Cheapest way to ship documents Internationally

[Dodi 69]

I'm sending off all of the documents and required evidence for my fiance's interview. The file weighs about 7 lbs with everything I've put in it (including co-sponsor's documents JUST IN CASE). I looked online and DHL wanted over $120 to send it, UPS and FedEx had the exact same rates (SHOCKING) at $139 and $148 depending on the services I chose. USPS is between $48 and $65, but it can take a couple of weeks for it to get there (my last pkg from him took nearly a month by Royal Mail, and it was open when I got it, so I'm a little skeptical about sending it through the regular post).

Does anyone else know a better/cheaper route?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Edited July 12, 2010 by Dodi

[payxibka 10,044]

I'm sending off all of the documents and required evidence for my fiance's interview. The file weighs about 7 lbs with everything I've put in it (including co-sponsor's documents JUST IN CASE). I looked online and DHL wanted over $120 to send it, UPS and FedEx had the exact same rates (SHOCKING) at $139 and $148 depending on the services I chose. USPS is between $48 and $65, but it can take a couple of weeks for it to get there (my last pkg from him took nearly a month by Royal Mail, and it was open when I got it, so I'm a little skeptical about sending it through the regular post).

Does anyone else know a better/cheaper route?

Thanks in advance for your help!

What are you sending that weighs 7 pounds? My info I gave my now wife was about 20 pieces of paper

[Aly and Randy 0]

I'm sending off all of the documents and required evidence for my fiance's interview. The file weighs about 7 lbs with everything I've put in it (including co-sponsor's documents JUST IN CASE). I looked online and DHL wanted over $120 to send it, UPS and FedEx had the exact same rates (SHOCKING) at $139 and $148 depending on the services I chose. USPS is between $48 and $65, but it can take a couple of weeks for it to get there (my last pkg from him took nearly a month by Royal Mail, and it was open when I got it, so I'm a little skeptical about sending it through the regular post).

Does anyone else know a better/cheaper route?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I'm in the same boat as you and don't know which is the best way to send it.

Wish I could help you out, I'm still not sure how I'm going to send mine, all I know is it needs to be sent very soon.

Maybe someone else will come along with the answers?

Good luck to you!

[mandyu1 5]

Unfortunately USPS is the cheapest way to go. If you can fit all of your documents in a flat rate express envelope it should only take 4-5 days to get there and the price is less.

Good Luck!!

[Craneman 2]

International will take about 2 weeks, 4-5 days within the U.S.

Unfortunately USPS is the cheapest way to go. If you can fit all of your documents in a flat rate express envelope it should only take 4-5 days to get there and the price is less.

Good Luck!!

[mandyu1 5]

International will take about 2 weeks, 4-5 days within the U.S.

I'm a former USPS employee, express mail in the US takes 1 day and Priority mail takes 4-5 days. I sent my fiance a gift weighing 15 pounds to saudia arabia and used express mail and he had it in 5 days.

[Dodi 69]

What are you sending that weighs 7 pounds? My info I gave my now wife was about 20 pieces of paper

I'm sending copies of all of our 129F packet forms for his review (not documentation, just the forms), the originals from our I-134 and all supporting documentation, 3-page EOR letter, 7 photographs, 38 pages of phone logs, copies of a christmas card, and receipt for shipping his christmas gifts, copies of our passport pages to show proof of being to each other's country (he doesn't have access to a full-size copier, just a fax machine, so I'm trying to make it easier for him), copies of boarding passes and trip itineraries, copy of my wedding gown receipt to prove intent to marry. All of the forms he'll need are already filled out (we went over them together) with sign-here tabs on them (2 original copies of each), marriage license (my previous) divorce decree (my previous) co-sponsor's I-134 and all of her documentation, Affirmation of Intent to Marry letter (notarized), and a copy of my birth certificate. Everything is in a 4-section Classification Folder with astrobrights between each set of documents, tabbed and indexed, with an instruction page on top of each section.

The folder is letter sized, but expanded to about an inch and a half thick, so I don't know if I can fit it in a flat-rate express envelope. If I can, I will.

There's a LOT of papers, but he needs them all, and I get a bit OCD about organizing the file when it comes to this stuff because it IS the US gov't that he's having to deal with. Better safe than sorry.

International will take about 2 weeks, 4-5 days within the U.S.

According to the USPS website, if I shipped my file by 4pm today with an International Express flat-rate envelope, it would get there approximately Friday.

Edited July 12, 2010 by Dodi

[marlea 84]

There are both flat rate envelopes and flat rate boxes. You might try a medium size box, everything should fit in there, and if I remember right, it's about $25.

[Gingerpants 8]

Ooh those price quotes are insane! My parents sent me a package from the States to Ireland for $45 and it made it here in a week (the box was approximately big enough to fit two 500g boxes of tea). Perhaps if you're just sending it to your Fiance so he can then complete the packet then you could throw in a small bag of sweets so that they'll write "perishable" on it and it will get there quicker. =)

Good luck!

[menina 50]

I sent my documents via USPS and they got to Brasil in about a week. The mail system here is notoriously unreliable, so that was a pretty quick trip. I was able to track the package progress online,so that helped my nerves as well. I would recommend sending less of your phone log if it helps cut down on the weight. You could send maybe one page a month or something. It should be sufficient to show that you are communicating often. I think we sent one phone bill (one month) each from him and from me and a couple of pages with MSN chat log and Skype logs. Your other evidence sounds good with the passport stamps, receipts, pictures, etc. We also organized our file that way with the tabs and instructions. We were approved without a problem at the interview as well as at the subsequent AOS interview. Good luck on your journey.

[antoneya 9]

Why not try and scan the items that you can scan, that way you will reduce the weight and save money...also USPS has a globe express 3-5 days, less than FedEx but it is actually send through FedEx, they take it and actually gives it to FedEx. Mine box got there in 5 days not counting the weekend

Edited July 13, 2010 by antoneya

[Darnell 8,478]

phone logs, chat logs, all can be 'converted' to pdf output files, using cutepdf print driver.

then sent via email.

photos can be scanned, sent via email, to be reprinted locally.

anything to pare back ?

Edited July 13, 2010 by Darnell