I-129F Question 18

[Que Saudade 284]

How much detail should I put in the detailed description of meeting in person and how we met? Are there any example letters to help? We met online, I flew to Sao Paulo twice now, we have pictures, receipts of hotel stays etc... Any advice as to what to write?

Thanks so much,

John and Mari

[Amyyduck 20]

USCIS doesn't really care about too many details. They want to know that you've met in person within the past two years. What I wrote was something along the lines of this:

My fiance, John Smith, and I, Jane Doe, met (describe in a sentence or two how you met). Since then we have tried to spend as much time together as possible. Here is a list of our visits within the past two years.

xx-xx-xxxx (date)

John visits Jane in City, State, US

xx-xx-xxxx

Jane visits John in City, Country

xx-xx-xxxx

Jane visits John in City, Country

John Proposes!

Thats basically what mine looked like. Theres really no hard and fast rules about this one, so just make sure you list how you met, and that you've met in person within the past two years, thats really all they want to know. Anything else is just extra.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Amyyduck

[dakay ♥ 10]

In our case, my fiance wrote about a paragraph of how we met ( the numerous times we flew to see one another, places, dates) USCIS just wants a short explanation, pretty much they just want to know that you have met in the past 2 years. Good Luck

[Aztec&Taino 144]

How much detail should I put in the detailed description of meeting in person and how we met? Are there any example letters to help? We met online, I flew to Sao Paulo twice now, we have pictures, receipts of hotel stays etc... Any advice as to what to write?

Thanks so much,

John and Mari

My advice would be to focus on being concise, yet provide key information such as:

-Dates: When did you first start to talk to each other? When did you meet in person? For how long did you stay when you went to Sao Paulo? If you have visited more than once, provide the date ranges of your visits.

-Important details: Did you meet you fiance(e)'s family and/or friends? Could you provide a picture or two that could document these meetings?

-How do you communicate: Explain how you have continued to communicate during this time that you've been in apart. How often do you contact one another or through what medium? How has your relationship developed?

Again, be concise (no longer than a page), but provide details so that whoever is reading it can be a picture of the circumstances in which you met and have an idea of how the relationship has developed. It might also be helpful to note in what language you communicate with one another (English, Portuguese, or some other language?)

Best of luck!

[Amyyduck 20]

My advice would be to focus on being concise, yet provide key information such as:

-Dates: When did you first start to talk to each other? When did you meet in person? For how long did you stay when you went to Sao Paulo? If you have visited more than once, provide the date ranges of your visits.

-Important details: Did you meet you fiance(e)'s family and/or friends? Could you provide a picture or two that could document these meetings?

-How do you communicate: Explain how you have continued to communicate during this time that you've been in apart. How often do you contact one another or through what medium? How has your relationship developed?

Again, be concise (no longer than a page), but provide details so that whoever is reading it can be a picture of the circumstances in which you met and have an idea of how the relationship has developed. It might also be helpful to note in what language you communicate with one another (English, Portuguese, or some other language?)

Best of luck!

Some of this is good advice, being concise is definitely important. However, I'd just like to reiterate what I said before. USCIS doesn't care about how you communicate, or how much you love each other, or how your relationship has evolved over time. They only care that you have met, in person, within the past two years. Once you get to the interview stage at your embassy, THEN they will care about those other things. This part of the application however is really ONLY to say that you have met in person within the past 2 years.

Generally, putting more information won't hurt you, of course. I just want to be sure that everyone who reads this knows what is mandatory, and what is extraneous.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Amyyduck

[TBoneTX 45,448]

I just want to be sure that everyone who reads this knows what is mandatory, and what is extraneous.

This intent is commendable, but reality can be far different, and no one should underestimate any Latin American consulate. Had I known upon I-129F filing what I know now, I would have concentrated very hard on composing a complete, detailed answer to question #18.

An unknown number of consular officers can make their decision to issue or refuse the visa purely on the basis of the petition paperwork, and the interview will either be perfunctory (with issuance), grueling (many probing, suspicious questions), perfunctory (with a 221g for more evidence of bona fide relationship -- see my signature area below this post), or perfunctory (visa refused).

No, USCIS doesn't care beyond "did they meet in the last 2 years," but yes, the consulate can care very much. Front-loading the entire petition, in fact, ensures that the consulate will receive what you've sent to USCIS and can't deny the existence of the evidence, or refuse to accept it at the interview. Take the long-range view when completing the petition paperwork, si man.

[Amyyduck 20]

This intent is commendable, but reality can be far different, and no one should underestimate any Latin American consulate. Had I known upon I-129F filing what I know now, I would have concentrated very hard on composing a complete, detailed answer to question #18.

An unknown number of consular officers can make their decision to issue or refuse the visa purely on the basis of the petition paperwork, and the interview will either be perfunctory (with issuance), grueling (many probing, suspicious questions), perfunctory (with a 221g for more evidence of bona fide relationship -- see my signature area below this post), or perfunctory (visa refused).

No, USCIS doesn't care beyond "did they meet in the last 2 years," but yes, the consulate can care very much. Front-loading the entire petition, in fact, ensures that the consulate will receive what you've sent to USCIS and can't deny the existence of the evidence, or refuse to accept it at the interview. Take the long-range view when completing the petition paperwork, si man.

You make an excellent point. My intention, of course, was not to misinform. I suppose my advice was meant more for the non-high-fraud consulates and I probably should have been more explicit in saying this. As a general statement, though, what I said was correct. USCIS cares about you and your fiance having met within the past 2 years. The rest is relevant later, at your specific consulate. Since this is the general K-1 forum I was giving the general answer. A more specific answer would probably be better found if the OP had posted this within their regional forum.

My sympathies to the OP and anyone else who has to deal with a difficult consulate. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be dealing with London where things are relatively simple and straightforward. Best of luck to you all.

[Lucy NY 1]

I only detailed about how me met on vacation and the year we met. I actually cant remember if I put all the other times we had flown too see each other - I assume they will look at the supporting eveidence you put in the petition so just be precise but short. Do not offer any more information than necessary!

[baron555 934]

How much detail should I put in the detailed description of meeting in person and how we met? Are there any example letters to help? We met online, I flew to Sao Paulo twice now, we have pictures, receipts of hotel stays etc... Any advice as to what to write?

Thanks so much,

John and Mari

The size of the box is indicative or how long your answer should be. We used two sentences:

"We met online during Fall of 2008 and corresponded using emails, phone calls and Skype video conferencing. From Feb 14 to Feb 24, 2009 we met in person in Kiev, Ukraine."

All of the attached evidence showed proof of this meeting, boarding pass copies, passport stamps, apartment receipt, currency exchange receipt, her train receipt, photos, restaurant receipt. No RFEs. Very simple.

Edited September 2, 2010 by baron555

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Take a look at how much room they give you on that sheet to answer the question. That's about as much detail as they want. Mine was how we met, then how we met in person and when. Simple and straight forward. Then again, I'm dealing with a very easy (though painfully slow) consulate.

[Random Nonsense 0]

We also just outlined the dates and times we met, who flew where and how long it lasted, and a brief explanation of why we visited during those times (she took vacation time off, it was christmas vacation, etc). Our consular experience might have been very different from what yours will be, but we just tried to answer the questions as thoroughly but succinctly as possible without deviating from the question itself.

[Alan-and-Ira 1]

Try to include the details of how you two met first online (IMBRA) and the details of all your meetings in person like when, where and how long. We did not say a word about the dating service which introced us, and at the interview I wasked that very question about how and where we had met. Well, I had to tell them... And later, after the denial, we went through all the questions in our I-129F and noticed that very bigGAP... Well, the rest of it you can find in our timeline. Good luck, and if you nedd extra space just attach an extra sheet (write "See Attachment N to I-129F" in Q.18. but be sincere describing everything - it can cost you years of your and your loved one lives! In our case what I said at the interview was different from what was written in the petition - and we got 221(g)!

[menina 50]

Try to include the details of how you two met first online (IMBRA) and the details of all your meetings in person like when, where and how long. We did not say a word about the dating service which introced us, and at the interview I wasked that very question about how and where we had met. Well, I had to tell them... And later, after the denial, we went through all the questions in our I-129F and noticed that very bigGAP... Well, the rest of it you can find in our timeline. Good luck, and if you nedd extra space just attach an extra sheet (write "See Attachment N to I-129F" in Q.18. but be sincere describing everything - it can cost you years of your and your loved one lives! In our case what I said at the interview was different from what was written in the petition - and we got 221(g)!

You can include more specific details in a relationship timeline where you document the different visits you have made to each other. That question is just to verify that you have met in person in the last 2 years. You can be very brief.