The RFE Master List

[dirtyd301 0]

+ Always send in the LONG version of the birth certificate (USC) - not the short one. If you only happen to have the short one, include copies of ALL pages of the passport of the US citizen.

+ Always send in your vaccination supplement and medical copies (if obtained) with your AOS. Some countries (like Germany) don't give you any copies of that, so be sure to get them again from a civil surgeon in the USA. It might cost a few dollars.

Also, I would like to add that even though we had two RFEs (one for the K-1 and the other one for AOS), we never complained because RFEs are not a big issue at all. It took only about 14 months from when we first started this entire process by sending in the K-1 application to the issue of my Greencard..... and all that with two RFEs.

Stephanie from Germany,

This is totally off subject but my boyfriend is from Schlotheim, which I think might be near you!! What city are you from??

Diana and Enrico

Edited March 7, 2006 by dirtyd301

[vishrit 0]

We got a RFE because my fiance didn't send in enough proof of our meeting - he had to send in more evidence! It's not enough just to fill out the form and say 'we met on X date' - you have to provide photos too And then he got another RFE because they needed more financial information from him. Combined the two held us up for three months which seemed like an eternity but wasn't really a big deal.

This is where this thread is going to confuse many. Getting an RFE for lack of evidence to prove you have met in the past two years almost always is due to a lack of primary evidence. Supplying more, or many photos (secondary evidence) will usually not overcome the burden of proof.

This has been borne out time and again by USCIS decisions whereby they have found mostly in favor of primary evidence and rejected secondary evidence such as photos when submitted as sole proof.

Primary evidence is documentary in nature: airline boarding passes, passport exit/entry stamps, hotel receipts, atm withdrawals in city of question, utility bills, apartment leases, etc.

Secondary evidence The USCIS defines secondary evidence as any documentation that can be used to supplement primary evidence but in itself cannot stand alone to prove ones assertions.

Photos are secondary; so are letters from relatives, neighbors or acquaintances, bus/train tickets and essentially anything that cannot be used to prove your point with a very high degree of certainty.

To sum up; very good Primary evidence with some secondary evidence = NO RFE

very weak Primary evidence with some, or lots of secondary= Possible RFE

No Primary evidence..........................................................= RFE

No Primary, lots of secondary.............................................= RFE

The docs I sent were Airline boarding passes from Los Angeles to New Delhi and a photograph of the engagement. Will that be fine?

[meauxna 15]

Please keep this thread for actual RFE reports so it can be pinned in the future!

[Peggy 1]

This is a great thread

[Peter Miami 0]

Please keep this thread for actual RFE reports so it can be pinned in the future!

I agree!

Peter Miami

[AFQuaid 18]

wow some really great advice. I hope people find this thread helpful.

[ridley 0]

We finally got our RFE in the mail.

They've asked us for more primary or secondary evidence that we've met in person in the two years prior to our filing for the NOA1. (That is a bit of a stickler, as I had been planning to send evidence of the two meetings we've had in the meantime, but that isn't valid information. Only the two years prior to December 7, 2005 count.)

I sent copies of the boarding passes and airline tickets and receipts that we used as we flew back and forth, as well as pictures of us together, along with the original packet.

For my RFE, I'm planning to send those boarding passes and tickets (again), the same pictures I sent before, as well as copies of my passport and some receipts from my trip to Saskatoon to see my fiance. Also, I'm asking my family and friends to write quick notes attesting that they met my fiance when he was visiting me. They didn't ask specifically for that kind of information, but it seems like it might be helpful as corroborating evidence.

Can anyone suggest anything else I might send? I stayed with my fiance, and we didn't use much public transportation, so it's not like I've got hotel receipts or train tickets I can send them.

Thanks!

Rachel

[Miss_USA 0]

Hi Rachel,

it is so good to read that someone besides my fiance and me got the same RFE like us...I don't really know what they want from us, because we sent in already a lot of evidence...so we will also send some more pictures. We got a letter written from my fiance's mom and aunt and a hotel receipt (it only has my name on it but anyway) and boarding passes when he came to visit me and when I flew over there... it really drives me crazy because we don;t really know what they want from us...we didn't send in letters last time because I lived in the U.S for two years (I was an Au Pair there) so we never wrote letters to each other...so I guess that is all we will send in...Isn't it frustrating???

I wish you good luck...let me know how it went with you guys

Nina

[aussiewench 9]

Rachel and Nina

Off the top of my head....how did you purchase the tickets? And what of any itinerary?

All the best to you both.

Lorelle

[Miss_USA 0]

Hi Lorelle,

both my ticket and my fiances ticket where purchased via internet...and what do you mean with the itinerary? I flew from frankfurt, germany to New York and then to Baltimore....my fiance flew from Baltimore to Island and then to Frankfurt, Germany

Do you think that was a problem because it was purchased via internet??

Rachel and Nina

Off the top of my head....how did you purchase the tickets? And what of any itinerary?

All the best to you both.

Lorelle

[aussiewench 9]

Not at all. I was asking basically if you sent any record of purchase of the ticket. Also did you print anything out showing the itinerary. Just trying to offer up some suggestions.

Hi Lorelle,

both my ticket and my fiances ticket where purchased via internet...and what do you mean with the itinerary? I flew from frankfurt, germany to New York and then to Baltimore....my fiance flew from Baltimore to Island and then to Frankfurt, Germany

Do you think that was a problem because it was purchased via internet??

Rachel and Nina

Off the top of my head....how did you purchase the tickets? And what of any itinerary?

All the best to you both.

Lorelle

[Miss_USA 0]

Last time I only sent in my itinerary because I was in the U.S while we sent out the packet but this time I will send the Boardingpasses as well...because I flew already back home, before I din't had my boarding passes...do you have any other idea what we should send??

Thank you so much for your help!!!

Nina

[ridley 0]

Not at all. I was asking basically if you sent any record of purchase of the ticket. Also did you print anything out showing the itinerary. Just trying to offer up some suggestions.

I sent all of that the first time, but I definitely plan to send it all again. I can't imagine how anyone, looking at the evidence I sent with my original packet, wouldn't draw the conclusion that yes, we really met in person. But I've got a few more receipts I'll send along from my time in Saskatchewan, and my passport entry stamps and so forth, so I'll be adding those, as well.

Thanks! I appreciate your thoughts.

[kaydee457 13]

Last time I only sent in my itinerary because I was in the U.S while we sent out the packet but this time I will send the Boardingpasses as well...because I flew already back home, before I din't had my boarding passes...do you have any other idea what we should send??

Thank you so much for your help!!!

Nina

The itinerary definitely won't be enough. Anyone can produce an itinerary without having done any travel at all. Boarding passes are very good proof given they are difficult to fake and actually proves that you traveled.

Primary evidence:

Exit/entry visa stamps, airline ticket boarding passes, hotel receipts, ATM withdrawals in the subject country/city, apartment leases in both names, utility bills, etc. (for those that have lived together) are irrefutable as primary evidence.

Secondary evidence:

Photos, bus tickets, engagement ring receipts, affidavits from family/friends may be used to supplement weak primary evidence if the primary evidence can not stand alone on its own merits.

Not at all. I was asking basically if you sent any record of purchase of the ticket. Also did you print anything out showing the itinerary. Just trying to offer up some suggestions.

and my passport entry stamps and so forth, so I'll be adding those, as well.

Thanks! I appreciate your thoughts.

This is very good evidence but remember that if you traveled to someplace other than where your fiance(e) lives, say someplace in between e.g. a different city, a third country whereby it is clear you were there but it's not clear that your S.O. was also there at the same time, then all the passport entry /exit stamps and airline boarding passes in the world won't make your case.

I'm not sure if this situation applies to you but if it does be sure to prove somehow that both of you were there, wherever "there" might have been, at the same time.

It is probably best to explain your evidence piece by piece on a separate piece of paper, particularly if your travels were difficult to understand.

P.S. The affidavits from family/friends can't hurt as well as an explanation from you that you stayed with him/her and did not use hotels, etc.

Edited March 11, 2006 by kaydee457

[Ladylethal 12]

We got a RFE because my fiance didn't send in enough proof of our meeting - he had to send in more evidence! It's not enough just to fill out the form and say 'we met on X date' - you have to provide photos too And then he got another RFE because they needed more financial information from him. Combined the two held us up for three months which seemed like an eternity but wasn't really a big deal.

What financial information does the US fiance have to send when filing the K1? I thought that was just for the interview later down the journey.