Letter from Mother-in-law

[Nikolaib 12]

Hello all!

Just a quick question for you all. I was recently going over the things I'm preparing to submit with my I-129F. I'm just a little nervous that I don't have enough evidence of the meeting. I have all of the boarding passes and some luggage tags that I was able to save, as well was the stamps on my passport. but other than that the only proof I have is pictures, and I know they are considered to be secondary evidence. A friend suggested to me that what he did when he was sending paperwork for his fiance was to get a letter from her mother attesting to the fact that he was there, and stayed in her house for such and such a time. I'm curious as to whether or not this really helped the process, or if he had enough evidence aside from it, so i wanted to ask you all how much weight do you think that would really have for this? would I have to get it notarized to make it official, or will the USCIS just trust that it's really in her English hand-writing?

[belluco86 3]

You have enough evidence. I don't know what more evidence you want to present

Boarding Pass

Luggage tickets

Pictures

add to that

Passport stamp?

That's all you need. Show you've seen her in the past two years. Don't over kill it. Just present the evidence you have it's enough

[Brad and Vika 129]

Agree that you have enough. The Ukraine embassy is pretty easy anyway. I might just include an itinerary for the trip. And don't worry. Good luck!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hello all!

Just a quick question for you all. I was recently going over the things I'm preparing to submit with my I-129F. I'm just a little nervous that I don't have enough evidence of the meeting. I have all of the boarding passes and some luggage tags that I was able to save, as well was the stamps on my passport. but other than that the only proof I have is pictures, and I know they are considered to be secondary evidence. A friend suggested to me that what he did when he was sending paperwork for his fiance was to get a letter from her mother attesting to the fact that he was there, and stayed in her house for such and such a time. I'm curious as to whether or not this really helped the process, or if he had enough evidence aside from it, so i wanted to ask you all how much weight do you think that would really have for this? would I have to get it notarized to make it official, or will the USCIS just trust that it's really in her English hand-writing?

The first thing a fraudulent person would do is have a "relative" write a letter. Stop worrying. You have plenty. I sent ONE photo (you can see the exact photo I sent by clicking on my "photos") copies of boarding passes and passport stamps. This is not a court, you do not have to "prove beyond reasonable doubt" just provide plausible evidence you have met in person.

[payxibka 10,048]

Agree that you have enough. The Ukraine embassy is pretty easy anyway. I might just include an itinerary for the trip. And don't worry. Good luck!

maybe true, but he is preparing the I-129F which must pass muster with the USCIS first and foremeost

[Brad and Vika 129]

maybe true, but he is preparing the I-129F which must pass muster with the USCIS first and foremeost

Where he only has to show that they have met during the past two years and intend to marry, right? I think most of us, including Vika and I, send WAAAY too much up front, and take way too much to the interview. Although every one ignores the advice to reduce the paper....

[payxibka 10,048]

Where he only has to show that they have met during the past two years and intend to marry, right? I think most of us, including Vika and I, send WAAAY too much up front, and take way too much to the interview. Although every one ignores the advice to reduce the paper....

Agreed on the WAY TOO MUCH... I sent in a total of 24 pieces of paper which included a 15 page divorce decree...

[lesleysizeland 0]

Hello all!

Just a quick question for you all. I was recently going over the things I'm preparing to submit with my I-129F. I'm just a little nervous that I don't have enough evidence of the meeting. I have all of the boarding passes and some luggage tags that I was able to save, as well was the stamps on my passport. but other than that the only proof I have is pictures, and I know they are considered to be secondary evidence. A friend suggested to me that what he did when he was sending paperwork for his fiance was to get a letter from her mother attesting to the fact that he was there, and stayed in her house for such and such a time. I'm curious as to whether or not this really helped the process, or if he had enough evidence aside from it, so i wanted to ask you all how much weight do you think that would really have for this? would I have to get it notarized to make it official, or will the USCIS just trust that it's really in her English hand-writing?

When we prepared ours we sent in loads of evidence just to be on the safe side, we sent:

Passport stamps from past visits

Boarding passes

Emails

His phone bills

My phone bills

Photos

I would not ask the mother in law to send a letter, to me this is not evidence, someone could say you stayed even if you didn't. I also think that more is better, when i went to my final interview i had EVERYTHING from the beginning of our journey to the end and i had it copied three times. I also had extra evidence at that stage. When i went for my interview the officer said "I can see from your evidence that this is a genuine relationship but i just want to ask you a couple of questions" He asked me when me and Patrick met and when we got engaged. Then he had a joke about my memory and told me i had been granted the visa. I am sure this is because i took more evidence than less (and of course everything else was in order!)

[Nikolaib 12]

Thanks everyone for the replies. It does make me feel a lot better that I have enough evidence.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

When we prepared ours we sent in loads of evidence just to be on the safe side, we sent:

Passport stamps from past visits

Boarding passes

Emails

His phone bills

My phone bills

Photos

I would not ask the mother in law to send a letter, to me this is not evidence, someone could say you stayed even if you didn't. I also think that more is better, when i went to my final interview i had EVERYTHING from the beginning of our journey to the end and i had it copied three times. I also had extra evidence at that stage. When i went for my interview the officer said "I can see from your evidence that this is a genuine relationship but i just want to ask you a couple of questions" He asked me when me and Patrick met and when we got engaged. Then he had a joke about my memory and told me i had been granted the visa. I am sure this is because i took more evidence than less (and of course everything else was in order!)

There really is no such thing as "too much", anything not needed is just ignored, stapled together, and put in the back of the folder. Then again, there is no such thing as a "safe side".

Unneeded information will in no way make up for items that are needed. If you send evidence that...

1. You are a US citizen

2. You both intend to get married within 90 days (letter of intent from each of you)

3. That you are both "free to marry"

4. You have met at least one time (in person) within the last two years

Your petition will be approved. Anything required for VISA approval at the consulate should be presented there, presenting it with the petition will make no difference.

There is no requirement, for example, to prove to the USCIS that you are "engaged" or that a ring was purchased or that you had some traditional ceremony, or even that you have communicated in any way since your one meeting. They do not care one whit. If you sign the letters of intent, that is all that is needed.

The marriage agencies in Ukraine used to (maybe still do, but I heard the economy has cut down on travelers to Ukraine)hold "events" when they would coordinate the meeting of many women with many foreign men. It was a "social", "speed dating" so to speak. Each woman would have her photo taken with each man to "prove" they met in person and receive a stamped recipt that they were in attendance at the "social". Literally, shaking hands and smiling for a photo meets the requirement of "meeting one time in the last two years". Any romances that developed after the "social" could be documented with photos (for a fee, of course). My landlord there also had a marriage agency and had these events 3-4 times per year. He said there were about 50-100 women for 10-12 men.

[TBoneTX 47,505]

Gary is absolutely correct about everything except this:

Anything required for VISA approval at the consulate should be presented there, presenting it with the petition will make no difference.

Anyone expecting to get a visa out of Ecuador (for one place) runs the very real risk of bringing evidence to the consular interview, having the evidence refused, and then receiving an accusation of "insufficient evidence was presented." In the case of problem consulates, front-loading the USCIS petition is advisable and is often crucial.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Gary is absolutely correct about everything except this:Anyone expecting to get a visa out of Ecuador (for one place) runs the very real risk of bringing evidence to the consular interview, having the evidence refused, and then receiving an accusation of "insufficient evidence was presented." In the case of problem consulates, front-loading the USCIS petition is advisable and is often crucial.

I do not say people should not do this. In the case of difficult consulates, Ecuador is one of them, they can STILL deny a visa for lack of evidence even if you frontload the petition. Frontloading MAY give you a reason for re-opening after denial. Frontloading means you are giving evidence which can only exist before you file the petition and for some people, very little exists. There was at one time, and maybe still, lots of men coming to Ukraine and other countries, meeting women and returning 3 days later with her signature on the paperwork for an I-129f. Not much there to frontload, and to be honest, such visas would probably not get approved in Ecuador, Vietnam or Morroco either.

Again there is no penalty for providing TOO much and I do not say you shouldn't, I only say "do not worry about your petition" because you did not. Kiev is, until now at least, a very easy consulate to deal with. Provide all the required information and documents and you will get your visa with little or no questions asked in most cases.