Checklist for Visa Journey

[thedude6752000 360]

OK, so here is our story:

I met my fiancee and soon to be wife Samar when I was in Lucknow, India studying Urdu with a US Dept. of State program. We fell in love, and we began planning on how we can be together. After getting engaged and then deciding the K1 route was not the best to go, we are now going with the CR1. We will be wed in August and I will return and hopefully file for the CR1 in September, October at the latest. With only a little more than 2 months to go until I depart for India, I am now starting to gather all of the documents I will need for the application. Here is a list of what I will be including in the I-130 packet:

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative

Cover letter stating all documents of package

(2) G-325A's, Biographic Information, one for me and one for her

2 passport sized photos, 1 of me one of her

Copy of my birth certificate

Question: Do I include the I-864 Affidavit of Support or not?

Additional documents:

Hundreds of pages of chat logs

Hundreds of pages of emails

All the skype conversations I can get my hands on

Letters from her to me

Letters from me to her

Reciepts of for her dresses, gold, rings, and my dresses and rings

Plane tickets

Hotel tickets from our honeymoon

Hopefully thousands of pictures from our engagement, wedding, and honeymoon

Signed Affidavits by guests from the wedding to the affect that we are a bona fide couple

Bank statement from our shared bank account

I will of course be sure to make 1 complete copy of all this and also to save it as digital PDF's stored on Google Plus.

Is there anything I am missing? And is there anything that I should bring back with her from India, so as not to have to spend more money on international mail latter? Should I bring back copies of her birth certificate and police report? What other preparations should I make? Please advise that she is a Muslim and I am a white Christian guy, our story is complicated and our case needs to be airtight. Also, I live in Maryland, where will I mail my package too? The Vermont (dis-)Service Center I assume?

[thedude6752000 360]

I actually forgot the marriage certificate. I have heard that Indian marriage certificates are sometimes not accepted without further documentation. In addition to the marriage certificate, is there any other document (or some other form of it) I can provide to establish a bona fide legal marriage?

[Ryan H 3,813]

Question: Do I include the I-864 Affidavit of Support or not?

No

Also, I live in Maryland, where will I mail my package too? The Vermont (dis-)Service Center I assume?

See the instructions for the I-130, they clearly spell out where you should mail your package to.

[thedude6752000 360]

Thank you! I clearly see now that it needs to be the Chicago lockbox. Is there anything else that I missed?

[NikLR 13,227]

Double check and make sure you complete everything in India and have all the paperwork you need for your marriage certificate. If possible get several copies from the issuer. Make sure it's registered and legal in India.

You have lots of time for her to complete the IV and AOS packages. You can read about the NVC stage and prepare for that while you're waiting for the I-130 approval.

Congrats on your upcoming nuptials!