Getting ready to file! Any tips, suggestions, etc...?

[Kyle&Sara 0]

Well, we've reached that point of gathering all necessary documentation, filled out our forms, etc... and are ready to file. I want to be sure everything is done correctly the first time before I send it off. Are there any suggestions or recommendations that anyone may have before the packet gets sent on it's way? I'm awaiting my wife's documents (G325A and passport photo) to arrive in the mail from Canada, so I have a few days before I actually get the packet in the mail. I used the checklist provided in the 'guides' link on this site and I do have a couple of questions I want to try and get answered before I send it off:

By 'copies,' are they referring to photo copies or actual certified copies from government offices? i.e. my birth certificate, our certificate of marriage, etc...

Evidence of a bonafide marriage... I know a lot of people ask about this frequently and I read various answers. Some that conflict with each other. We don't have a joint account, we don't own anything together, we don't have kids. I know an affidavit from someone is listed as an option, but I've read that they really carry little to zero weight, but I figure I might as well provide one anyway (possibly from my mother and stepfather who served as witnesses at our wedding). We can attempt to open a checking account on my next trip up there, but that'll be a month from now and as far as putting her on mine, that won't be until October when she comes back to visit me. Any other solid recommendations on what provides proof of our continuing marriage? I've read things like receipts for gifts, boarding passes, phone records, pictures, etc... but then other people said that you don't provide those until the interview.

As always, any and every bit of help is appreciated!

Cheers,

Kyle

[NikLR 13,234]

read this: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/EZGuideSpouse

at the bottom is a very good list of ideas of evidence of a genuine relationship. You can include skype calls, phone records, text messages, emails etc... We included 2 affidavits, knowing they don't contain much weight but one was from my mother who was the minister at our wedding and the other was from his best friend who knew us best as a couple. Also included boarding passes, a movie reciept, pictures of us together, he added me to his car insurance and to his bank account (we did everything required for that through email and faxing via internet). Put some stuff in there for the USCIS package because a) you need to prove a bona fide marriage to the USCIS and b) she's Canadian, don't worry to much about the interview. Trust me. You can also add more information when you get to the NVC stage with the IV package.

Copies are yes, just regular ol' photocopies. Just make sure they're legible.

[Kyle&Sara 0]

read this: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/EZGuideSpouse

at the bottom is a very good list of ideas of evidence of a genuine relationship. You can include skype calls, phone records, text messages, emails etc... We included 2 affidavits, knowing they don't contain much weight but one was from my mother who was the minister at our wedding and the other was from his best friend who knew us best as a couple. Also included boarding passes, a movie reciept, pictures of us together, he added me to his car insurance and to his bank account (we did everything required for that through email and faxing via internet). Put some stuff in there for the USCIS package because a) you need to prove a bona fide marriage to the USCIS and b) she's Canadian, don't worry to much about the interview. Trust me. You can also add more information when you get to the NVC stage with the IV package.

Copies are yes, just regular ol' photocopies. Just make sure they're legible.

Thanks for the quick reply.

That list is great. Different guide than the one I originally found on here. I'm sure I can pick a few things from there that will work. On a side note, I noticed it suggested passport stamps and interestingly enough, out of her three trips here, she doesn't have one stamp and of my four trips there, I only have three. I wonder if they're starting to scan and track digitally..? We both have all our boarding passes at least.

Again, thank you very much!

Chive On!!!

[NikLR 13,234]

Meh as Canadian's we don't often get passport stamps. I only have 1 in my new passport and only 1 in my old one despite multiple trips to the USA. My husband only has 2 as well, one from before marriage when he was staying for over a month and the last time where he only had a 1 way ticket. The CBP and CBSA do make remarks on your file if they feel the need however. But that's just for their own uses.

[Kyle&Sara 0]

Good to know NLR. Thanks! We both have all of our boarding passes from our visitsand regardless of stamps, that should make it fairly obvious that we've certainly visited each other.

Thanks again!

[NikLR 13,234]

No problem! I hope you two have a quick trip. Plan on the first stage being about 6 months. You won't hear anything and drive yourself bonkers checking your case status online. Sign up for an account when you can see your case online so they will send an email and/or text message about your approval (NOA2.) Study up on Saylin's wiki "NVC for Montreal Beneficiaries" and learn all about online forms and electronic processing too.

[Hollyday 122]

Well, we've reached that point of gathering all necessary documentation, filled out our forms, etc... and are ready to file. I want to be sure everything is done correctly the first time before I send it off. Are there any suggestions or recommendations that anyone may have before the packet gets sent on it's way? I'm awaiting my wife's documents (G325A and passport photo) to arrive in the mail from Canada, so I have a few days before I actually get the packet in the mail. I used the checklist provided in the 'guides' link on this site and I do have a couple of questions I want to try and get answered before I send it off:

By 'copies,' are they referring to photo copies or actual certified copies from government offices? i.e. my birth certificate, our certificate of marriage, etc...

Evidence of a bonafide marriage... I know a lot of people ask about this frequently and I read various answers. Some that conflict with each other. We don't have a joint account, we don't own anything together, we don't have kids. I know an affidavit from someone is listed as an option, but I've read that they really carry little to zero weight, but I figure I might as well provide one anyway (possibly from my mother and stepfather who served as witnesses at our wedding). We can attempt to open a checking account on my next trip up there, but that'll be a month from now and as far as putting her on mine, that won't be until October when she comes back to visit me. Any other solid recommendations on what provides proof of our continuing marriage? I've read things like receipts for gifts, boarding passes, phone records, pictures, etc... but then other people said that you don't provide those until the interview.

As always, any and every bit of help is appreciated!

Cheers,

Kyle

My favourite type of evidence personally is stuff like photos of you together, photo copies of border crossing stamps in passports when you come to see each other, boarding passes and such. And of course correspondence and phone logs and such. People usually recommend frontloading the I-130 here with bona fide evidence.

[NikLR 13,234]

This is Canada, front loading isn't required unless the Canadian spouse isn't a Canadian citizen, is originally from a higher fraud country, or has family who originate from a high fraud country.

[Kyle&Sara 0]

I'll definitely check out that Wiki page. Considering the title, does that mean all Canadians go through the Montreal consulate? If so, does that mean that she'll have to travel to Montreal for her interview or does it simply mean that's where all the documentation ends up? She's in Calgary and I know when I originally started researching this whole process, I found that there is a consulate office in Calgary.

[canadian_wife 1,831]

There is a consulate in Calgary yes, but all spousal visa interviews are done in Montreal. So plan on having her travel there. Also there are 4 physicians in Ontario. 1 in BC and 1 in QC. She'll need to travel to one of them to have her medical done, those are the only ones recognized by the consulate

http://travel.state.gov/pdf/medical/MTL-MED-ENGL-0012-1304.pdf

good luck