Relationship History - Love or Friendship?

[Toria 0]

Hi! I'm Tori and I've been trying to read as much as I can since my partner (husband) filed our I130 in late March. We recently (April 4th) got our NOA1 and our receipt number. Woohoo! Now I can stop pestering him and look for myself (I'm the document wrangler/fact-checker, he is not...see below)

About Us:

Me - 26, currently finishing up my Masters (Masters of Teaching), working full time as a chid and youth worker (recently got the full time position, woo) going into teaching. Canadian, Beneficiary

Jon - 28, working retail, we're trying to figure out what to do with him and college, USC, Petitioner

Our history:

-started talking online in 1998, we were both teenagers in chat rooms who wrote together

-continued to keep in contact, he called from a high-school trip in Montreal (his French is better than mine, and I had mandatory French classes!)

-our friendship continued to grow with a few no-contact months, as long distance friendships go sometimes

-I came into some money (woo raffle) and decided to take a trip to visit, which I did in 2009. We reaaaalllly hit it off in a romantic way, but I was young, in school, didn't think long-distance could work, and had a boyfriend back home, I was surprised more people didnt cry in the airport...

-the next year (I had broken it off with the ex, good riddance!) he visited me, and we dated for a week, and uh oh...love!? Long distance relationship started up, and we learnt how horribly-wonderful Greyhound is

-frequent travels back and forth, getting a us call plan, Skype, daily talks and calls, travelling whenever we could

-He proposed April of 2011 (a year after dating, 13 years of friendship), and we got married in Canada in June of 2012

-He submitted first round of i130 papers in February, and included nothing except the forms, not my passport scan, not our marriage certificate, nothing (he didn't read up...sigh), he called and we were told to refile and to get some of our application fee back

-We resubmitted (I began to stalk VJ!) and I organized all of our documents, had the checklist, and had 90ish pages of stuff, phone logs, bills for my phone (showing US calling plan and phone records) bus and flight trips (every ticket) photos of trips together and photos of his new apartment (soon to be ours! We got the lease yesterday!)

We submitted proof based on his first visit to Canada in 2010, citing that was when our romantic relationship started. I didn't allude to the fact that we had a friendship, or that I had visited before, as it was just a friendly trip. I figured (possibly wrongly) that they would ask at the interview, and that because I don't really have too many records of things before that trip, that I wouldn't be able to prove it anyway. I doubt few teenagers think to keep chat logs 'just in case I decide to immigrate'.

So, my actual question:

-should we send a letter in to add the background of our relationship to our file? Should we try to scrounge some proof up?

-should we wait and see if we get an RFE?

-should I scrounge up proof and wait until interview?

-should I just smile and prepare to have a funny story for the interview officer? (Friends for 15 years...I've known him for half my life, two countries and we decide to get married, it sounds like a cheesy movie!)

I know, crazy long post, but, I figured more information was better than not! I'm also waiting for my final thesis approval, so, anything to kill the time in between edits.

[speedwell 224]

Keep it to one page, and keep the friendship history brief. It's relevant to show that you have had a long history together, but you are asking for your marriage to be validated because it's the basis of your filing, not your friendship. Concentrate on your marriage and commingling of your emotional and economic lives. The friendship will probably just put a smile on the official's face as it did mine, but it's not directly relevant.

Don't worry about sending it now. Send it to the NVC with your IV packet after your I-130 is approved.

Edited April 9, 2013 by speedwell

[canadian_wife 1,831]

Canada is an exceptionally low fraud country for nationals. Our interview was basically 10 minutes of the CO cracking jokes.

Don't over think this process and don't over analyze. Keep answers short and conceise and if asked, answer honestly

good luck

[Toria 0]

Thank you, both of you.

I'll have it written up, and will probably send in the one page summary with the IV packet.

And now we wait.

[Boggy1974 124]

Thank you, both of you.

I'll have it written up, and will probably send in the one page summary with the IV packet.

And now we wait.

Yes the wait is the fun part!

Send extra evidence to NVC along with doc intake.

Good luck!