Proof of meeting ? we only have pictures

[CdnMom 2]

My canadian daughter is engaged to an american fellow and their K-1 was started in August. They just received back this week, a RFE requiring more proof of having met in the last 2 years. I'm not sure what the initial "proof" was that her fiance sent. I know it was pictures that he just wrote the date on the back.

Here's the problem. We're having a difficult time finding anything other than pictures. We live on the US/Canada border. They usually see eachother every other month....... and have for the past 2½ years. Either he comes over here or she heads over there. Passports are never stamped, although they are swiped by the border agents.

when he comes here, he stays at our home. When she goes there, she stays at his parent's home, so there are never any hotel receipts. The only thing we might be able to pull up are gas receipts. Other than that and pictures, what can we do??

Do they take into account these type of "close proximity" relationships with limited proof??

I look forward to any insight anyone may have. They'd like to get the packet sent back out by next weekend. Thanks so much!

[dukeandduchess 141]

Photos, Cards, Letters, Receipts (movies, dinners, presents). If they have letters or emails talking about specific events they did together then photocopy those (you can blank out intimate stuff). Cell phone bills (showing roaming charges). Visa statements showing purchases in Canada/US for both...

You could write and sign a letter stating that he stays with you at your house when he visits.

[Moomin 292]

Limited evidence is fine as long as there's at least some. Did your daughter ever use her credit card in the US or her fiance his card in US? If so, ATM receipts and bank statements(transcripts) may help here. The US creditcard being used in Canada or the Canadian being used in the US, it doesn't matter. Time to track down evidence from the last 2 years

Pictures are secondary evidence backing up the primary. Secondary would be pictures(either stamped or hand dated day/month/year). Affidavits from family and friends are secondary evidence too. This means if your daughter doesn't have alot of evidence, she could ask you to write an affidavit/sworn statement that you know both of them and their relationship. Look into it maybe. If you're renting a place and the landlord knows of the relationship, ask them politely to sign a sworn statement. This is only supporting your initial evidence as I said. Since pictures have already been submitted, look into if your daughter may have used anything in her name while in the US.

Edit: and phone bills showing roaming/calling from outside of country, I agree with dukeandduchess. Both names don't have to be on the initial evidence, it depends on which evidence is used.

Edited January 30, 2012 by moomin

[Boiler 43,631]

How about a picture of both of them holding that days paper?

[pushbrk 12,181]

Photos, Cards, Letters, Receipts (movies, dinners, presents). If they have letters or emails talking about specific events they did together then photocopy those (you can blank out intimate stuff). Cell phone bills (showing roaming charges). Visa statements showing purchases in Canada/US for both...

You could write and sign a letter stating that he stays with you at your house when he visits.

Everything mentioned above would be considered secondary evidence and weak at that. What USCIS is looking for is primary evidence of being in the same country. Yes, they understand there will not be the usual passport stamps or boarding passes with border couples. ATM or other Credit card receipts in the foreigners name, for purchases in the USA during the two years prior to filing the petition may be the only primary evidence available. If so, those receipts and a letter of explanation should do the trick.

[CdnMom 2]

Hi everyone. I'm hoping that someone can give us more insight into this dilemma. I posted a question about this last night and now it's disappeared off the board.

My Canadian daughter is engaged to an American fellow. He filed the I-129 back in August. Last week he received a RFE asking for more documentation on their being together in the last 2 years. I'm not sure exactly what he sent in the first time, but I think it was just a few pictures of the two of them, in which he wrote the dates.

Here's our dilemma. We are right on the border and they see eachother pretty much every other weekend. Either he comes here or she goes there. He stays at our home and she stays at his parent's home. When they cross the border, their passports are never stamped, but they are scanned.

So, unfortunately there are no ticket stubs or hotel receipts. The only thing, if we can find any, would be gas receipts.

I know that pictures are considered secondary proof. Any ideas on what else we can provide?? Does USCIS take into account this kind of situation??? I know they've run into it before. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. They'd like to get this new packet sent off by next weekend.

Thanks so much!

[bigdog 376]

Anything else, gas receipts, dinner out, time off from work ie. vacation for a visit, friends in photos, weather you are next door or across the planet you have to establish proof of your relationship. Check postings form others in your situation, that should help. Also if they get involved on this site "VJ" equally it will help them both understand the process and pitfalls to avoid, Good Luck.

[SapphireDreams 71]

Have they ever gone on vacation together somewhere? My husband and I used a receipt from a cruise that we went on together.

Any photos from New Years with the year in any of them?

I think visa statements showing purchases in eachother's countries is also helpful.

[CdnMom 2]

Thank you for your reply. It's not so much establishing that they have a relationship, as there are TONS of pictures and they'll include lots of them. It's just that since pictures are considered secondary, we have concern about that.

When you're across the world and you physically get together, there's proof ie: plane tickets, passport stamp, etc...

With being "next door", there is none of that. Basically only pictures........ that's the problem.

There's no doubt they are together often and we do have the "picture story" to tell that. I tried searching the forum to see what I could find with other Cdn/US relationships, but didn't find much. Hopefully someone who's had a similar scenario will post what they've done. In the meantime, I'll keep searching......

Thanks so much!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I believe you can contact the border and get a copy/ list (whatever they call it) of crossing into the US and into Canada. Someone will chime in, I know there are a few Canadians who've needed to get this information.

[together4evr 360]

They need his mom and her mom to write letters that they alternate staying in each other country every other weekend and that they stay in your home together.Also letters from other family that maybe they attended a christmas party or birthday party together. Letters from friends that they go out with in each country. Screen shots of Facebook that shows In a relationship with***

[skiptex 225]

take a flight over the border then you have POE and probably have to get stamp

[GandK 168]

Since when did Facebook become bible of the truth? I fail to see how screenshot of Facebook that show xxx is in relationship with yyy can be considered any credible evidence.... I can make that in two minutes

Affidavits from family and friends are also weak evidence, since any of them will write whatever you tell them to.

Since they practically live "next door" on the border, you should try to find evidences which shows that they live in a very short distance from one another. Official address registration for both of them, letters from Authorities that clearly states the their name and registered address, utilities bills that show their name and address. Then write a statement to explain their situation.

Credit card statement shows transactions or money withdrawn receipt on the other side of the border will also help.

Because you don't have many primary evidences, all these evidences mentioned above will not stand on their own but together they will help the adjudicator understand the scope of their relationship.

Edited January 30, 2012 by GandK

[Austramerican 83]

Since when did Facebook become bible of the truth? I fail to see how screenshot of Facebook that show xxx is in relationship with yyy can be considered any credible evidence.... I can make that in two minutes

I think this works because people have all their friends/family/coworkers etc on their facebook and in theory by putting that you are engaged/in a relationship on your facebook for all these people to see, it makes it less likely that the engagement is just for the visa, since then you'd have family/friends/coworkers going "whos this guy???" lol

[together4evr 360]

My embassy is much harder than others. And the CO's have asked a couple people to pull up their fb accounts during the interview or give the CO the password. So, my embassy, which is a high fraud area, likes FB showing relationship status because if you have a fake relationship then you are probably hiding your relationship from others.