I-130 Overkill

[RosyMad 2]

Is it completely necessary to overkill the I-130 packet with tons of emails, letters, pictures, affidavits, etc. or should we keep some back for the interview?

Rose

[pushbrk 12,969]

Is it completely necessary to overkill the I-130 packet with tons of emails, letters, pictures, affidavits, etc. or should we keep some back for the interview?

Rose

It's a long time until the interview, so you'll be taking more current emails and other communication evidence to the interview. I would skip the affidavits altogether.

[giamimigio 21]

i've been told it isn't necessary. it won't hurt either. at the end of the day what you didn't have in the I-130, you'll have to come up with at the interview. just send it in if you haven't already to get the process started.

[Ribs & Beans 19]

I didn't bother with chats/emails/phone logs or anything. I tried to get together what most resembled the examples they included in the instructions. Here is what I included:

*Copy of all pages in my passport (just to show the stamps for my visits)

*Bank statement of joint account (Dominican bank)

*Statement showing my husband as beneficiary on my life insurance

*2 affidavits (one from my mother-in-law, one from the mutual friend who introduced us)(signed, not notarized)

*15 pictures with dates and descriptions (5 wedding pictures, 10 other)

I think that's it! We got through USCIS with no RFEs.

[pushbrk 12,969]

I didn't bother with chats/emails/phone logs or anything. I tried to get together what most resembled the examples they included in the instructions. Here is what I included:

*Copy of all pages in my passport (just to show the stamps for my visits)

*Bank statement of joint account (Dominican bank)

*Statement showing my husband as beneficiary on my life insurance

*2 affidavits (one from my mother-in-law, one from the mutual friend who introduced us)(signed, not notarized)

*15 pictures with dates and descriptions (5 wedding pictures, 10 other)

I think that's it! We got through USCIS with no RFEs.

You too, could have done quite well without the affidavits. Sending communication evidence is more important for couples with little time together in person and no ability to open joint bank accounts.

[RosyMad 2]

Thanks for all the help and quick responses. I understand that the I-130 can/does not have to have overkill. If we have it whats the harm. We just rather include things we necessarily do not need instead of missing something we did.

[pushbrk 12,969]

Thanks for all the help and quick responses. I understand that the I-130 can/does not have to have overkill. If we have it whats the harm. We just rather include things we necessarily do not need instead of missing something we did.

The harm it can do is at least two-fold.

1. Too much extra can obscure information that's actually important.

2. They could find something to question or a red flag in something that to you looks harmless.

If it doesn't help and CAN hurt, leave it out.

[Ribs & Beans 19]

You too, could have done quite well without the affidavits. Sending communication evidence is more important for couples with little time together in person and no ability to open joint bank accounts.

You're probably right, but I decided to include a little more because I didn't consider the bank statement to be exceptionally strong evidence in our case. We opened it the week we were married (about 3 weeks before we filed), and we didn't have very much money in there! Even now, we mainly use it for Xoom money transfers, and my husband puts a little savings in there...

[RosyMad 2]

The harm it can do is at least two-fold.

1. Too much extra can obscure information that's actually important.

2. They could find something to question or a red flag in something that to you looks harmless.

If it doesn't help and CAN hurt, leave it out.

Didn't think about that. We are going to minimize the amount of pictures and letters. Keep them aside for the NVC process.

We are still going to send the affidavits and still get all of them signed before the interview is set up, so we can go and appear with a huge stack of evidence for them to see

[pushbrk 12,969]

Didn't think about that. We are going to minimize the amount of pictures and letters. Keep them aside for the NVC process.

We are still going to send the affidavits and still get all of them signed before the interview is set up, so we can go and appear with a huge stack of evidence for them to see

You don't send any relationship evidence to NVC either. Take it to the interview.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Is it completely necessary to overkill the I-130 packet with tons of emails, letters, pictures, affidavits, etc. or should we keep some back for the interview?

Actually London does not ask for, or look at, any additional relationship evidence at their interviews. If USCIS approves your petition, that's good enough for London. The interview part will be quick and friendly. The waiting will be a couple of hours.

[OBX 51]

The harm it can do is at least two-fold.

1. Too much extra can obscure information that's actually important.

2. They could find something to question or a red flag in something that to you looks harmless.

If it doesn't help and CAN hurt, leave it out.

You don't send any relationship evidence to NVC either. Take it to the interview.

Wise advice!

[misterbigtoe 45]

The harm it can do is at least two-fold.

1. Too much extra can obscure information that's actually important.

2. They could find something to question or a red flag in something that to you looks harmless.

If it doesn't help and CAN hurt, leave it out.

[misterbigtoe 45]

In our case, we included a few good solid examples of all types of evidence from a variety of dates. Sample e-mails, printout of my e-mail inbox and Yahoo messenger archive inbox, text archives, phone and calling card examples, cell phone bills, photos spread over a period of 2+years, amateur wedding photos with many of our Mongolian friends and family in attendance, Wedding Portrait, travel evidence, etickets, boarding passes baggage tags, money transfer receipts, postal customs forms(both directions), etc...... We used no affidavits whatsoever. In the cover letter which included an itemization of the attached evidence was the statement that included evidence was only a representative sampling of the overwhelming evidence in my possession and that all evidence would be available for review.

I included calling card info and although they say that calling cards are non verifiable, I include spent cards, calling card receipts, calling plan summary, phone bills........meaning that the sum total although not conclusive still constitutes evidence that I spent a lot of money and time on international calls with someone! Calling cards alone may not be helpful, but can be used to establish a pattern of communication which is I believe of value in a well assembled archive of evidence. Furthermore correlating between an incoming call from my wifes number for say 1 minute(the minimum billable increment) with a followup call to one of my access number for a 45 minute call should be understandable. Probably the value of phone evidence will have different standards depending on where your spouse lives. For us, direct dialing Mongolia is financially impossible. Even with ATT international subscription plan, the per minute rate is just under 5 bucks a minute. I am certain that there will be no expectation of having direct dial calls on my bill. If your spouse is in Canada however where calling rates are so cheap to be almost free, better to have some solid evidence of phone calls I think.

About Photos............some professional advice that I received was that candid pictures...snapshots... have more value that portraits except in situations where you would normally expect portraits.........like a formal wedding pidcture. I sent our professional about a hundred digital files and she selected about 20. The three she particularly liked were ones that showed us is social situations where we were not even the subject of the picture but could be clearly seen in the background or setting. One of my favorites was from a friends camera. She had snapped a picture of her husband when we were all out in the countryside on a picnic(Khoorkhog). Bayaraa, our son and I were in the background walking away with our towels and bag over shoulders and our son between us holding hands. Ask your friends if they have pictures in which you can be seen together! Nothing explicitly intimate and certainly not pornographic should be included, they don't need to see our junk!

If you have a will naming your spouse or an insurance policy with your spouse as a beneficiary..........Seems like really good evidence. I have a legal will that predated our wedding by 6 months or so naming my then fiance and son as beneficiaries. Our Attorney was thrilled to have that as an inclusion in our relationship evidence.

[pushbrk 12,969]

About Photos............some professional advice that I received was that candid pictures...snapshots... have more value that portraits except in situations where you would normally expect portraits.........like a formal wedding pidcture. I sent our professional about a hundred digital files and she selected about 20. The three she particularly liked were ones that showed us is social situations where we were not even the subject of the picture but could be clearly seen in the background or setting. One of my favorites was from a friends camera. She had snapped a picture of her husband when we were all out in the countryside on a picnic(Khoorkhog). Bayaraa, our son and I were in the background walking away with our towels and bag over shoulders and our son between us holding hands. Ask your friends if they have pictures in which you can be seen together! Nothing explicitly intimate and certainly not pornographic should be included, they don't need to see our junk!

I concur with this advice. 18, is an excellent number of photos that can be printed 9 to a full page, in color on plain paper. Including some photos together with family and friends that are not formally posed is excellent where possible.