I-129F "Proof" pictures

[Kris & Liezl 3]

I have a question about this requirement: "Color Photo's of you and your fiance(e) together. Make sure you write your names, date, and location on the back of every photo. Provide two to five photos."

I need to know does the date displayed need to be displayed by the camera on the front of the picture? Or can it be written on the back? My fiancee is saying she cannot get a date to be displayed on the pictures when she emails them to me or prints them from her camera. I've asked her to go to one of those picture printing places in tbe mall to see if they can make her camera show the date the pictures were taken. But if she tells me they cant, can we just write the dates on the pictures?

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Next this one: "Copies of all airline boarding passes, train passes, itineraries, hotel receipts, passport stamps (make sure you can read the dates on the stamps), and other documentary evidence that you have met within the last two years."

I have some of these things, but not all of them. And how exactly do they show that we have met each other in the past 2 years? Don't they only show that I have been there? I traveled there, so I do have my flight receipt from Cathay Pacific and passport stamps - but actual boarding pass? Long disappeared. We stayed with family mostly, so few hotel receipts. When we did stay at hotels, it's just my name on the receipts. What itineraries?

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ALSO...

- I have known her for 10 years and have dozens of letters. How many should I send, and should I send ones from as far back as 10 years ago to show an ongoing friendship/relationship? They need copies of envelopes too?

- I have very few chat logs because the distance she has to travel to the nearest Internet cafe is quite inconvenient. We text every week, but I use something called Chikka to text her, so there are no phone bills. I do however have every receipt I've ever gotten for sending loads to her phone. Would those count?

- Also, she doesn't ask for much - actually, she never asked me for money until the economy turned, her father lost his job, and she became her family's "breadwinner" on her teaching "salary". I have a few Western Union receipts... Are those helpful for anything, like showing that I'm helping the woman I love to survive?

Your answers are greatly appreciated!

[GJen 9]

Hey

you dont need to know the exact dates and its ok if it doesnt display the date by the camera, what we did was to put all the pictures together on a sheet of paper and write next to eat what month and year it was taken, what we were doing and who the people on the pic were (family, work friends, etc) thats pretty much all you need.. try to include pics of you two, family and friends.

well I think boarding passes show the date when you were there.. but the most important part to backup your boarding passes is Passport stamps!.. but yeah if you have any boarding passes that would be helpful and you can highlight date, destionation and your name.. also hotel receipts with your name on it and that it shows it was in her country.. my fiance even included flyers of the hotel. anything that shows that you were in her country and have both of your names or your name will be good to include!... we tried to include as much as we could!

about letters! umm well She included a few letters.. like 5 letters, one for every year we have dated!.. right now you have to prove you guys met within 2 years... you can frontload them later in the interview ... for the interview I incluced 35 letters hehehe..

include any chatlogs and phonelogs.. everything you include will be good.. they will probably not even look at it! but its better to include all you can than get a RFE

I am not sure about money receipts! if they come from you I guess its okay... and that would help.. maybe you could even include a letter stating why you were sending money.. you never want to give the wrong idea you know? so yeah hope this help!..

btw remember to keep copies of everything in your package!..

I have a question about this requirement: "Color Photo's of you and your fiance(e) together. Make sure you write your names, date, and location on the back of every photo. Provide two to five photos."

I need to know does the date displayed need to be displayed by the camera on the front of the picture? Or can it be written on the back? My fiancee is saying she cannot get a date to be displayed on the pictures when she emails them to me or prints them from her camera. I've asked her to go to one of those picture printing places in tbe mall to see if they can make her camera show the date the pictures were taken. But if she tells me they cant, can we just write the dates on the pictures?

-----------------------------------------

Next this one: "Copies of all airline boarding passes, train passes, itineraries, hotel receipts, passport stamps (make sure you can read the dates on the stamps), and other documentary evidence that you have met within the last two years."

I have some of these things, but not all of them. And how exactly do they show that we have met each other in the past 2 years? Don't they only show that I have been there? I traveled there, so I do have my flight receipt from Cathay Pacific and passport stamps - but actual boarding pass? Long disappeared. We stayed with family mostly, so few hotel receipts. When we did stay at hotels, it's just my name on the receipts. What itineraries?

-----------------------------------------

ALSO...

- I have known her for 10 years and have dozens of letters. How many should I send, and should I send ones from as far back as 10 years ago to show an ongoing friendship/relationship? They need copies of envelopes too?

- I have very few chat logs because the distance she has to travel to the nearest Internet cafe is quite inconvenient. We text every week, but I use something called Chikka to text her, so there are no phone bills. I do however have every receipt I've ever gotten for sending loads to her phone. Would those count?

- Also, she doesn't ask for much - actually, she never asked me for money until the economy turned, her father lost his job, and she became her family's "breadwinner" on her teaching "salary". I have a few Western Union receipts... Are those helpful for anything, like showing that I'm helping the woman I love to survive?

Your answers are greatly appreciated!

Edited September 26, 2010 by GJen

[JeannieL 44]

The dates can be written on the back of the pictures. We sent about 7 pictures from different dates with the two of us in them. Print the names and the place and the date on the back.

We sent 2 itineraries, 1 from when I went to visit him and one when he came to visit me. You just need to show proof that you have met in the last 2 years. We also sent boarding passes, copies of passport stamps.

We sent a few emails. Copies of our chats in Gmail and skype that just showed the dates and times of when we talked. Anything with a name and a post mark would do. You don't need to go back 10 years,

Remember to save things from the time that you send your packet in so that you have new evidence of ongoing relationship for the interview.

I hope that was a little help to you.

J

[Dakine 26]

If you've only made 1 trip try o make another or attend the USEM interview. Multiple trips aren't required but they are still a BIG plus in showing you guys have a bonafide relationship at the Interview.

You only need to prove you met in person in the last 2 years for the initial petition. Letters, chats, pictures with you, her and her family will come into play at the interview when she has to prove you guys have a "bonafide relationship"

I/ my fiancee was denied the first time for lack of pictures with me, her and her family. Second time I/she had MULTPLE pictures and I made multiple trips also.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I sent ONE photo. I did not write the names, time, date or any other info on the back. We were approved in 58 days with no RFE.

What you write or even what you set your camera to time stamp proves NOTHING. Nothing whatsoever. If the two people in the photo you send look JUST LIKE the two people in the passport type photos you include, and you have some other evidence of MEETING (such as boarding passes, hotel receipts, passport stamps, etc.) then you WIN!

The guide you are reading is extremely conservative and though it is not BAD advice, it is not necessary either.

[corazónENparaguay 46]

If you're a worry wart like me you can use a free trial program like Batch Photo to print the actual (as programmed by the camera at least) date and time on the front of the picture. It likely won't be necessary.

[jrmejia 31]

I sent 8 photos with: Family, friends, and us alone in the hotel. I glued 2 photos per page and wrote: date, place, and names of the people in the pictures.

[Kris & Liezl 3]

Thank you all for your advice. I think my take away from your responses is that I can write the dates on the pictures and that will be fine. I think my biggest worry now is that I don't have the boarding passes anymore. I re-printed the itinerary from my email, but I think I may have left the boarding passes on the plane a year or so ago... But hopefully, I've got GOLD in a hotel receipt with both our names as the guests, among other receipts that place me there during the dates on my itinerary. I do have the receipt from my boarding pass that my travel agent sent. And the passport stamp, and pictures, and letters - I pray I've got enough evidence.

And someone recommended making additional trips. Well, I cant really afford that - I work, but with the economy and trying to put aside for her arrival, who can afford that? It amazes me how expensive it is to travel to the Philippines when few people in that country have any money at all. may go back, like you suggested, for her interviews.

Thanks again, everyone!

[twowls 217]

Thank you all for your advice. I think my take away from your responses is that I can write the dates on the pictures and that will be fine. I think my biggest worry now is that I don't have the boarding passes anymore. I re-printed the itinerary from my email, but I think I may have left the boarding passes on the plane a year or so ago... But hopefully, I've got GOLD in a hotel receipt with both our names as the guests, among other receipts that place me there during the dates on my itinerary. I do have the receipt from my boarding pass that my travel agent sent. And the passport stamp, and pictures, and letters - I pray I've got enough evidence.

And someone recommended making additional trips. Well, I cant really afford that - I work, but with the economy and trying to put aside for her arrival, who can afford that? It amazes me how expensive it is to travel to the Philippines when few people in that country have any money at all. may go back, like you suggested, for her interviews.

Thanks again, everyone!

Focus on your passport stamps--they are the end all-be all of primary evidence. You are fine. Stop worrying the boarding passes. Non-issue. That hotel receipt sounds grand, but seriously, passport stamps and you're good to go. Really.

[Kelly & Row 0]

If you've only made 1 trip try o make another or attend the USEM interview. Multiple trips aren't required but they are still a BIG plus in showing you guys have a bonafide relationship at the Interview.

You only need to prove you met in person in the last 2 years for the initial petition. Letters, chats, pictures with you, her and her family will come into play at the interview when she has to prove you guys have a "bonafide relationship"

I/ my fiancee was denied the first time for lack of pictures with me, her and her family. Second time I/she had MULTPLE pictures and I made multiple trips also.

Do I need to photocopy all the pictures? Or just I need to submit the original pictures? They will get all the pictures? or they will return it to you?

If they will return all the photos, what will be serve as thier copies?

[aoifemc 2]

don't send originals of anything, photocopy everything!! you won't get anything back from them you see.

[Dakine 26]

Do I need to photocopy all the pictures? Or just I need to submit the original pictures? They will get all the pictures? or they will return it to you?

If they will return all the photos, what will be serve as thier copies?

Make copies on bond paper.

I made 10 pages with 4 pics on each page with captions. This was for the interview. You only need a couple pics for the initial petition. Very few people have problems getting initial petition approval. The BIGGY is the embassy interview.

[FawkThisSite 13]

Maybe I am going overboard a bit, but man... I included so much. My entire package has to be atleast 100+ pages. I just want to be extra sure. I am determined! I want my baby back!

[Jb1 11]

Do these pictures need to be included with the petition? Or is it all for the interview. Or both?