I have re-checked everything a hundred times, and I am hoping my "#######-ness" will benefit us in the end. ha ha.

Thanks again.

I'd imagine you can edit whatever you don't feel comfortable showing. On all our documents through the process, I've blacked out account numbers, balances, etc. that they didn't really need to know and never got any RFEs or other problems. I'd say go for it.

[Bernie C 24]

Other than private discussions about things like hot steamy sex there isn't really much to edit. Remember, if your using these to establish "ongoing relationship" most converstation elements are relevant.

I sent in about a dozen with our petition and had hundreds for the interview and never edited a single one. (At the interview they never asked to see a single one either - but some others have had just the opposite)

It's up to you what you want and don't want them to read. If there is nothing too personal I would not edit anything.

[baron555 934]

tried to pick the emails that were short and sweet, and did not show too much about our conversations.

I totally disagree with this tact. Please look back to my threads following her interview in late November, 2009. We met via an online agency and only met once. I sent the same as you mentioned to her for her interview and she was first grilled about the agency and then maybe couldn't answer some of the subsequent questions since the little one was fussing about during the interview and the lady officer took all of our documentation and wanted more. I subsequently sent about 1/2 of total of what we had generated and purposefully included those long lovey dovey emails plus a three page road map letter otulining this documentation and interperetting it for the reader.

You MUST prove you have a relationship, actually you MUST prove that you have a relationship so strong that you both are intending to become married, actually you MUST prove that you have a relationship that you both intend to keep forever (not just to get a GC).

Yes, black out numbers (account balancesr, how long it is, etc) but leave the details in there. Kill 'em with your love, show them your love, do not be afraid.

You must bare your soul since they own it already.

And, I edited nothing; I'm proud of my numbers!!

Edited April 30, 2010 by baron555

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

We blocked out info in some of our emails - these included things like pet names, sweet talk, etc. It wasn't a problem. The ones we choose to submit were pretty generic, along the lines of "what's for dinner?" and "where shall we meet tonight" and "what shall we buy your mother for her christmas" etc. But generally speaking, most people in love pepper these kinds of communication with sweet nothings you don't want the world to see - blacking them out with a pen should not be a problem.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Editing emails is a matter of consulate. I wouldn't want to do it for Lagos as there have been issues with them wanting to see the edited parts. I don't think it would be a problem for easy ones like the UK or Canada.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hey all... Another question.

I know emails do not show proof of meeting in the past two years, but as stated in the guide it can show an on-going relationship. We got engaged when we met in Egypt a few weeks ago. I have been talking to Tanya for the past 10 months, and decided to take one email from both of us for every month we have been talking and put it in with the application. So in all I have 10 for each of us, 20 total. I tried to pick the emails that were short and sweet, and did not show too much about our conversations. However my question is, what can I edit out of the email? I imagine I want to leave the email address and date in there to show who is writing who, but what about the body of the letter? There is nothing too personal in these emails, but I like being a little private. The guide says this; "emails (you can edit personal info with a marker), letters (edit personal info also)." Any ideas are helpful.

Tanya just sent her signed documents through DHL today, so we are hoping they will be here by next week. I am hoping to get the application out next Monday, May 10th. We both have been working very hard on the application together. As all of you are aware of, it can be mentally exhausting. I think I have re-checked everything a hundred times, and I am hoping my "#######-ness" will benefit us in the end. ha ha.

Thanks again.

You do not need it for the petition. facetious paper will not help in any way to get a petition approved. Send them what they need and keep the rest for the interview.

What you are sending is a petition, not an application. SHE will make an application for a visa after the petition is approved. The petition is really just the US citizen documenting that the parties meet the qualifications to apply for a visa. It is an request to make an application, not an application.

Not to be ####### about it, but just so you are aware that the petition does not mean an approved visa. Continue collecting evidence of relationship, you will need it for the visa interview when she goes for that. Moscow will not allow you to attend the interview so you will need to document things well and send or bring it to her.

tried to pick the emails that were short and sweet, and did not show too much about our conversations.

I totally disagree with this tact. Please look back to my threads following her interview in late November, 2009. We met via an online agency and only met once. I sent the same as you mentioned to her for her interview and she was first grilled about the agency and then maybe couldn't answer some of the subsequent questions since the little one was fussing about during the interview and the lady officer took all of our documentation and wanted more. I subsequently sent about 1/2 of total of what we had generated and purposefully included those long lovey dovey emails plus a three page road map letter otulining this documentation and interperetting it for the reader.

You MUST prove you have a relationship, actually you MUST prove that you have a relationship so strong that you both are intending to become married, actually you MUST prove that you have a relationship that you both intend to keep forever (not just to get a GC).

Yes, black out numbers (account balancesr, how long it is, etc) but leave the details in there. Kill 'em with your love, show them your love, do not be afraid.

You must bare your soul since they own it already.

And, I edited nothing; I'm proud of my numbers!!

All good info, Baron. But emails are not needed for the petition. I think you need to make it clear, it was at the interview you needed all the emails, not for the petition.

[clueless_in_usa 8]

Hey all... Another question.

I know emails do not show proof of meeting in the past two years, but as stated in the guide it can show an on-going relationship. We got engaged when we met in Egypt a few weeks ago. I have been talking to Tanya for the past 10 months, and decided to take one email from both of us for every month we have been talking and put it in with the application. So in all I have 10 for each of us, 20 total. I tried to pick the emails that were short and sweet, and did not show too much about our conversations. However my question is, what can I edit out of the email? I imagine I want to leave the email address and date in there to show who is writing who, but what about the body of the letter? There is nothing too personal in these emails, but I like being a little private. The guide says this; "emails (you can edit personal info with a marker), letters (edit personal info also)." Any ideas are helpful.

Tanya just sent her signed documents through DHL today, so we are hoping they will be here by next week. I am hoping to get the application out next Monday, May 10th. We both have been working very hard on the application together. As all of you are aware of, it can be mentally exhausting. I think I have re-checked everything a hundred times, and I am hoping my "#######-ness" will benefit us in the end. ha ha.

Thanks again.

I am going to go against the popular vote and suggest you NOT to send any email. They are useless unless asked for them explicitly. Send hard proof (passport stamps, boarding passes) and photos together. Nothing else is required.

For ongoing relationship, start collecting phone bills, for example.

I give this advice by experience. I never showed any kind of communication I had with my now wife. Just proof of my trips there, photos, and telephone calls history. No questions were asked about it.

Edit: I am appalled! I agree with Gary ...

Edited May 1, 2010 by clueless_in_usa

[Chris M 1]

As far as phone bills are concerned... we have not used the phone more than 10 minutes total. Tanya is 11 hours ahead of me here, so we have been using a webcam since September. It has worked so much better for us, but of course we really do not have anything stating we have been using the webcam on MSN. However, two months in to talking through email and chat I started sending Tanya post cards in the mail, so we could get a date stamp on the post cards. I started doing this in December and sent one every week for a couple months. she has about 15 of them now, but I still send them to her about every 10 days or so, but seeing everyone's response I am going to continue to send them to her once a week again. Not a problem, and I enjoy doing it. Since we do not have phone records emails and postcards are something we will have to rely on. Of course we took many photos together on our trip to Egypt as well.

[Chris M 1]

I forgot to add this too. sorry.....

what about bank statement for the interview? Of course I want to black out my account number, but I thought showing the embassy how much I had in the bank is something they need to see. I would not want to send these statements to Tanya now, because in the next several months the amount in my account can change obviously, but when the time comes for the interview, is it OK to send her a scan of the statements so she has a very up to date balance?

And when it comes to sending the original "Documentary Proof" of having met in the last two years... right now I made copies of boarding passes, passports, birth certificates, hotel receipts, etc... this is probably a dumb question, but I do not send my passport or birth certificate over to her, do I? I know they need originals of everything else, but i cannot imagine sending my passport to Russia is one of them. however, I do have 3 copies of my birth certificate, so sending one may not be a problem.

thanks again.

[baron555 934]

I forgot to add this too. sorry.....

what about bank statement for the interview? Of course I want to black out my account number, but I thought showing the embassy how much I had in the bank is something they need to see. I would not want to send these statements to Tanya now, because in the next several months the amount in my account can change obviously, but when the time comes for the interview, is it OK to send her a scan of the statements so she has a very up to date balance?

And when it comes to sending the original "Documentary Proof" of having met in the last two years... right now I made copies of boarding passes, passports, birth certificates, hotel receipts, etc... this is probably a dumb question, but I do not send my passport or birth certificate over to her, do I? I know they need originals of everything else, but i cannot imagine sending my passport to Russia is one of them. however, I do have 3 copies of my birth certificate, so sending one may not be a problem.

thanks again.

You can send a bank statement as part of your I-134 package but the tax transcripts or copy of the entire tax year submittal is primary, followed by letter from employer and then copies of recent paycheck stubs or summaries.

No you never send your passport anywhere except a passport office. You can send a copy of the ID page to prove that the man in the photos is you.

The BC was sent in the I-129 petition and is not needed by her at the interview; they do need hers though, with English translation.

[baron555 934]

As far as phone bills are concerned... we have not used the phone more than 10 minutes total. Tanya is 11 hours ahead of me here, so we have been using a webcam since September. It has worked so much better for us, but of course we really do not have anything stating we have been using the webcam on MSN. However, two months in to talking through email and chat I started sending Tanya post cards in the mail, so we could get a date stamp on the post cards. I started doing this in December and sent one every week for a couple months. she has about 15 of them now, but I still send them to her about every 10 days or so, but seeing everyone's response I am going to continue to send them to her once a week again. Not a problem, and I enjoy doing it. Since we do not have phone records emails and postcards are something we will have to rely on. Of course we took many photos together on our trip to Egypt as well.

YES to what Gary mentioned; you ONLY need to send in the documentation of proof of meeting with the I-129. Everything else about your relationship is only needed for the interview. I did send in some stuff with my 129 and then sent more to her for the interview and we ended up having to send in even more.

The post cards are excellent and she should bring them all to the interview. For webcam use, unless you have a log summary generated by the webcam software, I would suggest you keep a manual log of your chats.

Few emails are a bad thing......here's why.

You two are involved in an international relationship where you two can not be physically together much. YOU NEED TO DO EXTRA-ORDINARY THINGS TO GENERATE VARIOUS TYPES OF CORRESPONDENCE TO SHOW TO THE INTERVIEWING OFFICER.

I'll repeat, You are not involved in an ordinary relationship, you need to do extraordinary things to prove this relationship to a stranger who does not know you. They will not rely just on your word for it.

[Martyshk 137]

FOR THE INTERVIEW (not the petition itself) we included about 80 e-mails and text message printouts without editing any personal info.

No one looked at those though.

[Casper&Diana 0]

For what it's worth, I'm bringing two complete e-mails per month (1 each from me and 1 from Diana) for the last 4 months and choosing ones that are newsy, 1-2 pages each, but don't need any redactions. I am also planning to bring the to/from plus subject line (printed from my Yahoo account) for the nearly 400 other e-mails Diana and I have exchanged. Altogether that's about 30-40 pages of e-mail data. I gotta think that's enough!

I'm still hoping for a late May or June Kiev embassy visit since the idiots at the CSC have apparently (re-?)sent my application to the NVC yesterday (after the NOA2 saying they sent it on April 12th but they never did!)