Proof of meeting in last 2 years

[CarolAnn&Eddy 12]

Ok so I have been reading about the proof of meeting in last 2 years and I just ran across a comment that was made about photos needing to be digitally date stamped. I had never read that requirement before, only that I needed to write the name of the persons in the pictures, date taken, and place on the back of the picture.(which I don't many of and the only ones that had both us in them, I was in my pajamas *blushing*) Sent off my K-1 last month and am going.. oh geez I just know I will probably get a RFE... (yes I know I am paranoid) lol

So since I was thinking about this another issue has crossed my mind. If anyone else has dealt with the following, I would really appreciate any imput.

My fiance lives only about an 11hr drive from me and just about 45min inside the Canadian border. I never had a passport before meeting him so I applied for one with the intent of only using it to see him. Therefore, I got the land border passport card. I drive there, stay with him, use my debit card occasionally, but mostly I use cash. Never worried about keeping receipts, because I never anticipated doing the fiance visa. (This visit in July I will definitely do things differently! Lots more receipts, only using my debit card, and more pictures! This time to make sure I look halfway good and not in my pajamas.. lol)

So, here I am... no passport "book" with stamps, not much for receipts, no flight records, no hotel receipts and such. I went to get back bank records and my online banking only does 90 days back. Ugh!!

Ok.. I am done with my ranting and frustration

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Digitally dated photos can prove meeting in the past 2 years, but as they are easily faked, only go so far at that. The photos you sent, non-dated, will serve to prove your ongoing relationship. The instructions about these photos are, it seems to me, rather outdated. This is primarily for film cameras and this dating thing was popular in the 90s.

Remember, your photo could be from 3 years ago. It is proof you met, but not proof you met in the past 2 years.

If you go in person to your bank, they should be able to give you records further back.

Also remember your trip in July and any proof you generate will not help you if you get an RFE for proof of meeting in the last 2 years. This requirement has to be met before the petition is sent.

What did you send for evidence of meeting in the past two years?

Edited May 23, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[C-ma'am 684]

Digitally dated photos can prove meeting in the past 2 years, but as they are easily faked, only go so far at that. The photos you sent, non-dated, will serve to prove your ongoing relationship. The instructions about these photos are, it seems to me, rather outdated. This is primarily for film cameras and this dating thing was popular in the 90s.

Remember, your photo could be from 3 years ago. It is proof you met, but not proof you met in the past 2 years.

If you go in person to your bank, they should be able to give you records further back.

Also remember your trip in July and any proof you generate will not help you if you get an RFE for proof of meeting in the last 2 years. This requirement has to be met before the petition is sent.

What did you send for evidence of meeting in the past two years?

Not only what Harp said, but also, photos are considered secondary evidence.....and for the record, not only we didn't present a single picture with digital date, we made collages, so we added the place, date and description manually.

Passport copies (from front to back) with departure and return stamps, boarding passes... got any of this?

EDIT: You'll still send the pictures (you can write down the date/and description on the back), but this should be to back up the main evidence.. which should be the other things we mentioned.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Celeste & C

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

She says she doesn't have stamps because she has a passport card and she drove, so no boarding passes. I think she needs some receipts.

[C-ma'am 684]

She says she doesn't have stamps because she has a passport card and she drove, so no boarding passes. I think she needs some receipts.

I missed that.. [seriously, I need to quit replying too early or too late]

[CarolAnn&Eddy 12]

I did write the dates on the back of the pictures that were taken in October of 2011. My passport was just issued in March of 2011, therefore the meeting in person could not have happened before that. I do not have passport copies with stamps because I do not have the standard passport book. My passport looks just like a driver's license and when I cross back into the US I just have to hold it out the window of my car as I approach the little border booth and it scans it electronically. I don't fly up there because it is cheaper to drive and I love the view.

For proof of meeting in the last 2 years, I sent the pictures. Probably wouldn't help any that we look exactly the same in our new passport photos we sent with the petition as we do in the pictures. Would my bank statements showing the debits I made in his town work when/if I receive an RFE?

Good idea about going straight to the bank.. I will do that tomorrow to have them ready.

Thanks you!

[CarolAnn&Eddy 12]

This is just difficult having to go back in time, when we really didn't expect to have to go through all of this. We were planning on him coming here to visit a few times, getting married here or there, then filing the appropriate paperwork. But then he got denied entry at the border. That is when I started researching everything and we decided that the K-1 was the best way to go. Lots of shoulda, coulda, wouldas now. **sigh**

[C-ma'am 684]

I did write the dates on the back of the pictures that were taken in October of 2011. My passport was just issued in March of 2011, therefore the meeting in person could not have happened before that. I do not have passport copies with stamps because I do not have the standard passport book. My passport looks just like a driver's license and when I cross back into the US I just have to hold it out the window of my car as I approach the little border booth and it scans it electronically. I don't fly up there because it is cheaper to drive and I love the view.

For proof of meeting in the last 2 years, I sent the pictures. Probably wouldn't help any that we look exactly the same in our new passport photos we sent with the petition as we do in the pictures. Would my bank statements showing the debits I made in his town work when/if I receive an RFE?

Good idea about going straight to the bank.. I will do that tomorrow to have them ready.

Thanks you!

They should at least help, because you need to establish being at the same time and space... Did you stay at a hotel? That should help too. It doesn't matter if the passport pictures look the same as the other, after all it does mean that you saw each other face to face..;. but yeah.. anything from the bank should help.

I have an additional suggestion, though. Report your own message to a mod and ask them to please move it to the Canadian Sub Forum.. I'm pretty sure you are not the first person to go through this.. because it's REALLY common for people to Canada to drive down to the US; so I'm almost certain that someone there may have suggestions and experiences to share with you.

Sorry for missing the no-stamps part of your original post.... I'm in Sleepy Time Land

EDIT: Just saw your other message. Don't give up One way or the other, we'll help you figure it out

Edited May 23, 2012 by Celeste & C

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You're doing great, so don't worry. Bank statements are very good proof, if it arises. They might just call up CPB records and see your entry/exits (which I think they can and do do). You used to be able to visit Canada without a passport, so if we want to look at things objectively, it's possible you saw him, say, 5 years ago and that is where the photos are from. I don't think passport issue date will be sufficient proof, but you'll figure it out either way. Good luck.

[CarolAnn&Eddy 12]

They should at least help, because you need to establish being at the same time and space... Did you stay at a hotel? That should help too. It doesn't matter if the passport pictures look the same as the other, after all it does mean that you saw each other face to face..;. but yeah.. anything from the bank should help.

I have an additional suggestion, though. Report your own message to a mod and ask them to please move it to the Canadian Sub Forum.. I'm pretty sure you are not the first person to go through this.. because it's REALLY common for people to Canada to drive down to the US; so I'm almost certain that someone there may have suggestions and experiences to share with you.

Sorry for missing the no-stamps part of your original post.... I'm in Sleepy Time Land

EDIT: Just saw your other message. Don't give up One way or the other, we'll help you figure it out

thank you... we do have pictures of us together that I sent but they are not digitally time stamped. I did not stay in a hotel, I stayed with him.

It is a different situation since they started requiring passports several years back and to make it easier on us we can get the less expensive passport card. With that card, I can not travel by air, only cross a border by land.

hehe now to figure out how to report this posting... haven't figured out all the ins and outs here yet.

[CarolAnn&Eddy 12]

You're doing great, so don't worry. Bank statements are very good proof, if it arises. They might just call up CPB records and see your entry/exits (which I think they can and do do). You used to be able to visit Canada without a passport, so if we want to look at things objectively, it's possible you saw him, say, 5 years ago and that is where the photos are from. I don't think passport issue date will be sufficient proof, but you'll figure it out either way. Good luck.

I would hope that they do call up CPB records because it will show that him and I are both flagged! They will see my entry times and it has also been recorded the 2 times he was denied entry with me because he was considered high risk for immigrating illegal because of our relationship.

Thank you for your imput.. it really is appreciated!

[bcgal27 2]

I had the exact same thing happen with my K1 petition, except that my pics were date stamped AND we held up a local newspaper to prove the date like kidnappers do. We were just asked for evidence at the end of april, and in it they said that any pictures are considered secondary evidence anyway. But apparently any debit or credit card statements from the petitioner showing purchases made in Canada from when he came up to visit me (not ones where I went down to see him, since Im not the petitioner) that show the city and country, date and his name on the statement are considered primary evidence. If I were you I would have whoever the petitioner is call immigration now and say that you noticed you left something out and ask if you cant send it now. It would hopefully save you from the grueling process I am in.

[CarolAnn&Eddy 12]

I had the exact same thing happen with my K1 petition, except that my pics were date stamped AND we held up a local newspaper to prove the date like kidnappers do. We were just asked for evidence at the end of april, and in it they said that any pictures are considered secondary evidence anyway. But apparently any debit or credit card statements from the petitioner showing purchases made in Canada from when he came up to visit me (not ones where I went down to see him, since Im not the petitioner) that show the city and country, date and his name on the statement are considered primary evidence. If I were you I would have whoever the petitioner is call immigration now and say that you noticed you left something out and ask if you cant send it now. It would hopefully save you from the grueling process I am in.

Thank you! I will do that tomorrow as well.. That is what i was wondering about because I have used my debit card there every time I have been there, just not a lot and my bank statements have my name and it shows everything. Hoping they will let me send it to be added to my file for when it is ready to be reviewed

[C-ma'am 684]

I would hope that they do call up CPB records because it will show that him and I are both flagged! They will see my entry times and it has also been recorded the 2 times he was denied entry with me because he was considered high risk for immigrating illegal because of our relationship.

Thank you for your imput.. it really is appreciated!

Don't worry about the denials! They will have NO impact whatsoever on the K1 application.. To report, there's a little button on the bottom left corner of the message itself!

I'm sure someone else was in your same situation or very close to it and will have more words of wisdom.

EDIT: OH YAY for bcgal!

Edited May 23, 2012 by Celeste & C

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

*** Moving from K2 to Canada forum by OP request *****