K-1 visa dilemma, no pic of us together

[2step 0]

Hello, my visa is well along at this point. My finance lives in the Philippines. My concern is that I do not have a picture of my fiance with me in it. I took pictures of her, but none of them have me in it also. Is this going to be a problem? I do have a copy of my credit card bill which shows I paid for her plane ticket to visit my while I was in Manila. I also have the email I sent to her showing the flight information. She also has kept the ticket. I also have my hotel bill during the time of her plane ticket. For me to go there again will cost me about $4K and finances are tough for me right now. $4k is a lot of money for me to spend just to get a picture of us together. Is the fact that we do not have a picture together going to be a deal breaker?

thanks

[Pitaya 2,577]

Hello, my visa is well along at this point. My finance lives in the Philippines. My concern is that I do not have a picture of my fiance with me in it. I took pictures of her, but none of them have me in it also. Is this going to be a problem? I do have a copy of my credit card bill which shows I paid for her plane ticket to visit my while I was in Manila. I also have the email I sent to her showing the flight information. She also has kept the ticket. I also have my hotel bill during the time of her plane ticket. For me to go there again will cost me about $4K and finances are tough for me right now. $4k is a lot of money for me to spend just to get a picture of us together. Is the fact that we do not have a picture together going to be a deal breaker?

thanks

It is difficult to provide without more tangible evidence of where you are in the visa process. It is hard to say if it will be a deal-breaker or not. It all depends on the strength of your petition and the rest of your evidence in the eyes of the adjudicator or interviewing consulate officer. The statements in the VJ Forum K-1 Guides (emphasis added) say it very well:

"Documentary Proof of Having Met in Person in the Past Two Years and an Ongoing Relationship:

Use as many of these items are possible. There is no minimum, but the more you can provide the less likely you are that you will receive an RFE. Additionally, please note that providing proof of your ongoing and genuine relationship in this package may benefit you by allowing the consulate to have access to this information prior to them formally contacting the non US Citizen fiance. Many high risk consulates approach cases with a skeptical eye and providing this information early on in the original I-129F package will help them in their preliminary review of your case.

1. Copies of all airline boarding passes, train passes, itineraries, hotel receipts, passport stamps (make sure you can read the dates on the stamps), and other documentary evidence that you have met within the last two years. You may want to highlight or place post-it notes indicating the dates and locations on the copies (to make the adjudication easier) for the person reviewing your file.

2. Color Photo's of you and your fiance(e) together. Make sure you write your names, date, and location on the back of every photo. Provide two to five photo's. If you only have a single copy of the photo, then make a color copy and send that. If it is a digital photo, have it printed at a company such as kodakgallery.com. You can also make duplicates of photo's at your local photo store (Walgreeens, CVS, etc). Place photo's in a plastic bag or photo sheet and label the sheet. Note that you may not receive originals of photo's back.

3. The following items will not typically show proof of having met in the last two years however will show proof of an ongoing relationship: Copies of land line and cell phone bills, appropriate letters and emails, stamps on the letters (to document the date they were sent), and other written documentary proof. Provide a reasonable amount; two to four of each type. Pick a range of dates up to and including the present. You can also include a copy of engagement ring receipt (this is something that is a big optional - do not worry if you do not have a ring yet!)"

If you get USCIS adjudicator approval, recommend a second visit to see your fiancee, with LOTS of couples photos.

Good luck on your visa journey.

Edited June 26, 2012 by A&B

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

As A&B said, it's hard to provide advice if we don't know where you are in the process, but my personal opinion is that it doesn't look good not to have photos of you two together. It'll depend on the strength of the rest of your petition, but honestly you guys should've taken some photos together. I'd be prepared for more scrutiny if you guys don't have photos of you two together. Best of luck to you!

Amy

[jaytin 6]

May I asked why you never got the change to have a picture with your fiancee? It's quite confusing that, when everybody (esp in Philippines) loves to take a picture and put that in social network you and your fiancee doesnt have any of it? The CO in Phil. looks for it, but anyway....goodluck in your journey.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

It's quite likely it will be a problem. Lots of people have gotten RFE's for photos. It's like the key piece of primary evidence seems to be a boarding pass or entry stamp in your passport, and the key piece of secondary evidence seems to be a photo of the petitioner and beneficiary together. One of each of these is enough to get approved. It seems like you have some evidence to prove you were both in the same city at the same time, but no evidence you were actually physically together during that time.

I never had that problem in Vietnam. Every time I put down my camera someone else would snatch it up and start snapping photos. I've got literally thousands of them.

[Penguin_ie 5,988]

No photos, together with only one, brief meeting from what it sounds like will be a problem. Not an automatic denial, but it will make approval much more difficult. What other bonafide evidence do you have?

[baron555 934]

. For me to go there again will cost me about $4K and finances are tough for me right now. $4k is a lot of money for me to spend just to get a picture of us together. Is the fact that we do not have a picture together going to be a deal breaker?

Maybe a problem and maybe not. Your gamble (and problem since you should have known to take a pik together.)

You have two options:

1. Move forward as-is and just be prepared to be denied if the CO wants to see such evidence.

2. Take the trip and generate the proper documentation. $4K, even though it seems like a lot of money, is a mere drop in the bucket to the total amount of expense you will spend once she even gets here. If you can't come up with the 4K, then what about monies needing to be expended in the future?

[Peter_Pan 661]

Sorry, but 4 ks is a serious amount of money, not a drop in the bucket.

Worst case scenario, maybe you could sent those type of pics couples take, you know, first you in front of the Museum, then I.

[LeftCoastLady 441]

It's all relative. Considering the beneficiary won't be able to work right away and depending on the various additional living expenses needed, that $4k can indeed seem small when put in relation to the host of other fees and expenses incurred.

If they are denied for lack of photos, then $4k will be just the start of the additional expenses needed should the OP decide to refile. It's a matter of paying it now or paying it later, with the knowledge that later may be too late.

Sorry, but 4 ks is a serious amount of money, not a drop in the bucket.

Worst case scenario, maybe you could sent those type of pics couples take, you know, first you in front of the Museum, then I.

[2step 0]

thank you for all of your input. To be more specific, we are at the stage where she is to contact the US Embassy to make an appointment. It all seems so stupid now, but I just don't have a picture of us together. I took quite a few of her. To make matters more complex, my jealous ex-gf destroyed my passport. So a stamped passport is not available. Although I have my credit card statement that shows I bought the ticket there, I do not have the boarding pass or any other documentation of the plane ticket itself. I have sent her money via xoom about 10x over this period of time. As international phone calls are very expensive, we do not use phones. We speak every night using Skype. I am wondering, is it reasonable to see if the visa gets approved? Or, if it is not approved, will things be more complicated to get approved later? May I ask what RFE stands for? I am starting to think that it may be best for me to go back again.

thanks again.

2step

[Pitaya 2,577]

thank you for all of your input. To be more specific, we are at the stage where she is to contact the US Embassy to make an appointment. It all seems so stupid now, but I just don't have a picture of us together. I took quite a few of her. To make matters more complex, my jealous ex-gf destroyed my passport. So a stamped passport is not available. Although I have my credit card statement that shows I bought the ticket there, I do not have the boarding pass or any other documentation of the plane ticket itself. I have sent her money via xoom about 10x over this period of time. As international phone calls are very expensive, we do not use phones. We speak every night using Skype. I am wondering, is it reasonable to see if the visa gets approved? Or, if it is not approved, will things be more complicated to get approved later? May I ask what RFE stands for? I am starting to think that it may be best for me to go back again.

thanks again.

2step

RFE = Request for Evidence, refer to the site's FAQ Appendix for more information.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

thank you for all of your input. To be more specific, we are at the stage where she is to contact the US Embassy to make an appointment. It all seems so stupid now, but I just don't have a picture of us together. I took quite a few of her. To make matters more complex, my jealous ex-gf destroyed my passport. So a stamped passport is not available. Although I have my credit card statement that shows I bought the ticket there, I do not have the boarding pass or any other documentation of the plane ticket itself. I have sent her money via xoom about 10x over this period of time. As international phone calls are very expensive, we do not use phones. We speak every night using Skype. I am wondering, is it reasonable to see if the visa gets approved? Or, if it is not approved, will things be more complicated to get approved later? May I ask what RFE stands for? I am starting to think that it may be best for me to go back again.

thanks again.

2step

Never mind then. My comments were aimed at satisfying the two year meeting requirement in order to get the petition approved, which you've already managed to do. Consulates rarely send a petition back to USCIS for failing to meet this requirement unless it's obvious that USCIS made a mistake. I'm surprised that USCIS approved the petition without a single photo of you two together, but I seriously doubt the consulate will question that decision now.

Don't withdraw the petition now. Load your fiancee up with as much relationship evidence as you can muster, have her attend the interview, and hope for the best.

RFE means "Request For Evidence". These comes from USCIS at the petition stage. You're already beyond that. If the consulate wants more evidence they'll issue a 221(g) notice at the interview specifically stating what sort of the evidence they want.

[maya62 7]

Wow, USCIS approved the petition without a stamped passport, boarding passes, or pictures together???

*trying to wrap my head around this*

So the only proof you have of meeting is that you, while in the PI, bought a plane ticket for your fiancee during the same time period you were there?

How did you pay for your own initial plane ticket over there?

If it was me, I"d make a second trip if at all possible.

Good luck!

[Mogambi 96]

I too am shocked that you made it this far with so little evidence, that you didn't get an RFE in the process!?

I think you're going to have a VERY hard time getting the visa. By most accounts, the photos are the ONE thing they actually do look at. At our interview, it's the only thing they looked at.

I agree, you're in for a probably denial unless you really get luck with your CO.

I'm still shocked that you were ever approved, as you basically have almost no evidence of meeting in person.

I mean, good luck. But I fear the worst.

[Supergirlfriend 1]

I dont think that is gonna be a problem, I guess all people from Phillipinas get approved easly and fast I just dont know why, lol