Best way to send in pics?

[Roosha 51]

I've got about 40 pics that I'm sending in, and I've already printed them out and labeled the back with places, dates and names. Should I redo and put the pics on normal paper (in a word doc or something) and put the captions under each pic? I'm trying to anticipate anything that might slow down processing...

[G0ds1ay3r 30]

Personally I think that 40 photo's is a bit excessive; we sent in 6 photos and were still accepted. I think quality over quantity.

[jaycali 415]

Personally I think that 40 photo's is a bit excessive; we sent in 6 photos and were still accepted. I think quality over quantity.

Plus one for this one.

When using photos, always think quality over quantity. I don't know what kinds of pictures you are using, but the best advice I can give you on using photos is to use 10 - 20 quality photos.

By quality, I mean photos that back up your case. You can send in 10,000 pictures of you and your spouse posing in front of the camera in your living room, and all they prove is that you've met once and that at least one of you knows how to use a camera.

Send in 10 - 20 pics, a couple should be from your wedding, a couple showing you mingling with each others' families, and at least half a dozen pictures taken in various locations (backgrounds distinguishable), from various seasons, with differing hair styles etc. Remember, you're not using the photos to show that you've taken a lot of pictures together - You're using photos to prove that you have spent a considerable amount of time together, over a long period of time.

As for printing, my wife and I used regular A4 paper with a short caption and date. No RFEs.

Edited November 25, 2012 by Jay Jay

[Roosha 51]

Thank you guys for replying, but with all due respect, my husband is from a MENA country which is considered "high fraud". I'm sure 10-20 pics would suffice for those that aren't from these areas, but I think 40 pictures spanning a 7 year marriage is the least I can do! I tried to cut it down, really I did.

Anyway my question was how to send the pics, I have them printed right now normally with labels on the back, should I instead import them into a word document so I can put the caption under each picture and then print on normal paper?

[jaycali 415]

Thank you guys for replying, but with all due respect, my husband is from a MENA country which is considered "high fraud". I'm sure 10-20 pics would suffice for those that aren't from these areas, but I think 40 pictures spanning a 7 year marriage is the least I can do!

Yes. Good job!

All too often I see people snding 200 pictures of themselves posing in lovely positions in front of the camera - All pics taken within the time span of 1 hour, with no background. And they wonder why people who only used 15 pictures had a better case. Just thought I'd give a heads up!

I tried to cut it down, really I did.Anyway my question was how to send the pics, I have them printed right now normally with labels on the back, should I instead import them into a word document so I can put the caption under each picture and then print on normal paper?

40 pics is fine, no need to cut it down. For MENA countries you can't front load too much really. My point is, as long as they're quality pictures, quantity rarely makes a difference. I think either way you choose to go about sending them is fine also. All I can tell you is my wife made them into individual pdf files with a short caption and date of each picture, and printed these. I choose to recommend this way of doing it solely because it worked for us - I know this since we had no RFEs from the CIS and because the CO's first sentence to me at the interview was not "Hello" or "Good morning" but "I see you had a wonderful wedding! I saw the pictures."

We chose this way of doing it because I always believed the simpler the better. The CIS adjudicators and COs have a very limited amount of time to make a very important decision on each case. I choose to believe that as they flip through pages of bona fide evidence, having the caption on the front makes an ever so slight difference.

Edited November 25, 2012 by Jay Jay

[Ryan H 3,790]

I've got about 40 pics that I'm sending in, and I've already printed them out and labeled the back with places, dates and names. Should I redo and put the pics on normal paper (in a word doc or something) and put the captions under each pic? I'm trying to anticipate anything that might slow down processing...

When I submitted pictures, I printed them out from a Word document. I put 4 on a page and put numbers next to each picture. Above the pictures, I put a description of the picture next to each number. Example: 1. Me and her at location X. Additionally, I stamped each picture with the date and time.

I had no issues doing it this way.

[pluis 2]

We did it the old-school way

Used about 30 pictures and glued them to ordinary white paper. Then, I hand-wrote a little description of the picture, the approximate date it was taken and named all the people in the picture. Something like

"April 2010, vacation in the United States.

Simone and Peter visited Peter's parents and spent some time at their lake-side cabin.

(picture of Simone with Peter's father posing on porch of cabin)

(left)Simone American-Foreign

(right)Eric American, father of Peter American"

My husband scanned that package and we sent the printed scans to USCIS.

Edited November 26, 2012 by pluis

[Roosha 51]

You know, pluis, that's actually a really good idea! I was sitting here dreading that I'd have to go through all my pics to pick out the ones that I had printed and import into word and then retype all the captions that I already have labelled on the back! That will be easier, just paste onto paper and scan.

Thanks Everyone!

[pushbrk 12,092]

I've got about 40 pics that I'm sending in, and I've already printed them out and labeled the back with places, dates and names. Should I redo and put the pics on normal paper (in a word doc or something) and put the captions under each pic? I'm trying to anticipate anything that might slow down processing...

I recommend printing multiple photos per page on plain white paper. 40 is not too many. A Word doc is a good way to do it but anything that gets the job done is fine.

[gstrength 20]

You know, pluis, that's actually a really good idea! I was sitting here dreading that I'd have to go through all my pics to pick out the ones that I had printed and import into word and then retype all the captions that I already have labelled on the back! That will be easier, just paste onto paper and scan.

Thanks Everyone!

if you have them in your computer use windows to view the pics, select the ones you want and then print on photo paper in the smallest size you can, (is contact size) you can fit a lot of pics that way (about 35 PICS per page)I sent them that way and did not take up a lot of space and it worked.

[pushbrk 12,092]

if you have them in your computer use windows to view the pics, select the ones you want and then print on photo paper in the smallest size you can, (is contact size) you can fit a lot of pics that way (about 35 PICS per page)I sent them that way and did not take up a lot of space and it worked.

No more than 9 per page and then only if that allows a person to actually see who is in the photos. Often 4 per page is the maximum practical number.

I agree that for a MENA country and a seven year marriage, 40 photos is not too many.

[The Mean Lady 604]

No more than 9 per page and then only if that allows a person to actually see who is in the photos. Often 4 per page is the maximum practical number.

I agree that for a MENA country and a seven year marriage, 40 photos is not too many.

I agree. I did (6) per page and they were getting a bit small to see.

[Cathi 5,609]

Thank you guys for replying, but with all due respect, my husband is from a MENA country which is considered "high fraud". I'm sure 10-20 pics would suffice for those that aren't from these areas, but I think 40 pictures spanning a 7 year marriage is the least I can do! I tried to cut it down, really I did.

Anyway my question was how to send the pics, I have them printed right now normally with labels on the back, should I instead import them into a word document so I can put the caption under each picture and then print on normal paper?

my husband is from a MENA country as well and I sent about 15 pics. Like previous people said, quantity does not equal quality. It doesn't really matter what you print them on as long as they just span the length of your relationship, I didn't even label, date or caption my pictures. I did like the guide said and merely labeled the back with our names and sent them in a clear plastic baggie and attached them to the petition with a paper clip. We didn't have any problems, and at the interview we were not asked for one single piece of additional evidence(I was at the interview with my husband)

[Roosha 51]

my husband is from a MENA country as well and I sent about 15 pics. Like previous people said, quantity does not equal quality. It doesn't really matter what you print them on as long as they just span the length of your relationship, I didn't even label, date or caption my pictures. I did like the guide said and merely labeled the back with our names and sent them in a clear plastic baggie and attached them to the petition with a paper clip. We didn't have any problems, and at the interview we were not asked for one single piece of additional evidence(I was at the interview with my husband)

Yes mimo but as I can see from your timeline you were married a month before you sent in the I-130, correct? We've been married seven years, together for eleven...

I can also see from your timeline that you were processed at the Vermont center in three months, that's amazing! Any secrets you could share?

[bigdog 376]

No more than 9 per page and then only if that allows a person to actually see who is in the photos. Often 4 per page is the maximum practical number.

I agree that for a MENA country and a seven year marriage, 40 photos is not too many.