Is highligting evidence good or bad?

[edina 1]

I am wondering if there is anybody who highlighted names, addresses, dates, etc on their evidence documents and your package was not sent back to you due to "highlighting" reasons? I would assume you may answer if you already had the interview or at least you received your biometrics appointment notice. Please, share

[Inky 1,111]

When filing our K-1 and our AOS we highlighted things and I will be doing it in September when it comes time for ROC.

We highlighted things on the W-2 and the payment stubs.

Also highlighted things on the phone bills and a few other evidence papers. Never had anything returned nor said to us at the interview about the highlighting.

[tru_loves_journey 117]

Yep, I did too

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I highlighted the heck out of everything since K1 petition. And wrote notes in red Sharpie on the pages too.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Never highlighted anything, but I did describe all the evidence in the cover letter and what requirement it was to support. I used the listing order in the form instructions to organize my packet, and therefore, that is how the cover letter is presented. Don't use red pen, pencil, or sharpie! That is the reviewer color for making corrections, and you will confuse the reader. Highlighting is not recommended for the same reason. Use post-its if you must. You want it easy to undo.

Edited April 22, 2011 by Some Old Guy

[edina 1]

Don't use red pen, Oops, I used my pink highlighter on all papers, I dont have any other .

Use post-its if you must. After I read your comment about post-its, I found plenty of it sitting in my desk drawer. Too bad I didnt think of it earlie :bonk: . That is a good reference for future, thou.

Thanks for sharing, everyone!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Don't use red pen, Oops, I used my pink highlighter on all papers, I dont have any other .

Use post-its if you must. After I read your comment about post-its, I found plenty of it sitting in my desk drawer. Too bad I didnt think of it earlie :bonk: . That is a good reference for future, thou.

Thanks for sharing, everyone!

Don't sweat it too much. As long as it is legible and meets the requirements, you should be okay. The one thing they do emphasize is to make it easy to disassemble. I can imagine some horror stories where somebody went overboard, and it doesn't fit the file format the USCIS is using. I know they top punch everything and use standard folders to hold the file.

[Nubby 0]

Ive been reading in other posts that highlighting is a No No ! Because the IO actually scans your documents, and the highlighted works get blurry or grayed out and is no longer readable - because they scan black and white - not color!

If you highlight, i would suggest doing it in yellow. Its light enough not to show on the scanned document. And just for good effort, i would try it out for yourself at home if you have a scanner - get a document, highlight words, scan it black & white then see how it prints out.

i think i will highlight in yellow!

[Inky 1,111]

I used yellow, I never use funky colours on documents. Most of the fancy ones smudge the writing I find.

Anyway I had no problems with it and at the interview In the file they had of all my things it had all my original papers, even saw the ones I highlighted in it. Didn't see any copys of them or anything.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I am wondering if there is anybody who highlighted names, addresses, dates, etc on their evidence documents and your package was not sent back to you due to "highlighting" reasons? I would assume you may answer if you already had the interview or at least you received your biometrics appointment notice. Please, share

No. We did not highlight anything and I never heard of anything being sent back for that reason. We were approved without an interview.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Ahhh...a difference of opinion here I see. There are people on here who have posted they had to send their applications in a BOX because they sent so much evidence. Do you really think USCIS is going to scan 200 pages of evidence? (Not doubting here, but wondering if that would be practical) I can see them scanning the actual forms to put in a digital file, but not necessarily every bank statement. I laid a jumble of boarding passes, baggage claims, hotel receipts onto the copier to make a single page of evidence. I highlighted (yellow) our names and noted in the bottom margin in (OMG!) red--Trip to Arkansas June 2009. I thought it would quickly point out what that collage was showing. Because we don't have the "expected" same last name, joint deed/mortgage, joint utilities, and no babies, I sent a few odd items to show our union that got a note on the bottom. I would do it again.

Edited April 22, 2011 by Nich-Nick

[TBoneTX 45,522]

I laid a jumble [...] to make a single page of evidence. I highlighted (yellow) our names and noted in the bottom margin [...]

I did this, too. I organized everything by quarter (of each year), labeled each page (in green Flair pen, because that was the thickest that I had) and even put an itemized sheet atop each quarter's stuff.

I would do it again.

So would I, si man.

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

Never highlighted anything, only wrote comments on the coverpage, had a page with explanation when needed and sometimes used post-it's. Nothing else but that. Reason for this is that I did not wanted to chance anything and keep the documents as original as possible (besides the fact that most of it were copies).

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I did not wanted to chance anything and keep the documents as original as possible (besides the fact that most of it were copies).

All my originals are still original with nothing on them in case I need to copy them again or take to an interview. I only highlighted copies. I guess I chose to make notes because I have in the back of my mind that they strip down our submission, throw away the cover letter, divider pages, and discard postit notes to make thier file. Then it goes in a box awaiting an adjudicatorto look at it.

Edited April 23, 2011 by Nich-Nick