Are photos essential?

[Bikesnjaz 3]

I'm new here, and I hope I'm not repeating anything asked elsewhere. (I looked through ten pages, and didn't see this one.)

When I was in the Philippines in March, my fiancee and I did not have any photos taken of us together. At the time I didn't know there would be an evidentiary benefit to having even just one, and I'm rather camera-shy.

I do have the air-ticket receipt, and passport, and we have quite a few WU receipts showing money having been sent.

Will the lack of any photo of us together be a significant problem?

Thanks to any and all who can help in this!!

[meanbabe 1]

This is from the RFE Master List post:

"Primary evidence is documentary in nature: airline boarding passes, passport exit/entry stamps, hotel receipts, atm withdrawals in city of question, utility bills, apartment leases, etc.

Secondary evidence The USCIS defines secondary evidence as any documentation that can be used to supplement primary evidence but in itself cannot stand alone to prove ones assertions.

Photos are secondary; so are letters from relatives, neighbors or acquaintances, bus/train tickets and essentially anything that cannot be used to prove your point with a very high degree of certainty."

Even though it's said pictures are not the primary edvidence, I still consider it's very important, especially for those who have met only once then decided to apply for K1 visa in a really short time. Read some cases, during the interview, VO asked for this. Maybe your explanation letter will help in this situation.

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

It is considered odd, but won't get you denied by itself, especially as you have good primary evidence. However, the US embassy in the Philippines does like to see photos. Did you meet with any of her friends and family- maybe they took pics? Are you planning on going again before the interview?

[LookyWhatIFound 38]

Pictures can speak a thousand words. No matter what USCIS defines them as they can't override human nature. But in general your evidence all together should all fit together to give them a picture of your story.

For the interview, if you were planning to go over there, you could possibly take some pictures together a few days before the interview, just a thought.

[Bikesnjaz 3]

Thanks so much for your replies and help. I did meet family, but there don't exist any photos of us together. Don't think I can get over there (for a photo) before the more definitive steps, but I shall definitely remember what you all have said.

Thanks again!!! :-))

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I'm going to have to disagree with the other posters in this thread. Secondary evidence is just as important as primary evidence. Primary evidence proves you made the trip. Secondary evidence proves you met face-to-face during that trip. By itself, secondary evidence (like photos) has little weight because it's relatively easy to fake. However, with sufficient primary evidence, the secondary evidence becomes more credible.

Many people have gotten RFE's for not sending any photos.

[GeoffinVA 2]

I am a bit camera-shy myself, and submitted only one photo along with my K-1 application. However, I did provide boarding passes, passport entry stamps, emails and chat logs. USCIS approved my petition. Although photos are secondary evidence, the lack of any photo whatsoever may be problematic. Correct me if I am wrong, but prior to digital photography when film alterations were difficult, the INS required at least one photo to prove a face-to-face meeting.

[pink_camaro 0]

I remember my husband telling me before our interview, 'when all else fails and our daughter is not enough evidence of our bona fide marriage, lets go make a s*x tape.'

I'm pretty sure photos do count but officers also look also to those documents that you mentioned such as boarding passes and emails. They do count as well.