RFE to show we met in person. HELP!

[Misha♥Jeff 12]

Hi VJ'ers,

I need advice from the throng on VJ about what I can do to meet the requirement for proving we met in person.

Background: Here is the letter that I included with the I129F for Part B, Question 18: "Has your fiancée met and seen you in within the two-year period immediately preceding the filing of this petition."

To Whom It May Concern:

Michelle and I met in person in Manila. I arrived on May 23 and returned to San Francisco on June 6, 2012. During our time together I stayed at her house in Las Piñas, Manila. Our time was spent in and around Manila. I met Michelle’s family, most of whom flew in from Butuan City for the duration of my stay.

Attached is documentation that confirms that I, Jeffrey X. XXXXX, met and saw my fiancée, Michelle X. XXXXX, within the 2-year period preceding the filing of my I-129F petition.

Included herewith:

• Itinerary/Receipt of round-trip flight from SFO to MNL

• Copy of petitioner’s US Passport with entry and exit stamps from the immigration officers at the Manila airport (entry: 5/23/12, exit: 6/6/12)

• Copies of boarding passes

• Receipt for Php 550 Passenger Service Charge upon exiting the Philippines

• Copies of toll receipts for taxi rides on Manila Skyway

• Copies of receipts from restaurants and movie theater

• Photographs documenting our time together [here I included 6 pages of photos of us together, printed in full color at Kinkos, with dates]

Here is the text from the RFE from the CSC:

REQUIREMENT THAT PETITIONER AND BENEFICIARY HAVE MET IN PERSON: It must be established that the petitioner and beneficiary have met in person and/or have been in each other's physical presence at any time during the two years immediately preceding the filing of this petition.

• Circumstances of Meeting - Submit information regarding the circumstances under which the petitioner and beneficiary met to establish this relationship.
  

So, my question is, what else can I do to prove that I spent 2 weeks with Michelle? Are they looking for a longer narrative about our love story? More pictures?

Thanks for your help!!

[Penguin_ie 5,985]

I am thinking they did not see your proof, because you sent more than enough. Maybe it fell to the floor somewhere, or is stuck between other papers in your box?

[jenaelle 1]

oops,, i'm not experience and not capable to answer your questions fully, but i have some ideas ( fellow VJ'S can correct me if i am wrong) in my understanding is that you need to meet the requirements of meeting each other in person face to face within two years, it doesn't matter how long you stayed.. what important is that you met face to face within two years period... that is my understanding regarding your case..

[reese1 68]

It sounds like to me they are asking HOW you met i.e you met online, etc. The letter you sent explained when you met for the first time but not how the relationship got started. That is my take on it anyway.

[MikelanNida 28]

I agree with Queen Penguin, re- submit everything, and maybe add a letter explaining how you came to be there at that time, in other words, explain the relationship leading up to the visit.

[brett and alma 12]

I agree with Queen Penguin, re- submit everything, and maybe add a letter explaining how you came to be there at that time, in other words, explain the relationship leading up to the visit.

Yes,i agree with you.

How did you met?

Where did you met?specific.

[feli114 65]

You also have there that they want the circumstances of how you met. So that means you also need to give them a little background into how you met.

[Aphroditee 1]

The Request for Evidence they sent you sounds to me, they are asking you under which circumstances you both met (i.e. through close friend, online, working in same company.....) that led to a relationship and meeting in person on a certain date, in a certain place. Since you sent a lot of stuffs to show proof of meeting in person, but I don't see anywhere you described how you met before you personally met, I think this might be something they are asking for and you can also submit what you already submitted in the first place as proof of meeting in person when you reply to them, just in case the papers got stuck somewhere that they did not see your proof.

[Misha♥Jeff 12]

I am thinking about writing a 2-pager on our whole story. I think it falls more into the category of "proof of ongoing relationship", which we don't need to present until the embassy interview, but better to send that to be sure that they understand the "circumstances" of how we established our relationship. Also, we have hundreds of photos. Maybe I will send a couple dozen of those that I didn't include before.

All of this along with what I submitted with the initial I129F is probably overkill. But I honestly don't understand how we got RFE'd for this in the first place

M&J

BTW, thanks everyone for your advice!

[Misha♥Jeff 12]

I am thinking they did not see your proof, because you sent more than enough. Maybe it fell to the floor somewhere, or is stuck between other papers in your box?

Does that really happen? Where some papers are lost? That is probably not likely since I MEGA-stapled everything together.

[sjr09 155]

They will undo your, “MEGA stapled everything.“ And yes it happens, more often then one may think.

[TnJ 131]

They will undo your, “MEGA stapled everything.“ And yes it happens, more often then one may think.

Although you only need to prove that you met within the 2 years, it would probably be a plus to include when you met initially in your statement. I did this along with giving all that I needed to prove we met in person. I really didn't send more or better than what you sent OP. Sometimes, things really do get lost, misplaced, or overlooked though. I would resubmit everything you submitted initially to meet this requirement, think of anything else I could send, and include how we first met. Others have been in similar situations where they submitted something and later got an RFE asking for exactly what they submitted. They sent in what was requested (again!) and everything worked out with approval in the end.

Edited October 14, 2012 by ToddnJessa

[wilfon 30]

I am thinking about writing a 2-pager on our whole story. I think it falls more into the category of "proof of ongoing relationship", which we don't need to present until the embassy interview, but better to send that to be sure that they understand the "circumstances" of how we established our relationship. Also, we have hundreds of photos. Maybe I will send a couple dozen of those that I didn't include before.

All of this along with what I submitted with the initial I129F is probably overkill. But I honestly don't understand how we got RFE'd for this in the first place

M&J

BTW, thanks everyone for your advice!

I can't understand how you got an RFE either. It looked to me that you had everything that they would need. Maybe they did lose part of the paperwork, otherwise that is pretty scary that you would get an RFE for not stating that you met online or however you met. Now I am worried about getting an RFE. Good luck and please keep us posted on what happens.

[-=Mai and Timmy=- 12]

Although you only need to prove that you met within the 2 years, it would probably be a plus to include when you met initially in your statement. I did this along with giving all that I needed to prove we met in person. I really didn't send more or better than what you sent OP. Sometimes, things really do get lost, misplaced, or overlooked though. I would resubmit everything you submitted initially to meet this requirement, think of anything else I could send, and include how we first met. Others have been in similar situations where they submitted something and later got an RFE asking for exactly what they submitted. They sent in what was requested (again!) and everything worked out with approval in the end.

I am thinking about writing a 2-pager on our whole story. I think it falls more into the category of "proof of ongoing relationship", which we don't need to present until the embassy interview, but better to send that to be sure that they understand the "circumstances" of how we established our relationship. Also, we have hundreds of photos. Maybe I will send a couple dozen of those that I didn't include before.

All of this along with what I submitted with the initial I129F is probably overkill. But I honestly don't understand how we got RFE'd for this in the first place

M&J

BTW, thanks everyone for your advice!

have you included some pics in your packet before? I hope they will found it if its true that they misplaced it aww so sorry to hear this

Edited October 14, 2012 by -=Mai and Timmy=-

[Sherlyn 9]

I am thinking about writing a 2-pager on our whole story. I think it falls more into the category of "proof of ongoing relationship", which we don't need to present until the embassy interview, but better to send that to be sure that they understand the "circumstances" of how we established our relationship. Also, we have hundreds of photos. Maybe I will send a couple dozen of those that I didn't include before.

All of this along with what I submitted with the initial I129F is probably overkill. But I honestly don't understand how we got RFE'd for this in the first place

M&J

BTW, thanks everyone for your advice!

Yes... Do that... That's what me and my fiance did... He wrote his own story of how we met until we got engaged and I did that also, then he attached that to our i129...