My RFE - Wants more evidence

[TucsonBill 0]

Tom sent a priority mail BOX of evidence of meeting in person and got approval in less than 30 days, here is what I sent:

copies of my airline tickets, receipts and itenerarry

copies of my hotel receipts

copies of my luggage tags

copies of my boarding passes

copies of my receipt for the engagement ring

copies of my passport with Thailand stamps

4 photos of us together

All this was sent for 2 trips I made to Thailand in April and July of 2006

The RFE specifically requests copies of bank statements or credit card statements showing withdrawals and purchases made in Thailand that include my name, location and full date.

I don't care what anyone says MORE EVIDENCE IS BETTER, THE MORE THE BETTER!

Maybe some of you have been approved with less than what I sent, and maybe it depends on who the person who is assigned to your case, maybe other factors play a role, but I am convinced beyond doubt that to send 'too much' is way better than not to send enough!

I will be posting this to the RFE thread also.

They also want more details on how we actually met.

Bill

PS I AM THRILLD THAT THIS IS ALL THEY NEED (unless I get another RFE )

[waiting4Oliverio 0]

I was amazed when I was approved with no RFE's. I didn't know anything about filing the papers...just the little info CIS could give me....and I only sent a photocopy of two different airline tickets and one picture of us together. If I would of known more at the time I would have sent a truck load of info for them hehe

[taurean 0]

See, I thought what you sent would have been plenty! I compared what we sent with your list and I did remember to include my hotel bill and ATM withdrawls. Luckily I had those!! Hopefully you will have the proper evidence and the reviewer will be satisfied. Good luck!

[Mew 0]

I was amazed when I was approved with no RFE's. I didn't know anything about filing the papers...just the little info CIS could give me....and I only sent a photocopy of two different airline tickets and one picture of us together. If I would of known more at the time I would have sent a truck load of info for them hehe

We also just sent copies of e-tickets, visa stamps / biographic data in the passport and 2 pictures of us together. No RFE. Maybe less is more after all.

[meauxna 15]

Oh, I should've posted my comments here instead of there...

I don't understand. You sent all of that information and then got an RFE for you to clarify the unsolicited information you sent? And this is good? And you encourage others to do the same?

Did you know that Adjudicating Officers are required to look at (and then vet and evaluate) every item that you send in? Did you know that sometimes the evidence raises more questions than it answers?

[wanthimhere 0]

Maybe less is more after all.

I agree .... I sent my inbound/outbound boarding passes, corresponding passport stamps, and three pictures.

No RFE.

[SENKA 0]

We sent lots of evidence, and still got an RFE. After we sent additional proof, they approved us right away.

[TucsonBill 0]

Oh, I should've posted my comments here instead of there...

I don't understand. You sent all of that information and then got an RFE for you to clarify the unsolicited information you sent? And this is good? And you encourage others to do the same?

Did you know that Adjudicating Officers are required to look at (and then vet and evaluate) every item that you send in? Did you know that sometimes the evidence raises more questions than it answers?

More than one person who have used immigration attorneys have said that they were told to 'bury them' with evidence.

Clearly thre are two schools of thought on this. I am of the opinion that it depends on a factors to which we are not privy, which may include different standards being applied depending on the country of the beneficiary, or just the particular opinion of the person reviewing the case. I suspect a combination of both. I honestly don't see how anything I sent would have sent up any kind of 'red flag'.

I figure if you send them every scrap of evidence you have, it leaves them nothing else to ask for. The fact that Tom had to use a Priority Mail "BOX" to send all of his "evidence" and was approved in less than 30 days, is proof enough for me that it does not 'slow the process down' when you send alot of information to them.

Bill

[michellek1976 0]

I wonder if the discrepancies in who receives and RFE and who doesn't might have something to do with the officer adjudicating the case. Despite the most stringent procedures human error/compassion/whatever will play a part in the process.

We got RFE'd like you TusconBill. Others have been approved with the same information.

Edited October 6, 2006 by michellek1976

[one...two...tree 2,762]

In addition to sending the usual boarding passes, atm withdrawals, hotel and restaurant receipts, I had made a copy of my passport (all pages) even though I had included a copy of my birth certificate. Also, Jinky had made copies of her driver's license, social security card and university diploma from the Philippines. I feared adding those would have been overkill, but when I finally received my RFE, it was only for the IMBRA and then after they received it, the email confirmation stated that...

On September 28, 2006, we received your response to our request for evidence or information. However because preliminary processing was complete, the remaining processing time will be less than the maximum stated in this message. You will receive a written decision on this case.

I've been on pins and needles since last week thinking that the approval would be anyday now, but at least I'm pretty confident that will not be sending any additional RFE's.

When I gathered all the evidence, I just kept in my mind that I'm trying to build a case to convince a stranger that my relationship is in fact legitimate and that we've met within the last 2 years. I was confident that the evidence was overwhelming.

[michellek1976 0]

I feared adding those would have been overkill, but when I finally received my RFE, it was only for the IMBRA and then after they received it, the email confirmation stated that...

On September 28, 2006, we received your response to our request for evidence or information. However because preliminary processing was complete, the remaining processing time will be less than the maximum stated in this message. You will receive a written decision on this case.

Umm, that's their standard receipt email. I received the same email after my first and second RFE.

[Kirsten L 0]

Go Bill, GO!!! You're going to have that approval in no time, now. I just know it!! Send that thing back in!! Easy, peasy!! Can't wait to read the good news that I'm sure is soon on its way!!

Edited October 6, 2006 by Kirsten L

[TucsonBill 0]

Go Bill, GO!!! You're going to have that approval in no time, now. I just know it!! Send that thing back in!! Easy, peasy!! Can't wait to read the good news that I'm sure is soon on its way!!

I hope so! Thanks for the vote of confidene Now, any suggestions on how to answer my RFE - hehe!! I just posted a new topic

Bill

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I feared adding those would have been overkill, but when I finally received my RFE, it was only for the IMBRA and then after they received it, the email confirmation stated that...

On September 28, 2006, we received your response to our request for evidence or information. However because preliminary processing was complete, the remaining processing time will be less than the maximum stated in this message. You will receive a written decision on this case.

Umm, that's their standard receipt email. I received the same email after my first and second RFE.

Seriously? deep sigh...I thought for sure...aw, nevermind...somebody shoot me.

[Yodrak 7]

michellek,

I think the same as you - a lot depends on the person who processes the petition. And how the evidence that is presented strikes them.

For the most basic items of evidence - e.g. boarding passes, entry and exit stamps in a passport - the 2nd variable is minimized. A boarding pass is a boarding pass, one's the same as another - date and points of departure and arrival. Start getting into other types of evidence and more information is introduced, more things for the officer to reflect on.

Another thought comes to mind about what could generate an RFE for additional proof of having met - the description of the circumstances of meeting. An elaborate description could give a case officer all sorts of ideas about things to have confirmed.

Yodrak

I wonder if the discrepancies in who receives and RFE and who doesn't might have something to do with the officer adjudicating the case. Despite the most stringent procedures human error/compassion/whatever will play a part in the process.

We got RFE'd like you TusconBill. Others have been approved with the same information.